Previous Page
May 3, 2010
What exactly is a freelance writer?
3 comments |
Category: Freelance Magazine Writing HELP
My dad wants me to do something that will make lots of money, even though my true passion is writing. I’m not a people person and I often overlook the simplest of things so a doctor or a surgeon is a death sentence for me. I’ve settled on becoming a pharmacist, which is something I’ve actually thought about since 7th grade and thought I might enjoy. And if I do become successful in that field, I still want to write. Not novelist or J.K. Rowling writer but kind of mellow and for pleasure. But lately I’ve been hearing a lot about becoming a freelance writer (or a starving artist as my Foundations of Writing teacher puts it).
What exactly does a freelance writer do? Do they write and then try to sell short stories or poems to newspapers or magazines?
Well, I figured if I can get over my hatred of Geometry and make it through Algebra II, Pre-Calculus and Calculus I, I’ll do pretty good as pharmacist. I love science though! It’s always interested me, especially Biology.
Image taken on 2001-05-01 00:00:00. Image Source. (Used with permission)
Previous Page | 
Top of Page | 
More from Freelance Magazine Writing HELP
You’ve got it. They can also be commissioned by a publisher for a specific project. Freelance basically means that they aren’t an official employee anywhere. A freelance anything (writer, graphic designer, photographer, engineer…) can work consistantly with one organization, but they aren’t tied to that company (and the company has no commiment to them).
Well, why don’t you do something which will leave you with enough free time to write? Most writers, apart from the extremely successful few, don’t make enough money from writing to live on.
Yes, a freelance writer isn’t paid a salary. They just try to sell the things that they have written.
Freelance means self-employed. You have to find your own work. And you need to pay attention to details, even in writing. Turn in one wrong article to a newspaper and they will not hire you again for any more work.
If you miss the simplest things , I doubt pharmacy would be a good choice. There is a lot more to it than just counting out pills. There are several years of advanced math, chemistry, biology, medication applications classes, etc. which are detail oriented classes.
Details are also critical when mixing suspensions of medications for children and the elderly (missing that decimal place could kill the paitient), choosing the correct dosage or medication between similar sounding brands (has happened to me – was given the wrong insulin), catching potential medication problems for patients who have multiple prescriptions (has also happened to me, luckily I have a good pharmacist who refused to fill it and had the doctor prescribe something else), and detailed paperwork and inventory. It is not an easy job.