This month I look at the freedom of freelancing in a subscriber only article, Putting The Free Into Freelance. You get the chance to check out the entries in the Location Independent Group Writing project, and to check up on two posts that are well worth a read from Karen Swim and Dana Prince. I've done quite a bit in the last month - find out what I've been up to in this month's diary, and don't forget to check out this month's comic. Have a great month!

In this issue:

• Putting The Free Into Freelance
• Group Writing Project Roundup
• Is Internet Publishing For Hacks?
• Freelance Writing Pay Update
• Writing Talk: What's That Word? 
• Diary Of A Working Writer June 2009

Putting The Free Into Freelance

by Sharon Hurley Hall

This is a subscriber exclusive. It hasn't appeared anywhere else yet.

One of the things I like best about freelancing is the ability to arrange my life to suit myself.  When I first started freelancing, being a freelance writer simply meant doing additional work for someone who was not my regular employer. It wasn't particularly liberating, but it did bring in some much needed extra cash.

However, as I made the transition to full time freelancing, I discovered that there were untold benefits to the lifestyle. Although I still have deadlines and commitments to clients, I work for myself and in theory I am able to set my own hours. I can also work from anywhere in the world as long as I have a laptop and a decent internet connection.

I think many freelancers value that freedom, though what it looks like differs for different people. For me, freedom is about:

• having the ability to say yes to a last minute trip because I know it won't affect my work
• being able to spend time with my family, especially my young daughter
• deciding how much I need to earn in a given week or month and tailoring my working hours to suit
• taking time off to have lunch on the beach, go to the gym or have coffee with friends

For me, these things put the free into freelancing. What puts the free into freelancing for you?

I'd love to hear your thoughts. Contact me through the Get Paid To Write Online contact page to share your views.

Group Writing Project Roundup

by Sharon Hurley Hall

This month I ran a Location Independent Group Writing Project on Get Paid To Write Online. It wa great fun and resulted in several good posts on the topic. Here's a list in case you missed them. If this topic appeals to you, join in anyway and I'll add yours to the list on the blog.

• Lifestyle of the Digital Tinker, Mitchell Allen
• Wild Workshifters, Deb Brown
• Location Independent Group Writing Project, Susan Jeffels
• Writing on Vacation - Thoughts on my Location Independent Career, Katherine Huether
• Patria Ubi Bene - Alina Popescu
• The Challenges and Rewards of Living Adventurously - Cody McKibben
• How To Run A Location Independent Business - Brooke Ferguson
• Developing A Writing Habit - ManekiNeko
• The Portable Writer - Sharon Hurley Hall

Look out for two more interesting resources for those planning on going location independent. A survey starts on the Free Pursuits blog on June 3, and there's a group Twitter chat scheduled for June 10. Check out the #LIP hashtag to follow the news.

Is Internet Publishing For Hacks?

That was the view expressed by one of Karen Swim's critics. The result of this was an interesting post titled  March of the Illiterati in E Flat. The post is well worth a read. Here's an excerpt:

'Those who view online writing as a dumbing down of provocative thoughts and ideas are missing the point entirely. It is an expansion of creative thought, discussion and collective collaboration. While other forms of publishing aim to "talk at" digital publishers "talk to." It’s the sharing and exchange of ideas and information in real time.'

The discussion which follows is even more interesting, so stop by and join in.

Freelance Writing Pay Update

by Dana Prince

I often feature Dana's posts in this newsletter, because her blog tracks the development of her freelancing career in language anyone can understand. This post on how her freelance writing earnings have changed is a good example. Here's an excerpt:

There are feasts and there are famines or droughts and floods and sometimes I churn out fodder for search engines that doesn't get my creative juices flowing and sometimes I am so proud of the words I write that I beam when I read them. Then I let someone else take credit for them. C'est la vie. This is my choice.

Sometimes I write a little and hit my quota before noon and spend the day doing what I want and sometimes I work 60 hours in a week just to scrape by. This isn't a charmed life I lead but I am doing something that makes me happy and provides for my family.

Read the rest of How Much Does Freelance Writing Pay? A 2009 Update

Writing Talk - What's That Word?

Ever been stuck for a word? This strip looks at a word many freelancers forget. The other strips are here.

Diary Of A Working Writer - June 2009

This has been another good month. It seems that clients are continuing to turn to freelancers in tough times, and I'm making the most of it. I was pleased that so many people downloaded the Writing Lab News Ebook, which is still available only to newsletter subscribers. I plan to extend that to feed subscribers within the next month.

During the month, I took a trip to Chicago - you can find out more about that on my travel blog post, A Whistle Stop Tour of Chicago. Freelancers will also enjoy many of the business travel gadgets I wrote about this month. Meanwhile, I continued to write reviews on the Appvita blog, and added to my posts on PiggyBankPie, including some more posts in the Getting Started in Blogging series.

I've been getting involved in the Location Independent Community Outreach Team, and am looking for writers who want to join in and help promote the lifestyle. Contact me through the blog if you're interested. As well as the chance to hook into a community which actively promotes each other's stuff, you may be eligible for benefits such as access to courses and ebooks. I've gained a free ebook and course already. If you just want to find out more about the lifestyle, but don't want to promote it, then check out the Location Independent Clubhouse.

So, what's ahead for this month? I am taking a complete break - well, almost complete - for a couple of weeks. Then I'll come back refreshed to work on a new course and a couple of ebooks, as well as participating in the relaunch of a favourite site and perhaps - finally - launching a new blog on a different theme. I'll keep you posted.