Working: Freelance Work's Boom and Bust Cycle

Slate Culture

Slate Podcasts

Arts, Tv & Film, Music

4.4 • 2K Ratings

🗓️ 2 November 2023

⏱️ 18 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

For this week’s episode of Working Overtime, a listener grapples with the complicated problem of having too much success as a freelancer. Balancing their time between a day job and an onslaught of freelance projects leaves them feeling wiped out, yet tepid about rocking their financial boat. Hosts June Thomas and Isaac Butler share their own experiences of juggling freelance and full-time work. While freelancing can be feast or famine, it's important to set realistic deadlines, negotiate for better rates, and know when quitting one job might be your best bet. Do you have a question about creative work? Leave a message at (304) 933-9675 or email us at [email protected]. Podcast production by Kevin Bendis and Cameron Drews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello, and welcome to another episode of Working Over Time, the bi-weekly Advice-Focus
0:12.0	Penguin Great Idea series to Workings Penguin Classics.
0:16.7	I'm your host, June Thomas.
0:18.9	And I'm your other host, Isaac Butler.
0:20.9	So June, what are we talking about today?
0:24.0	Well Isaac, we received a listener e-mail.
0:28.2	Ding!
0:29.4	A listener who wishes to remain anonymous wrote to us, our producer Kevin Bendis will read their question.
0:35.7	I've been trying to break into journalism for several years.
0:39.8	Things are going well.
0:41.0	Maybe a bit too well.
0:43.0	I'm wiped out from taking on way too much in the interest of filling my coffers and furthering my creative ambitions.
0:51.4	I've been putting an extra time at the place where I'm a part-time contingent worker,
0:55.4	five-day weeks instead of three, with late nights and no end in sight.
1:00.2	I find the day job exhilarating.
1:02.5	I know I'm being exploited, but it also fulfills some creative outlets.
1:07.3	Unfortunately, though, I'm having to pull back on freelance pieces or delay deadlines, which I hate.
1:14.9	Can you suggest any other options?
1:17.5	First, thank you very much for your letter.
1:19.8	Isaac, this situation will sound familiar to a lot of writers.
1:24.1	Is it something you've contended with?
1:26.4	Oh, yeah, sure, definitely.
	...

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