5 Disadvantages of Freelance Writing

I love my job as a freelance writer. I get to work in my pajamas at three o'clock in the morning. I get to work with my daughter sitting in my lap. I get to take my computer on vacation and bring my job with me. If I don't want to work one day, I don't have to. If I want a week off, I've got it. In many ways, it may look like freelance writers have a dream-job-- but there are actually many drawbacks to working from home.

Here are some of the most major disadvantages of freelance writing as a career.

1. It requires discipline-- a lot of it. It's hard to make myself go to work when there is no boss hanging over me, threatening to fire or demote me if I don't work. It's very difficult to force myself to work when my daughter, my pets, Facebook, and online games look like a more appealing way to spend my day. I wish I had a time for every time I'd "clocked in" for a day of writing, only to waste eight hours immersed in Facebook drama. A lack of self-discipline can crush a freelance writing career.

2. Work is inconsistent. Depending on what kind of work is available, I may make as much as $100 an hour or as little as $2 an hour. One week, there may be hundreds of articles to write. The next week, I may scrape the internet only to find a $5 gig that may or may not get published. If you need job security and a guarantee of constant work-availability, freelance writing may not be for you.

3. It can be isolating. In a typical work environment, coworkers are a mixed blessing. While you may not get along with them all the time, they do tend to provide much-needed relief from the monotony and loneliness of work. In freelancing, there is no such interaction. Freelance writers may spend an entire week without ever seeing another human being face-to-face. It may sound great if you tend to be antisocial, but it's a recipe for disaster if you crave human contact.

4. No one takes you seriously. I still remember a time when I had gone to the emergency room with a severe case of food poisoning. After admission to the hospital, a woman came in to get my personal and billing information. She asked my occupation. I said "freelance writer." I looked at my paper work later and saw that she'd written "unemployed." Unfortunately, these types of misconceptions are rampant. You may be surprised by the number of people who assume that you don't get paid for your work as a freelance writer.

5. There's no rest. Most freelance writers I know get far too little sleep and far too few day off. Although freelancing may seem like a constant vacation, it's more like a constant job for the vast majority of writers. As a freelancer, you are almost never truly "off work." Woke up at 5:00 a.m.? Better write an article before your kids wake up. On vacation with your friends? I hope you brought your computer. Bedridden with the flu? You'd better start working to pay for that doctor's visit.

Freelance writing is an amazing job, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. In many ways, my career is a dream-come-true, but it is not without its own degree of stress and disappointment. If you need a job with security, reliability and a consistent schedule, freelance writing is not for you. But if you're able to surrender some security in exchange for freedom and flexibility, you just might be built freelance-tough.