Millions of online content writers and aspiring journalists worldwide follow their passion, either as a hobby, to build experience, or as a source of added income. But, if you are talented enough and show the necessary dedication, it’s possible to work full-time working freelance and make a living from writing all manner of content, with sports and news websites being the most popular today.
Where do you fit in? Journalism and sports writing has changed, and you no longer face a career spent working in a high-rise office building with other journos chatting away, joking, and interviewing while you are trying to type. This can be most off-putting. Now, you can choose to work full-time for a newspaper, magazine, website or one of the top online sportsbooks. It is often more attractive to operate on a freelance basis, conducting your research, interviewing sources, suggesting future stories and submitting your work for consideration.
Working freelance isn’t without its negatives, and it’s not for everyone, but things have changed. A freelancer is no longer seen as a lay-about who only works when they can be bothered or in desperate need of cash. However, this is an attractive side of the job.
Frank Monkhouse is a full-time online sportswriter with over a decade of experience, and he tells readers the good bits of being a freelancer.
How it all started
“I had worked in the head office of a major sports publication since leaving university, which was great. There I learned many valuable lessons that would stand me in good stead for the rest of my career as a writer. It also gave me a good understanding of how other sections of the business work from the inside, and this allows me to tailor my work to their needs, making it easier to manage and quicker to upload. That’s a godsend to a business employing a freelancer. Your work should hit their desk to be scanned and published.
When I relocated to start a family, I moved hundreds of miles away from the office, and, in those days, remote working wasn’t a thing. Back in the day, you’d be laughed out of the office for the mere suggestion of working from home in your tracksuit. Little did we know what lay ahead, and home working would become the norm for millions of people during 2020 and 2021.
This forced my hand into working freelance, and, like you may be feeling now, I was worried, anxious, and afraid of the gamble. It’s funny because I worked in the betting industry but was scared to back myself and my talents. Thankfully, I snapped out of it. Fortune favours the brave. During my time working freelance for many major sports betting apps in the UK, Europe and the United States, I learned many valuable lessons I’ll share with you below.”
Pros of being a freelancer
- You will probably start with a crippling fear of failure – no matter how talented and confident you may be — but this is normal. At first, most feel that way and try to get around it by working twice as hard as they did when employed full-time.
- You are in complete control of the articles you write and the subjects you cover. If your boss approached you in the office and asked you to do them a favour and cover the local flower show, you’d be backed into a corner. The boss is more sympathetic as a freelancer because you are the boss.
- You’ll never clock-watch again. Sure, you will have deadlines, and some of them may be tight, but you oversee how you manage your day. If it’s sunny, drop out for an hour and enjoy some fishing or shopping. You can catch up later that evening. If you have an appointment, there’s no need to beg your boss for time off. And the best part, if you overdo it on a night out, there’s no need to explain yourself or put on that fake “not well” voice often used in times of crisis.
