I Am Annoyed
19
Comments
Warning: It’s quite possible that I’m about to tick you off.
I’m sure that getting settled in to the new office has a little something to do with our decreased posting in the last week or so, but there’s another factor. Basically, I’ve been trying to figure out how to be polite about a topic that is really rubbing me the wrong way. I emailed my dad about it, and he barely spoke to me for several days, and he’s sort of required to love me. You folks, well, you’re not at all beholden. So, I’ve been trying to figure out how to say what I want to say without having half of our readers unsubscribe from our feed.
Unfortunately, I still haven’t figured it out, so I’ll just say what I have to say. My suspicion is that a third of you will say, “You’re damn right, Lorna!” Another third will likely wonder, “Is she talking about ME?” and get their feelings hurt. The rest of you will probably want to tell me to shut up and stop whining. Still, Tamara and I have always said that this blog is supposed to be a view into a real-life business and should be a tool for freelancers. That said, it’s time to get to the freaking point already.
I am annoyed with freelancers. I am annoyed with freelancers who call themselves professionals but then do ridiculous things. I am really annoyed with people who have recently tagged “freelance” to the front of whatever title they previously had because the economy is bad.
See, I’ve already gone too far. I don’t mean to say that I don’t like new freelancers. In fact, it’s the opposite. I love new freelancers. You folks are half the reason that this blog exists. Seriously, if you’re a new freelancer, you should consider clicking the “getting started” category to the right, because we have a bunch of blog posts that are geared specifically toward helping you get your business underway. We have much love for the new freelancers.
The ones we’re not so thrilled about…hm, maybe I had better go back to writing in first person so as not to implicate Tamara in any of my haughtiness…The ones I’m not so thrilled about are the ones who email us saying that they got laid off because of the economy and thought they’d “just freelance” for a while to pull in some extra money. No kidding, someone actually asked us if we could give him work because he wanted to “just freelance” while job searching.
What can I say? I’m extremely offended. If it is so easy to “just freelance,” then why are you coming to me?
I know that the current economic climate means that small business has more potential than ever. I know this because practically every one of my clients asks me to write about it. Maybe I’ve just done so many articles and blog posts on marketing/changing careers/budgeting/etc. in a recession that I’ve bought my own hype on why it’s a good thing for some of our businesses. Unfortunately, I think other people are equating “good” with “easy.”
That brings me to my next bitchy point: Freelancing isn’t all that easy. You have to constantly find and bid on new jobs. You have to meet deadlines. Theoretically, you have to be good at your craft, too. Believe it or not, we have recently discovered that there are quite a few “freelancers” out there who do not fit even one of these three criteria.
From the very beginning of our business, we have looked forward to the day when we would have enough business to be able to bring in other writers. I’m a pretty pie-in-the-sky, Kum-Ba-Ya type, and Tamara and I have both been so excited about the potential for our business to help other people, parents especially, to pursue their dreams of working from home. Now that we’re at that point, it’s been exciting to get to know some freelancers who are interested in working with us.
I want to start by saying that we have worked with some great writers so far. We’ve developed relationships with two ladies, in particular, that we are just thrilled about. Unfortunately, some of the others have been pretty disappointing. I think I’ll probably go ahead and compile some of those experiences for another post about how to successfully subcontract work from other freelancers. Let’s just say that not only did they not have to go out and find or bid on jobs, but some have blown off deadlines, one plagiarized herself, and a couple never even got the job because the samples they sent were so poorly written that we would have spent more time editing than it would take to write the pieces ourselves.
I suppose the biggest question is why on earth I’m taking this all so personally? For some reason, I find the dismissive attitude of so many people who claim to want to be freelance writers really insulting. I know that others are hiring them (probably not more than once, mind you), and that they’re undermining my whole profession. I’m annoyed by someone who sends me a nightmare of a writing sample, along with a bid for more than double what a project pays. Are you kidding me? I’m out-right pissed at the number of people who seem to think that there’s nothing to it if you want to “just freelance.”
You know what? There are no rules about what you have to actually do to be considered a freelancer. You don’t have to be reliable, or ethical, or even good. But, if you’re not and you still insist on calling yourself a freelancer, you’re going to tick hard-working freelancers off.
FREE 21-Page Internet Business Idea Guide
Enter your name and email below and we’ll send you our unique 21-page guide chock full of Internet business ideas – for free! Your information will be kept private, of course.
