Shakespeare said a rose by any other any other name would smell as sweet.
But did Shakespeare call himself a freelance writer or a poet? A hired pen, or a playwright?
Not offense Shakespeare, but words matter. Today what writers call themselves matters more than ever because it sets the tone for how we perceive the value of what we do, and how others perceive us.
This hit home after two professional groups recently scrubbed the term “freelancer” in favor of the more business-like “entrepreneur” to describe their members who work independently.
Earlier this year, the Society of American Business Editors and Writers changed the name of its Freelance Committee to Entrepreneurial Committee, apparently to better reflect the times.
At the Online News Association annual conference earlier this month, officials of that professional group started preliminary work to offer webinars and other training for reporters who work independently, either by choice or because they’ve been laid off and are contemplating some kind of start up. The ONA’s term of choice for describing these individuals: journalist entrepreneur, or entrepreneurial journalist.
I got the chance to briefly meet ONA Executive Director Jane McDonnell at the conference. When I identified myself as a freelance writer, I told her I was confused about the right thing to call myself these days, especially in light of all the freelancers who now do work for content aggregator sites such as Demand Studios and Helium.com. My blog even carries the tagline: “Freelancing in the Digital Age”. Was it becoming detrimental to my career and my blog, I asked her, to be associated with those other freelancers, even if just by name? McDonnell agreed that today there’s a certain negative connotation attached to the term “freelancer” compared with the more positive sounding “entrepreneur.”
Today, many more people are working freelance in all types of industries. But as McDonnell’s comments show, at least in media circles the word is getting a bad rap, and a bad rep. It would be easy to blame it entirely on those freelancers writing for content aggregators, doing work that doesn’t take the same kind of journalistic background or skill set that other types of writing require.
But there’s more to it than that. The traditional way of running a freelance business – querying print publications and waiting for them to respond – is falling by the wayside, forcing writers like me to take a more business-like approach to our jobs. We’re also exhorted to push our personal brand as a way to separate ourselves from the pack.
For 14 years, I’ve called myself a freelance writer and never had a problem with it. But given all that, maybe the time has come to throw out old terms and adopt new ones.
What do you think? Should a professional, ex-newspaper or magazine reporter or long-time independent writer adopt a different name for what they do?
Have you purposely avoided using the word “freelance” to describe yourself?
Do you believe what do you call yourself changes the way you look at what you do?
As I sort this out for myself, I’d love to hear what other writers have decided: are you a freelancer or journalist entrepreneur?
I’m right there with you, Michelle. I’ve been writing freelance for 29 years in magazines, and writing (and developing projects) for marketing communications for 16 years in my own business.
When I first started my business, I was considered an entrepreneur and even spoke to groups on entrepreneurship — but I’ve never been comfortable with that term. Since I never wanted to become an agency, and I currently write and edit on contract for a magazine, I associated “entrepreneur” with big growth in a business — like a staff, a building…
I think of myself as an independent writer/editor and project consultant/developer. I have known for a long time that no matter what I call my business by name (DoubleVision Creative) — I am the brand.
Thanks for this most intriguing question on our business today.
Thanks for weighing in on this.
Michelle
A great post, Michelle. When I speak to journalism students or discuss freelancing with other writers, I often explain that I run a writing business. This helps drive home the point that freelance journalism is a mix of journalism and small business management. Of course, my business is about much more than writing these days, and that’s why I absolutely think of myself as an entrepreneur.
Although I am a freelance editor, I have an ongoing relationship with enough clients that I haven’t been recruiting in a couple of years–I haven’t had to test how the word goes over in the workplace. On the street, though, it seems to imply an inconsistent amount of work (rather than “busy” and “busier”), so I don’t usually call myself freelance unless people know the industry. Working at home is enough of an impediment to people recognizing that I am indeed working!
Hi Michelle
So glad you posted on this. I go through a regular anxiety attack over whether to call myself a “writer” (I’ve written fiction and non fiction), a “journalist” (I used to produce a show for public radio and now contribute to an online magazine) or “blogger” (I have my own blog). Usually I settle for writer/journalist/blogger but that is awkward…and (correctly) reflects my ambivalence about title. I’ve never liked the word “freelance” b/c I think a lot of people think it secretly means “unemployed.” But maybe entrepreneur is the way to go? I’m going to try it on…I’ll let you know!
Delia Lloyd
http://www.realdelia.com
Delia: I go through this too because I write and blog – I’ve revised my Twitter and LinkedIn profiles countless times to get just the right wording for my title. Right now its says “Reporting on xxxx” and “Blogging about xxxx” though I’m not crazy about it. I believe the day will come when blogging will be another kind of story that a writer produces, along with news, features, opinion, radio shows, etc., and the need to specifically point to it on a profile page will go away.
