SEO Chronicles | Freelance Copywriter

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There are plenty of stories and myths, especially on topics that are not well-known. Freelance writers know a lot about this. Although it is a trend that increasingly has more pros than cons, there are people who do not know the benefits of having a professional with these characteristics.


1. It is synonymous with an unprofessional person
The myth: Freelance writers are unable to adhere to rules, usages of car owner database schedules or standard procedures. They live life in a light-hearted manner and go where the wind takes them.

The reality: A freelance professional would not be considered a freelancer if he or she did not have a clear understanding of responsibility and professionalism. Creating your own business depends on you and the number of projects you complete depends on you. It is difficult not to conform to rules and procedures in this regard.

From myth to reality: Freelancers must have a set schedule, a workday, their own routines and a way of working. Otherwise, they are destined to fail.

2. They work from their bed all the time
The Myth: The temptation to not get dressed can be great, and if there's no one to see you all day, why do it? That's how you start your day with a computer on, an endless supply of coffee, and the same pajamas you slept in the night before.

The reality: Unfortunately, not motivating yourself to get dressed in the morning has a proven impact on your motivation levels. This is what several experts say, including Andrew Handley, a blogger famous for talking about the home office, who shows the great impact that the way we dress has on our brain, leading us to perceive the role we must fulfill and motivating us to fulfill it. This happens, for example, when children are asked to put on their pajamas minutes before going to bed. The brain captures this routine to go to rest. The same thing happens when we get up. Taking off our pajamas and getting dressed is proof that rest is over and that I must be active and alert.

From myth to reality: It is possible to wear pajamas for a day or two and nothing bad will really happen. But freelance writers must be versatile even in their clothing. This is because they will have to attend important meetings, both formal and not so formal; they will wear sneakers, slippers or dress shoes, indiscriminately, depending on the occasion.

3. Payment does not need dates and you can easily triple it
The myth: Since everything is up to you, you can charge your own hourly rate and your workload will be directly proportional to the projects you accept or reject, it's common to think that you'll be rolling in money as soon as you decide to pursue this new path. Of course! You'll be working on champagne and driving a brand new Audi in no time.

The reality: Becoming a freelance writer is starting from scratch. New work, new rhythms and new clients . This means learning to collect the agreed payment, because it will not be magically deposited into your account as before, and it will also be a lot of work to have a stable amount month after month. This is where you must have savings that allow you to stay afloat, while you make a name for yourself. But nobody is swimming in money the moment they leave.

From myth to reality: A good negotiation, a couple of good clients, good references and a reputation will easily make you a lot more money than you were making in the office. In the beginning, many freelancers choose to do both in parallel, while building their experience, network and a sufficient client base to provide support.

4. You are your own boss
The myth: You're the Boss. And that's enough to make independence totally worth it. No more tyranny and absurd requests. It's your job and you alone are responsible for it, so you can do it however you want.

The reality: You have to do absolutely everything. Yes, you are indeed your own boss, so you have to choose the right projects and clients, get paid and use your experience. You are effectively the boss and everything is up to you.

From myth to reality: The truth is that you will learn a lot, about all the existing disciplines. To do this, you must surround yourself with competent people, who have already made progress in this regard. It is true, being your own boss is great for developing skills and creativity, and also discipline and organization, since no one will tell you what to do.

5. You can fully focus on what you want to do
The myth: Freelancing allows you to focus completely on what you love and enjoy doing. You can give your life a creative boost and be an artist, writer, designer and freelancer. What's more, I can make money doing everything I love to do.

The reality: You are your own company and this means doing administrative work, accounting, budgeting, marketing campaigns, responding to clients and a host of other tasks that you may not like, but that you must do. This, at least in the first instance, when you are positioning your company.

From myth to reality: It is possible to do many things that you really love. However, you should also learn about other disciplines that you may have never seen before. This will also help you to know your talents and limitations. For example, if you really don't know anything about accounting, you can make it a priority to hire an accountant or someone who can help you in this area, as a priority, when the business starts to take off.

