Don’t Call Yourself a Freelancer
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Freelancing can be a great way to enjoy the career you want on your own terms and time. You benefit from more freedom and do what you’d like to do every day, all the while balancing work and life in a way that suits you best.
But when you tell people what you do for a living, do you call yourself a freelancer? If you do, you might be doing your career more harm than good.
Consumer perception can influence how successful you are. Perception is basically the way we form concepts and organize information. We associate qualities and shape a definition in our mind, then we form views, beliefs and opinions. For example, many people perceive lawyers to be sharks and computer specialists to be nerds.
Unfortunately, the perception of “freelancer” isn’t always flattering.
Many people (usually freelancers themselves) perceive freelancers as hardworking, passionate, determined, liberated, creative and self-respecting people. That’s a true perception – freelancers can be just that type of person.
Many others perceive freelancers to be rebels, risky, lazy, overly proud and a touch snotty. That’s a true perception as well, in some cases. It takes all kinds to make a world, after all.
But that negative perception of freelancers means that many potential clients won’t even consider you as a potential hire. No matter how professional you are or how high-level your skills, you’ll be discounted before you even get the chance to pitch your sale. Many businesses, despite the benefits of hiring freelancers, have a no-hire policy in place.
Who started all these rumors? Where does the negative perception come from? Both sides, unfortunately. Businesses have bad experiences and paint all freelancers black with a judgmental brush. Freelancers are often quick to crow about their life of ease and freedom. (Just Google “freelancer bunny slippers”. You’ll see.)
You can fight it. You can try your hardest to change consumer perception and lobby for better understanding of the career choice. It’s a long, hard battle and you probably won’t turn the situation around anytime soon.
Or you can simply call yourself something else than freelancer. There are many ways to define what you do. Just call yourself a plain old writer or copywriter, for one. Try business owner, for another. Entrepreneur is a good one to call yourself, too.
You could focus on the services you provide instead of titling yourself. When someone asks what you do for a living, tell them, “I write copy for websites,” or, “I edit articles for magazines,” for example. That’s a winner right there, because you’re clearly describing what services you offer.
The best idea? Create a great elevator pitch that makes you stand out as fantastic. Know what you do for a living, keep it simple, and tell people how you’ll change their lives. It doesn’t get any better than that.
If you don’t want to be a freelancer, learn how to build a freelance business instead. Get your copy of The Unlimited Freelancer, and get in on the secrets writing entrepreneurs use to get ahead.
Good practice not to call yourself a freelancer (unless you are talking to other freelancers about the practice of freelancing). After all, if you run a company, you don’t answer the question, “What do you do?” with the answer, “I’m a company!” Your business structure is immaterial to the question of what you do for a living — regardless of the various perceptions and connotations that tag along with it.
I just call myself a writer. That works for me.
As Joel says, I operate a writing business. I hire others when appropriate, run my own corporation (full C, not sub-S), pay unemployment, deal with suppliers, clients, etc.
Hmm… I’m still pretty new so I hadn’t really thought about this. I have to say though, I don’t think I’d call myself an Entrepreneur. I actually have a bit of a prejudice against that word because for some reason to me it screams “get rich quick”.
Entrepreneur — and you run the risk of being considered too independent to follow orders. I do agree with you about the negative connotations of “freelancer”.
Great article. Good point. I’ve noticed that *some* people flinch when I call myself a free lancer but no one blinks when I use my ohter title of journalist.
Wow, I’d never thought about the term “freelancer” having negative connotations before. Interesting. I’ve been calling myself a “freelance writer” for a couple of years now, but now I’m starting to wonder if I should just drop the “freelance” part.
Interesting how contrary this is to my own experience. My clients are looking for a freelancer – usually a ghostwriter – they want to know I’m flexible with time. Most of the new clients find me through my websites, give me a call and we simply discuss what they want me to do. My cards say writer, ghostwriter, writing coach, but I often say out loud I’m a freelance writer. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten a negative answer or response. Maybe they were too polite!