Michelle
I go with “freelancer” or, more precisely, “freelance writer.” I do that partly because I want to convey that my work continues a time-honored tradition and partly because I like to project slightly curmudgeonly image that clients associate with diligence, knowledge and wisdom that comes from extensive experience in the field. I dislike the term entrepreneur primarily for two reasons. First, it carries a connotation that the writer or supplier (the “entrepreneur”) is responsible for figuring out how he or she will profit from the endeavor, in fact willing to take the chance that the work may not result in profit at all, and in that case willing to flit about until finding an enterprise that does produce profit. “Entrepreneurs” write for content mills, with the hope of profit down the line flowing from a variety of sources. “Freelancers” know how much they will be paid and expect payment for each “project” from a “client”. Secondly, on a somewhat facetious note, “entrepreneurs” are the people you see picking through trash bins for treasures they can take to the recycling depot, at least in the public’s eye. The folks making a killing in Web 2.0 or as investment bankers rarely use the term “entrepreneur” to describe themselves, unless preceded by some kind of qualifier.
Interesting perspective Darrell, because it’s directly opposite of the one I encountered talking to people at the ONA conference.
Michelle
I think of myself as an entrepreneur because I run a business that is concerned about growth, innovation and wealth creation. Journalism just happens to be the product that I sell to publishers and directly to consumers.
That said, I call myself “freelance writer” when I’m talking to editors, a “journalist” when I’m cultivating sources and an “entrepreneur” when addressing my financial advisers. You don’t have to choose one to the exclusion of the others. You just have to learn which to adopt when.
Some freelancers have gone broke because they never grasped the business concepts or market awareness that allows many entrepreneurs to thrive.
Some excellent points here from Michelle and commenters like Marci and Craig. “Freelance writer” sounds like it’s missing half of the story — unless you’re one of those who can just write write write and not worry about marketing, connecting or managing the business. So I believe writers are entrepreneurs in that sense. I consider myself a small business that happens to focus on content — hence, using “content maven.”
Michelle, this basically describes the rift between freelance writers who see themselves primary as writers and those who see themselves as small business owners whose product happens to be writing. I fall into the latter camp and I think that’s why I’ve been able to support myself entirely on freelancing even during a recession.
But I still call myself a freelance writer, because terms like “journalist entrepreneur” seem pretentious. Like calling a dog walker a “pet fitness facilitator” or a nanny a “home childcare provider.” Maybe once the phrase “journalist entrepreneur” becomes more common I’ll start using it myself.
Until then, I don’t worry about getting lumped with the other type of freelance writer because once people see my website or my list of clips, they know I’m a professional.
Lately I’ve been saying independant contractor since I’m spending more time on that than anything at the moment. I started out in poetry and still write in that genre, in addition to doing essays and contract proposals. If you want things to get really awkward, just tell people that you’re a poet!
Thanks for the article. Interesting stuff.
God bless poets – if non-fiction writers think we have it bad, I can only imagine what you must go through.
MVR
I was at the University of Michigan/Penn State game on Saturday and sat next to a very nice and, I must say, a very devoted Penn State fan. We struck up a conversation (At least while our teeth weren’t chattering. It was a blustery and rainy afternoon.) when he asked me what I did for a living. I replied, “I’m a writer.” He became immediately interested and asked if I wrote for a particular publication or if I worked freelance. I answered freelance since that is what I do; however, your post, Michelle, now has me thinking about my answer.
What if I had answered, “I am a journalist entrepreneur”? I have to agree with Susan that it would have sounded pretentious. Not only that but freelance writer is a recognizable descriptor to almost everyone, including Mr. Penn State. Journalist entrepreneur, not so much.
@Susan, as a new freelance writer, I appreciate your advice about seeing yourself as a small business owner whose product is writing.
My business card has my name on it. No title.
If I had to pick one I’d consider “factotum”.
I never liked “freelance .” When a doctor has an office, he doesn’t call himself a “freelance physician.” Attorneys put their names on their shingles, not “freelance lawyer.” When you’re self-employed, you’re running a business.
Carson: All day long I’ve been vacillating between panic at an overdue deadline and lingering emotion and amazement from last night’s stand-out “Mad Men” episode. You gave me my first good laugh of the day. Thanks for that. Factotum it is.
Michelle
What about ‘writer?’
As a longtime self-employed person who started out in corporate communications and then branched-off into journalism, I’ve always had a mix of assignments (marketing materials, custom publishing work, straight journalism), so I’ve always ‘tweaked’ my job-description to suit the situation.
Any adjective can be pre-pended to writer, you know. If I’m in a situation where it’s called for–or seems to be–I’ll sometimes call myself an independent contractor, since that’s how I am thought of by longtime clients and it correctly conveys a level of professionalism (and capability) that maybe “freelancer” or “freelance writer” no longer does.
That said, in most situations I also don’t automatically assume that everyone needs (or wants) an immediate summary my capabilities/services. In other words, I don’t treat everyone like a potential client. Quite the opposite, in fact. I’m at my best when I’m gathering information rather than dishing it out, and that seems to work for me. After all, most people can tell (just by talking with you) if you have something to offer.
Great question.
My card says Writer and Blogger. I like the term independent writer, and may use this in the future.
It seems that some seem to take the FREE in freelancer too seriously.
Never heard of journalistic entrepreneur before.
I had a fellow writer do a guest blog post for me on how the term freelancer came about. http://tinyurl.com/2enqe2r