Freelancing

FOR Aparna Nadig, 25, any place that’s sunny, balmy, breezy is a good workplace. For this Mumbai-based freelance dialogue writer, creativity can’t flourish in limiited space. While in Goa once for a friend’s wedding, she finished a full writing assignment on the beach.
 
“What matters the most in freelancing is meeting deadlines. If that is taken care of, it doesn’t matter where and how you are working,” says Aparna, who has been scripting dialogues, primarily for TV soaps. “I take a break, go for a drive, dance with friends and come back and write. This freedom helps me deliver better,” she adds. Freelancing opens space to do what you enjoy.

 

YOU CAN be your own boss, set your own time and exceed expectations.

Freedom and its limits
Nadig’s idea of a satisfying work life is echoed by those who can’t stand the thought of daily commute, rush hours, and that feeling of being ‘trapped’ in a regular job. And her enterprising spirit shows that there is a world of gainful work and creative engagement. Surely, one cannot enjoy this freedom in any regular job. “Self-employment is slowly catching on in India and will zoom up in the next five years,” says L.N. Aggarwal, Founder-Director, freelanceindia.com, an online forum for employers and freelancers to find each other. There are various diverse freelance work opportunities in the market. Industries are on the look -out for specific skill-set. Does educational qualification matter? Majority of freelancers have received education at the university-level or are self-taught.

Aggarwal says his organisation has identified about 1200 types of freelancing work. “Freelancers register and we feature their profile for direct access by the employers. In the long run, if they perform well, then employers directly contact the freelancers for work.”

Self-orientation
Garima Goel, 19, a final year BA student at Himachal Pradesh University, is excited about the money she earned recently by writing articles on environment issues for InstaMedia. The company engages freelance writers to produce and publish content on a number of its online properties. If approved, Garima’s work may end up being published on Ecofriend and Greendiary, the two environmental webzines in InstaMedia network. “I am gaining knowledge from academics as well as my freelance work. InstaMedia keeps me abreast of all the hot environmental issues,” she says. Since you are on your own, freelancing is learning experience from day one. And there are no seniors to look up to.

If this scenario sends a frisson of excitement up your spine, freelancing is likely to be a great path for your personal and professional growth. Now start asking yourself the all-important question: ‘What is it that interests me  that I can produce with my skills-set and self-discipline and up to the standard desired by the potential employers?’

Finding employers
“I run a virtual office. I hardly ever meet any of my clients or writers,” says Nevidita Nagpal, 42, who owns and runs www.wordsmithatwork.com, an online provider of freelance “copy writing and SEO (search engine optimization) content” work. “My clients find me. I have never solicited work on my own; someone has always referred me,” she adds. Freelancers tend to find most of fresh assignments (or clients) through personal recommendations from satisfied employers. If you enjoy the trust of satisfied clients, you have a brighter chance to garner more work. Online efforts likesocial media and professionally made portfolios and CVs also generate leads. Manish Dasani, 32, a Delhi-based gamer and an alumnus of the College of Art (Delhi University), swears by social media. “I network through Facebook and Twitter to reach out to friends, clients, advertisers who help me get gaming projects.” Manish makes games for the Web, mobile phones and PC platforms for companies like Base77, Gameshastra, Edenpod - all from the comfort of his home.

The rewards
“I insist on 100% advance payment through online transfer before I start the work. That is I set my own terms for compensation,” says Nevedita, who also ensures that her team of freelance writers are paid on the 27th of every month. Payment for freelance work varies from industry to industry. Freelancer work gets paid on per day, per hour, piece rate, or per-project bases. The payment may come upfront, part-advance or on completion of the assignment.   

