For freelancers, professional independence trumps job instabilities

By Laura Galbraith

lgalbraith@timesfreepress.com

When Nancy Henderson was 28, she wrote a 4,000-word investigative article for a local magazine called Chattanooga Life and Leisure, which has since folded.

Although Ms. Henderson, now 50, said she did not make a lot of money on her freelance article, the experience marked a turning point in her professional life.

Abandoning all thoughts of working in an office setting with other journalists, Ms. Henderson decided to make freelancing a full-time job, a task that did not prove easy for her.

“I did not have any connections. I did not know anyone in New York, and I’d never worked at a magazine in New York,” Ms. Henderson said. “That’s how a lot of freelancers start out, but I did not have that advantage, so I just did it the hard way. Eventually I broke in and stepped up the ladder.”

Since that time, Ms. Henderson has been published in a number of local, regional and even national magazines and newspapers, including Smithsonian, Parade, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.

Although she has a career she loves, Ms. Henderson said life as a freelancer has not always been ideal.

“There were a few tough years there, and there have been (tough times) off and on, but for the most part I’ve been successful,” she said.

10.3 million Americans do it

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2005 there were 10.3 million independent contractors in the United States. People in this field of work are self-employed and are hired temporarily by an organization to provide goods or services, usually under the terms of a written contract or verbal agreement.

Freelancers specialize in a variety of creative fields, including writing, photography, art and graphic design.

While there are many benefits to freelancing, such as working from home and being one’s own boss, there are also many drawbacks. Because of job instability, many freelancers end up abandoning the trade because they cannot earn enough money.

“I’ve seen a lot of freelancers come and go, both locally and nationally,” said Ms. Henderson.

Sean Price built network of contacts

Sean Price, 44, another writer living in Chattanooga, has been freelancing full time for 10 years. Unlike Ms. Henderson, Mr. Price’s transition into the freelance world came a little easier because he had previously been a managing editor at Junior Scholastic magazine in New York.

“When I started in 1998, I basically was working a lot for Scholastic because that’s where most of my contacts were,” Mr. Price said. “But since then, my network of contacts has grown. People call me now from all kinds of publishing houses and ask me to do articles and books and things like that.”

Although Mr. Price can provide for his family with his freelance work, he said he cannot help but worry about the future because the economy is so bad right now. He is constantly reminded of the recession that occurred in the early 2000s.

“In 2001, I lost a lot of clients. I really thought that I was going to have to give it up,” Mr. Price said. “I got through it, but it took awhile to rebuild. I have the same kind of feeling going on right now.”

Mr. Price believes he has been lucky because he has not really had to search for work. Most of the time, clients come to him.

Regardless, he knows that in the freelance profession, things can take an unexpected turn.

“I tell people that a month or two from now I could be selling insurance, because there is no guarantee,” Mr. Price said. “I could wake up tomorrow and find out that my two or three best clients have either gone under or changed direction, and I’m completely out of work, and I’ve got to scramble to find something else to do.”

Michael Viertel, 25, a graduate of Florida State University who lives in St. Elmo, is a professional cyclist who works part-time as a freelance photographer and journalist.

Most of Mr. Viertel’s freelance work involves cycling. His writing has been published in Decline magazine, a cycling publication with an international circulation, and his photography has been featured on Web sites and blogs of national cycling teams, including the Trek Factory Team and the Luna Pro Team.

Mr. Viertel’s main source of income now comes from his job as a contract worker at a bicycle touring company. He said he used to rely mainly on his freelance work for money, but it became too much of a burden.

“When I was trying to use writing as a primary source of income, it worked, but there were definitely some hair-pulling months where I wasn’t quite sure how I was going to pull everything together,” Mr. Viertel said.

Still, Mr. Viertel said he was grateful for that opportunity.

“It wasn’t really a glamorous lifestyle, but I wouldn’t trade it,” he said. “It allowed me to race my bike and live a dream.”

Mr. Viertel said he hopes to continue freelancing because it gives him a lot of personal satisfaction.

“You have the chance to create and share your thoughts and how you see the world with everyone,” he said. “Whether through writing or photography, it’s just the opportunity to capture it, share it and present it as you see it.”