Part of a freelancer's life is dealing with dry spots, but soon there are floods. You have to be prepared for both.
I stay prepared for the floods by staying organized. I keep track of due dates, estimate how long each project will take, and break it down into manageable chunks.
I prepare for the droughts by saving up money when I can and downsizing as much as possible.
How do you handle the ebbs and flow of being a freelance writer?
I wish I could answer that question. I'm here trying to figure out how to begin my freelance career. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
ReplyDeleteThe Sound and Fury of Kristopher A. Denby
When I was new to freelance writing, I always tried to forecast the demand for the month, perhaps even quarter of the year, but if there's one thing I realized back then, it's that freelance writing is extremely unpredictable. Another mistake I did once was to put all my eggs in one or two baskets. The worst happened, I lost both writing gigs that I had planned to rely on. It took me 1 or 2 months just to get back on my feet.
ReplyDeleteAfter these 'jolts', I have stopped relying completely on freelance writing. While the good days are certainly enjoyable, the bad days can be extremely testing. What I've done instead is maintained a balance between a full-time job and freelance work that I do on the side of it to make some extra bucks. This has worked just fine for me, but of course at the cost of work freedom that I enjoyed while working as a freelance writer full time.