by Kim Remesch

Created on: July 01, 2009   Last Updated: July 27, 2009

Why pursue a writing career? Every writer will give you the same answer: You write because you MUST! The why of becoming a freelance writer is a bit different which I can attest to as that has been my career path for more than 25 years now. To be a successful freelance writer, you must have the unwavering need to write, but you must also have and/or want more. If you love to write, are inquisitive and you have an entrepreneurial spirit, as well as good follow up skills, a freelance writing career is a great career path.

Here are the real selling points of going freelance:

-Work as much or as little as you'd like. How many other jobs can you say that about? If you want a part-time gig while the kids are at school, or you want to sock away some extra vacation cash, then that's all the work you'll need to do. If you want to make more money, you treat it like any other full-time occupation. Only YOU are the boss.

-You are out of the rat race. You can wake up, slap on a pair of sweats and be ready to do business. If you wake up in the middle of the night with a brainstorm or feel creative, you can go to it. Try showing up at the typical workplace in sweats in the middle of the night and see how appreciated you are.

-You make your own hours. You can shop at off hours, make school events, take an hour off to take a walk when the sun is still shining, etc.

This seems to be a major selling point for those just entering the field, but it's not without its drawbacks, and it can be the downfall of many. People believe because they work at home they aren't really working. Those people are destined to fail. It's true that when my children were school age, I ran carpool both ways, went to the after school programs and went out to lunch with my friends or helped people in my family with errands. I ALSO went back to work at 10 p.m.-2a.m. while everyone else was sleeping. You have to know yourself. If you are disciplined enough to work a constant swing shift that may include weekends and holidays, you will get a big payoff in not missing out on other things those in the 9-5 set miss.

-You get what you put into it. It's ALL ABOUT YOU! There's nothing more degrading, debasing and demoralizing than working at a job where you feel like a cog in a machine, mainly because it has been made clear to you that anyone could do what you do and you can be replaced at a moment's notice. In a freelance writing career, you will work as much or as little as you want to, and your

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