Most freelance journalists I know are generous with their (our) time. We mentor. We make introductions. We give advice.
But our time is also finite, and so we have to draw lines.
My waking hours are divided between earning a living and being with loved ones. The economics of freelancing generally mean long workweeks. If there’s one thing the Covid-19 pandemic reminded me, it’s that I want to spend as much time with loved ones as possible.
Often people make free-labor requests of writers that they’d never make of electricians or plumbers. When I do unpaid work, it is a zero-sum game: Either I forfeit paid work or I forfeit time with friends and family.
That’s why I often decline such requests. I urge you to value your own time similarly.
(Image: Adobe Stock.)
