A while back I wrote about why working in an office is not my cup of tea. And it had it more to do with my shameless addiction to a good cuppa than anything else. For me, the pros of freelancing from home far outweigh the cons, but for the record, here are the top three things I miss about sharing a workspace.

1. Adult conversation on tap

Let’s be honest: working from home can be lonely. And the lack of water cooler moments I enjoyed in the office becomes painfully apparent when I step outside the house and try to engage supermarket cashiers in in-depth conversations. *Cringe*

I remember laughing a lot when I worked in an office. Someone always had a joke to share and there was always plenty of office banter. Now that it’s just me and I have to rely on the odd social media meme to tickle my funny bone, it’s not quite the same.

2. Closing the door on the workday

I used to love the feeling I got when I left the office building at  5pm. There was great satisfaction in knowing that I had accomplished all I could for the day and that the rest could wait till tomorrow. Not so now. The lines between work and home are so blurred these days that I feel like I’m always on the job. Work… home…it’s hard to draw the boundary.

3. The IT Department

Ah. The good old IT department. When the internet went down, or the printer needed ink, there was someone to call and it wasn’t my problem anymore. At home, it’s always my problem. Which means I can lose hours or even days having my laptop repaired or without an internet connection. I may be the boss, but as a freelancer, I’m also the IT guy, the courier, and the PA.

 

Having said all this though, I can think of many reasons why I love working from home and being my own boss, not least of all the freedom and flexibility that the freelance life affords, and the fact that I get to choose who I work with – my awesome clients.

 

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Written by Melissa Fagan, freelance content writer and editor

I help traditional and digital publishers deliver engaging and informative content that resonates with their readers. Internationally qualified writer and editor with 13 years’ publishing experience.

Email me: melissa.fagan@mfedit.com

Let’s Connect

If you’re a freelancer like me, and you’re passionate about publishing, let’s schedule a meeting to discuss the industry.

 

Photo by Markus Spiske and used via Creative Commons.

Ask any freelancer and they’ll tell you the same thing: business can often be uncertain. There are times when we don’t know where our next client is coming from or what projects we’ll be working on a month from now. Regardless, there are good reasons why we choose this way of working and we can always take inspiration from others who have walked this path before and have wisdom to share with us.

Like author and comic book writer, Neil Gaiman, who celebrated his 57th birthday this month.

I love this advice from his 2012 commencement address at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. He says:

“People keep working in a freelance world (and more and more of today’s world is freelance), because their work is good, because they are easy to get along with and because they deliver the work on time. And you don’t even need all three! Two out of three is fine. People will tolerate how unpleasant you are if your work is good and you deliver it on time. People will forgive the lateness of your work if it is good and they like you. And you don’t have to be as good as everyone else if you’re on time and it’s always a pleasure to hear from you.”

Watch the full video here.

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Written by Melissa Fagan, freelance non-fiction editor

I help non-fiction publishers deliver award-winning content using a creative and flawless approach to editing. Internationally qualified non-fiction editor with 11 years’ publishing experience.

Email me: melissa.fagan@mfedit.com

 

Let’s Connect

If you’re a freelancer like me, and you’re passionate about publishing, let’s schedule a meeting to discuss the industry.