How much do freelance writers earn?

£13,447. HOW does that figure grab you? (That's without dwelling on the £1,500-ish slice of those earnings which never actually got paid.)

That's what I earned in my first year of freelancing, working one to three days a week around my baby daughters.

A former boss of mine who moved into PR said she was doing it for the money - having made £48,000 in her last year as a freelance journalist. (And that's got to be ten years ago now!) This though, is the exception rather than the norm, isn't it?

Most freelancers I know are constantly juggling the feast and famine of their chosen path in life. I went freelance to work around my family, and aimed for three days a week. But I cut it back as I couldn't commit that much time to working when I had two little girls to look after.

My work was made up largely of being a journalist for Children's Express, (since renamed and launched as Headliners) commercial feature writing for my former employer, The Express & Star, PR work for Tamba, editing a business newspaper, editing Tamba's quarterly magazine, Twins, Triplets & more, supplying tip-offs to national newspapers and writing for various websites.

Comments

[Sally]

Really interesting post, Linda - it's good to know realistically what freelancers can earn before making the leap.

For what it's worth, my local tax office said they would expect a full-time freelance writer/journalist to earn between £30,000 and £45,000 per annum - based on averages.

Of course, the great thing about this job is it doesn't have to be a full-time profession - and your earnings are really only limited by how hard you are prepared to work, and the hours you put in.

[Linda]

Hi Sally - thanks that makes my £13,500 seem a lot more okay across two days a week - even if it was at ridiculous times of the day and night.

[Rob Artisan]

Craig / Linda,

It is not a career if you want security, but it can be far more engaging than many other jobs.

Rob

[Linda]

I'm technically no longer freelance of course. Building the work to the point I have colleagues in an office has given me more security...I hope.