6. Your time is your time
The myth: As a freelancer, you have all the time on your hands, so you can finish early on Friday and run to the beach. Meanwhile, your friends have to stay locked in their offices.

Reality: When you work in an office, you have a schedule. Working on your own means you have projects and a lot more work, especially if you work from home. Because of this, sometimes you have to allocate more time to different tasks.

From myth to reality: Yes, there are days when you can throw all the papers in the air and go for a walk in the park or ride your bike. You can also designate Monday as the longest day and thus free up some hours on Thursday and Friday for leisure activities. It all depends on how organized you are and how you stick to it. It is possible to have freedom and rest, but only if we meet our own deadlines.

7. It is much less stressful than working for someone else.
The Myth: You get to focus on and make money from your life's passion. You don't have to deal with office bureaucracy, exit forms, or pointless meetings. You also don't have the pressure of a boss telling you what to do and what not to do.

The reality: As a freelancer, you are running your own project. In this sense, you are your company, you sell people, you are the project manager, etc. And this can sometimes be much more stressful than meeting a schedule and work schedule defined by a third party.

From myth to reality: The more expert you become, the more experience you will acquire and with which you will direct your projects, clients and your time.

8. Work is never really work again
The myth: Having breakfast and meetings in beautiful cafes, being able to take an afternoon nap, finishing the week on a Wednesday afternoon and spending hours contemplating life. That is the reality and it is not possible to really call it work.

The reality: You'll work just as hard as if you were in an office. In fact, maybe a lot harder than if you were working full-time or with a set schedule.

From myth to reality: Maybe having meetings in a nice café is a good idea, however, running from one place to another is also something that this way of life brings with it and that sometimes becomes exhausting.

9. Working from home is amazing
The myth: I don't need anything more than my space and my internet connection.

The reality: Yes, it's amazing, but it's also very difficult. If you work from home, you don't set a start and end time for your workday, so you can overwork, spend time “getting ahead” indefinitely (there's always more to do…) and there are hundreds of distractions like the cable, your kids, or your soft bed.

From myth to reality: A good idea is to take a part-time job or a job that only takes a few hours, which allows you to make time for socializing during the week and also to keep yourself on schedule. This way, you can enjoy your freelance freedom, but at the same time, you also interact with other people, create routines and complement both things.

10. You have more time for your family and friends
The myth: They have become a “social butterfly.”

The reality: Our friends are still working standard jobs. And while our story has certainly inspired a few entrepreneurs, the truth is that many of them are still working a strict schedule.

From myth to reality: Being a freelancer means constantly meeting new people, which can allow us to create new ties with other professionals who work like us. In this way, our social circle expands and we can carry out extracurricular activities in “our” schedules, without always having to adapt to those close to us who work full-time.

11. To work I have to spend a lot of money from “My pocket”
The myth: Tickets, transportation, the team I work with, lunches, dinners, etc. always come out of the freelance professional's pocket.

The reality: It's true, we don't receive travel expenses or bonuses. That's why we have to be careful with our money.

From Myth to Reality: When charging for a project, all of these items must also be taken into account, which should be included as an item in the budget, or in the final price. In this way, it is the client who will be “paying” indirectly for our basic needs such as a coffee, lunch or part of the installment of the computer that I bought for work purposes.

12. They are available at all times and in all places
The myth: When you closed the deal, they gave you their phone number, WhatsApp and email. Therefore, the client has every right to call or write at any time, including weekends. After all, they work from home, right?

The reality: Freelance work is a job like any other. The difference is that it is the same professional who regulates his time and schedule, sets deadlines for projects and also decides at what time he will (or will not) answer a call or message.

From myth to reality: Always define a schedule and make it known to the client. Once, twice, three times, in fact, as many times as necessary for them to understand. It is up to you to give your work the seriousness it deserves.