You're full of so much wisdom, Britany. I feel grateful to have cross paths (albeit recently) in the writing world, and appreciate everything I have learned from you (in such a short time!) as a writer and editor.
I have two books out in the world, both with university presses, and I make about $500/year in royalties tops. And that's about what I'm making per year on Substack as well.
I am grateful to have my little piano lessons business. If I want to think of myself as a small-town piano teacher one day, I can. If I want to say 'I'm a writer' the next, I can do that, too. Most of all, I'm trying to keep separate how I identify my vocation, what I do to make $, and what I do because I love it. There's overlap for sure, but I'm not looking for things to line up in some neat way anymore.
I feel so grateful to have crossed paths with you and your work as well, Samantha! I've learned from your wisdom too! I think it's so wise to try and detangle the things we do for money and how we identify who we are/what we love/what we do. It's all overlapping and messy and different day to day and that's perfectly fine! Also, so cool that you teach piano.
I feel this deep in the guts! Thank you for your candor and openness - and for your continuing deadline lists. That can be difficult to provide when it doesn’t come with a dollar sign attached.
Thank YOU, Dan! I'm sorry you can identify with how hard it is to be a freelance writer these days, but also appreciate that so many of us can share in this.
I had to let this one sit in my inbox for a few days because I read a little on June 5 and just knew I'd need to sit with this one for a bit. I totally feel this as someone who is actively struggling to make freelancing work right now. I've been freelancing 11 years at this point and doing it full time for 5 years. The last two years I can't even begin to tell you how much work I've lost to AI and budget cuts (and both of these in unison much of the time I suspect.) At this point, I'm trying to hang in there by the skin of my teeth. But between being paycheck to paycheck for the last year and the total lack of response from freelance opportunities and part/fulltime jobs (many of which have nothing to do with writing at this point), I truly don't know how much longer I have in me.
I guess the one consolation I have is I was a writer long before I started freelancing and I'll still be one long after I stop too. I write fiction and poetry in my free time (albeit not much recently because burnout is truly horrendous), so I'll always be a writer in some capacity. But man, it is just so sad to see how freelancing has basically gone up in smoke.
It's so good to hear from you, Paige! I wish it were about how easy and wonderful freelancing has been, but I also appreciate the true story of what it's like for most of us lately—which is not that at all. It's so important to hold on to the writer side of us that's a writer no matter the circumstances. But also, I want us to get PAID!!
It's been quite a bit since we've talked Britany, but I'm still hanging around and I've been following your work still! And I appreciate that you were honest in this issue too! I feel like it's definitely easier to talk about the good and positive side of freelancing, and you tend to see that so much more online and social media since things are curated. But I feel that being honest when things are tough is just as important!
And holding onto the writer side of us is so important!! But absolutely I want us all to get paid at livable rates too!!
This essay is the little voice echoing in every writer's head right now. I feel the same romantic, soul-driven fuel behind my writing work too (the one where I can't stop doing this because I like it, and it occasionally feels gratifying and a teensy bit important). But I'm also unable to keep my head down and believe the best is yet to come anymore. Writers, for their own survival, must always be bettering themselves, optimizing their work, and showing up to their jobs as the highest performing worker. And I mean...I'm tired. And that exhaustion is just mocked by AI now. I'm constantly reinventing what I do and what I can offer every 3-6 months. Is this survival now? It's not doable if you're single, no matter how hard you hustle. There's no optimizing my way out of this. I'm literally renting my own house on Airbnb next month, and leaving the country so my cost of living is cheaper. It's nice to publish a story that I love and not care about the compensation, but that's a luxury I just can't afford anymore.
These were some good reads lately that are keeping my misery company.
It is EXHAUSTING. I'm sorry you're feeling so tired, too. It is a tiny comfort that so many of us are feeling this, even though I really really wish we weren't.
Thanks so much for your candor and the reading recs, Kelsey! I'll definitely check these out.
You're full of so much wisdom, Britany. I feel grateful to have cross paths (albeit recently) in the writing world, and appreciate everything I have learned from you (in such a short time!) as a writer and editor.
I have two books out in the world, both with university presses, and I make about $500/year in royalties tops. And that's about what I'm making per year on Substack as well.