My hunch is tone of voice and presentation are what counts… heck I’ve gotten writing jobs while running around barefoot and in grotty shorts. I don’t recommend that but one of my most long term clients came to me while I was looking like that.
So Jim, I disagree!
I agree that the term “freelancer” carriers negative baggage with many people – particularly with those who count (i.e. are in hiring positions). This is particularly important, given news that 25 percent of Americans now consider themselves to be “freelancers,” according to CNN.
I’ve always called myself a journalist, even though the majority of my jobs are freelance. I tend to stay away from the “freelance” term due to what insiders always equated freelancing with: unemployed.
That’s interesting, Ed. I may revive the term “journalist,” too. I actually am a journalist by training and background, and the vast majority of the type of writing that I do as a freelancer is journalism, so I don’t think it’d be a stretch by any means.
I agree with James that it is best to identify yourself by what you do – not so much with a generic label like “freelancer.” In this economy, a growing number of my 9-to-5 brethren are working as “freelancers,” but rarely do they publicly identify themselves as such. I remember discussing what I do with a hair-stylist. When I said I was a “freelance writer,” she piped up: ‘oh, my sister does that too – do you earn any money?’ I dropped freelance from my IDs immediately afterwards.
Hmmm… “Journalist” doesn’t sit well with me either. Maybe because I mostly write web content and when I think of Journalist I think of publications. Maybe I’m just being nit-picky. It’s been known to happen…
I think I’ll just stick with Writer and keep it simple.
Shannon
Interesting take on the term. I’ve never really thought of it, but might take this into consideration. For the record, I’ve never actually called myself a freelancer, and can’t imagine why someone would use that term without any qualification. I have referred to myself as a “freelance writer” so I’ll consider just going writer. I’m curious what companies would frown upon hiring someone based on a title, though. If the company is hiring a writer that they’re not employing as a full-time, regular employee, who’s working remotely and making his own schedule–what exactly would they call you?
I agree with others about entrepreneur. To me it has a slightly snobbish and obnoxious feel to it, almost the type of thing you don’t call yourself without looking a bit pompous. Any business owner could call himself an entrepreneur but how many actually do–the only time I’ve heard the term is for some multi-millionare/billionare who has his hands in many tills. So, to me, if you have a sole, simple, down-to-earth business, you don’t need to be referring to yourself as entrepreneur. Plus it’s as generic and nondescript as freelancer; it doesn’t really tell you anything other than the fact that the person doesn’t want to talk about what he actually does for a living.
Late to the party! Great comments everyone.
@ Shannon – You can keep it simple with writer, but that begs the question, what type of writer? What do you write? Oh, you’re writing a book? No? What? Google? Blogs? I don’t understand…
Sometimes the simplest label we call ourselves ends up being the one that’s the most vague – and that doesn’t help us get business.
“I write website content for the Internet.” That makes everyone sit up. “Oooh, like… web pages?” See, they get it. Quick and easy.
@ Ed – Haha, that’s funny, good story and a perfect example of some of the problems it causes. Plus, as you say, everyone and their uncle is a freelancer these days. It’s becoming overused and it’s still vague.
@ Wendy and Jennifer – Journalist is great, if it means “newspaper reporter/article writer” or “I’m on the 6pm news.” That’s the most common association people have with the term – if it fits, rock it!
@ Anne – Good to hear it hasn’t affected you much, but I wonder if it has and you’re not aware. You mention that people don’t mind that you’re a freelancer and want that – after they already know what you do.
What about if you meet someone on the street? Just anyone? Even better, someone who isn’t on the internet but thinking about it, a prime market for your services? Would that person know what a freelance writer is? If yes, great! But I’m not convinced…
@ Phil – That’s a good one. “I operate a writing business.” That’s impressive (at least to me!).
@ Joel – Can I say, “I’m a rockstar!”
