There are plentiful, varied, and interesting opportunities to be seized within the world of freelance content creation, which is part of what makes the transition from desk job from indie writer so attractive. However, moving from the security of a staff writer position--or even a larger jump from a salaried position in another line of work altogether--to the rough world of freelance writing can be a bit of a rude awakening. Here are a few of the common shocks to the system a new (and sometimes seasoned) freelancer experiences:

1. FOMO: Fear of Missing Out:

Oddly enough, you find yourself actually missing the office: the horrible buzzing of the alarm clock, the frantic morning schedule, your desk, your routine, your people. It could be the lack of face to face socialization, but you really start to have a yen for a slice of the ubiquitous office birthday cake and a chat with the gossipiest staffer in the company. You want to know what's going on. You don't want to be left out and, while furiously typing out articles in yoga pants is a dream come true, you can't help but feel a touch disconnected. A great way to get ideas flowing is through creative discourse with your colleagues. It's much tougher creating content in a void, and connecting via social media only goes so far.

2. You’re Your Own Brand, Business, and Bureaucracy:

It's sort of abstract to consider, but you've essentially become a brand to represent your own work. You're the face of your own company, so to speak. It's not just the transition from a steady paycheck to the constant scramble for money, there's all the other red tape that goes along with working for yourself. Medical insurance, retirement plans, and quarterly taxes, once handled deftly by Human Resources, are now your responsibility to sort out. Gahhh.

3. You Lose Access To The Inside Scoop

Being a staff member of a publication can have its advantages. You're familiar with what's considered appropriate, how a place functions, where the line is drawn at bawdy humor or political debate--all those things are important in order to fully grasp the office culture. The culture is indicative �of who the readership is, what kind of content they’re looking for, what's up with their editorial calendar.

4. Your Schedule Requires Clearly Defined Boundaries

Time is of the essence. It has value. That is, the time you spend researching, completing administrative tasks, and writing all has cash-money value. If you’re on staff, you have the luxury of working on a story and knowing you're getting paid regardless. As a freelancer, it's a calculated risk to sink a certain amount of time into a pitch. You're working on speculation, and may or may not get compensated for your time. Moreover, you go through this with every new publication you work with, so there’s the need to use your intuition until you become familiar with the publication, and that typically happens after you’ve scored a few jobs with them, not prior to.

5. Work & Life Merge As One Murky Unit

Separating worklife and homelife isn’t easy. When you’re freelancing at home, you don’t have the same structure as a typical nine to five gig. You lose track of what is work and what is just, well, life. Distinguishing between work and home is much clearer when you can leave your workplace, drive away, and go home. But when work and home are one and the same, it's difficult not to keep returning to the computer or office to check up on something throughout the evening once you are "off the clock".

So why the heck should you go for the freelancing life?

Freedom.

Freedom of choice. Pick the articles you want to write.

Freedom of schedule. Set your own hours.

Freedom of wardrobe. If you like, write in your pajamas.

Freedom to specialize. Find your niche.

Freedom to follow your passion.