Freelance whether I like it or not

I do not consider myself a freelancer. I do not want to be a freelancer. Freelancing is hard and I admire and respect people who make their entire livings doing freelance. I do not have the will power or desire to "pound the pavement" half of my day trying to find freelance work. I despise writing query letters. I do not want to give up free time and work on the weekends (that does not include my novel writing, which is for me and not somebody else!).

And yet I find myself in circumstances where for many reasons I need to be doing some freelance work. I suppose first and foremost it's to supplement the meager unemployment that New York State pays, but just as important, to me at least, is the desire to keep my foot in the industry I've chosen as mine. With nearly two years in the travel industry, I was just beginning to make a name for myself, just beginning to get to know people. I need my name to stay out there if I have any hope of getting a job inside the industry once the economy turns around.

So I need to freelance to make sure I'm still talking to some of the same people and ensure that my name is still visible and known.

I've been lucky enough that the editor-in-chief at what was a competitor publication values my experience and talent and has offered me some freelance work. I'm currently completing a third article for her and am hoping there will be a fourth.

But I still don't think I'd ever call myself a freelancer. I'm just an out of work editor who's writing freelance articles for the time being.