As the number of full-time journalism jobs continues to decline and major corporations continue to lay off their editorial staff in droves, many aspiring writers feel there’s more stability in freelancing.

There are pros and cons to each option—but if you’re new to the world of professional writing jobs, how do you know which is right for you?

If you’re new to the industry and trying to decide which path is right for you, here’s what you need to know about being a freelancer versus a staff journalist.

I’ve been on both sides of the equation, and now as an editor who manages both staff writers and a freelance team, I have an even greater appreciation for the roles and responsibilities of each group.

Freelance reporting

As freelance writer Danielle Corcione wrote on Muck Rack (sorry, the link is no longer live), freelance writers often maintain full editorial control of their projects: They can generally choose their own assignments, whether it’s something they pitched an editor or something they elected to write based on an editor’s request.

Freelance reporters also aren’t typically bound by non-compete agreements, meaning they can write for and get published by a wide range of publications. This kind of variety and freedom is highly appealing to writers who want to try working with different topics, writing styles and editors.

There are a couple of key advantages to starting off your journalism career as a freelancer.

There’s a very low entry barrier and you don’t need a journalism degree to do it, so you can start freelancing while you’re still in school like I did, and start building up a portfolio for when (or if) you decide to look for a full-time writing job. If you’re not sure where to start looking for gigs, you can check out these 20 websites.

The downside, of course, is that you lose much of the stability that comes with traditional employment. You’re responsible for securing your own benefits and budgeting for your income and self-employment taxes (since those won’t automatically be deducted as they would when you’re on payroll).

It’s also a lot easier for an editor to drop a freelancer than a staffer: A change in the budget or turning in a few bad assignments could mean that your income stream from that publication abruptly ends, so you’ll always need to be planning your next move.

If you’re considering the freelance path, it’s a good idea to get comfortable pitching editors at a variety of publications and coming up with useful, relevant story ideas for them. When you do pitch, proofread your message for spelling, grammar and punctuation, as well as thoroughly researching the publication and its typical content and style.

Staff reporting

Although some might argue traditional journalism is dead (along with the jobs that came with it), there are still full-time jobs to be had in the media industry. They just might look a little bit different than the newspaper reporter jobs of decades past.

While straight print reporting jobs do still exist, most journalism positions today include a digital component.

Many staff writers are expected to understand search and social media trends to help inform their story ideas, and knowing how to create and leverage visual assets (e.g. infographics and video content) is a huge plus. These skills are also valued in freelancers, but writers who can offer the complete package stand to go far in the industry.

As mentioned above, a staff writing job also comes with certain employment benefits and, in many cases, a more predictable schedule that make it more appealing than freelancing. On the flip side, you may end up trading some of your creative and editorial freedom: Tight deadlines, editor demands and last-minute changes of direction are common in newsrooms, and you may find yourself somewhat at the mercy of your company’s leadership and executive teams.

However, like freelancers, staff writers are often encouraged to pitch their editors, especially as they move up the ranks. You’ll need to be able to come up with well-informed, well-researched pitches—but unlike freelancers, your income won’t depend on whether your pitch gets accepted or not.

Because full-time reporters are typically dedicated to a single publication (many media companies have policies against freelancing for direct competitors), they’re able to immerse themselves in the specific beats and audience of that outlet. Therefore, it may be easier for you to come up with “good” pitches as a staffer.

Still not sure which path to take? Try freelance writing as a side hustle while you work as a staff journalist, just to see which you prefer (or you may decide you can successfully juggle both).

Either way, it’s important to understand what your responsibilities might entail and make an informed decision about your writing career.

If you’re wondering what opportunities exist for freelance writers in 2024 (hint: there are plenty!) then make sure to register for the free webinar called How to Successfully Break Into Journalism in 2024! You’ll learn about the different types of journalism and what you may best be suited for, and the top skills successful journalists need and what it can lead to.

You’re willing to take the cheap and sometimes frustrating assignments in the name of building your business, and that’s OK when you’re just getting off the ground.

Eventually, though, your freelance business will grow.

You’ll land more clients who are willing to pay you more for your experience, which means your time becomes more valuable. You might be able to juggle these high-value projects with the low-paying ones for a while, but at a certain point, you will likely need to drop the latter to free yourself up for bigger and better things.

