In this week’s WordCount Last Wednesday writer chat, we’ll be discussing the kinds of side gigs freelance writers have or want.
The chat takes place on Wednesday, July 25, at 10 a.m. Pacific time. Use the hashtag #wclw to join the conversation.
Freelancer as ‘slasher’
Freelancers are used to wearing a lot of hats — they write for multiple publications, they write and edit, they write nonfiction and fiction, etc.
More are putting on different kinds of hats, adding non-writing sideline ventures to their writing careers. One freelance writer I know from a freelance writers’ message board supplements her income teaching piano lessons. Another teaches yoga. An business writer who started running to get in better shape has since completed several marathons and is now contemplating starting a side business helping others do the same.
They’re all examples of writers who are “slashers,” making a living by cobbling together two or more livelihoods.
At a time when more people are working for themselves — by choice or necessity — making a living from multiple occupations is becoming more common. I’ve written about the phenomenon for SecondAct.com in stories you can see here and here.
It’s not surprising that many freelance writers are slashers. If you can write, you might be able to teach other people to write, which makes you a sure-thing as an instructor at a community college, university extension program or writers’ workshop. Maybe you’re used to shooting photos to accompany your stories: you could start a sideline photography business. Maybe you’re a travel writer; you could sign up as a tour guide.
Questions for #wclw chat
For the 60-minute chat, we’ll start with introductions, move to some pre-set questions and leave time at the end for additional discussion.
Here are the questions:
- What jobs do you have in addition to freelance writing?
- Why are you a ‘slasher’ — are you doing it for love (passion) or money (purpose)?
- How do you juggle doing more than one type of work — what your day or week like?
- If you’re thinking about becoming a ‘slasher,’ what’s led you to want to try it?
How to join the #wclw chat
To join the #wclw chat, all you need is a Twitter account and free time from 10 to 11 a.m. PDT on July 25. Use the hashtag to follow tweets related to the chat. It’s possible to use the standard Twitter interface , but you might find it easier using a Twitter application such as TweetGrid, TweetChat or HootSuite. Of those three, my favorite is TweetChat, which you can log into using your Twitter account. You might want to alert followers that you’ll be tweeting more than usual during the chat, and suggest they use Muuter.com to temporarily mute you if they don’t want to tune into the conversation.
If you’re unable to join us, I’ll post a complete transcript of the chat on Wednesday afternoon.
Got an idea for a future #wclw chat? Would you like to participate as a guest speaker? Send your idea or bio to me at wordcountfreelance@gmail.com.