Awhile back, I made it through to my favorite radio station’s morning contest. It’s called “Win Dave’s Money,” and it works in much the same way that “Win Ben Stein’s Money” does, except it’s on the radio and lasts thirty seconds.

Anyway, I was ecstatic to get through, and, of course, sounded like a complete idiot the whole time. When they asked me what I did for a living, I was incredibly proud to chime in that I was a freelance writer. (I don’t care how long I do this, I think saying that will always be fun.) The guys on the radio replied, “Oh no! Freelancers are smart.”

Long story short, I didn’t win (I lost on a question about Canadian geography, much to my everlasting shame). But the remark made by the radio DJs has stuck with me.

Freelancers are smart.

The fact that I am a freelance writer probably makes me somewhat biased in the following study, but I really truly and feel that my mind is engaged more in this job than in all the jobs I have ever had before, combined.

1. Freelancer writers have to know everything.

I don’t care if you specialize in writing SEO articles for small businesses based out of Kentucky or if your niche is critiquing artistic expressions demonstrated in soft French cheeses, your knowledge base is enormous. From one day to the next, clients make requests that vary from mundane to outrageous, and we, the money-loving word whores that we are, grab at any bit that seems reasonable. We have to sell ourselves to our clients as competent writers as well as competent human beings—they want to know that we know what we’re talking about. If that means conversing freely in le fromage, then that’s what I’ll do. Pass me the wine.

2. What freelance writers don’t know, they learn.

I challenge all writers out there to compile a list of the topics that they knew virtually nothing about, but were hired to write about anyway. Here’s a brief glimpse at mine: Russian cinema, the Christian Apocalypse, online sports betting venues, the history of the wet t-shirt contest, Canadian ski resorts, Internet activism, and travel insurance. And that’s just a few of them. What writers don’t know, they research, research, research. That means constantly reading and searching for answers.

I love to throw the little tidbits I’ve learned into casual conversation—people are continually amazed at all the useless knowledge in my head. And this list is only going to grow; there are few topics I won’t handle if the pay is good and the timing is right.

3. Freelancers do more than just write.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: running a freelance writing business means being a business owner as well as a writer. In the past, I’ve been hired to do a job where I willingly grabbed a paycheck every two weeks, completely ignorant of the process going into it. Now I know about business licenses, taxes, organizational management, running a small business, networking…the list goes on and on. Each time our business grows or hits a stopping block, a lesson is learned.

4. Freelancers keep abreast of the latest technology.

Before becoming a writer, I thought blogs were for computer hacker-y types and people with some vengeful ranting to do. Now they make up a good portion of my day. I know how to maneuver Word Press, I can design a [very] basic website, I know how and why SEO is my friend, and I can call tech support without feeling like a complete idiot. I may not be the most technologically advanced person in the world, but since 95 percent of my business comes from online, I have to focus on being able to navigate my way around it.

5. Freelance writers are still writers.

No matter what you’re focuing on, writing well is hard work. Fiction, non-fiction, how-tos, keyword rich articles, self-help—they all require basic grammatical and syntactical skills. Anyone who reads the crap that comes out of most people’s pencils knows that there is much more to writing than simply putting words down on paper. To write and write well requires education, practice, and skill. Obviously there’s a little intelligence attached to that.

6. Freelance writers juggle way more than the average person.

Freelancers who work from home are masters of management. Interviews are conducted in the car while dropping the kids off at school. Writing is done in a few minutes snatched at the computer while baby watches a mind-sucking television show. Conference calls are made with water running in the background as you discreetly do the dishes. Emails are answered in the brief second while the kids brush their teeth. Fitting everything on a to-do list into one day takes incredible talent, skill, and perseverance.

7. Writers keep good company.

Read any of the blogs in this community and you’ll see what I mean. We’re surrounded by an incredibly intelligent and talented group of people. Writers glibly insert references to pop culture, political situations, and psychological theory without even clicking their ballpoint pens. We toss around thousand-dollar words and esoteric allusions that are instantly read and appreciated by others. Successful freelancers are incredibly savvy businesspeople with an eye always kept on the next big venture. You can’t help but admire and step your own game up a notch when you see what others can and do produce on a regular basis.

Of course, other freelancers are smart, too. I don’t mean to exclude you designers and marketing gurus. However, I will still maintain that the powerful combination of “freelance” and “writer” is what strikes fear into the hearts of trivia buffs on the radio and in the public as a whole.

It takes a little something special upstairs to do what we do.

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