Christina Lemmey is the mother of two school-aged girls, a wife, and the owner of 
You’ve totally hit on one of my biggest pet peeves about freelancing – all those other so-called “freelancers” giving us a bad name. But hey, thanks for reminding all of us “pros” how important it is to maintain our standards and stay a model citizen of the freelancing world.
Monicas last blog post..Taking Care of Your Writing Clips
Even though I know exactly what you’re talking about, I haven’t got mad yet because I feel for these people in my gut. I live in Michigan. It’s completely, totally, and massively heartrending. People are desperate.
You train new freelancers through this blog, as do I through About.com and my classes. We hold that education responsibility, of which this post should be required reading.
Allenas last blog post..Freelance Writing Jobs Open Up; Website Revamped
Amen. I am definitely still in the “buildup” stage, but I am quite serious about this as a profession. I remember when the hip laid-off label was “consultant” and I am not happy about the way this has changed to “freelance.” I am not trying to cover for a lack of career. This is my career.
I think it’s a common assumption, sadly. And not just with freelancing, but creative writing too.
Because it’s rather easy to put pen to paper or fingertips to keyboard, people often think it’s very simple to, you know, write. And, of course, it’s not.
I get really tired of people telling me they have considered writing a novel when they’ve never attempted any kind of writing before in their lives.
I also get tired when I tell people I’m a copywriter and they a) ask what that means and then b) when I explain, say something like, ‘Oh, I reckon I could do that.’
People, eh? Unbelievable.
Iain Broomes last blog post..How Twitter can help you improve, market and publish your creative writing
@Monica – I’m proud of the fact that the work my clients got back when I first started and charged a fraction of what I do now was of the same quality as the work I do now. I suspect it’s part of the reason I’m still here!
@Allena – No fair making me feel guilty for being annoyed. As I said, freelancing is a viable alternative, but it’s not something you “just” do. Blogs like this one and your About page are a great resource to get started the right way. BUT, not everyone is cut out for freelancing, and just because you want to work from home doesn’t mean you should be a writer.
@Jenn – Good for you. If you work hard and have the skills, there’s defintely room for you in the business. Best of luck!
@Lain – The “Oh, I could do that” thing gets to me, too. What I’ve been realizing lately, though, is a lot of those people weed themselves out fairly early on. I am surprise, though, at the number of clients who don’t care if the writing is any good and just hire the cheapest so-called “freelance writer.”
You are right.
Freelancing is not easy. Nor is writing. Nor is being a professional. All of it takes a lot of work, yet often shortcuts–and not skills or hard work–seem to be encouraged.
I feel your passion about this subject. Earlier this month I wrote a post about being able to call myself a writer and the struggle I feel in doing that (http://www.wow-womenonwriting.com/2009/02/and-you-are.html).
In many ways, it extends to my calling myself a freelancer, as well. I wish titles weren’t so important in our world!
I have a ton of respect for freelancers, and it really isn’t for everyone, myself included. I do it a little out of financial necessity, but I’m taking steps to move away from that sort of work. I encourage people to really think if they want to be bidding on jobs, meeting deadlines and writing what someone else wants them to write, before they take on the title “freelance writer”. After all, there are other types of writers and other ways to make money writing if that’s your intent.
Terry Heaths last blog post..It Gets Messy When You “Should” On Yourself
It seems perfectly reasonable to me! I’m just starting out as a freelancer, too, and I still have a full-time job. I might not be pushing at freelancing as hard as I might be (there are only so many hours in a day and only so much energy I can summon), but this is something I WANT to do! It’s easy to just stick the word “freelancing” on a business card or into a conversation … heck, I did it … but if you don’t back it up with professional mojo, all it is is hot air.
And, honest, I’m trying hard to get a sail up to trap some of that hot air for myself!
–Debs last blog post..Premio Dardos
Whoo Hoo!
Okay, had to get that off my chest:-) Your post will actually help many diamond in the rough freelancers who have the potential but just haven’t made the connection – so yes, I believe that while you’re frustrated, you do love new freelancers.
I recently posted on how to lose that writing gig because I’ve had so many sloppy applications from people who claim to be interested in working for us but don’t know how to properly format a letter let alone how to spell check their work or submit error free samples.
