Why Do We Freelance?
This article illustrates why one woman didn't find that even part time work fit into her life:
www.nytimes.com/2007/07/15/business/yourmoney/15pre.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
and reminds me of a couple of times when my own freelance business was lacking the money we needed. The first time, I succombed to an editor's pleas to go full time on staff. He promised flexible hours and told me I could keep most of my freelance gigs - until I got into the newsroom. Suddenly, a favorite editor of mine that had mentored me and worked well with me as a freelancer was now an adversary. When they instituted a time clock system, I punched out for the final time. Another more part time corporate newsletter job did provide very flexible hours but had the worst corporate politics I had ever encountered. Try as I might to keep out of it, I finally retreated to my own peaceful desk at home, resolving to make my freelance business work. When we recently moved, my husband kept worrying I wouldn't be able to fill what I lost in local business with writing that could be done from the wilds of the Ozark Mountains. He begged me to talk to a new neighbor who happens to live just around the bend and runs some type of a billing service from home. My aunt happily works for her and the neighbor was looking for one more part time employee. I like our neighbor and the work probably wouldn't be bad, but it isn't writing - it's billing - and not part of my own business/career plan. Now that we're moved, I have more writing business than I know what to do with - all due to aggressive marketing efforts in preparation for this move.
Have any of you ever thought of taking a part time job? Did you do it, were/are you happy? Or, what did you do to avoid it?