Why I Regret Becoming A Freelance Writer: The Harshest Lessons
If you’re in that stage of your life where you’re planning to quit your job and become a freelancer, please hear me out first. 2023 was a wild year for freelancers and things have changed a lot.
Why Freelancing?
Freedom is one of the most cherishable experiences of life.
I think freedom in today’s context means being able to do what you want, go wherever you want, and have enough money for all your needs along the way.
For all of human history, this level of freedom has rarely been heard of. In fact, if it wasn’t for technology and the paradigm shift we’re currently experiencing at our workplaces because of it, this level of freedom would’ve never been possible.
My definition of freedom may be rudimentary but it is the one I believe we all resonate with.
Getting to the topic at hand, freelancing, and setting up online revenue streams. Amazing isn’t it? It’s hard to think of any other system that’s done as much to liberate scores of people from working fixed-hour jobs at places they don’t want to because of their skillset, location, or other reasons.
With freelancing you can actually do what you want in life no matter where you’re from as long as you have a strong internet connection and of course, a computer.
If you have a good voice you can sing, if you’re skilled at making designs for T-shirts you could do that, you can also coach other people far away at a much higher price than you’re paid locally.
To me, becoming a successful freelancer is one of the highest aspirations you can have for your life because of how free it makes you in every sense of the word.
But I wish I knew how ambitious of an undertaking becoming a successful freelancer really was.
Online freelancing gurus have a way of painting complex pictures of the freelancing world that can keep you working for the same pennies you were making at your 9–5, except this time with the added burden of marketing, accounting, taxes, recruitment, creating the product or service itself, and business research, all while making you believe you’re either already free, or on your way to freedom.
In the rest of this article, I’m going to talk about how gurus accomplish this, the real world of freelancing touching on my experiences, and who should become a freelancer.
A Filterless View of Freelancing
Freelance business models are not that complicated. You have a skill or a product that brings value to other businesses or people. You become a private contractor and sell it to them. And thanks to the internet you can search the entire world to find the highest bidder.
On the surface, this sounds like a recipe for freedom but in reality, it follows the same 90–10 or 80–20 or whatever you want to call it rule as the job market.
A tiny percentage of freelancers will be able to get rich and I mean, owning multiple properties rich through freelancing.
A certain percentage of them will be able to pay their bills, relax on the weekends, buy some nice things, and take a few vacations.
A large percentage of them will make no more than they would’ve if they were working a full-time low to semi-skilled job.
A certain percentage of them would be much better off working a 9–5. I won't say more.
The world of freelancing has fixed tiers. People can move up or down tiers, but the tiers don't change. They’re forever stagnant. If there’s no more room in Tier 2, you’ll be waiting in Tier 3 until someone leaves or dies no matter how good you get with time. And that could be forever.
I don’t know the precise numbers but this is a common pattern across all professions. There are doctors in India, with 8+ years of experience making a median pay.
Bear in mind that the freelancers not making enough to pay their bills are probably also working insane hours because they have to man the entire ship themselves from ideation, and creation of the service, to marketing and accounting.
In the larger scheme, freelancing doesn’t seem to offer any greater freedom than a job.
And yet, at the same time, having a job doesn’t offer any more security than freelancing. You can get laid off, you might never get a pay raise or someone else might steal your promotion. We all know how commonplace these business practices have become today and will probably get worse before they get better.
There is no freedom or security in any industry, profession, or business model on the planet, and the road to financial freedom is filled with twists and turns.
If you ever feel like your number’s down remember this.
And before you quit your job to become a freelancer or give up freelancing to go back to your job, I would strongly recommend internalizing this fact.
Life has always been a compromise between freedom and security which is unfair, but just the way it is. And that’s why there’s no straight road to stability. At least, that’s what I think.
Maybe there are a few careers or professions I’ve never heard of that offer such.
Maybe the skill you have or the product you’re trying to sell is genuinely special, one-of-a-kind, and hard to replace. Although in this case scenario, I can see you making bank both as a freelancer and as an employee. It’s the value you bring that ultimately matters above all. And the rarity of that value.