That being said, on some level I’m also grateful for the hacks because I know that when my customers do find me, they appreciate me and they stick around because it’s scary out there! I suspect many of your clients come to you with horror stories and feel blessed when they find you and are able to build a lasting business relationship.
Maybe I’ll annoy a few people by saying this, but I wanted to stand up and applaud this blog post. Bravo! (inserts fingers in mouth and lets out earsplitting whistle)
Freelancing is serious business. This is how many of us pay the bills. We are trained professionals, and this is our livelihood. I wouldn’t slap on a stethoscope and call myself a doctor, would I? Nope! And like Elizabeth, I mused over calling myself a writer on my own blog recently (http://jenniferlarsonwrites.wordpress.com/2009/01/23/im-a-writer-no-really-i-am/).
But lots of people want to annoint themselves “freelance writers” (or editors) without doing any of the related work, from training or learning or preparing, to getting out there to actively look for work, to actually DOING the work–and doing it well. You don’t have to be a seasoned professional with two or three decades in the biz to be a serious professional freelancer. But you do have to have the right attitude and dedication. That’s all that I’d ask for.
Jennifers last blog post..You already used that word
Bad freelancers do hurt our image! They drive down payrates and make life difficult for the rest of us who are trying to earn a decent wage. Most of us were trained in some way shape or form. We professional freelancers have studied our craft and the “just because” crowd didn’t. Kudos for saying it and a bigger one for posting it!
I can understand how you feel, but I wouldn’t waste too much of your time being PO’d about it. Life is too short for that. Fume for a few minutes then get some coffee.
Those who want to “just freelance” to ride out the rough times won’t last. They will burn out. They won’t make it. Those who are in it for the long haul, to make a career out of it, will.
I also want to laugh when people say its wonderful that I can just sit around and be creative all day :0 I do feel grateful I can make a living working full time as a freelance writer (have been for 14 years). But I think of myself as more of a carpenter than a loosey-goosey artsy fartsy writer. Writing an article is a craft that can be learned…but anyone who has had renovation work done to their house knows — there are carpenters, then there are those that are artists at what they do. Same with writing. It is a skill — but it takes love of the craft to really be good at it.
Are you seriously thinking of providing a how to sub contract work, because I’ buy that! I have been burned by writers who could care less about deadlines and a couple who produced work I ended up completely rewriting.
I’ve also spoken to some who say they’re interesetd in freelancing but seem unwilling to put in the work required. I tell them that you can do well as a freelance writer, but this is no get rich quick scheme.
Kimberlys last blog post..Monday Blahs
It does get me, how many people think they could do this job too. I work hard, I’m a good writer, I’m dependable, and I don’t take on jobs that don’t pay well. I value myself too much. And I’m worth more than that.
No, not anyone can do this job, but when I read some of the appallingly bad writing out there, I wonder if anyone cares that writing requires skill and the willingness to re-write!
I feel like venting too. I’ve been trying to freelance for awhile – my website ministry is just that a MINISTRY. No income. I meet deadlines. I think I’m a good writer (or so I’m told). But it’s very, very hard to find work. Most positions are FREE – you know “We’ll give you a byline and exposure” type? I finally got offered a regular column gig with small pay – but I was excited. It was progress. Then was told they wanted ALL rights to my articles. ALL! Hey, I already have an online following, why sell myself away?
It’s hard to not get discouraged… especially when you love what you do and your husband is not sure if at any time his job will be cut.
Thanks for venting. And letting me vent along with you.
Dionnas last blog post..Living A Safe Life
Ok, so what is it that makes someone a “real” freelancer? Is it really that they’ve put in months/years? I’m not sure, To be honest with you, I’ve seen a lot of writers over at About.com who are tacking “freelance” onto their name, and they’re coming off of big name magazines and newspapers. Their credits put mine to shame! So… Well, I’ve continued this interesting tangent at my blog. THanks for some food for thought, as usual, ladies!
Allenas last blog post..So, What Makes You a "Real" Freelance Writer?
Freelancing shouldn’t be treated as a stop gap job between “bigger and better” things. It takes time and effort and doesn’t pay off immediately.
But at the same time if someone is a decent writer, can meet deadlines, is serious about applying themselves and their desire to write coincides with their need to make money…freelance writing can be a good option.
Sometimes it takes a financial crisis to get someone to take a leap of faith and start freelancing. I know it was that way for me.
Courtneys last blog post..Just one article a day