This is the second version of this article. In the first version I realised that my entire article about complaining had become nothing more than a complaint in itself, which was kind of missing the point.
And that point is … that too many writers seem to be complaining about their job rather than enjoying it.
Freelance. Let’s look at that word for a moment. It clearly has connotations of freedom. Of choice. Of living the life that you want to live.
And yet so many freelancers seem to spend a large amount of their valuable time complaining about their job and other writers.
I’ve identified two main groups of freelance complainers. Let’s take a look…
1. Those for Whom Freelance Writing Does Not Pay Enough
I know all about this particular group of complainers because I used to be one myself. When I first started to write for a full-time living it did indeed seem that the work was very low paid.
To be honest, I only really complained to myself for having chosen this job in the first place. It was not living up to expectations, mainly because I was slaving away for hours a day with very little to show for it at the end.
“Where are all the high-paying clients?” became something I asked myself every day. “Surely it’s got to be better than this?”
I know it’s not only me who has had such thoughts because I see these comments all the time in forums, blog comments, and articles.
So are these complaints ever justified?
Why They Should Get Over It
Writers who complain about jobs not paying enough need to get over it because they could be directing this towards finding better-paying work.
Which does exist.
Higher-paying work is out there. Believe it or not, there really are clients who want to pay hundreds of dollars for a well-written article.
But these clients are not the ones who post ads on Craigslist. They are not the ones who look for writers on bidding sites.
These are the clients who never actually post ads for their work, but instead give it to those writers who are bold and innovative enough to go and look for it.
There is no secret formula, no ‘list’ of all the best clients. You have to find them, you have to seek them out. It takes a lot of time, effort, and rejections. You need a thick skin.
But it’s worth it.
2. Those For Whom Too Many Writers Work for Too Little
These other complainers have a very different preoccupation. Instead of worrying about the lack of high-paying work, they complain about the writers who charge low rates.
Sometimes the language used can be quite harsh when a ‘professional’ writer criticizes another for failing to charge the rates that they should.
They reason they feel it is any of their business in the first place is that the writers working for a pittance are not only hurting themselves but are hurting everyone else, that they are somehow lowering the standard so that all writers will soon have to work for these low rates.
Obviously this would be quite annoying for the writers earning a good wage … if it were true.
Why They Should Get Over It
Freelance writing is like any other business, and competition is part of it. Writers who charge $1 a page are competing with those who charge $1 a word, and they are perfectly entitled to work for such rates if they want to.
If you don’t want to work for such low rates, you don’t have to.
Clients are well aware that, like most other things in life, they get what they pay for. Some might not understand this at first, but they will work it out soon enough.
They will work out that it takes hours to construct a convincing, well-structured, well-researched web page or in-depth article. And that when they pay $5 for an article this high quality they are seeking is rarely, if ever, what they get.
One of the true joys of this job is being able to set your own rates, rates that you think are fair and which you are happy to work for.
I charge higher than some writers; and a lot lower than others. But I have my reasons. I know that by charging lower I can bring in more work on a regular basis, and that suits me just fine.
But no one else should be complaining about it.
Chill Out
This article is not supposed to be a complaint in itself, but more of an observation. To be honest, I don’t really mind what any other writers are doing because it does not affect me.
And if I’m not worried about it, why should you be?
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