So, lately I’ve been thinking about freelancing. I would like to be able to offer my services for research, writing, proofreading and reading and make money of course! But, there are a multitude of freelancers out there, so why would someone hire me?
Well, I enjoy research. By research I don’t mean Googling! I mean delving into books, journals, articles and news items in libraries, databases and yes, on the Internet. There is so much out there to discover but it is often difficult to verify the information you find. For my university studies and my manuscript, I found fascinating facts in history books, biographies, autobiographies and memoirs, as well as in peer reviewed articles and newspaper archives. At the moment, my research revolves around WWII, especially from the German point of view. I think I would be most keen on researching material for other authors and writers.
I love writing. I get satisfaction from finding the right words to place in the best sequence to make sentences which not only make sense but tell the reader what I’m thinking. I’m sure I could whip up 500 words or so on almost any subject. Almost any subject because I draw the line at writing anything illegal or pornographic, it’s just not my style. Naturally, it might take me longer to write about something I’m just not interested in – say, car engines or beer making, but I’m sure I could do it. The only writing I find difficult is my own.
Proofreading might be a chore to some, but I like it. Spelling and grammatical mistakes just annoy me. Yes, I do correct the television when someone uses the singular instead of the plural or murders a sentence! Yes, I do read through brochures looking for mistakes and usually find them. Yes, I own a style manual. Yes, I still correct my adult children.
Reading is one of my favourite things to do. Lately I have been forcing myself to read outside of my usual genres and have been rewarded with fabulous stories. I used to limit myself to memoirs and autobiographies but have now started to read drama, crime, plays and classics. I would be happy to provide a reading service to publishers or write book reviews.
But does pure enjoyment of tasks mean that someone should hire me to do them? I should probably also focus on some of my skills and abilities.
Let’s see. I’m conscientious, honest and trustworthy. I have great time management skills and I can stick to deadlines. I’m good at following directions and I’m quick at learning new software and new ways of doing things. I’m a perfectionist. I’m intelligent. I enjoy being challenged and I don’t readily give in, even when I want to! I own a computer, I have the internet, I can make myself available worldwide.
So, what do you think? Would you hire me? Should I give this freelancing business some serious thought? What are your experiences?
