To make a living as a scholar, you generally need to be associated with a college or university, and earn your keep by teaching. But there are a few professional scholars who prefer to be their own bosses, and work outside the constraints of academia. “Working from home offers advantages such as the freedom from papers to grade or departmental meetings to attend. The drawbacks tend to be financial.” Indie scholars also can have a hard time getting access to libraries, and grants to pursue their research can be hard to come by as well.