FREELANCE SURVEY REVEALS TWO DISTINCT GROUPS OF WRITERS

by Beryl Lieff Benderly and Dan Ferber

"Yes, NASW, a science writer can make a living as a freelance."

That long-awaited answer to a perennial question on the freelance listserv emerged from NASW's first-ever survey of its freelance members. The responses also made clear, however, that only a minority of NASW freelances support themselves through self-employment.

The survey identified two distinct categories of self-employed science writers: full-timers earning all or nearly all their writing income as independent entrepreneurs and part-timers mostly devoting fewer than half their working hours to self-employment. The largest group of freelance respondents, 47 percent, are self-employed full time. (Percentages in this article are rounded to the nearest whole number). The next largest group, 38 percent, spend under a quarter of their time on freelance assignments.

Asked for their average freelance earnings over the last five years, respondents reported sums ranging from less than $5,000 to more than $50,000. A reticent 10 percent, however, declined to answer this question. The figures revealed that those identifying themselves as full-time freelances have a much bigger economic stake in self-employment than do part-timers. Ninety-five percent of the full-timers earned their entire income from freelance work. In contrast, 74 percent of part-timers get less than 25 percent of their income from freelance assignments. Among those who freelance full time, 20 percent made more than $50,000, 43 percent made between $25,000 and $50,000; and 11 percent made between $15,000 and $25,000. Seventy-one percent of part-timers, on the other hand, had freelance incomes under $15,000 per year, although 7 percent made more than $50,000 from freelance work.

Two hundred twenty-seven individuals, or 69 percent of the full survey's total of 327 respondents, indicated that they freelance either full or part time. This number represents 27 percent of the approximately 850 NASWers whose membership applications identify them as freelances. In contrast, only 14 percent of NASW's total membership of nearly 2,400 and 7 percent of its non-freelancing members completed the survey. Freelance Committee chair Beryl Benderly compiled the questions with the help of NASWers on and off the committee. Committee member Dan Ferber analyzed the results.

Eighty-one percent of NASW freelances write for magazines and 59 percent for Web sites. Thirty-nine percent write for trade publications (which may well overlap with other categories such as magazines or Web sites) and 37 percent for newspapers. Significant numbers of NASW freelances do PR work: 17 percent for universities, 11 percent for other research institutions, 10 percent for medical centers, and 9 percent for biotech companies. Technical writing is another market for NASWers, with 9 percent doing it for biotech clients and 7 percent for computer companies. Smaller numbers engage work on grant writing, encyclopedias, journal and academic writing, and writing for other types of corporations. Full-timers and part-timers seem to have similar distributions of work among magazines, newspapers, Web, and other venues.

Forty-six percent of the freelance respondents have written books and many of these NASWers are multitalented authors at home in multiple genres. Thirty-five percent of the authors have penned a single volume, 21 percent have done two, 17 percent have done five to seven, and 7 percent have done more than 10. One super-achiever has authored more than 30 different titles. Just under three-quarters of the book writers have published as sole authors, 54 percent as credited co-authors, and 10 percent as uncredited ghosts. Just under two-thirds of the authors have composed tomes in the adult trade category and 22 percent have done books for children. Fourteen percent have done textbooks, 11 percent have done technical books, and 17 percent have done other kinds of books, including reference works, manuals, guides, and novels, especially science fiction.

Sixty-two percent of the freelances who responded offer editorial services in addition to writing. Ninety percent of these do editing, which includes substantive editing for scientists (28 percent), for books (22 percent), and for serials (15 percent) as well as copyediting for scientists (21 percent), for books (13 percent), and for serials (12 percent). Nine percent do indexing, 5 percent do graphic design, and one or two members each offer a variety of other services including html, Webmastering, scriptwriting, photography, research, translation, creative direction, and proofreading.

Thirty-one percent of freelance respondents have a major client. A third of those with this arrangement earn between a quarter and a half of their income from that source. For 24 percent, this client accounts for a quarter of income or less. On the other hand, 18 percent of the writers with this arrangement earn up to three quarters of their income from the major client and another 18 percent between three-quarters and 99 percent of their freelance income. For 6 percent, the major client provides their entire freelance income. In addition, 37 percent of those who freelance have part-time jobs or consultancies. For 62 percent of these writers, however, that job or consultancy accounts for less than 25 percent of their time.

Though clearly not a high-paying profession, freelance writing nonetheless appears to be a satisfying one for many NASWers. Fifty-nine percent of full-timers and 53 percent of part-timers have been at it for more than five years. Another 22 percent of the total freelance respondents have racked up between two and five years as freelances. Fourteen percent were in their second year freelancing, and 9 percent in their first.

Thirty-five percent of freelance respondents thought that NASW effectively serves freelance interests, and an additional 59 percent thought it did so sometimes, with only 7 percent saying that the organization does not serve their interests. Part-time freelances seemed somewhat more satisfied with the organization; 38 percent of them, as opposed to 29 percent of the full-timers, gave an unequivocal "Yes."

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Beryl Lieff Benderly is a freelance health and behavior writer in Washington, DC. Dan Ferber is a freelance writer based in Urbana, IL.