Write Your Way To Freedom (Editorial)

Want to write from home full-time? If this is your dream, you can certainly do it. Depending on your background and skills, this may be possible for you within a couple of months, however if you’re new to writing, count on it taking you a year, or longer – it all depends on you.

Start by becoming clear in your own mind about what writing from home involves. Fundamentally, it’s writing, without supervision. Once you accept a writing job, there’s no one standing over you to ensure that you complete it. You need to be committed to constantly finding new clients, and developing your relationship with them.

Think about this carefully. Are you disciplined enough to sit down at your computer for six or more hours every day… and in the beginning, often on weekends too? Remember that the six hours will be spent writing, rather than chatting on Facebook, or aimlessly surfing eBay and shopping sites.

If you know yourself well enough to realize that you can’t do it, that you need the camaraderie of a workplace, that’s fine. The majority of writers write part-time, in the evenings, and on weekends. You can develop a great part-time writing career. I know several writers whose writing income out-strips their work income, but they won’t give up their day job. Their writing is a very profitable pastime.

Writers who are meant to be full-time writers know it. They enjoy writing. They hate distractions, and they dream of having a room of their own, in which they can write all day.

Now let’s get down to the nitty-gritty. To write from home successfully, you’ll need to replace your current income, AND preferably have a cushion of at least three to four months’ income sitting in the bank.

To achieve that level of income from your writing, you’ll need regular clients. These are clients who hire you over and over again. Preferably, you’ll be on retainer to them, or you’ll have a contract to write a certain number of words for them every month.

How many clients do you need?

Get a pen and paper and a calculator, and work out how much income you need to be making every month when you go full-time. Take your monthly income now, and add at least 50 per cent. Remember that you must cover your health insurance and other insurances, and your taxes.

Consider hiring an accountant. Accountancy fees are a cost of doing business for a writer, and your accountant can tell you which costs of your new business are deductible, and can advise you on many other matters too. His advice is well worth paying for.

Once you’ve got a figure for the monthly income you’ll need, the next step is to find clients who can provide that for you.

It’s easier to do more work for the clients you already have, than to find new clients, so take care of your clients. Get in touch with everyone you’ve written for in the past year, and remind them that you’re available. Clients forget you quickly, so it’s up to you to keep reminding them that you exist.

Big tip: you need as large a current client list as possible. Aim for at least 15 to 20 clients. If you only have two or three clients who provide the bulk of your income, don’t go full-time until you have more clients. Businesses and publications change direction; they also go out of business. Never become reliant on a small number of clients, because then their problems become your problems.

These days, it’s possible to become a full-time writer quickly. Not only is there lots of work around for writers, but it’s also possible to develop income streams from your own writing products, Web sites and blogs.

Full-time writing is a wonderful occupation. You can write your way to freedom, starting today. Good luck.

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