However much you enjoy what you are doing, whether it is freelance writing and research or something else there are always times when you fall victim to something. I had 3 writing clients for example and all seemed to be going well, I got the work done satisfactorily and on time and they paid me. However, all three of them, at different points, did not pay me for one of the jobs I did. Two disappeared completely off the radar and the third had the cheek to get in touch with me six weeks later and ask if I would undertake another project. As he had conveniently ‘forgotten’ about the last job, I decided that I wouldn’t work with him again.
None of the jobs that went unpaid were worth much money, but that was not the point, I had done the work in the same way as before only this time I did not get paid. Non-payment is one of the occasional pitfalls of freelance writing but rarely in research, however research has its own pitfalls.
Research- the Downside
I have always been paid for the research that I have done but sometimes a project is difficult and when you take account of all the work you have done, you’ve not made very much money. I am just coming to the end of an evaluation project that involved both qualitative data and statistical data. The university got an admin person to enter the statistical data and I was to do the analysis - the problem was that the data was not all entered correctly and I spent several wasted houts trying to sort it out. I got it done but it meant working til 4.30 in the morning - result a lot of hours for no extra money. Be prepared, if you do bid on a research project then try to take every eventuality into account before submitting your bid - that way you should make money with research.
