Pros and Cons of Freelancing for Agencies

Freelance writing isn't easy. It involves a lot more than just writing. You have to edit your work, communicate with clients, and pitch yourself.

But wait, is there a way to get around the whole pitching thing?

I know that I hate pitching, and I'm not that good at it. Fortunately, there's a solution to that: agencies.

If you can get a freelance writing position with an agency, you can get consistent work without having to pitch yourself. That way, you can spend more time writing and have more control over your income.

Before you discount all agencies as just content mills, consider the following pros and cons.

Consistent Work

In the world of freelancing, consistent work isn't always common or easy to get. But when you freelance with an agency, the work can be that way. The agency is in charge of getting and maintaining clients.

All you have to do is log into the agency's project management tool or portal. Then, you can focus on what you do best: writing.

Now, agencies aren't immune from work drying up. There will be times when a company won't have as many projects for you. But if you work for a few agencies, the others will be able to keep you afloat when one can't.

No Chasing Payments

Most agencies that I've worked with are pretty good about paying consistently and on time. I don't have to worry about a client ghosting me after I complete the work for them.

The agencies I work for all pay on regular schedules, even though those schedules differ. It's nice to know that I can expect some money to hit my account at the same time each week or month.

When you freelance directly with clients, you have to trust that they'll pay you. Of course, the best clients will always pay on time. But some clients will try to avoid it as long as possible.

A Supportive Team

When you freelance with an agency, you have access to support you wouldn't get elsewhere. If a client is being problematic, someone from the in-house team can contact them.

I don't have to worry about dealing with rude clients on my own. And most good agencies will support their writers, provided the writers do quality work.

You also get to work with other writers, and you can bounce ideas off of each other. Freelance writing can be a very solitary career, so it's nice to have people to talk to, even if it's only through Slack.

The Agency Keeps Working

If you ever need to take a day or more off, you can do that. However, when you freelance directly with clients, you may have to alert them of your absence.

When you freelance with an agency, they'll have other writers who can pick up the slack. That way, you don't have to feel as guilty about taking a day off when you get sick or just need to relax.

Of course, you may need to contact the agency about your day off. But you don't have to worry about a client getting mad at you for not working an entire week.

Lower Pay

One of the cons to working with agencies is that they typically don't pay as much as individual clients. After all, the client's fee has to cover your writing as well as salaries for the in-house team.

You won't earn as much per article as you would if you got an assignment directly from a client. That can be hard to deal with, especially if you're used to higher-paying projects.

However, you don't have to do as much work outside of writing. So if you can work your way up to writing more in a day, you may be able to make just as much as you could elsewhere.

Boring Projects

Another thing to consider when freelancing for an agency is that you have to work on projects that may not interest you. Unless you happen to work for an agency with a niche similar to your interests, that is.

You may need to write about a variety of topics, from finance to plumbing. Now, that can be a good thing if you like learning about random stuff. But it can also be hard if you need to write about a topic you've never written about before.

When that happens, you may need to spend more time to make the same amount of money. However, over time, you can get experience with different topics, so you can cut down on the research time.

Less Control

Of course, you also give up control when you freelance with an agency. It's almost like you're an employee with a bit more freedom. You may need to follow a special style guide for all of your assignments.

And the agency will probably have a preferred payment method. So if you don't like taking PayPal, you may need to for those clients. Depending on how much control you want, working with an agency might not be for you.

If you can deal with a bit less control, though, an agency can be a great client to have. It's a nice mix of employment and freelancing.

Is Agency Work Right for You?

Freelancing for an agency can be a great option for new and experienced freelancers. You don't have to find clients yourself, so you can spend more time writing.

But you do give up some control, and you may not like every project you have to complete. Still, don't write it off until you give freelancing for an agency a try yourself.