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| source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/meg-z/ |
That is sound advice. Quite literally it means that relying on just a single basket is not a good idea. What if you dropped that basket? The eggs would spill everywhere and most likely break. Even if you could save a few you would still lose nearly every egg you had.
This principle can be applied well to the world of freelancing, no matter what your specialty.
As a writer I find all of my non-fiction work online. There are a number of places devoted to getting work for freelance writers. Some of these sites are so large that you could easily devote all of your time to a single company and focus on a single niche. I know better than to do such a foolish thing.
One of the major companies that I get assignments from is currently having a shortage of titles as they update and redo one of their sites. There are many writers associated with this company complaining about the shortage of work and the hit that their income is taking.
Now, obviously this will affect any writer that submits work to this site. It is impossible to completely prevent any loss of income. Hence the eggs in the basket thing. That is why you need to branch out.
It seems like common sense, but do not find all of your work in one place. If company A has a shortage of work, you are still getting work from companies B, C, D and other clients that you have relationships with.
Freelancing definitely has its ups and downs. If you are just starting out or thinking of working for yourself, then heed my words...
Don't put all your eggs in one basket, and if you do, for the love of all things mighty don't drop the basket!
2 comments:
If you freelance for only one site or one network of people, it's pretty much like playing an employee without the benefits. I agree that the basket chestnut applies strongly here. Always look outward.
Thanks for reading. I am always looking for places to work and when I see writers complaining that they can not find assignments on a single website, it makes me wonder what they are doing this for. Perhaps just a hobby and that is fine, but if you want to make real money you need to sell anywhere that is willing to pay you what you are worth.
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