Freelance Editorial Association News, Fall 1993 Volume 9, Number 1
Marjorie Gove
The neighbors have all left for their nine-to-five jobs. The radio has given its last morning rush-hour traffic report. The house is empty and quiet. The computer is humming away. There's a fresh mug of tea waiting, and the work day is yours to define.
Full-time freelancing—is it the ideal way to work or a sentence to solitary confinement? The answer is in the eye of the beholder. Freelancing offers unparalleled independence, blessed freedom from office politics, uninterrupted work, control over your life—and endless hours of solitude, especially if you also live alone.
Like many others, I turned to full-time freelance work after being laid off from a job I adored. The company I had worked for was wild and crazy, and I couldn't face the idea of working for a "regular" corporation. I had already done a little freelance work on the side, and freelancing full time was something I had always wanted to try. So I took my ten years of professional writing experience, skills, and contacts, and I took the plunge.
At first, advice came faster than the jobs did. I was advised to get a separate phone line, name my business, set my hourly rates high enough to be taken seriously but low enough to attract business. I went to seminars on how to market myself. I took counsel with my tax accountant. I redid my portfolio, wrote a professional biography, signed up for publications geared toward being a freelancer. I listened to anything anyone had to say to me on the subject.
But no one ever asked if I had the temperament to work alone all day. Could I function without an imposed daily schedule? How would I handle working without interacting with other people?
Isolation comes with the territory. For some people, it's a big plus. For others, it's a problem that's worth dealing with for the other benefits. But for others, it's a major stumbling block. Yet at some point, many people in our field and in this economy will find themselves going the freelance route. Whether or not they stay freelance will depend not only on their talent and business success but also on how they feel about isolation.
To go the distance, many long-time freelancers agree
that a person should not just be able to tolerate solitude
but should need solitude.
Freelancing is not the work style for anyone who is strongly people oriented. I have a friend who is fiercely social. She entertains dinner guests at least once a week, will do anything to avoid spending an evening alone (including watching me wash dishes), and has sought a career that requires her to spend a good part of her day in direct interaction with others. She'd go berserk as a full-time freelancer.
"I found myself watching everyone drive off in the morning, and I wanted to go with them," says a former freelance production supervisor. "I wouldn't get shaved or dressed until three in the afternoon. I just couldn't get my act together." Despite his success, this freelancer threw in the towel and went to work for an agency.
Editor and writer Maureen Cary has worked on her own for about three years. "The biggest challenge is the children," she says, and then she quickly adds, "and being isolated from other people." Ms. Cary handles the first difficulty with regularly scheduled babysistters but says she hasn't found an effective way to deal with the isolation. She belongs to a mothers' group and talks to friends on the phone, but those activities don't quite fill the bill. While she has made freelancing work for her, she won't continue it forever. "It would be really nice to work in a office," she says. Portia Little, another editor and writer, says that she too misses the interaction with people. "It's depressing to go a whole day and not talk to anyone," she says, even though she enjoys the independence. Ms. Little would prefer to work in an outside office.
To go the distance, many long-term freelancers agree that a person should not just be able to tolerate solitude but should need solitude. To survive, a full-time freelancer should really prefer to be alone.
Danny Marcus not only doesn't classify isolation as problem but also sees it as an advantage. He's worked as a full-time freelance editor and proofreader for about seven years. And he likes it. "Nobody bothers me," he says. "I don't have to go out if I don't want to."
Dale Lyle and Kenneth Kimball, both freelance writers and editors, agree that isolation is not necessarily a problem. Both have worked on their own for ten years. "Isolation was an issue at first," says Ms. Lyle, who claims she felt somewhat alone only the first year out. "Then I discovered I prefer to work at night, so my natural work pattern is out of sync with others anyway." She has what she terms a network of friendly acquaintances and enjoys being with friends. Still, she likes "planned stimulation, as in meetings." She explains, "I don't like constant interaction with others. I want to work alone." Solitude works best for Mr. Kimball as well. "Isolation isn't a bother for me. I don't mind it," he says. "I'm not terribly social. I like getting together with friends, but then I like to get back to my own place."
