At one point this summer, I lamented to my then boyfriend that I was getting frustrated with writing articles and felt tempted to focus entirely on copywriting. I’d had a long string of sources cancel or reschedule interviews at the last minute, which meant I had to scramble to meet my deadline (I always meet my deadlines, come hell or high water). Not to mention all those unanswered queries.
“I love interviewing people and telling their stories, but who needs all these headaches?” I said.
His response was the exact opposite of what I’d expected. In my mind, any sane person would choose the option that has fewer headaches and higher pay. But he told me that I’d be letting myself down if I didn’t keep plugging away at articles. The copywriting process might be simpler in most cases and the pay higher, but he hated the idea of me completely “selling out.”
Sure, I enjoy writing brochures and website copy and press releases, but copywriters generally have less of a personal stake in those projects. We don’t get a byline, so it’s easier to distance ourselves from our copy. That makes revisions a lot easier to stomach, but it also means we don’t feel a sense of ownership or personal pride in the finished product.
I get practically giddy when I see my name in print, especially when it’s a story I relate to on a personal level. There’s a sense of accomplishment when I finish a copywriting project and it meets all of the client’s parameters, but it’s filtered through the voice of the brand, not my voice. (Still, I disagree with the idea that it’s “selling out.”It’s still writing, and writing is a carefully honed craft.)
Much as I hate to admit it, he was right (partly). After a few months of mostly copywriting and a few article assignments trickling in, I’m working on establishing a better balance between the two areas. I’ve thought a lot about choosing a direction and focusing all my efforts there, but ultimately I decided that I’m fortunate simply to be writing full time. I let the higher paying projects subsidize the low paying, highly interesting ones so I get a mix of topics and formats. In the end, I just love language.
Have you ever felt pulled in two (or more) directions by your writing? How do you balance creativity and commerce?
Flickr photo by Eric M Martin
I hear you, Susan — I've been struggling at a crossroads since January!
My "two different directions" are freelance writing for magazines and blogging. I have 5 websites, and am compelled to focus on building those into strong income-earners. I love the reader interaction and freedom to write whatever I want! And, I don't have to pitch ideas or try to come up with unusual slants on old articles.
But, I don't have editorial input (which can improve writing skills), and I don't have the glamor of saying "I'm writing an article for Good Housekeeping."
And, writing for print mags definitely pays more in the short run…but I believe my blogs will be a strong source of income over the next 2 years…it's just building them that takes time!
That's my story
Laurie
You just called out one of my biggest dilemmas, Susan! My goal is to get some personal essays published and copy writing is to pay the bills. Several of my clients are small, creative entrepreneurs and I have a big personal investment there — and I really enjoy the work. I love seeing people pursue their dreams. Recently, though, I took on a big name client, thinking a few hours per week there would fund more personal writing time. Somehow, though, I feel more removed from my personal writing and I'm having to set really, really hard boundaries (such as no, I will not work over the weekend or until midnight just because that's your corporate culture). It's been a great reminder of why I wanted to go on my own in the first place! Still, it's a hard balance. Thanks so much for sharing your struggles with it!
Thanks for your comments, ladies! As I told Laurie, this post was so personal that I considered not publishing it. Didn't want to alienate any clients, but also felt I needed to get this off my chest. I'm glad you could relate to it.
I feel pulled in too many directions! I'm working on a third novel, I have more to write in my sci fi novella series, I'm always looking to write and sell short stories and I do some freelance non-fiction stuff. But let's be honest – it's better than not having enough to write, right?
When I first became a freelancer, I got a part-time job copy editing for a daily newspaper as a means of supplementing the writing I really love doing. I haven't really found much of a replacement for that since they folded. For some reason, I still keep thinking that I can make a full-time salary doing work that I actually find fulfilling. I'm not confident enough to believe my writing alone will carry me, but I'm hoping that doing both writing and career coaching will be the winning combination.
Hi Susan
I think you summed up the immerse/commerce thing well. History says Shakespeare got the balance pretty well nailed , but since he was absurdly talented its not a fair comparison!
Look forward to following your blog. Are you on Twitter?
Ben
I hate that too, Susan. I've scheduled hundreds of interviews over the years and I still wonder if they're all going to show or more importantly, if they're really the expert they claim to be.
One thing I've done that works is to tell the sources they have one week less than they really do in order to be interviewed. And I double up – I contact twice as many as I need and I don't hesitate to say "Thank you, but my deadline was looming and I had to seek out another source." That sends the message that yes, your time is valuable, but so is mine. I'm not afraid to pester, either. I'll ask twice, then I look elsewhere.
@Lori: I've done that, too: contacting more sources than needed or quietly finding a replacement source when someone falls through. But if you're profiling a specific business or person, then sometimes you have no choice but to stalk your subject. Often these people have agreed to be interviewed but don't feel the need to answer emails or phone calls to confirm a day/time because they're just too important to be bound by other people's deadlines. I hate that!
I don't know if I've ever found that balance. I think it's constantly changing. I do know that I have often done writing purely for love and let work like copyediting pay the bills.
I'm also with the Adventurous Writer. I haven't built a website into a strong income earner yet, but I'm working on it.