The Freelance Writing World: Big Enough for Everyone

I consider myself to be a feminist, and have been since the ’70s. Not in the “women of the world unite; all men are evil” way, though. I like and respect men, and I think that gender shouldn’t be the reason why girls and women shouldn’t be able to define success in any way that they choose.

When it comes to the world of freelance writing and writers, I don’t think there is any “one size fits all” definition of success. When I started writing, I thought it would be wonderful if I could make enough money to buy groceries every week and help out with some bills. I achieved that first goal and much more, and now I get to work full time doing something that I actually love.

To my mind, there should be enough room in the freelance writing world for people who want to dabble in writing to earn a few extra dollars here and there, as well as those who want to (or have already achieved) a six-figure career. No choice is better than the other; they are just different.

Some people used to state that because women now have more opportunities that we should all climb on the high-powered career bandwagon and doing anything else is letting all of our sisters down. That wasn’t true then and it isn’t true now. Feminism should be about choices for women, even if we choose something different for ourselves.

How does this relate to freelance writing? Freelancing also offers choices. I say let’s throw the doors wide open and look at all the choices and the possibilities that the choice to freelance gives us. I, for one, love to hear about the kind of work my fellow freelancers do. It inspires me to broaden my own horizons and apply for gigs that I may not have considered before.

In much the same way that a symphony won’t sound right if everyone is playing the same instrument, there is room in the freelancing world for all of us, no matter what kind of work we choose to do. Everyone is invited to the party, and everyone is welcome.