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. There is no need for the physical and psychological transition time to go from job one to job two. Also, Banks says, the fulltime writing effort gives you a boost in selfesteem by being in control of your own career and business.Disadvantages: You may be the primary wage earner for you and your family. Some economic losses by giving up a steady income are severe and must be considered. You must be able to manage money that comes in uneven surges. You must also endure the operating expenses of being a writer on your own. This means the costs of travel, telephone, equipment, and even ordinary office supplies. You may have to pressure yourself to be productive. Failure can take on a greater significance. There is no supervisory pressure in most cases and you must be selfdisciplined. Furthermore, do not forget that you lose all nonpaycheck benefits that come along with a fulltime salaried job (e.g., health insurance, pensions and retirement, social security contributions made by your employer [now you must make them], paid vacations, bonuses, sick days, and overtime).The decision to go fulltime must be an economic one. Can you afford it? What is your current parttime income? What would it be fulltime if you project it to the amount of time you gain by quitting the fulltime job? Is that realistic? Can you find that much freelance work? What are your basic normal living expenses? Will you cover them? Can you make sacrifices of other things for a while?Oregon freelance writer Gary King (1993, personal communication) specializes in "true crime" and mystery writing. He has written three books about serial killers and other crime in addition to his numerous articles for publications such as True Detective and Official Detective. He says he found writing to be addictive. He could not get enough of it as a parttimer. Here's how he says he decided to make the shift:When I first broke into crime writing, I was naturally thrilled that anyone would buy my work and in fact wanted more. That was in Page 526December 1980. Almost immediately I asked my editor, Art Crockett, if I should give up my job and go full time. His response: "Forget freelancing on a fulltime basis unless you marry a rich widow . . . or until you become a bestselling author and have editors clamoring for your work." I took his advice, but only for a while. By 1984 I was freelancing full time and putting my family through hell. In retrospect, freelancing is not something I would recommend to anyone who wants to keep the bills paid on time and food on the table. It's very difficult. Appealing as the prospect of being on your own can be, there's still nothing like a steady paycheck.Freelancer Reiff (1987a) recommends diversification of your writing. The more you can write about different specialties, the more you will bring in fees, she believes. She also recommends diversity in the types of projects. Taking on both short and long assignments can keep a steadier supply of income in the mail, she says.Prepare for the switch by planning ahead. Put aside extra money for the expected slow period at the beginning. Also, save some good writing ideas for slow idea periods, Banks recommends. These will help you through tough times. He advises to not "burn your bridges" at your primary job. Try to leave yourself an option to return if things do not work out. Test your career change first by taking a 3 to 6month leave, if this is available. Sometimes, accumulated vacation time can be taken in one big block for a trial run at fulltime freelance writing.Brett Harvey is Eastern Regional Grievance Officer of the National Writers Union (NWU) based in the New York City area. She regularly deals with problems between writers who are members of the NWU and their employers and has compiled a list of guidelines that should be particularly helpful for beginning freelance writers. Her guidelines are reprinted in Appendix F. Harvey (1993, personal communication) says: "These are especially hard times for freelancers, in case you hadn't noticed. Magazines are going bellyup nearly every month, and the ones that are left are cutting every possible corner which means fewer pieces assigned, lower fees, more and lower kill fees, slower payment, and more all rightscontracts." As she advises, guidelines such as hers will not guarantee solution or elimination of problems, but they should minimize the chance for problems to occur. Page 527SETTING UP A "WRITING ZONE" AT HOMEWriters need a comfortable and familiar space in which to work. Some may be able to write anywhere at any time, but just like at home, there is a psychological advantage to being in a particularly creative place, or zone, reserved just for writing
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