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How to Make it as a Freelancer
Freelancers. You might think they have the best lives in the world. They are well paid in some professions and not so much in others. But what makes them tick? What keeps them focused above and beyond the last project, the money for which they still haven’t received? What makes them forage ahead, building their brands and creating a niche for themselves that prospective clients know only these set people can fulfill? In my quest to answer these questions I spoke with three successful freelancers. Each in a different field and each with a different reason to stay in the game. Meet film director, writer and lighting designer Arghya Lahiri; script and content writer Sabina Gulati; and columnist and journalist Kavitha Rao. “I’d always anticipated being a career freelancer. And it had very little to do with freelancing, per se. I figured that my career choices were going to make me a freelancer whether I liked it or not – there was very little choice involved there,” says Arghya before admitting that he knew at the age of 12 that he was a writer on the run. Sabina, on the other hand, worked in an advertising agency for many years, before taking the plunge to make a film, which did not take off. She then pursued a job in a web based company, but left it as soon as she signed a three year freelancer’s contract with a reputed channel network as a scriptwriter. “I literally just bumped into a friend, who suggested that I try writing scripts, since my friend knew that I was a writer by profession. One thing led to another and pretty soon I had a pretty good deal in hand and so I left my day job and became a career freelancer.” Sabina feels that it takes a lot more hard work when one is freelancing because you can’t stop and rest for even one second. “At first you tend to give every project equal importance. But then it sinks in that this is what you are doing for a living. So of course thinking of which project pays more goes hand in hand with which projects you will run after. At the end of the day the truth remains that you love working for yourself and you are in it for the long haul.” Kavitha started out a little differently. A writer, her features have appeared in the New York Times, The Guardian, and a wide range of other international publications. Why did she become a freelancer? “I was working in the Economic Times in India then my husband got transferred to Hong Kong. I left India in 1996, hoping to travel the world and write about it. Since then I have reported on the handover in Hong Kong, the economic crisis in Bangkok, the restoration of the Sphinx in Cairo, the Aum Shirikyu cult in Tokyo and forced marriages in the U.K, among many other subjects.” Writing was a passion for Kavitha from a very early age and her first article was published when she was 17. Passion, determination and an unrelenting need to carve a niche for one’s self seems to be the trend all three speak about. How does one then bring these three qualities together to make some money? “Initially, the money might not be good. That and the fact that in India writers are paid on unequal terms. The same magazine will pay Rs 6 per word to a known writer and Rs 1 per word to a lesser known writer. What you are paid has very little to do with how you write. Of course, over time you might get a higher price, but there is a lot that is taken for granted by everyone before you reach that stage. I have met established writers who are sheepish about asking for what they deserve in payment. Delayed payments, paltry sums, these are all glaring kinks in the system. I always tell fellow writers and newcomers that they shouldn’t be shy of approaching international publications. The money is better and the payment structure is far more evolved. Stay true to what your goals are and never let someone tell you that you have to work for a pittance”, says Kavitha This of course varies from profession to profession. Brokers who work for themselves and for all practical purposes can be called freelancers or consultants, as they prefer, earn large sums by working for themselves. Scriptwriters like Sabina too, fetch lucrative sums through contracts and projects. But for that to happen she firmly believes that a person must become a freelancer only after spending sufficient time in his or her industry of choice. “As a freelancer I make much more money now then I could have in a regular job. I have to work harder than anyone else, but even this wouldn’t have been possible if I hadn’t worked in my chosen field and built enough contacts to see me through the initial round of projects.” After freelancing for eight years, Arghya still manages to keep it simple and break it down for us. When asked about what the pros and cons about his job decisions are, he says, “Cons? Initial poverty. Extended periods of unemployment. Accompanying depression. Watching people much less deserving blow by you. Alcohol abuse. Living with your parents. Not being able to afford an I-pod. Things like that. Pros? I love my job. I love it. There’s nothing else in the world that I would rather do. My job's where I go for fun. So you put up with the other stuff. After a while, it becomes easy.” Chillibreeze's disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views of Chillibreeze as a company. Chillibreeze has a strict anti-plagiarism policy. Please contact us to report any copyright issues related to this article. More on Chillibreeze.comRelated links: How to Kick Start Your Career as a Freelance Writer: Tips for Newbies Other popular articles on Chillibreeze: Book Review: A Thousand Splendid Suns
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