How Difficult Can Freelance Writing with a Disability Really Be?
Freelance writing can be hard on a non-disabled person, let alone freelance writing with a disability. Some disabled people who freelance may view it as the only way to have a real career due to their inability to drive, I am one of those people. I have Cerebral Palsy, and I get around using a wheelchair.
My name is Miranda, and I have been freelance writing since 2012. It started as a way to earn some “street cred” in the field while still earning my Bachelor’s degree in Literature and Language. I slowed down in 2013 after starting my Master’s in Professional Writing. Once that journey ended in 2015, I started looking for full-time remote writing work.
They don’t tell writers about trying to get a traditional full-time job with a company, only remote, that the rates are pretty laughable to survive on. At least, this was my experience. After years of rejections, acceptances, and ultimately, not making enough to live off of with the number of hours I was putting in, in 2018, I went my own way. I haven’t looked back since.
Honestly, I was never really keen on being my own boss. The idea made me nervous. My grandmother, the biggest cheerleader in my pursuit of the written word, always suggested it. Running my own business just looked too stressful, and I am a total worrywart. My opinion would change after helping a friend with her resume.
She was my best friend since Pre-Kindergarten, so, naturally, I was going to help. She grew up with me and knew me as the nerdy writer, so it didn’t surprise me when she asked. What surprised me was when she asked me to do her husband’s resume, and they both wanted to pay me. I denied it at first. The couple knew I didn’t have any work coming in and insisted. After completing their documents, I asked her, “Do you think I should try doing this full-time?’ Her response? “Absolutely.” Miranda the Freelancer was born.

© Pixabay
The Struggles
For the longest time, my bread and butter were resumes. I also offered other writing services, but everyone knew me for my resumes. It wasn’t until recently that I started turning the focus away from resumes.
The thing about resumes is everyone should have one, but not everyone needs someone to write them a resume. The resume business is a hot and cold one. Besides, one tends to get bored with writing resumes and cover letters constantly. I started searching for regular clients who could use me for my content writing abilities. Regular clients would also land me frequent work, which meant no living from resume to resume. It seemed like a win-win.
However, it’s not an easy task to find regular clients. I recommend that freelance writers look for leads every day. Some may turn into regular clients, but some may only be one-off projects. You can keep those clients on your clientele list; they may ask you for other services later. Once that project is completed, you will always need something to fill that gap. The downside is that daily lead searches can be pretty tiring, especially for those that have disabilities and may live with chronic pain.
I still have my first regular client to this day, but I have a reoccurring problem with them; communication. They still don’t respond to emails promptly, and payment schedules are very fuzzy. Communication is critical on both sides of the coin. Unfortunately, it is prevalent for freelance writers to have to chase payments.
My regular clientele list has been growing since I started lead searching daily. Even with the problems of receiving payments on time and lacklustre communication, I can earn multiple fees weekly, which has helped me tremendously. Working through exhaustion is something I have learned to live with, and breaks in between tasks can help remedy the situation.

© Pixabay
The Triumphs
A few weeks ago, I received an email from a small power washing company in New Jersey. They had been referred to me by someone who works with my website’s hosting domain. Referrals are a freelance writer’s best friend, and they got me my biggest project and payout to date. I did 15 landing pages for the company’s website and earned over $500.
The project and payout are still small potatoes compared to some of my peers, but in the words of my wise grandmother, “You’re doing so much better than when you first started!” I’m evolving at a good pace. I believe that if I can keep this up, I can build my business to be something special. I am incredibly thankful to that company for giving me the opportunity, and I would write for them again in the future.
Due to my partner working full-time and studying to be an electrician, I will never be able to get to a traditional job. I’ve made my peace with that and I’ve accomplished more than I ever thought possible since I started Miranda the Freelancer in 2018. I’m confident in my abilities to keep it growing, and my disability can never stop me. That’s something to be proud of.