My Experience As A Freelancer And Regrets
By the tone of my voice so far you might think I’ve had a bad experience as a freelancer. You’re partially correct.
I’ve had some incredible clients who paid me really well and gave me interesting projects, and I’ve had clients that paid pennies to the word for tedious and uninteresting projects. Unfortunately the latter represents the larger sum of my career.
Freelancing is really not for everyone. It’s for maybe 10–20% of you reading this.
If I didn’t know you and you told me things weren’t going well at your job and your position was growing uncertain, I’d offer comfort. If you asked me for advice, my first recommendation would always be either expand your skillset, upgrade your current skills, or look for another company with more stability.
Freelancing will never be my first recommendation to anyone.
My experience as a freelancer is probably more or less the same as anyone that’s been doing it for a couple of years now.
I thought that in maybe 5–10 years I’d be able to get to a point in my life where 4 days a week is the most I have to work, I can pay all my bills, look after my family, and maybe even move us someplace nicer than where we currently live.
I’m starting to see that this isn’t the case. Both the job market and the freelancer market are more on par in terms of how much security or freedom they can offer than I realized.
If I’m being honest, my biggest regret isn’t really becoming a freelancer. It’s all the freelancing gurus I didn’t question enough, the expectations I set for myself, and insufficient diligence on my end because I was unaware of the scale of what I’m trying to achieve.
I still think freelancing is the way to go for me, I'm already in this now, and things are finally picking up after a long time.
Take Online Gurus With A Grain Of Salt
I’m just going to come out and say this. The vast majority of online gurus for business, fitness, and even motivation are vultures. They sell dreams and sometimes they’re not even living the dreams they sell.
There are a lot of grifters in this market with nothing of genuine value to say that hasn’t already been said.
Most of them are purely content creators/entertainers who rewrite and repurpose the content of other grifters before them, bringing nothing unique to the table let alone an honest perspective.
I’m not going to name any names because there are hordes of them and I see new ones popping up every day because there’s a huge market of not completely broke people who still have hopes and dreams.
I call them broke people with hopes and dreams instead of using pejoratives like naive, or stupid because there’s nothing stupid about having a dream, a vision of a better life for yourself and the people around you.
Online gurus don’t prey on the gullible. They prey on the guys that have no other choice but to listen to them, buy their courses, or attend their events. They prey on people without any other recourse for making enough money to look after themselves and their families.
And the language they use is very intentional. They’ll never outright admit the secret advantages behind their success.
The smart ones are a bit more honest and admit not everyone will make it but then use a Crème Brûlée of beautiful words to convince you, you might be smart enough to make it because you can understand them. They make you feel special, like you’re in a different class, for not watching Netflix or playing Call of duty and listening to them instead.
Who Should Become A Freelancer?
I think this is one of the most important questions that I have never seen anyone ask before they jump into the pool with both feet.
My answer will be short and succinct.
If you are at least one of the following you should be able to get to a tier in freelancing where you can pay your bills and have leftovers to spend or invest.
- Have enough time on your hands to practice a high-value skill enough to become a professional.
- Are multi-talented individual with a head for numbers, words, and technology, that is also capable of multi-tasking for long hours.
- Possess a skill that is in high demand but in short supply.
- Have a brand new product, or service, with no competitors so you’ll be entering, or rather creating a brand new market.
- Possess excellent communication skills, coordination skills, and time management.
- Possess tremendous discipline, perseverance, and attentiveness to opportunities.
- Have no mouths to feed at home for a while. (Actually, this one’s a must. Freelancing should be out of the question if you have dependents)
Final Thoughts
I wish nothing but success followed by greater success for anyone that’s working a full-time job or trying to build their dream online business.
I have nothing but the utmost respect for both ventures and I hope if you’re a freelancer or a freelance guru you’ll pardon me for not mincing my words.
In my experience, I have encountered a few freelancers with very helpful and genuine educational content. And, they’re usually in the low followings with zero sponsors, or overpriced courses.
I just wanted to say my piece and I hope it provides a much more realistic view of the freelancing world today. With developments like Ai, and increased outsourcing, it’s only becoming a more uncertain market.
