Freelance Writing: A Career From Anyplace

An island in the Mediterranean. A beach in Africa. The east coast of New Zealand. What do these locations have in common? A current call for assistance from freelance writers elicited replies from every certainly one of these places. In each of these and in numerous other remote locations, I know of writers who're freelancing having a fair degree of success.

Indeed it's feasible for freelance writers to function from anywhere.

Think about my own recent expertise. Because the editor of the Worldwide Freelance Writer web site, I publish a newsletter that goes out to thousands of freelance writers around the world. I can recall 1 particular problem within the middle of 2002. I began preparing the newsletter within the heat and humidity of Hong Kong. When the very first draft came together I was in Indianapolis, within the Usa. And by the time I completed the final copy and pushed the send button I was at a lakeside cottage in Ontario, Canada, with snow lightly falling outside.

Freelance Writing: A Career From Anyplace

Maybe you're interested in a freelance writing profession but you be concerned about whether you live in a appropriate location. Well, believe again. Freelance writing is really a job you can do from anywhere. It is accurate that if your house is near New York's editorial offices you might have the ability to use your proximity to some advantage. But many, many freelance writers are working successfully from more distant locations, and in numerous cases enjoying a much better lifestyle in the locations exactly where they reside.

Take Ron Irwin, for example. An American, Ron freelances from a small house on the beach in Cape Town, South Africa. The majority of his function is still for North American markets. Think about Vella Corinne, a native of Malta in the center from the Mediterranean Sea. From this island steeped in history - the Order of St John was based right here and also the temples are thought to be older than the pyramids - she writes travel and lifestyle functions.

Writers in places such as these, far from becoming at a severe disadvantage, can really appreciate a number of advantages. For a start, these writers are in a great position to write about their very own locations, the people and also the culture. Also, the living expenses are often much less expensive than for writers in major cities. And if that's not enough, how about fresh, clean air?

Writers operating from remote places generally reside inside a cleaner, much more peaceful atmosphere, and might reside closer to outdoor and recreational activities. Vella reveals how she enjoys the warmer days: "Once I pack up my computer, I just head towards the beach. Distances are short and, the island being little, I am always close towards the center of whatever's happening here. I can control my own time in a way that I could not if I lived in a busy city."

Twenty years ago writers in remote locations were frequently frustrated by the slowness of communicating with editors on the other side of the world. It would usually take months to receive a reply from an editor. Waiting to get a response to a query was about as exciting as watching grass grow!

In current years the availability from the Web has produced it simpler than ever prior to for freelancers to communicate almost instantly with anyone, anywhere in the world. In my own example above I traveled via a couple of nations over a three-week period and managed to conduct my freelance function at the exact same time. Many of my customers didn't even know I was 'on the move'. Small did they know that in between receiving and replying to their messages, I was fishing in the lake and hiking through the woods. I could effortlessly keep in touch with essential contacts, in addition to write and send out my newsletter.

But do you realize what was even more exciting? Whilst I was traveling my website was hard at function, the whole time, 'day and night'. Even while I was flying at thirty thousand feet, taking a nap, I was successfully selling a bunch of writing-related books and products. Now if that isn't a freelancer's dream becoming reality, I don't know what's! Such accomplishments were definitely not so attainable prior to the advent of e-mail and also the World Wide Web.

Kathy Crockett freelances from Gisborne, New Zealand, on the east coast from the North Island. She commented to me on the distinction technologies tends to make when working from such a place. "It's a city of 35,000", she explains, "the closest towards the international dateline, and also the first city in the globe to see the sun each day. Its closest city-size neighbors are 3 hours drive on windy roads...the web, mobile phones...technologies lets me be wherever I want to be... and fool others into thinking I am where they'd like me to be!"

Obviously operating remotely is not usually simple and you will find a number of challenges that writers typically face. Isolation is a common issue. Vella explained to me she has a way of coping with it. "At occasions it feels like I have a totally atomized existence. I balance that by scheduling some 'face time' each day", she explains. I agree with her. Occasionally you have to make a conscious effort to invest time with family, buddies, or other writers.

An additional challenge may be difficulties with technology. Discovering a Pc repair shop may be next to impossible. Web access may be unavailable or unreliable. There are many, numerous locations within the world that don't even have telephone lines but, not to mention email access. You can still work as a freelance writer from these locations, but it will not be as handy. When you have any choice exactly where you live, always attempt to select a town which has telephone lines with dependable Internet access.

And that goes for operating while you are on vacation too. Check the accessible technology in advance. Within the example of my trip above, I received a surprise. There was no telephone line or e-mail access in the cottage. My initial panic subsided when I found a telephone not too far away. In freezing temperatures, I trudged up the road. When I pushed the button to send out my newsletter my notebook pc was plugged into a payphone.

Are writers in remote locations at a severe disadvantage? No way! I am sold on the idea which you can function as a freelance writer from anywhere. And while you will face some challenges, none of them will probably be insurmountable.

So if you are searching for a profession you can do from anywhere, appear no additional. The writers I referred to and many others are working successfully right exactly where they are. And so can you. Open up your notebook. Begin writing. You can start to build a rewarding career as a freelance writer these days.

Freelance Writing: A Career From Anyplace