Full-time freelancing—is it the ideal way to work
or a sentence to solitary confinement?
I had been working on my own for the better part of a year before the isolation started to nudge at me. By then, I was completely hooked on the freedom and independence and knew I would take a regular job again only under dire financial circumstance. I still feel a tightness in my chest when I'm in a corporate setting. Sweats and slippers are my work clothes; the thought of wearing shoes and pantyhose every day makes me shiver. While I was walking around an office park recently, I looked in the office windows and felt almost giddy to be free.
But I would be lying if I didn't admit that there are times I get raging cabin fever, especially in the winter. And there are times I'm stuck and wish I could trot down the hall to a fellow worker for suggestions. Sometimes I wish another mind were around, so we could bounce ideas off each other and test our concepts.
Loneliness, even for those content with solitary work, is a problem from time to time, as are the practical issues of being the sole "employee." There are several ways to deal with these challenges.
If the problem is simply loneliness, the obvious answer is to get out more. Run errands. Talk to the sales clerks. Go to a mall, a library, a museum. Go for a walk. There's a bookstore near me with a large supply of books to browse through and a cafe that serves great pastries and pots of tea. I settle in there with a magazine or a newspaper, or I just watch people.
Isolation comes with the territory. For some people,
it's a big plus. For others, it's a problem that's worth
dealing with for the other benefits.
Turn on the radio or television for a touch of electronic companionship while you work. Call a friend or colleague. If you get a periodic hankering for work outside your office, consider short-term temping. A few days' working outside might be just what's needed to make your home office look better than ever.
Take advantage of your flexible freelance schedule and get involved in activities you enjoy. Take classes. Volunteer at a food pantry or elsewhere; people will be delighted to have someone who can be available during the work day. Join professional organizations as well as social ones. Find a book discussion group. Before going f reelance, I didn't have the time or inclination to join organizations; now I'm active in several civic groups and volunteer my time. It's not all altruistic; I meet new people and widen my horizons.
Aside from loneliness, freelancing can isolate you from other professions. Use your Freelance Editorial Association membership. Keep in touch with people you've worked with before and establish a reciprocal associate relationship. When I need a reality check on a job I'm doing, there are several former coworkers I call for feedback. It's very hard (some would say impossible) to be your most creative in a vacuum.
Discipline can be a problem when you're on your own with no one directly breathing down your neck. Introduce yourself as a freelancer, and someone is bound to ask how you regulate your day. My usual answer is the fear of going broke. The real trick is to find your own rhythm and work when you function best. You don't have to be at your desk by 9 A.M. if you'd prefer to get started later. Don't browbeat yourself to fit an artificial schedule.
If you find you miss a support staff prodding you when deadlines are near and reminding you of meetings, write yourself notes. Develop your own system. If I have to do something first thing in the morning, I tape a message to the bathroom mirror. If I have to take material with me to a meeting, I pile it in front of the door. If I'm really paranoid about forgetting, I put it in the car the night before. Make lists, tape them to your computer, your door, your refrigerator, your toilet. Color-code your calendar. When you have an afternoon meeting, set an alarm clock to remind you when it's time to get ready.
It's very hard to be your most creative in a vacuum.
Freelancing for a living is not everyone's cup of tea. The tax forms alone are enough to send many people packing. Insurance is problematic. Income is erratic. Procrastination can assume enormous proportions. Planning a vacation—and then going on it without wondering how many jobs you're missing—is a challenge.
But there are those of us who revel in unbroken hours of concentration and the ability to work alone according to our own rhythms. We deal with the difficulties, and we learn to cope with the isolation, because for us, freelancing is the only answer. And you can't beat the commute.
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