Since Gaming is a niche area, ask Manish whether it is viable enough to make money? “I can’t bank on it solely. It’s risky as it is part of the entertainment world. Your game might be a hit or a flop.” To stabilize his income, he conducts regular workshops and lectures to design professionals at Shankar’s Academy, Delhi. “I intend to make more per day than I did in my full-time job.” He says he makes about Rs. 50-60,000 a month. Gaurav Bansal, Editor and Team-Lead at InstaMedia says, “We have electronic payment for freelancers. They get paid depending on word count. A 2000 words article will fetch around Rs. 400 to Rs. 500. If a freelancer stretches, he can easily make Rs. 20,000 per month.” 

Pros and cons
Freelancing is by no means plain sailing, particularly for those who have been financially insecure. The common sentiment expressed by freelancers is: “Money isn’t everything. I love to be independent and find my own trade off between passion and money.” Here is a checklist of things you can anticipate.

• Things you took for granted at a regular job such as, billing, payments, promotion, taxes, marketing  are yours to be taken care of.
• Compensation can be a source of heart burn. “When employers want their work done, mails and phone calls come thick and fast. But when it comes to your payment, your repeated mails and calls may go unanswered. If one does get a reply, it can be something one won’t appreciate,” says Benita.
• No ‘job security’ as there may be plenty of competition in bagging assignments. 
• Long-term commitments from employers may be few and far between. 
• Strict adherence to expectations of a client. There is freedom of flexi-timings but you will need to follow your client’s brief, not your mind. 

Becoming a rockstar freelancer 

As with most careers, it takes time to become a successful freelancer. One has to invest time and energy, learn continuously, and be time-efficient and flexible.

• One’s foundation must be rock strong. For instance, if you have never learned the basic principles of writing, painting, marketing, then it’s a tough call to sell yourself.  Manish advises, “A good industry experience is must before you venture out on your own.”
• Hard work will help you to deliver, and networking will help you to grow.
• Stick to a single network for a longer period and establish your reputation. “If a person writes on bikes and gets published about 30 to 40 articles per month, then his work is bound to get noticed. Carve a niche for yourself,” advises Gaurav. 
• Stay ahead of the game. Develop certain techniques, a way of doing your work that establishes your expertise. Write or communicate well, have a website of your own, learn world class standards which are used today.
• Network of contacts from the same field is must. Also try to cultivate different kinds of relationship with masses – attend conferences, seminars; blog, tweet about your work. 
• Finish your work on time. Nevidita shares, “I value my client’s time, and giving work before intended deadline has become a USP for me!”
• Maintain a relationship with satisfied clients. Being a freelancer requires discipline and self-motivation. In free time, you may be prone to additional stresses. If not managed properly, you can break your career. 

 
So think before making the move. You may be able to pick the low-hanging fruits initially, but will you be able to find work over the years and build a satisfying career?

