Kate Barrington on 15 Years as a Full-Time Freelancer
"It’s been a wild ride with lots of ups and downs, but I can’t see myself doing anything else."
Kate Barrington is a Pittsburgh-based writer with fifteen years of experience as a full-time freelancer. She specializes in the pet space, bringing her passion for cats, dogs, and even aquarium fish to life writing for leading outlets like Chewy, Rover.com, and Tropical Fish Hobbyist Magazine. Kate graduated from Marietta College in 2009 with a Bachelor of Arts in English and has since obtained numerous certifications in pet nutrition. 🌼
When did you start freelancing, and what led you down the freelance path vs. full-time employment?
I always knew I wanted to be a writer and had dreams of being a fiction author throughout middle and high school. In college, however, my English program had more of a literature slant to it, so I didn’t get to develop my skills as much as I’d hoped. And then I took a brief detour with a short-lived marriage which is when I fell into freelancing.
It started when my then-husband found a writing job on Craigslist. I don’t remember what it was, but we split the tasks at first until I eventually ended up doing most of them (as became a theme in our marriage, hence it being short-lived :P). While working multiple jobs to support us, I one day got curious about this writing gig… could it be a real job? So I googled it and came across a few content mills and freelancing platforms.
From there, I built up a steady stream of work with plenty of samples. When I got divorced and moved back home, I tried to find a “real job” I could stand for more than a few months, all while continuing to write. Eventually, I was doing well enough with writing that I decided to focus on it completely. When I committed to writing full time, I soon became one of the most successful freelance writers on Elance (now Upwork) and landed a few gigs with publishing companies and people who were building and selling affiliate marketing sites.
It’s been a wild ride with lots of ups and downs, but I can’t see myself doing anything else. I love the freedom of it and I’ve been successful enough at it that new clients often seek me out… I don’t spend a lot of time marketing myself or sending pitches (though I probably should).
What does a work day in your life look like? What do you do around work to stay balanced?
Balance is tricky! And definitely a skill I had to develop. When I first started to focus on writing, I took every job I could get and worked nonstop. I would take a day off every couple of weeks, maybe, and worked most evenings and every weekend. At some point, it became unsustainable and I realized I could make some changes to make the job fit my life, instead of just fitting my life around the job.
I don’t think I raised my rates at all for the first 5 years I was freelancing. Once I did, I was able to achieve a degree of balance because I could work more reasonable hours and bring the same amount of income (or more). It’s still a struggle for me to tamp down the impulse to work as much as I can, just because I can, but I’ve seen the benefit of having time off.
I am in no way a morning person, so my days look pretty strange to the average person. I usually stay up late reading and get up at whatever time gets me my 8-9 hours of sleep. I spend the morning taking care of my pets (cats, dog, and aquarium fish) and maybe do some chores if I’m not quite ready to settle in. I’m usually sitting down at the computer around noon and alternate between procrastination and actual work until 6 or 7 (sometimes later if there’s a deadline).
The biggest change I made to establish balance in my work/life was setting up a home office. I always had spare rooms available, I just preferred to work on my laptop from bed or on the couch for a long time. Now, having an office is incredibly important for me to be able to mentally separate from work. I turn off the computer when I’m done with work on Friday and don’t touch it again until Monday.
I’m definitely a homebody, so I don’t need a lot of social interaction to be fulfilled. I go to karaoke at a local bar every Thursday, though, and have a few friends I keep in touch with. Other than that, I do a lot of DIY projects, home renovation and landscaping-type stuff.
Does your work bring you creative fulfillment, or do you fill that well elsewhere?
I do get some creative fulfillment from work, depending on the topic. I absolutely love to learn, so it excites me when I get to research a new topic and just really dive into it. I like having a mix of projects like that and ones that are more comfortable and familiar.
Outside of work, I try to find outlets for my creativity that don’t feel like work. I want to get back into creative writing, but some part of my brain is resistant to it because it would involve more time on the computer. I still love to read, though, so I go through a couple books a month. I also love movies (I’m really getting into horror!) and have some favorite TV shows I rewatch a lot.
Probably the most unusual way I express my creativity is with my fish tanks. I have several (the number is constantly changing, depending on which ones I have running and which ones are in transition) and look at each setup as an opportunity to experiment with something new. In one tank I have a ton of live plants, in another I built a custom 3D background using foam and hydraulic cement. I think it’s just being surrounded by life that brings me fulfillment, so I’m very attached to my pets.
In your personal experience, what are the biggest pros and cons of a career where you are not employed by a company?
The biggest con is definitely the uncertainty. Not only could I end up unemployed at any moment, but my income changes from month to month depending on how much work my clients send me. I’ve figured out how to achieve some degree of consistency, but there’s so much that’s out of my control. I also sometimes think it would be nice to have a job where I could go to work and just clock out at the end of the day… it requires active effort for me to NOT think about work when I’m taking time off.
The best part, of course, is that I am able to control some of the things that were always a challenge for me in traditional jobs. I used to feel guilty about struggling to get up at a “reasonable” hour and stick to the typical 9-5, but now I give myself permission to do what works for me. Sometimes that means I don’t even get to the computer until 1 or 2 pm, and maybe I’m still working at 9 or 10. But it also means that if I finish the work I set for myself in just a few hours, I don’t have to waste time sitting at the computer… I can go do something else.
It’s also nice to feel like I have some control over my income as well. If I want to make more, I can put time and effort into looking for new clients. And if I want to take time off, I can simply tell my clients I won’t be available or make arrangements to get some work done ahead of time.
What advice can you give readers on their own freelance journey?
Freelancing is a tough gig, and only getting tougher, I fear. The biggest challenge for me as a new freelancer was dealing with all the unknowables. I didn’t know how much other freelancers were charging, or how much clients were willing to pay. There are more resources out there now, but there’s no industry-wide standard.
The lesson I learned that made the biggest difference in my career (and what I recommend for other freelancers) is to be an advocate for myself. It took time for me to learn how to make a freelancing career work for me and to decide exactly what I wanted to get out of it. I had to learn to ask for what I wanted (and what I deserved) and to be strong enough to walk away if the situation wasn’t a fit. It’s hard to be the one making the ask… sending out a rate sheet when you don’t know what’s possible with any individual client… but you’ll gain experience and a sense of the industry as you go.
And take advantage of freelancer communities! I’m not big into these myself, but I often look to forums and communities like Reddit when I’m struggling to determine rates, or navigate a tricky client relationship.
Where can readers connect with you? Is there anything you’d like to promote here? Plug away!
My business website is www.katebarrington.com. It’s pretty basic but it’s got some of my samples and testimonials on it. I may start offering original content there in the future, but not currently making much progress in that area.
I’m toying with the idea of starting a pet nutrition consulting business, something geared toward teaching pet parents how to make healthier decisions for their pets. I like the idea of sharing the knowledge I’ve gained over the past decade but am still trying to figure out how to “stay in my lane” with it. I’ve taken nutrition courses, but I’m not a veterinary professional and this is a niche where the lines can get a little blurry. 🌼
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