To many, the idea of writing or marketing online for pay is a new prospect. People can write and they can market, but can they do it all from their home office? And make a living off of it? Yes, we can. Thanks to the Internet and an “I can do anything you can do” attitude, millions of freelancers across the country are making a viable career out of writing from home.
This may mean an inconsistent schedule, paying for health insurance out of pocket, forever explaining what it is “we do,” but that doesn’t make it any less of a career. And like any Pinocchio fan will tell you, just because something is real doesn’t mean there aren’t skeptics. The more times you explain, “It’s a real job, it’s a real job,” the more times shady circus managers are after your skillz.
You Do What?
In any general, “What do you do” situation, I’m asked a series of questions – ranging from “What does that mean?” to “Do you get paid real money?” Age, background, and generation seem to affect their answers, but overall, pretty much no one knows what freelance writing means … unless I’m at a work-related conference. Something about not understanding a profession brings in extremely specific questions, often those that border near rude.
And while I don’t necessarily mind talking about my job, it’s the sheer frequency of questions that causes issue. If I could say “I’m a nurse,” or “I’m a teacher,” people would just nod and make a comment about the weather, no follow up needed. But “I’m a freelance writer and online marketer” is met with confused looks and a string of two to fifteen questions.
Hopefully outsiders will start understanding our positions sooner rather than later. Their constant questions are bound to start spreading – balancing out the lack of informed citizens from the outside in.
Bethaney Wallace
Bethaney Wallace is a tea drinking, Amazon loving writer and editor. When she's not working on TSR or her personal blog, she loves reading and looking for new DIY projects.
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