Pros And Cons Of Full-Time Writing Jobs Vs. Freelance Writing
Having a full-time writing job and freelancing doubled my income. Full-time writing jobs can be incredible—if you find the right one.
In 2012, Google launched what’s called the Penguin update. This update meant that spammers could no longer use black hat tricks to get articles to rank high in Google’s search engine results.
This is something I find very few writers know. But, this is one of the greatest things to ever happen for those who want fulfilling writing careers.
Since the first Penguin update, Google has refined and refined their algorithms to favor quality, honest, and authoritative web content (i.e., articles, blog posts, ebooks, web pages).
This means that no business can rank high in search results without quality writing. Do you know what an incredible opportunity this is for writers?
These updates have encouraged businesses to employ writers in huge numbers. Writers write quality ebooks, blogs, and other content hosted on the web to increase the rank and authority in Google searches of the business that hires them.
There are plenty of opportunities for writers to work both freelance and full-time. And I’m not talking about a corporate, bs job. I’m talking — you can work for one of the best places to work in the world.
I started a freelance writing business a few years ago. I grew it into a six-figure business.
Now, I also work full-time for an I.T. company. I wanted to double my money — so all I needed to do was automate my freelance biz and apply for a job I knew I’d love.
Now that I’ve given you a bit on Google’s search updates and why there’s so much writing work, let me get to my point which is: to help you decide what’s right for you in your writing career.
The pros and cons of freelance writing work
1. You can work when you want from anywhere in the world you want
The pro here is obvious, who wouldn’t want to work anywhere in the world they want? Whenever they want.
The con is not so obvious and having been there, I can tell you it’s that having the world as your oyster, indeed having ultimate freedom, can cause the biggest anxiety attack of your life.
There are some full-time jobs for remote-friendly companies where this rule also applies.
2. You can make a ton of money if you’ve got a growth mindset + desire to make money
As a freelancer, you’re a business owner. This can be a pro or con, depending on your approach and how well you educate yourself on business.
You’ll be the accountant, salesperson, marketer, website designer — and any other employee you need. UNLESS you hire those people.
I suggest finding folks to do everything that’s not writing so that you can scale. You can also hire other writers if you’re super busy.
3. You’ll never be short of inspiration — so long as you chase it
I get a shit-ton of inspiration from travel. So, it worked well for me to bop around the world and write every day.
The con of this is that you need to be proactive in your search for daily inspiration. I find that I don’t need to travel every day, I can just pick up a good book first thing in the morning.
Also, travel is an expensive means of inspiration, so you’ll need to find (and be proactive about) other ways to find inspiration. For example, I write from this incredible library I found that overlooks a scenic lake.
The pros and cons of full-time writing work
1. Money, on time, every month
You can also make a shit-ton of money as a full-time content writer for a company. You’ll need to learn a few skills: like how to use WordPress or SEO tools.
These aren’t difficult; you can make free accounts and learn to use them in a couple of hours.
The con here is that you do have less freedom. UNLESS you find a company that offers unlimited PTO and is remote friendly. I highly recommend a company that’s flexible re remote/PTO.
2. Learning from someone who knows more than you
When you consult or freelance, you’re the person who knows your “industry” or “job type” or “niche.” You have to tell the client what to do and how to do it best.
When you work full-time (for a good company), you’ll be encouraged to share your expertise, and that expertise will be taken seriously and will shape the company’s decisions.
BUT, you’ll also learn loads that you wouldn’t learn by freelancing. You’ll have leaders who can improve your writing chops, teach you new things about content marketing or journalism or whatever niche you’re in.
Tip: During interviews, look for a manager that asks very specific questions about your work. This signals someone who can mentor you. People who ask extremely specific questions have experience doing what you’re being hired to do.
3. Actual time off
About a month after I started my full-time job, I took a vacation. This was the first vacation in years where I didn’t work. I cannot tell you how rejuvenating this was. It improved my mood, my writing, so many things.
I didn’t know how bad I needed to recharge. When you freelance, it’s easy to be always working or always looking for work.
4. Just writing
This is by far the best part of my full-time writing job and the other primary reason I wanted full-time work (the other reason was a doubled income).
I am no longer the sales team, marketing team, CEO, accountant, etc. I’m the goddamned writer. And dammit, that’s what I spend most of my time doing every day.
My two cents
I recommend building up a freelance business over a couple of years. If you can find a way to automate it, you’ll have a hefty, second income.
Then, you’ll face the freedom of choice again. You can write what you wish (I write books and articles in my spare time). You can write that book, or get an MFA, or look for a full-time writing job and double your income.
My last piece of advice would be, that if you’re going to try for full-time work, look for a team of people to join, not a company.
Your happiness will come from the people you work with, not what the company sells (although, a good product/service + good people is best).
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