I am grateful to have my little piano lessons business. If I want to think of myself as a small-town piano teacher one day, I can. If I want to say 'I'm a writer' the next, I can do that, too. Most of all, I'm trying to keep separate how I identify my vocation, what I do to make $, and what I do because I love it. There's overlap for sure, but I'm not looking for things to line up in some neat way anymore.
I feel so grateful to have crossed paths with you and your work as well, Samantha! I've learned from your wisdom too! I think it's so wise to try and detangle the things we do for money and how we identify who we are/what we love/what we do. It's all overlapping and messy and different day to day and that's perfectly fine! Also, so cool that you teach piano.
I feel this deep in the guts! Thank you for your candor and openness - and for your continuing deadline lists. That can be difficult to provide when it doesn’t come with a dollar sign attached.
Thank YOU, Dan! I'm sorry you can identify with how hard it is to be a freelance writer these days, but also appreciate that so many of us can share in this.
So relatable! For me, it was studying to be a wildlife conservationist. Before that, a floral designer.
Love the idea of both of those. Adding them to my list for future professional identity crises :)
I had to let this one sit in my inbox for a few days because I read a little on June 5 and just knew I'd need to sit with this one for a bit. I totally feel this as someone who is actively struggling to make freelancing work right now. I've been freelancing 11 years at this point and doing it full time for 5 years. The last two years I can't even begin to tell you how much work I've lost to AI and budget cuts (and both of these in unison much of the time I suspect.) At this point, I'm trying to hang in there by the skin of my teeth. But between being paycheck to paycheck for the last year and the total lack of response from freelance opportunities and part/fulltime jobs (many of which have nothing to do with writing at this point), I truly don't know how much longer I have in me.
I guess the one consolation I have is I was a writer long before I started freelancing and I'll still be one long after I stop too. I write fiction and poetry in my free time (albeit not much recently because burnout is truly horrendous), so I'll always be a writer in some capacity. But man, it is just so sad to see how freelancing has basically gone up in smoke.
It's so good to hear from you, Paige! I wish it were about how easy and wonderful freelancing has been, but I also appreciate the true story of what it's like for most of us lately—which is not that at all. It's so important to hold on to the writer side of us that's a writer no matter the circumstances. But also, I want us to get PAID!!
It's been quite a bit since we've talked Britany, but I'm still hanging around and I've been following your work still! And I appreciate that you were honest in this issue too! I feel like it's definitely easier to talk about the good and positive side of freelancing, and you tend to see that so much more online and social media since things are curated. But I feel that being honest when things are tough is just as important!
And holding onto the writer side of us is so important!! But absolutely I want us all to get paid at livable rates too!!
In my own career questioning right now, and I so appreciate learning about heuristic traps!
So many of us are IN IT. I'm honored to share in this pace of questioning with you, Molly!
Hi Brittany. Thank you for this honest post. I am taking it to heart. I feel you!
Thank you for reading, Joanne!
This essay is the little voice echoing in every writer's head right now. I feel the same romantic, soul-driven fuel behind my writing work too (the one where I can't stop doing this because I like it, and it occasionally feels gratifying and a teensy bit important). But I'm also unable to keep my head down and believe the best is yet to come anymore. Writers, for their own survival, must always be bettering themselves, optimizing their work, and showing up to their jobs as the highest performing worker. And I mean...I'm tired. And that exhaustion is just mocked by AI now. I'm constantly reinventing what I do and what I can offer every 3-6 months. Is this survival now? It's not doable if you're single, no matter how hard you hustle. There's no optimizing my way out of this. I'm literally renting my own house on Airbnb next month, and leaving the country so my cost of living is cheaper. It's nice to publish a story that I love and not care about the compensation, but that's a luxury I just can't afford anymore.
These were some good reads lately that are keeping my misery company.
https://open.substack.com/pub/kimberlyharrington/p/im-not-doing-the-best-i-can?r=387m7&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
https://open.substack.com/pub/femcel1836/p/why-are-there-no-fucking-jobs?r=387m7&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
I feel this so much Kelsey. It's truly so exhausting right now and it's just... disheartening seeing where writing work is right now.
It is EXHAUSTING. I'm sorry you're feeling so tired, too. It is a tiny comfort that so many of us are feeling this, even though I really really wish we weren't.
Thanks so much for your candor and the reading recs, Kelsey! I'll definitely check these out.
I am also so tired of hard. This is amazing. Thank you. Feeling seen.