It’s happened to all of us. You’re just sitting down to get started on a new assignment when you hear an email notification. You nonchalantly glance at your phone, expecting it to be a shipping update for the whalebone fountain pen set signed by Ernest Hemingway you just bought. Instead, it’s an unexpected email from a client. “We regret to inform you that…” Oh no. You were counting on this client to provide you with caviar money for the month. Now they’re telling you they can’t afford to keep you on because your retainer is costing half of their monthly budget. You sigh and send them a reply, telling them that cashing the weekly five-digit sum they paid you to write for them were some of the greatest moments in your career, and wish them all the best, making sure to mention you’re interested in collaborating with them in the future if an opportunity opens up once again. You walk across to your elegantly appointed bar and pour yourself a glass of twelve-year-old scotch when it hits: the entire reason you came to the office this morning was to work on your now ex-client’s assignment. Taking a sip of the smooth, fiery spirit, you slump back into your high-backed office throne, and ponder one question: What now?

I’ve talked about the benefits of working from home, and yes, they are all true. I wasn’t sugarcoating anything or trying to gild the lily. However, in the interest of fairness, there are still some drawbacks of working from home that need to be addressed. As someone who personally works from home, I’ve had first-hand experience in both the pleasures and perils of this work arrangement. And while some of these perils might be disputable, if you’re considering making the switch to a home office, there are some pitfalls you should be prepared for. Now, this isn’t meant to be a complete backtrack on my part for the opinions I shared in my previous article. Like I said, I’m currently working from home and I love doing what I do from where I’m doing it. I have no intention of changing. However, I do want to create a full picture. I want to let you all know that working from home is more than just simply getting up at the crack of noon and taking business meetings in your underwear.

But even though Cousin Leo annoyed you with his condescending comment, a tiny section of your brain tells you that he kind of has a point. If there’s one thing that the internet is full of, it’s words. You can Google any topic and find thousands and thousands of words written on it. Anyone with an internet connection can jot down anything they want, publish it and voila! More words. More so-called writers. Combine this instant access to information along with an easily-exploitable crop of desperate “writers” itching to get into the business, and it’s never been easier for employers to find writers willing to work for nothing. But here’s why you should steer far away from that crowd and never write for free.

While I’m a firm believer that writers should always be compensated for their craft, I acknowledge that there are particular instances when that compensation can be something other than dollars and cents. Just remember, the pieces you do sans recompense should still offer you something equally as rewarding. Money should be what tempts us away from our comfort zone, but free work should be where we go to experiment inside of it. Also, remember that unpaid work for yourself is something that is always worth the investment. What do I mean? Well, let’s get into my first reason why I think freelancers should write for free.

In this click-bait era we’re living in, it’s hard to stand out online. It can be frustrating for we writers when surface “listicles” steal away the attention of our would-be audience. The fact is, writing catchy headlines is an art — and one that must be mastered if you’re going to make it in the world of writing online. With the right headline, you will be able to capture people’s attention instantly, provoke them to hover their cursor over the “read more” button, and ultimately click it. Follow these 4 quick tips and you’ll be on your way to writing click-worthy, catchy headlines in no time.

Whether you’re just getting into the freelance market or you’ve been here for a while, there’s always more learning to be done. Writers are people who can improve their craft through anything that happens around them. Different experiences add to the mishmash in our brains that we draw from when we’re working. But sometimes, we need to draw upon the wisdom of others who’ve come before us to help us bring new ideas to the page. These are five of the best books every freelance writer needs to read. They are here to help motivate, inspire, and mentor freelance writers of all specializations and experience levels. If you don’t have them, get them. If you’ve read them, read them again. You never know what you’ll take away from them this time.

Here's my complete works for Writer's Job Board. They were a blast to write, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did writing it!