Ever wonder why you did it? Or want to do it fulltime? There are plenty of reasons people cite, including the desire to have more control over life in general or the need to start a new career and a new life.

But the freelance lifestyle has its own set of pitfalls that most writing sites don’t mention. Are you ready for these?

–Your boss will still be a jerk. Except now, the boss is YOU.

–You’ll work more hours for yourself than you did for the old boss.

–The money will come in late. A LOT.

–You can make horrid, costly mistakes that will force you to pay the IRS more than you did in your old career.

–There is too much NOTE TAKING in freelancing. You have to record your mileage, your expenses, every time you stub your toe, and calculate your quarterly taxes. I’m only kidding about one of these. That’s right, you don’t have to pay your taxes quarterly if you don’t mind forking over a penalty.

–You get know-it-all editor/writers like me telling you a bunch of crap about the downside of freelancing in the vain hopes that you’ll plan your career moves carefully.

But if you read all this and still believe strongly that the leap is your best option, you’ll be taking that leap for sure. Just remember to sock some operating capital away, & treat your writing like a business. And don’t forget, folks, that under the law, employers are required to give their workers regular breaks and time off. Those laws may not technically apply to you in your shiny new freelance career, but if you fail to do for yourself what even the stingiest McDonald’s manager is FORCED to do by law, how good could your new freelance life possibly be?

–Joe Wallace