A Long-Haul Writer’s Lament

Advice for Those at the Start

- DON VAUGHAN

I got my start as a full-time writer when I was 19 years old-so long ago that I penned my first articles with a goose quill on parchment-and over the ensuing decades, I learned a thing or two about both the good and the bad of freelance writing.

When talking with writers who are new to the game, I try to accentuate the positive aspects of the job, such as the freedom to write on topics of personal interest and the satisfaction of helping others through our work.

But there are very real aspects of freelancing that can be frustrating and demoralizing, and sometimes make us question why we stick with it.

I don't like to focus on the negative, but I feel it's important to make new freelancers aware of what they're getting into. My intention is not to scare them off, but to open their eyes to the scammers and cheats and other bad actors who prey on inexperience. Hard lessons all, but hard lessons learned, and lessons I would like to share.

Foremost, it's important to acknowledge that the profession of freelance writing today is evolving at a frenetic pace and that writers entering now are doing so at the best of times and the worst of times.

One illustrative aspect is the broad array of technology available to writers today. Certain platforms and tools can be extremely useful, but an equal number are designed only to separate you from your money.

Examples include the many writing platforms that purport to make you rich via ad clicks and post views and subscription-based tools that claim to fine-tune your grammar and eliminate spelling errors.