I've been a freelance writer for 10 years (mostly full-time, but with periods of part-time employment and grad school attendance mixed in here and there), and I've picked up what I think are a few guiding principles for people who want to make a living freelancing. They're in no particular order of importance, but I hope they're helpful, for what they're worth:
Never Stop Marketing
I made the mistake of resting on my laurels (which is a nice way of saying sitting on my fat ass) when I had a steady, moderately well-paying client. One day, the client said, "Guess what? We love you, but our management has decided to reassign your work to a staff writer. Give us a shout if you ever want to pitch a story idea." The steady income from the steady gig dried up and I'm not terribly good at pitching ideas (I'd much rather work on assignment). So it was a real jolt to my world. To cushion myself from such future jolts, I'm always marketing now. Even when I'm so busy, I can't see straight. Always look for work. You never know when a steady client will become a former client.
Tomorrow's tip: Be brave, be strong.
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