How to Be a Winning Freelancer

What’s the Latest Development?

Freelance writer and editor Susannah Beslin does things her own way and she thinks you, prospective freelancer, should find your own path, too. Among the unsatisfying advice she found on the Internet is that the successful freelancer must be disciplined, which includes getting dressed for work in the morning and setting regular working hours. But Beslin didn’t become a freelancer just to pretend she isn’t; she gets dressed for work if she feels like it and if she feels like taking a walk instead, she doesn’t feel guilty about it.  

What’s the Big Idea?

Beslin offers some more frank advice to those who want to strike out on their own and be self-employed. You’ve got to hustle: “For those who find self-promotion agonizing, who can’t stand the idea of negotiating payment on a regular basis, who aren’t sure if they have what it takes so maybe they should go back to that old job they hated, it’s best to avoid freelancing altogether.” Also, play dirty: “This is capitalism, not a self-help party. Capitalism is not about holding hands, and sharing your feelings, and hugs. It’s about dogs who eat other dogs.”