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Freelancers have the autonomy and control over time and workload that their employees’ counterparts do not have. But navigating finances is a tough sport for many of them.
From getting paid seamlessly to actually getting paid what they deserve, freelancers (creative freelancers especially) have mixed stories to tell.
For this article, I spoke with five creative freelancers’ who share their money-making stories and everything about it. They operate in what is called the gig economy, and for that space, the market isn’t a stable one.
An aside: Here’s how freelancing works
For many creatives, the gig economy hangs on a chain of demand and supply —there is the client with needs but a creative deficiency, and there’s the creative looking to get paid for their creativity. Exchange happens, and usually, these transactions happen on freelance markets such as Upwork and Fiverr, with very few transactions on a personal basis. However, there is an unofficial twist to this chain that makes it a bit more complicated. While the client remains, the creative or skilled supplier in these markets becomes an entity comprising an outsourcer and the real creatives. Usually, the outsourcers get these jobs from their clients and become clients themselves, assigning these jobs to creatives who do the brain work. While outsourcers have the entrepreneurial acumen to manage these freelance profiles, grow clientele, and negotiate pay, they are mostly just that—businessmen without creative abilities.
Ironically, while the real ghost workers do the bulk of the work, they are mostly at the receiving end of the side effects of this structure —financially, as they only paid a fraction of the client pays for the job, and mentally, as they have to take on more than they can do just to earn more. This, majorly, influences why many in the writing niche may turn to AIs to complete their tasks, depleting their creativity and the quality of jobs they produce.
The unstable process of making money for Freelancers
Five creatives consisting of writers, designers, and voice artist share their financial journeys, how much they should be earning, and how well the craft pays. One thing is common to all: the instability of their earnings.
“I’m earning too little because I don’t pay close attention to it.” -Emmanuel, Designer
“It doesn’t pay much for me, but I don’t pay so much attention to it. I have a day job as a UX Designer in a startup and I get graphic design gigs on the side. If the gig is going to take so much time and energy and pay little, then I don’t take it. But I’m just holding on to the freelancing for the small money that comes from it and as a backup in case anything happens at my full-time job. This is not the case for every other person though. I think I’m still earning this little because I don’t pay so much attention to it. If you commit to it, put in your time, and work your way through, it could be your only job. Right now, I make between
“I charge between N3 to N4 per word but I can do way better.” -Ayobami, writer
“When I started around 2019, I was being paid 5K per month. This wasn’t Upwork or Fiverr or any of those platforms; I was simply part of a team of freelance writers for a blog. Later, others dropped and I remained, increasing my pay to 15k. I moved to 25k in 2020 and left the team that same year when my eyes opened. In 2022, I met an outsourcer from Fiverr who gave me gigs and paid N1 per word. I got between 15 to 30 thousand word gigs, and I could get about three of those within two months. So, that’s about 90K approximately. I thought I was balling until I heard that people earn up to N5 per word and this guy was underpaying me. I stopped working with him and didn’t get on that scene until this year again. Now, I charge between N3 to N4 per word, and I get as high as two to three gigs, between 20 and 50 thousand words each.
I can do way better than this. People freelance full-time and live very comfortable, even luxurious lives. I think a great disadvantage for me is that I work with an outsourcer from Fiverr and not directly with the owners of the gigs. Some are good and will pay well, but many will exploit you. I think anyone who wants to freelance using any of these platforms should just work on having their own accounts instead of working with outsourcers.”
“In some months, I make up to seven figures, in other months, I make almost nothing.” -Toyin, Academic writer
“I find this question very difficult to answer. Unlike fiction ghostwriters or book writers, I write CVs, Cover letters, and academic papers. A project ranges between forty to fifty thousand, and the number of projects I get is not stable. In total, a month could earn me six figures and the next five figures. Some months, I get almost nothing, but those times are not as frequent as they used to be anymore. This is what I do full-time, and it pays enough to afford me my own comfortable apartment, a Macbook, and work tools. I use Fiverr and it works well for me. You should know that getting clients would not be easy for starters. You have to work really hard and put yourself out there for the first client to take a chance on you.”
“It pays me well as a designer, but getting clients is one difficult task.” -Adenike, Brand Designer
“For logo design, I charge from 15k upwards depending on the client. For full corporate brand identity design, I charge between 150K to 300K, and for Mobile/Web User Interface design, that’s from 200k upwards. But some freelance designers charge even more than this depending on their experience. It pays as a designer, but getting clients is one herculean task that might discourage you if you don’t keep at it. It’s better to polish the skills before getting the clients though. In the end, it pays.”
“I make as low as nothing and as high as 500K.” -Uchenna, Writer & Voice-Over Artist
“The gig economy is tough, please. On some days, you are competing with Dangote, on other days, you are as broke as hell. I’m a writer and voice-over artiste, and most of my voice-over gigs come from Abroad. The writing that pays well also comes from Abroad. People here need creatives but they do not appreciate them. I started out writing assignments for students in the US and after several referrals, I do several other niches now. The lowest I can make in a month is nothing, and the highest, for now, is about 500K. Gigs have been scarce recently and I’m in my broke period, but when the jobs come, I’m fine. I don’t use freelance websites like Upwork and Fiverr (I tried for a long time but no gigs came, not one). Once you get a client to work with and they like you, you are on a good path. They just have to refer you and you can build your client base from there.”
Freelancing might be on shaky ground, but it’s a highly lucrative side hustle. In fact, for some, it’s a profitable full-time job.
You should read this:
DOINGZZZ: How Toyosi Godwin is Building a Booming Freelancing Career
