What’s it like to be a freelancer? If you’re not one of us, you’ll tend to believe the freelancing myths populating the analog and digital worlds: If you’re a freelancer, you work only a couple of hours a day, pick your clients, have no boss, and can set your own schedule. Just add “you can wear your pajamas all day” and the freelancer stereotype cocktail is ready to serve.
Over the years, I’ve heard all kinds of comments about freelance life, covering the whole spectrum from funny to offensive. Here are a few:
- Close family member: “When do you plan to get a real job?”
- Not-so-close family member: “Right…you ‘work’ from home.”
- Other people:
- “What’s it like to sleep as much as you want every weekday?”
- “I wish I had a good work-life balance like you.”
- “A freelancer? So you married rich, huh?”
- “Will you do these errands for me while I’m at the office? You must have tons of time.”
- “Freelance editor? I wish I could quit my job and do what I like.”
Common freelancing myths
Despite the popularity of the gig economy, in some social circles, freelancers are still rare creatures. As such, there are many misconceptions about freelancing, all deeply rooted in freelancing myths.
If you’re thinking about quitting your job to freelance, you should know how to distill the truth about freelancing from these—and other—freelancing myths:
1. As a freelancer, you can live anywhere.
Not quite, or not always, or not forever.
Unless your significant other is also a freelancer, can work remotely, or doesn’t need a salary, they’ll need to find a local job. And if you have children who need to go to school, you’ll also have to live close to one.
So even if you’re a freelancer, if you’re not a lone wolf, you’ll be location dependent—dependent on the location of your family.
Even if you’re a location-independent freelancer, or a digital nomad, you won’t be able to turn any random point on the globe into your office. That’s because you must be legally allowed to work in the country you live in. This means you might need to apply for a work permit or business visa. Some countries offer a digital nomad visa. Depending on your citizenship and how long you live in a certain country, there may be tax complications. These conditions will limit your relocation options.
Truth about freelancing: Not all freelancers can be location-independent.
2. As a freelancer, you work less than an employee.
A study cited by Inc.com revealed office workers were productive for just 3 hours a day (before the Covid-19 pandemic). Remote working has made Americans about 9 percent more productive, apparently, according to a Vox article. Such low level of productivity isn’t nearly sufficient for most freelancers who want to thrive rather than just survive.
An average freelancer needs to be productive most if not all the time—if they want to remain competitive.
Still, you can’t expect to bill 40 hours a week every week if you’re a freelancer. You may end up with 25 billable hours a week. But you’ll work more than 25 hours a week. Apart from doing the work you charge clients for, you need to spend many unbillable hours on seeking projects, preparing quotes and invoices, writing emails, cold calling, and more.
Truth about freelancing: As a freelancer, you work as many hours as, or more hours than, a full-time employee. But unlike an employee, you’re not paid for all the hours you put in.
3. As a freelancer, you can take time off whenever you feel like it.
If you’re an expert consultant who needs to work no more than a couple of hours a month, you’ll be able to jump on a plane anytime you want. But if you’re a virtual assistant, blog writer, editor, project manager, marketer, accountant, and so on, your clients will expect you to be available every day or at least every week. If you disappear whenever you feel like it, by the time you’re back, your clients will have replaced you with someone available Monday–Friday and weekends too, if needed.
Though you can’t take time off anytime you want if you’re a freelancer, you can take advantage of many short breaks throughout the year. Clients may delay or cancel projects, or you may have a few days off between contracts. These are opportunities to take time off and travel, or just relax.
Truth about freelancing: As a freelancer, you can take time off more often than the average employee, but not whenever you want.
4. As a freelancer, you don’t have a boss.
You won’t have an employer who pays your salary. But you’ll have not only one boss, but many: your clients.
On top of that, you’ll have another boss who never leaves you alone. They’ll look over your shoulder when you “do research” on social media, know when you’re “a bit” behind with a project, and frown when you switch on your computer too late in the morning. If you’re dedicated to your career, you’ll discover you’re a very demanding boss to yourself.
Truth about freelancing: If you’re looking to live the life of Riley, don’t choose the freelance lifestyle. Though a freelancer has no employer, they have at least one boss.
5. As a freelancer, you don’t work for people you don’t like and on projects you hate.
As a freelancer, you don’t always get to pick your clients. Usually, they pick you.
This doesn’t mean you’ll have to work on projects you hate and for clients who don’t respect you. You can, and you should, fire your nightmare clients.
But you won’t afford to cherry-pick your clients, or your projects, every time. You’ll work for people you don’t like if their projects or the pay interests you. And you’ll work on projects you don’t love if you like the client or need the money.
Truth about freelancing: Most of the time, but not always, experienced freelancers work for people they like and on projects they love.
6. As a freelancer, you’re not stressed, because you do a job you love.
Freelancing is not less stressful than being an employee.
How could it be?
You’re not covering just one role anymore, but many. Often, you’re a salesperson, marketer, accountant, secretary, CEO, CFO, CIO, writer, editor, and more. You can’t be equally qualified to do all jobs, but you’ll have to do everything yourself if you can’t hire a team of professionals to support your business.
Have you ever tried to do something you’re not good at based on online instructions? Imagine that frustration multiplied by the number of unfamiliar roles you’ll have to cover when you’re self-employed. You may love the work you’re paid to do, but you’ll hate admin.
Truth about freelancing: As a freelancer, you can’t eliminate stress from your job. Having to wear multiple hats, coupled with financial insecurity, means freelancing is very stressful.
7. As a freelancer, you work only when you feel like it.
Unless you’re the kind of freelancer who doesn’t have deadlines, you cannot just take the day off and squeeze in a few hours of work after putting your kids to bed.
Your clients will rely on you to work or at least respond to emails during their business hours. And if you have clients in different time zones, you won’t be able to stick to a 9 to 5 schedule.
Truth about freelancing: As a freelancer, you have to devise your own schedule around both your clients’ schedule and your family’s schedule while allowing yourself time to disconnect.
8. As a freelancer, you struggle to make ends meet. As a freelancer, you make easy money.
The beginning is hard, but if you’re good at what you do, you’ll have many regular clients who will be willing to pay you a rate that reflects your expertise.
There will be ups and downs, as in any business, though it’s rarely as extreme as the cliché “freelancing is feast or famine” suggests. Whether you can earn more as a freelancer than as an employee depends on your job and the competition in your industry, among others. As you gain more experience, you’ll likely have several regular clients who’ll pay you enough to keep your family fed.
Do freelancers become rich? I don’t know. In my industry, I have yet to meet a freelance editor or writer who did. Though an experienced freelancer can charge a high fee per hour or per project, deduct taxes and business expenses and the profit margin starts looking like Alice after the “Drink Me” potion.
Truth about freelancing: Many freelancers earn a decent living, but how lucrative freelancing is depends on one’s expertise, experience, business strategy, and industry, as well as on luck.
Busting freelancing myths
In short, the free in freelancer doesn’t stand for:
- Free from stress
- Free from boss
- Free time
- Free to choose schedule
- Free to roam
- Work for free (or almost)
- Free to work from anywhere
- Free to choose projects and clients
These are all freelancing myths. The word freelancer sounds very appealing. It suggests autonomy, control, freedom. But it can be terribly misleading if you know nothing about what a freelancer does.
If you need to hire a freelance editor, send me a message at editor@languageediting.com.
Related posts:
- Why I worked as a freelance editor on Upwork and why I quit two years ago
- Things I’ve learned from eight years of freelance editing
- Things your freelance editor should tell you
Last updated on 14 July 2022
