How to Avoid Starving as a Writer: The Freelancer’s Survival Guide

Lessons I learned by quitting my job to pursue contract and freelance writing

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I have a dream of being a full-time wife and mother while also remaining a freelance professional writer. But I had no idea that I would be preparing for this long before I settled down.

I was thrilled to become a full-time journalist shortly after I graduated college. But a year and a half into my job, I was faced with the difficult reality that not every publication is filled with the integrity which attracted me to journalism in the first place.

I quit my safe, secure job as a full-time, salaried journalist to pursue contract and freelance writing. It was one of the most terrifying things I’d ever done. As a professional writer, I was perfectly aware of the “starving writer” stereotype. There was no hiding from the fear that I, too, could earn such a reputation.

Ten months later, however, I am not starving. It’s been a stressful journey, but I’m happy to report that I’ve made it work — and you can, too. Here are six things I learned as a full-time independent contractor which will help you avoid earning the title “starving writer” as you pursue your freelance dreams.