Floorboard commuter

Mark Martin is a British freelance copy-editor and journalist based in New York

What dark forces drove you to the home-working lifestyle?

I withdrew from my doctoral studies at Oxford when I developed a bowel disease and was for several unpleasant months confined to my home.

How long have you been based there and how long do you plan to stay working from home?

I’ve been freelance for six years, give or take a few months. I plan to continue until I’m offered TS Eliot’s old job at Faber & Faber.

Have you modified your home for your work or is your working area just a spare room/attic/shed moonlighting as an office/studio?

The latter.

Does your work eat into your leisure time or do you have a secret formula that protects your personal time?

I’m fairly disciplined. The trick is to get half a day’s work done before lunch. If I don’t meet that goal, then yes, my personal time starts to diminish.

Do partners/children/friends/pets respect your working boundaries? How do you make sure they don’t interrupt your working day?

The dog is very respectful and has learned to adjust his schedule to mine. My wife, on the other hand, requires constant petting when home.

How long does it take you to reach your office in the morning and what mode of transport do you use?

It takes 30 seconds from any room in the house. I like to slide along the wooden floor in my socks.

What motivates you to start and stay working each day (or night)?

I want to get to the point where I can pick which jobs to accept and focus on copy-editing interesting titles and journalism. But, to be honest, the insecurity of the freelance life is still the strongest motivation to get down to work.

Do you ever find work takes a back seat to valuable conflicting interests like going back to bed, watering the plants or staring out the window? How long did you spend cleaning the kitchen this morning?

Thankfully, I hate domestic chores and would rather work.

Do you ever feel slightly cut off from the rest of the world or is that an advantage in your line of work?

The social aspect of office life is something I miss at times, but there are consolations. I can manage my time as I please, which makes me more productive both in terms of work and my own pastimes. I rarely catch a cold. Plus, I enjoy people’s company more because of all the time I spend alone. All my interaction is social - none of it is forced.

What do you miss about the more conventional home/work divide?

I miss being able to leave work at the office. But most of all I enjoy the luxury of spending all of every day with my dog.