Donna M. Brown
Things are tough all over. After working full time at a great public relations job for nine months I was laid off on Monday. My position was cut from the budget. All is well. I was commuting 50 miles each way and I have actually come to appreciate the finer points of working at home. I’ll share a few with you:
Professional Writer at Home: The Great News
1. I set my own hours. I work when it’s convenient for me.
2. Pajamas have become acceptable work attire.
3. I’m saving a lot of money on gas.
4. I’m very comfortable on my own computer.
5. With a little self-discipline, the sky is the limit.
P
rofessional Writer at Home: The Bad News
Now–In the interest of full disclosure I have to tell you this:
1. I lack self-discipline (you can’t expect me to write my brains out in a dirty house with long grass in the yard).
2. Pay check are simply not consistent (yet).
3. There is no water cooler and there is no one standing around the refrigerator to chat when I need a friend.
4. If my equipment goes bad, I am my own IT person.
5. Taxes and benefits. Need I say more?
There are many, many benefits and drawbacks to working as a professional Website content writer from home. If you are considering it, what is important is that you weigh the benefits and drawbacks as they apply to you. Do you have a work at home personality? Do you have the discipline it takes to turn off your telephone and hang a “I’m busy working” sign on your door? Grab a piece of paper and draw a line down the middle. Make a list of benefits and drawbacks. Now, read over that list carefully and take a harder, more realistic look. Tear it up and get serious. Make a real list this time without the rose-colored glasses.
Helpful Advice for Work at Home Writers
I don’t want to discourage you, I just want you to understand that it takes serious dedication and well-developed discipline to actually make a living as a professional writer. Following are a few tips to help you on your way:
1. Set your alarm for the same time every morning. It is so tempting to sleep in because you can.
2. Commit to a specific time by which you will be at your computer and working. (Here’s where the luxury of working at home comes in; you get to decide what your work hours will be. I caution you, stick to those hours. Do not flex unless your house is on fire or your child needs to go to the emergency room. The first time you flex or bend, your schedule will begin to look like melting jelly.)
3. Don’t wear pajamas to work. In fact, get up, get showered, eat breakfast and plan your day as if you were getting ready to walk out the door.
4. If you have personal business to do on the computer or if you plan to chat with friends, write friendly emails, etc., do those things outside of your regular work hours.
5. Post your work hours for you to see and for your family members and friends to see. It doesn’t matter what the hours are. Plan your schedule around nap time, taxi duties, volunteer meetings, and anything else that’s important to you.)
6. Create a work email and a personal email. Do not check your personal email during work hours.
7. Avoid Facebook (and other social networking sites) like the plague during work hours unless you are using it as a social media tool to enhance your business. (You know who you are and you KNOW the difference.)
8. Join a local business network (such as a chamber of commerce) and attend meetings regularly. This will allow you to socialize and stay in touch with the real world. You NEED socialization and this is a great way to get it while enhancing your professional position within your community.
9. Join professional networking groups online for your specific trade. Refer to them often for advice and information about your specific business. (Don’t get caught in the trap of burning important writing time.)
10. Make a “to do” list at the end of every day to remind you that you do have important work lined up for the next day.
For a professional writer, work at home hours can be rich, productive, and what I like to call “concentrated work hours.” If you are willing to chain yourself to an office chair for a specific period of time, you can actually get significantly more done in fewer hours than you would working in an office setting where constant distractions are inevitable. If, that is, you have dealt with your distractions in advance.If you have a partner, roommates or children this could take some training for them too.
I’m the mother of four children. My youngest child is 15 and my oldest is 25. Since my oldest son’s birth 25 years ago I have worked from home intermittently as a journalist, editor and content writer. I’ll never forget the day I was interviewing a state senator on the telephone even as my two year old was outside the door screaming and kicking the walls. My husband let me know my work at home was cramping his style. The kid wanted his mom and there was no changing his mind. (Can you blame him?)
In retrospect, everyone’s life would have been easier had I avoided spur of the moment important phone calls and made solid child care arrangements in advance. A set schedule actually becomes more important when you decide to work at home (not less important). On the bright side, I was at home to respond to my tired 2-year-old when I did finally emerge from my office (aka the bedroom) with sweat pouring from my brows.
I congratulate you for wanting to work at home as a professional writer. It takes true commitment and a lot of guts to embark on this adventure (or a truly desperate situation like … oh I don’t know … GETTING FIRED FROM YOUR GREAT PUBLIC RELATIONS JOB.) I look forward to taking this journey with you and hope you will visit often!
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Donna M. Brown is a professional writer with more than 30 years experience as a print journalist and editor regularly published in print publications and online. Brown has a bachelor of art in communication/journalism and a wealth of experience working from home.