So how do you know when it’s time to “break up” with a certain freelance client? Here are four signs you should reconsider working with that particular client.

1. They pay you less than other clients for comparable work (and won’t raise their budget)

Freelance rates can be a tricky subject, especially if you don’t have a lot of experience.

When you’re not in a position to negotiate, you might accept a $10 or $15 per article just to get the gig.

But when other clients start offering you double, triple or quadruple (or more) to write that same article, the choice becomes rather obvious whom you’d rather write for.

For example, a potential client of mine offered me $20 to write a 600-word blog post. Even at the lowest, “beginner” level pay rates, ClearVoice recommends paying five to eight cents per word ($30 to $48) for a 600-word article.

If you ask your client for a modest raise based on a few different average recommended rates, and they can’t or won’t offer you more, their projects aren’t worth pursuing.

2. Their work takes more time to complete than it’s worth

Let’s say I accepted that $20 offer for the blog post. If the piece took me a half hour to write with no additional work involved, that would be the equivalent of a $40 hourly rate.

Not bad, right?

The problem is, what the client expected me to write would have taken at least two to three hours of research, interviewing and writing — which would make my hourly value plummet.

I always recommend taking a couple of sample assignments before making a long-term commitment to a client, to see how long each project takes and whether the pay rate is worth the amount of work I’d have to do.

3. You hate the work

It’s worth sticking with a client if you truly enjoy the work you’re doing, but if you dread the thought of working on certain assignments, it’s time to think about dropping them.

I once worked with a client who had me write headlines and meta descriptions for product reviews he had written. I’d done SEO projects before, but I found that the client’s large workload, demanding deadlines and difficult specifications made it difficult to stay motivated and do a good job. I ended up canceling the contract part-way through and refunding the money the client had already paid.

I hope to never have to do that again, but sometimes when you’re in over your head, you need to get out so you can focus on work you’re better at.

4. They’re hard to work with

Regardless of what they’re paying you, no client is worth hours of frustration spent on back-and-forth exchanges, last-minute project changes and endless revisions.

This is especially true if you’re charging a flat fee: As in the above example of the $20 blog post, the more time and energy you put into a flat-rate project, the less you’re earning in the long run.

If you have a “give an inch, take a mile” client who continually demands more without compensating you accordingly (or worse, won’t pay up at all), let that client go.

How to end your professional relationship

As with any relationship, breaking up with a client is no easy task.

You may feel guilty for leaving them hanging on a project, or worry they’ll leave a negative review on your online profiles. If you do it right, though, most clients will be understanding when you request to end your working relationship with them.

The best approach is to treat it like you’re quitting a traditional job.

Explain in polite and professional terms why you’re unable to continue working for them — in other words, focus your own business needs, rather than on whatever they’ve done wrong.

Do your best not to badmouth or berate the client, to their face or to anyone else (unless you’re in a situation like Simon Owens, who publicly called out a client who owed him more than $2,000). Here are a few examples:

• Low pay: “I am pursuing higher-budget projects.”

• Demanding deadlines or takes too long: “I am juggling a lot of opportunities right now and need to balance my workload.”

• Unfulfilling work or difficult client: “I am focusing on work from other clients right now.”

Once you’ve given the client your reason, you can offer to stay on for a little longer (through the end of the next project or a specific time frame, depending on the work you had been doing) until they find another freelancer to replace you. Your willingness to ease the transition will assuage any hard feelings, and may even earn you a good recommendation or future referral.

Most importantly, remind yourself that this decision is right for you and your freelance career. Don’t feel badly about dropping a client in the name of business growth — sometimes, you need to clear out the weeds to make room for the flowers.

Have you ever broken up with a client? Share your experience in the comments below.

You have the freedom pick your projects, and any money you earn goes right into your own pocket, because you’re the boss.

Of course, such a job does exist: Being a freelance writer gives you all of these advantages, and it’s easy to understand why two-thirds of U.S. writers are self-employed.

With so many companies relying on a contingent creative workforce, many professional writers dream of leaving corporate life behind and becoming a full-time freelancer. It’s an admirable and achievable goal — one that I actually have myself — but don’t fool yourself into thinking you’ll immediately start raking in the freelance money upon resigning.

You’re ultimately running a business, and there are a lot of factors to consider beyond just writing and getting paid for it.

