There are many questions you should ask yourself before embarking on a freelance writing career, but if you’re motivated and disciplined enough, it is well within the realm of possibility to make a livable income as a freelance writer. Just ask established writers like Chris Bibey and Sharon Hurley Hall. In fact, it’s a lot easier making money writing for others than it is blogging for yourself.

Let me preface this discussion by saying that freelance writing and blogging are not the same thing. When you run your own blog, whether it be a personal site or a fighting games blog, you are free to do whatever you want. By contrast, when you act as a freelance writer, you must adhere to the criteria of your client and write in such a manner as to make them happy. When I write for LoveToKnow, the specifications are different than when I write for Mobile Magazine.

Even so, I find that it is oftentimes easier blogging for others than it is blogging for myself. There are three primary reasons for this.

1. Make More Money Blogging For Others

As a professional freelance writer, I know what it takes to write a good blog post or a killer review. However, I’m not as well-versed in the art of marketing or web design. In order for a blog to be truly successful, all of these elements have to come into play. That would explain, in part, why the RSS subscriber count on Beyond the Rhetoric is so much lower than John Chow dot Com.

Beyond the Rhetoric is far from being my primary source of income. I make a lot more money from my freelance writing work than I do from the advertising on this blog. In this way, it’s easier to blog for others, because I am more motivated — in a monetary sense — to do so. Money talks and we all love to listen.

2. Greater Sense of Direction

Although I’m trying to gear Beyond the Rhetoric towards the niches of freelance writing and personal development, it is still largely a personal blog where I am able to write about anything. I enjoy taking pictures of fine dining adventures, reviewing movies, and otherwise just talking about things that interest me. Because of this relative freedom, it’s always racking my brain what I should write about each day. Without focus, things can look pretty blurry.

When I’m writing a blog post for the BlueFur blog, for example, I’m given a much greater sense of direction. On Wednesday, I write about WordPress. On Thursday, I talk about marketing. These topics are set out ahead of time and I just have to find something to blog about within that topic. This makes it easier, assuming that I am reasonably familiar with the subject matter. For this reason, I’d probably never blog about life insurance or pottery.

3. Immediate Feedback and Constructive Criticism

For the most part, posts on your own blog are not going to get very much in terms of constructive criticism. People may comment on the material discussed within a post, but it’s unlikely that they’ll provide a mini-review of how you put the post together, whether it is effective in expressing your opinion, and where you still need some work. Some people may come by and tell you that it’s a great post or a bad post, but they rarely go into much more detail than that.

If a freelance writing client has an issue with your writing ability, they’ll be sure to let you know about it. After all, they are paying you and they expect to get a certain level of value for their money. This feedback helps to hone your craft and give you a better idea of what they want from you. Don’t let the haters get you down, but be sure to listen to any feedback you receive.

You Should Still Blog For Yourself

Although it can be easier blogging for others, I highly recommend that anyone considering a career as a freelance writer should still maintain a blog (or two) of their own. You can never have enough practice. Moreover, it’s helpful having a creative outlet where you are able to express whatever you want without the restrictions imposed by a client.