Somebody emailed me an article written by a freelance journalist who used to be Assistant Editor at Cosmopolitan (USA). In the article she was talking about how every few months she has this major debate with herself about taking up a full-time job once again, because that is just so much easier than freelancing, but once she gets the job she can never bring herself to going back to the office routine.

I totally empathise -- on so many days it seems that all I am doing is chasing payments that are months overdue, chasing editors who dont reply to emails, convincing editors that I am the best person to write a piece, and doing the 10,000 administrative tasks that are otherwise done by editorial assistants, secretaries and even peons and clerks in magazine offices. I have millions of problems getting a bank loan or a new credit card, because I dont have an "office" and journalism is not recognized as an acceptable industry under the various "Self Employed" categories approved by most banks. The worst is not having a fixed income that you can depend on every month.

But at the end of the day, I have the freedom of doing the work that really interests me, I am not contrained by the various niches of writing that invariably define most publications, I can say no to stories that I feel are unethical and, most importantly, I know that if I am recognized today it is because of my own independant efforts and not just the reflected glory of being attached to some big-name publication. Which, to me, is a big deal.

I have undergone the freelance vs. full time job twice in the past few months - once when I was offered the job of Assistant Features Editor of L'Officiel, and the second time when I was offered the post of Deputy Editor at an international magazine which is launching in India later this year. Both times it was tough saying no because they are world-renown publications, the pay was good and the people were excellent...but I am glad that in the end I chose to stick on with my freelancing!!