If you want to start a freelance business, it’s wise to give yourself as much of a head-start as possible before you quit your corporate job.

Here are four important steps to take while you’re still employed to get ready for a professional freelance writing career.

1. Start freelancing in your spare time

If you’ve never freelanced before, the time to start is while you still have steady income from another job.

You don’t want to give up your paycheck only to find that no clients want to work with you because you’re too inexperienced.

Sites like Upwork, Freelancer and other freelance job listing sites make it easy to find small, short-term projects that you can do after-hours or on the weekends.

Some of them may even develop into longer-term gigs that you can continue to do on the side of your regular job. Just be sure to check your employment contract and make sure you’re not accidentally working for a competitor or breaching any employee agreements by freelancing.

Remember, freelance work isn’t always stable or guaranteed, so you’ll need to continually work on client relations even after you’re self-employed.

2. Keep meticulous income records

Many first-time freelancers find themselves rudely awakened when they file their taxes for the year.

Unlike your regular employer paychecks, no taxes are taken out when you receive freelance payments, so the IRS expects its cut of your earnings on April 15. CalcXML offers a great basic self-employment tax calculator so you can see what you’ll owe (plan to set aside about 20 percent of your freelance earnings for taxes).

If you’re not sure how miscellaneous income reporting works, the IRS breaks it down on its website.

Even if you’re not doing a lot of gig work right now, it’s still a good idea to track everything you’ve completed and earned from your freelance job(s) so you’ve got a complete picture of your financial situation. Keep an official log of your projects, clients and earnings. This might be in an Excel spreadsheet (or even a paper notebook) to start, but as you grow, you may want to invest in a formal invoicing system.

Getting into good habits now will make it easier when you have multiple clients and income streams as a full-time freelancer.

3. Calculate how much you’ll need to save to quit your job

No matter how tempting it might be to quit your 9-to-5 once you’ve got a few freelance clients, do not do it until you’re sure you have enough stored in the bank to tide you over.

You need to build up as much of a financial safety net as you can before you go full-time freelance.

Sit down with your bank statements and write down everything you spend in a month — yes, that includes those morning lattes and “treat yourself” purchases.

Build those non-essential items into your budget (you’ll thank yourself when an unexpected expense pops up!) and give yourself a bare minimum number that you need to be earning per month to cover rent, bills, groceries, going out, etc.

Don’t forget to account for things you may not be paying full-price for right now as an employee, such as income taxes, health insurance and retirement plan contributions.

From there, determine what you can reasonably charge your clients and how many projects you’ll need to complete each month to meet that number. It’s OK if your freelance earnings don’t even come close right now; you can grow your business over time and rely on your savings in the meantime.

Most entrepreneurs recommend saving six months’ worth of living expenses in case business is slow at first, but if you’re itching to get out and have a fairly steady client base, you might be able to survive with three or four months’ worth saved up.

4. Make a plan for scaling up

Once you know how much you need to earn with your freelance work, it’s time to figure out how to reach that financial goal.

Start researching websites and media outlets you think you might like to write for, and look into how much they pay their freelancers (if anything). If your current employer works with freelance writers and allows former staff to transition to freelance, that’s a great place to start. But budgets and assignment caps vary from site to site and policies can change at any time, so start thinking about how you’ll diversify your client base.

You might not have time to start writing for all these publications right away, but it never hurts to send out “feeler” emails to editors or current contributors, just to inquire about their process and get yourself on their radar for when the time comes.

Talking to other freelancers is also a great way to gauge current market rates for certain types of projects so you don’t over- or under-charge your clients.

You’ll also need to learn how to prioritize your potential assignments.

Some new freelancers think they should accept any and all assignments, even if it pays peanuts, just to build a portfolio (I see a lot of low-paying Upwork jobs with dozens of bids, for this reason).

But your time is incredibly valuable, especially once you’re on your own, and you need to spend it working on projects that offer a payout that’s worth the investment. It’s not worth it to work with a client who wants one 600-word article each week at $25 each, when another one will pay you $100 for that same 600 words.

Unfortunately, some people fall into freelance work by default after being laid off, and may not have much (or any) lead time to get ready for the leap.

If you are going freelance by choice, take advantage of your situation and do everything you can today to secure your self-employed future.

Do you plan to take your freelance writing full time? Tell us how you’re preparing in the comments below.