Writing Books - A Freelancer's Dream?

I was sitting here for a few minutes reviewing the progress that I've made on the book I've taken on to co-author. At this point, I've been working exclusively on this one this one project for nearly two months. I say exclusively because all of the previous freelance work that I usually picked up had tapered off. (One of the hazards of freelancing when you don't have more than one source of regular work.) I'm still sort of waiting for the project coordinator to get back with me, but I know that work is slow.

By taking on this project, I was able to take a break from that race. There is something comforting about having one source to deal with when trying to meet a monthly budget rather than juggling five distinctive writing projects offered by different clients. One would think I'm losing my interest in being an independent freelancer and might be considering a return to the 9 to 5 world where paychecks are assured and you follow the rules of one voice rather a different one with each project. However, such an assumption would be wrong.

In fact, I want to focus on what is good about moving from one book project to another. Honestly, for me the ability to meet my budget in one shot is a big incentive for me to start seeking out other books rather than sticking with the article/web content track I've been on for the last few years. Sure, I've written eBooks and reports, but there is something different about developing a manuscript from the ground up that has captured me.

The present book is allowing me to make ends meet in a more efficient way while also stretching me as a writer. Plus, I get to benefit from the credit and also as the publisher of this work. It is a way to build up my reputation.

That is a key point to this blog post. For me it is a question of whether writing books for hire is the next step on my career path or whether it is a short-term break from the regular run of work I've been doing. Frankly, I want to take that step. I'm interested in helping other people write their books. I will be looking into this more and broadcasting it for anyone to hear. I'm still thinking about this move.