Ask most freelance editors about the joys of working for themselves, the list remains fairly consistent. Staff editors have a lot of work on their plates, but often it's not as compelling as the stuff I get to do. In addition, Nelson notes that during 2000 he worked every day that he wanted or needed to work. True, those nine weeks weren't paid vacation, but it was leisure time that I planned for myself and got to enjoy. The cons Ask about the drawbacks of working freelance, the list is equally consistent.
Uncertainty is probably the biggest issue that haunts freelancers.
But, you have to balance that off against the fact that you don't get a steady paycheck every week or every other week. Nelson says freelancers need both to believe in their own editing skills and to have faith that people will be willing to hire them because of what they bring to the table. You have to live on faith. You need to believe that the next job is going to come. It's not going to do you any good worrying about where your next dollar is coming from.