W like to think that America was built on the backs of freelancers, people who were willing to take a chance on self-employment and work hard to succeed at whatever their venture might be. For some, it's opening an auto-body shop; for others, it's designing and making jewelry or fiber arts. For us, it is proofreading and copy editing.
Some might say that doing auto-body is not freelancing; we say it is. When you're not dependent on an employer for a sure living wage, fortnightly or monthly, and all the risks and rewards of the business are yours, you're not only self-employed, you're also freelancing. Maybe the job can be done in one place or wherever you happen to be. Wherever it's done, the stress and pleasure of being your own boss is yours to savor.
Sometimes, business is excruciatingly slow; then, you get out there and hustle new clients who are in need of a wordsmith. When business is booming, you rejoice because every word on every page that you read means that you are earning; you're holding your own. That's the world of the freelancer. That's what it took to build this country: people who took a chance and made it.
