How To Choose Freelance Writing Jobs

• Posted on Allena Tapia
• in For fellow writers, Freelance world, Jobs and opportunities
• on May 7, 2009
• 1 Comment.

It’s a great accomplishment to go from “how to get freelance writing jobs” to a place where you can consider turning jobs down, or choosing between several contracts. How one gets to that place is a post within itself (hint: tenacity plays a large part), but I am going to talk a little about choosing between jobs/pursuits.

It’s easiest if you have a framework from which to work. Many freelancers will use the time between Christmas and New Years to prepare some goals and steps toward those goals. I did the same thing, and have those goals posted over my desk. When a decision time came, my framework was right there staring me in the face. Which job/pursuit works with my goals?

Sometimes those goals don’t cut it 5 months later, and that’s ok. These goals are pliable– the point of them is NOT to rope you in, but to simply give you occasion to move your writing career forward in a purposeful manner (as opposed to a haphazard one!).

Let’s be honest: there’s often one thing that trumps goals, and that’s paying the bills. That’s what happened to me this week. I was handed (yes, it was really that easy) a project that is worth thousands of dollars. It really didn’t fit into my life plan, as far as “get published in magazines, finish my novel, develop my classes/teaching,” but it sure did fit into the part of my life where I pay bills and take some money with me on my {{{sacred}}} trip to Mexico in July! Plus, in a way, it does fit within my New Year’s framework, as I indicated a minimal monthly amount that I need my business to earn, and this will certainly help.

Again, I think the key to making the best contractual decisions is thinking about these things ahead of time. Create a balance of what you need versus what you want, and then keep that plan visible but pliable.