Many say that it is tough making a decent living as a full-time freelance writer, but Yu-Mei Balasingamchow proves it can be done and done brilliantly.

By: Melanie Lee

Former educator Yu-Mei Balasingamchow, 34, has managed to defy the odds despite switching to freelance-writing only a few years ago. She has carved out a successful second career which has include travel writing assignments for The Lonely Planet and the co-writing of a historical book entitled Singapore: A Biography.

Why did you decide to make a career switch?
I had been in the education industry for about eight years – both teaching and doing corporate communications at the Ministry of Education. I quit in 2006 without any job simply because I wanted to try something different. In a way, I’d stumbled into writing: one of my early jobs was being a freelance writer/editor/researcher for the National Museum of Singapore for nine months and this created momentum for me as a writer.

Lots of people say that it’s impossible to survive solely on freelance writing – how do you do it?
When I started, I took on many types of writing jobs and this allowed me to build up a wide business network. Even though these days, I specialize more in writing about food, travel, history and culture in Asia, I have a good base of potential clients and repeat clients from these early jobs.

Also, I tried to get a mixture of short-term and long-term writing jobs for a steady flow of income. The short-term ones meant there was a fast turnaround time, while the long-term ones would be paying me via installments.

It’s also important to know what the market rates are and if the payment is too low, you can always decline the job. Don’t rely on one client or a particular type of industry for all your work.

How did you get such a cool gig: writing for The Lonely Planet?
The Lonely Planet website was advertising for a Singapore-based writer and I submitted an application which included submitting writing samples as well as producing an “audition piece”. Travel writing is really fun and interesting. I’ve always felt that it’s a lot more meaningful figuring things out while I travel, so contributing to the latest editions of the Vietnam and Korea Lonely Planet guidebooks was right up my alley.

What made you decide to co-author the history book Singapore: A Biography?
This book stemmed from my work at the National Museum. There was still so much interesting historical information that wasn’t included at the museum due to physical constraints, so my colleague then, Mark Frost and I proposed to the museum to use this information for a book. People think Singapore has no history and is such a boring place. Singapore: A Biography is about making these stories from the past personal and accessible.

What are some pointers you can give to people who are hoping to switch to freelance writing as a full-time career?
Besides having a good network of clients, it’s important to be in touch with fellow writers, other types of freelancers and publishers. The work of a freelance writer can be very solo, so it’s good to interact in these communities to keep in touch with how the industry is doing. You also just might be able to mutually help each other or collaborate with each other on some new work.

Don’t keep doing jobs just for the paychecks. While it’s important to foot the bills, you also have to set aside time for your long-term writing goals, such as writing a novel or a screenplay. You have to come up with your own career path and remind yourself of what you enjoy so much about writing.