Freelance Writing -- Is this a real job?

I've been earning a VERY healthy income from freelance writig for the past 6 years. I usually write for magazines and more recently have been doing a lot of copywriting as well as article writing for online clients. It is true that most people don't understand the work involved and I'm often told to stop "playing on the internet and get a real job" - even though I earn more than most people I know!

I've been a freelance writer for ten years and have found that there is a lot of stigma from those who don't understand the work that's involved. For example, I'm STILL surrounded by people in my real life who believe that I just sit around all day playing on the computer . . . despite the fact that I'm pulling in a better income than they are. It's frustrating. The bulk of my income come from writing articles, however I do write blog posts several times per week for two major companies (one is a greeting card company, and one is a home improvement company). It is possible to find blogging jobs that *are* freelance jobs that pay VERY well, but it's hard to land them unless you have a solid portfolio. I find the majority of these leads on http://www.problogger.com and http://www.freelancewritinggigs.com.

Yes, freelance writing is a real job. However, I do not consider mylotting, blogging and other short-writing pieces done in this way as traditional freelance writing. Freelance writing is more used for magazine articles, newspaper articles, journalism, short stories, poetry, and that kind of thing. Writing a novel or non-fiction book. Those are freelance writing jobs. So are the jobs of people who write the verse on greeting cards. You are not going to make a real living doing mylot type of writing. It just doesn't pay enough. Your time is more valuable than that. You spend hours on here and get paid pennies. Minimum wage is a lot more than just pennies. If you really are interested in freelance writing, check out www.writersdigest.com for more information on what is really involved in freelancing.