As the Internet has grown to be a powerful and influential force in the 21st century, freelancers have discovered that it is possible to make an income when all you have is a broadband Internet connection. This is particularly true in the case of writing, specifically Internet writing or web journalism. Whatever you want to call it, there’s a huge market for writing on the web these days.
Choosing the life of a freelancer
Of course, as an increasing number of freelancers have found out, earning a good income from online writing can be a hit-and-miss proposition. Pay can range from feast to famine, and freelancing means that you always have to market yourself or develop strong relationships with editors to ensure a steady paycheck. It can be a challenge in and of itself to stay motivated as an online writer.
That’s what makes Kyle Chayka’s experiences in Internet freelancing all the more noteworthy. Kyle is a 26-year-old entrepreneur who knows that web journalism is also about running his own business. In this way, Kyle’s ahead of the game since some freelancers don’t always fully appreciate that the freedom of freelancing means the required development of business savvy, too.
Making a living
Possibly the most startling feedback that he gets on a regular basis is shock when he tells people that he’s able to make a living freelancing on the Internet. While Kyle won’t reveal how much he pulls in per annum, he is able to afford pricy Brooklyn rent (he pays $900 for his apartment that he shares with three roommates) and a co-working space for $175 per month. The most Kyle reveals is that his online writing comfortably puts him in the range of $35,000 to $65,000 per year, basically a staff writer position at your average publication.
Since that range is extremely wide, it does illustrate the usually fluctuating income of an online writer. This has in part to do with the fact that even big publications, such as The Atlantic and The New Yorker, pay freelancers only about $200 to $250 per cold-pitch story. What this boils down to is that freelancers have to put in the effort to get to where Kyle’s income range is, but it is very possible, as he demonstrates.
As with a number of freelancers, writing for the web, though, is not the end game of his career. Kyle wants to go on to eventually try his hand at more literary writing, yet he’s also very optimistic about what the future in freelancing holds for him. To wit, ever the eternal optimist, he fully believes that the rates he’ll be able to command tomorrow will be better than his current rates. That’s certainly possible and doable as he builds up his portfolio, gains more experience and contacts, and persists at marketing himself.
Another thing that Kyle has going for him is his levelheadedness and sober outlook with regard to the freelance industry, which is rare for someone his age. Still just in his mid-20s, Kyle demonstrates an uncanny ability to keep the usual anxieties connected to freelancing down and under control.
Maybe that’s because he’s already been featured in well-known publications and currently spends his time writing approximately 13 original stories per month for various publications, one of which is Pacific Standard. Some of his pieces have also appeared in places like The Guardian and Newsweek.
Kyle is a great example of someone who has built a successful freelance career doing what they loves. With his dedication he not only survived, but is thriving in a highly competitive niche.
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