Read how these freelancers tackle their independent challenges…
 

“I didn’t like the swipe card concept” Benita Sen, Jalandhar Freelance Journalist & Children’s Writer “The newspaper used my piece without changing a word but never paid me a paisa. I was too polite to ask for the princely amount of Rs. 100,” recollects Benita of the time she started freelancing in the early 1980s. Her book, ‘Yakity Yak’, was nominated for The Vodafone Crossword Book Award 2010 and two of her stories have been selected by Oxford University Press. She was the only freelancer selected for a bootcamp on reporting cancer. Her articles have  been picked up by national newspapers and magazines like Hindustan Times and Good  Housekeeping. She works on a flight, a train, park or a café and some of her best works are done after the world is asleep or outdoors. “I didn’t like the swipe card concept that ties you down to fixed hours of work. I work far longer hours as a freelancer but it is at my own command,” she says. Compensation: “Freelancers are still perceived by many in the industry to be independent only because they are less worthy of being employed full-time. It would be better if you can insist on the commissioning cheque and get the employer to commit in writing when the remainder is to be paid. I have also learnt that a good amount of polite haggling can earn you a heftier cheque.” “Word of mouth publicity” Aparna Nadig, 25, Mumbai Freelance Dialogue Writer Surfing TV channels on an idle Saturday, Aparna Nadig stumbled upon ‘CID’, a popular crime investigative serial on Sony, and realised, “Even I can write dialogues”. She approached the ‘CID’ creative team who liked her work and gave her shows like ‘Aahat’ and ‘Surya the Super Cop’. In the last four years, Aparna has learnt that there is no better form of publicity than word of mouth. Before writing independently for TV, she honed her skills with Manu Rishi, script and dialogue writer and assisted him in films like Chance pe Dance, Aisha, and LSD. “I love talking. So writing dialogues for fictitious characters comes naturally. I use various styles to render sharp dialogues.” Working with TV industry means no fixed leave and timings. “I usually get screenplays by 8 p.m. I write throughout the night for a shoot planned at 9 in the morning. It is like running in the Olympics with the lantern while the other runner is waiting eagerly for you to reach!” she reveals. Compensation: The industry does not pay well at first. “Initially I was never paid for my work. It was the love for work and not money which kept me going. If you get popular, you might get Rs. 45,000 per episode,” she reveals.   Dance Musician Venkateshwaran (right) exchange notes with a musician “Music is more than a hobby or job” Venkateshwaran K, 28, Delhi  Freelance Dance Musician “If I do a three-day show abroad, I can easily make the same amount that I will earn while juggling a regular job,” says Venkateshwaran, a PGDM graduate. He quit his managerial job within three months to chase music, his genuine love. Today, with mellifluous, resonant voice, he enthrals classical dance audience. Recently, he flew to Sri Lanka to render his voice for “Vara”, an art film. He sang three dance tracks for popular dancer Geeta Chandran. His hobby became his strength. “I was lucky! When I decided to switch to freelance, I never ran pillar to post for assignments. It came to my door,” he says. The years of Carnatic music training and regular performances paid off. It was during his college days that a couple (Kuchipudi dancers) spread the word among other dancers about him. There is a shortage of South Indian musicians for dance performances in metro cities, which has worked to Venkateshwaran’s advantage. He regularly sings for Swapna Sundari, Padma Bhushan awardee; Allora, Ananya festivals; visits Malaysia twice year to sing for a dance academy; and other dance recordings and performances.  “Unlike solo singers, I have to stick to the music script, repetitions, time and rhythm as per dancer demands. I have to camouflage if a dancer misses a beat. This requires a good understanding with the dancer, orchestra team,” he says. Compensation: He is able to make about Rs. 35,000 to 45,000 per month. In the dance world there are lean seasons as well. “May, June are dry periods. The work starts picking up from July and December is peak which lingers on till April,” he says. His work never stops, however. He composes songs and goes for studio recordings. In free time, you may be prone to additional stresses. If not managed properly, you can break your career as well. He is currently busy preparing compositions for a dancer to sing at Royal Hall of Queen Elizabeth, London, next month. “Music is now much more than a hobby or job. It has a magnetic presence which is in every atom of me,” Venkateshwaran signs off. “Voice in demand” Munish Jolly, 37, Delhi RJ & Sports Commentator He has a distinct voice; a roar to signal a goal and a muffle to describe a miss. “I have presented shows round the clock. Be it morning or midnight, I must sound full of life.” His career as a sports commentator started with cricket after he impressed some officials of All India Radio, Kolkata whom he met on a train journey. Cricket has been an abiding passion for Munish who played for university, state-level and Ranji Trophy. He now gets freelance assignments as a sports commentator on various platforms (radio, venues). He has so far commentated for the Hockey World Cup, Commonwealth Games, ICC Cricket World Cup and several other Test and one-day matches. Apart from doing commentary, he has cracked FM Rainbow auditions and worked on Track 10, Hotline (interactive show), City Lights, Rainbow Genius, a quiz show.  “The biggest challenge for a presenter is to correctly punctuate. A lot of people feel that sounding casual is all that is there to broadcasting. It is important for a commentator to be balanced. He should not be critical for the sake of being critical.”