@James: I put in a few loooooong years, slogging away at a newspaper, covering city council meetings, planning commission meetings, school board meetings, elections, graduations and oh God, I can’t even remember all what else, so my gut reaction is actually still to use the term “reporter”! I’ll probably just stick with writer, and then I can elaborate if anyone cares enough to ask for more details…
@Shannon: Yes, “journalist” for some people carries with it swash-bucking images of foreign correspondent in a battered London Fog. The reality, however, is much more mundane. While I don’t ascribe to the ‘everyone’s a journalist’ view that enraptures much of the online social media, the title simply connotes you are trained and follow certain guidelines. Today, you can find great journalism being done online, as well as off-line. In fact, as more and more print shops close or become pure Internet operations, the bylines of many of the best journalists are only online.
@Jennifer: For pure news-gathering, I’d put a reporter with Chicago’s old City News Service up against the best the NYT or WSJ journalist.
Ed,
City News was certainly THE training ground for reporters. I was never there, though I worked alongside some of their “grads” in different spots, it was like basic training is to the military.
Though there is some good journalism online and in print, there are also a bunch of uninformed nitwits (being nice) who espouse plenty of garbage — look at the swine flu scare (more people die from the regular flu each year). Many of the so-called journalists of today don’t check sources.
Basic journalism rule: “If your mother says she loves you, confirm that with at least one other source.”
Phil,
I totally agree. I have the same respect for self-described online “journalists” as Copote had for hack novelists: “that’s not writing, that’s typing.” You’ll notice some of the most-respected bloggers either commenting or reporting online have one common quality: they are trained journalists. This ‘citizen journalism’ talk is wonderful for Twitter and others needing plenty of cheap content, but it does a disservice to readers seeking credible information and journalists who have sweated blood to earn that title.
I call myself a freelance writer and publisher. I don’t like “writer” because it’s just too artsy-fartsy for me. Hemingway was a writer. Dickens was a writer. I put words on paper for money – sometimes regarding subjects I care about, sometimes regarding subjects I care nothing about.
I tend to say that I’m a writer or a freelance writer because the word “freelance” on its own could apply to any type of job that people have based from home. Then I let them know what I write.
Great topic James.
it becomes complicated no matter how you slice it. I’m NOT a journalist (no background or training) but I DO write articles for print and web. I’m NOT a copywriter, but I DO write all kinds of copy.
I’m a children’s writer.
I’m a science writer.
I’m a blogger.
I’m a health writer.
I’m a grant writer.
I actually give myself different titles depending upon the prospective client!
Lisa
http://www.lisarudy.com
@Steve: I know what you mean. I resisted calling myself a writer for a long time…and still kind of do! Especially since I am a journalist by background; it’s a trade, not an art, we always told ourselves.
@Steve: Kudos for describing a true professional writer. Only in the often bizarro world of “freelance writing” do we hear suggestions people write on subjects of interest. You don’t see that philosophy espoused in any other profession. I’d hate to need an operation and feel that I must befriend the surgeon, or an architect only design for his friends. Just as professional writers must produce day-in and day-out rather than simply when the ‘muse’ strikes them, actual writers (as opposed to boutique or hobby versions) don’t just write about subjects they enjoy.
@Jennifer: I appreciate someone else knowing that journalism is a trade, not profession or art. The profusion of j-schools promoted the mistaken idea that journalism had not connection with its roots: printing. As an old-timer who actually worked on linos and learned to typeset before the computer age, I’ve always felt journalism was just reporting with a suit and tie.
I myself am careful when I describe my writing career. Saying “freelance” to someone who isn’t looking for a freelance writer labeling myself as a “freelancer” won’t sound very professional. Let’s face it, it doesn’t take a great writer to become a freelancer. As someone said above, “Writer” is usually good enough to describe our line of work, “writer” carries with it an air of professionalism, especially if we can give ourselves a specialty.
I have to say I love this post. I know it’s been over a year since it was put up, but I enjoy finding new ways to describe what I do. My current favorite might be slightly elusive, but it sounds a hell of a lot more professional and serious than ‘writer’ or ‘freelancer’…
Internet Content Production Specialist
It’s a mouthful, but it sure does turn heads and get people to take me seriously. =)