Pros
Easily the best thing about comma is that you’re able to freelance without having to market yourself, find new clients, and all that jazz. If you’re a writer, there is also a layer of separation from the client, so you don’t have to deal with customers directly if you don’t want to. I have also liked most of the many people I’ve worked with over almost six years with Comma. In general, people are very nice and easy to work with. They have good processes set up and are good about making sure you have enough time to work and aren’t being pushed for unreasonable deadlines.
Cons
The rates are lower than what you would get if you were freelancing on your own, and I think they have gotten a little lower over the past few years. Still decent though, especially for people who like not having to do all the work of being a solo freelancer. I think this is probably normal for a company that is growing and changing this much right now, but it is something I considered when I decided to leave. We were told last year that the company would start prioritizing contractors who want to make their work for Comma a full-time effort, and I felt that a lot. Even after asking for new clients over a period of six months or so, the couple of accounts I was added to stalled out for one reason or another and eventually I was back down to one client. So if you’re like me and just hoping to do a little extra work on the side, know you might not get as many opportunities to write for new clients.