Avid Writer Kimberly Ben blogged about taking on low-paying work and then never letting go of it. Urban Muse Susan Johnston blogged this past week about the steady freelance gig. Both ladies came to the same conclusion: the steady paycheck is not always the mother lode we think it is. I agree totally.
I had a steady gig for four years. Great job at the beginning – it paid a lot per hour, required just an hour or so of my time each day, and was a guaranteed check each month. Flash forward four years to that same job, now paying half the original amount, requiring more output, and more time spent on revisions than the steady check justified. To compensate for the lower price, I took on double the work. The stress far outweighed the check total. I waved goodbye and haven’t looked back.
But it’s not always that easy to let go, is it? It wasn’t for me, either. But I did it because I got to a point where the “free” in freelance was beginning to look like a misnomer. There were other factors at play, but the crux of it was the job wasn’t worth the time or the effort or even the steady income.
The job you take today with the “just until something better comes along” attitude quickly turns into that crutch you lean on, that time sink you can’t escape because in your head, it’s still a good deal. So you continue because this job takes up so much of your time you’re just too tired to market. Or you think the loss of that one steady check will cripple you financially.
So this week’s worthy tip: stop chasing the check. Stop limiting yourself to the steady check syndrome. It’s propping you up too much. Instead, find better-paying work from credible sources. I’m not saying all steady work is a bad idea, only that some of the projects we continue aren’t to our financial benefit. So look at your ongoing gigs. Are you getting paid what you’re worth? Has the workload increased but the pay has remained the same? Did you accept it at a rate much lower than what you should be getting? Is there any chance of raising the fee?
What trap are you caught in at the moment? Have you ever waved goodbye to an ongoing gig because it just wasn’t worth it anymore? How fast did you replace that income?
9 responses to “Worthy Tip: Know No Limits”
I'm caught up in a gig where the work is disproportionate to the time and the payment. It is squarely on me for not putting enough safeguards into the contract. I will meet my commitment here, but have learned moving forward.
I dumped a steady gig a few years ago when the work wasn't worth the pay, the editing was so bad I couldn't use it as clips, and the editor wanted me to pimp affiliates within the articles.
I replaced that gig with one paying 3X the amount for 1/3 of the work within a week.
I remember that gig, Devon. Very glad you're out from under it.
I dumped a bi-monthly business rag I's written for regularly for about seven years. I routinely had anywhere from two to five articles per issue. They only paid about 20¢/word (this was in the mid-90s), and they paid upon (read: after) publication. After the competent editors were ousted in favor of two utterly incompetent dweebs, they started butchering the work so badly I could barely recognize my own articles or use them as clips. Then they started "misplacing" invoices and dragging out the already too-long payment process. So I bailed. Never regretted it for a moment. It took more than six months to pick up the slack. That was the most difficult time I've ever had getting work, but I worked my butt off and landed some far better gigs – including a steady one that I still have.
Moral of the story: Had I not cut myself off from the stressful steady gig, I wouldn't have been nearly as motivated to find better work. Sometimes a sense of urgency can be your best friend.
I had a decent paying gig once from a client that constantly went back and forth on me. "Can you write it like this?" then "Wait, how about this way, instead?" then "Oh, I forgot to tell you about…" and so on. Once in awhile might have been okay, but when it was almost every project, I just couldn't take it anymore.
Guilty. *raises hand*
I took a gig right as I quit my job so I could work from home & stay with my son. It's very steady, but I work so many hours just to make a decent check that it leaves me with little energy to market & pursue other work. Or update my site and write some sample clips for myself so I can use them in marketing. I know I need to get out of this cycle. It has been tough when we have relied on the money to pay our rent. I'm in the in-between spot that sucks so much.
Oh, dear. This applies to me more than I'd like to admit. I do love knowing I can count on a recurring check – but it's funny how often the steady gig goes hand in hand with mission creep.
I'm guessing it's partly because the client feels like I'm a part of the team and can do more, and partly because the more I know about a company, the more I can deliver. My natural impulse is to always do the most thorough job I can, which doesn't always correspond to the paycheck.
Definitely food for thought. I will say I've never regretted letting go of a blah but steady gig. Funny how that doesn't always make it easy to let go the next time.
Paula, so true. Urgency is a great companion for freelancers. You were smart to cut the loss. By the sounds of the pay scale and the hassle of getting the check, it took about as long to replace it as it would've been to get a few bucks.
Wendy, sometimes you can't win. I think in that case even asking very pointed questions wouldn't have helped. This sounds like someone who just can't make a decision and stick to it. At that point, turn on the timer and charge by the hour.
becky, try taking one hour of your day away from that job and put it instead on marketing (try it around lunchtime when you still have energy). I hate hearing anyone feeling locked into a no-win situation.
Valerie, have you talked to the client about the additional charge for the additional work? Not too late to correct it. It's great to be part of a team, but even the team members are compensated for ALL their time spent. You should be, too.
Paula, so true. Urgency is a great companion for freelancers. You were smart to cut the loss. By the sounds of the pay scale and the hassle of getting the check, it took about as long to replace it as it would've been to get a few bucks.
Wendy, sometimes you can't win. I think in that case even asking very pointed questions wouldn't have helped. This sounds like someone who just can't make a decision and stick to it. At that point, turn on the timer and charge by the hour.
becky, try taking one hour of your day away from that job and put it instead on marketing (try it around lunchtime when you still have energy). I hate hearing anyone feeling locked into a no-win situation.
Valerie, have you talked to the client about the additional charge for the additional work? Not too late to correct it. It's great to be part of a team, but even the team members are compensated for ALL their time spent. You should be, too.
Well said as usual, Lori. Thanks for the link love.:-)