Freelance Writing in Recession

Freelance Writing in Recession: Part I, A Quick Note

One truth good freelance writers know: recessions are often a boon for independent contractors like freelance writers. This economy is so bad, however, that at times even that work is becoming hard to find. That being said, it is still the best way I know of to make money during a recession. Good writers are always going to be in demand. Okay writers great at marketing will always be in demand, as well. While times might even be thin for freelance writers, that still makes this market for writers better than most others.

This Thanksgiving post is going to be very quick, as it is the holidays and I'm doing a lot of to and fro traveling, not to mention a lot of freelance work and probably a little bit too much beer and wine :)

Basically, I received an e-mail from someone who stumbled onto this blog from finding it via a long tail keyword, and while I can't share the full text yet (I want the person's permission to print it, sans the name), the gist of it is something I'm sure a lot of people are going through. In very brief summary: Hello, I know this might sound weird, but I want to know if you can please help! I was laid off and there are no jobs anywhere. I have only a few months of unemployment, and I'm desperate. If you were in my position, what would you do to start from nothing and get making money writing to make your bills?

This is something I'm sure a lot of people are asking right now, and it's heart breaking. I've been a full time freelance writer, and I was actually working an exceptional full time writing job and freelancing on the side the past 15 months when I was just let go in November, as well. First thing I did was cancel my lease and turn back to the Midwest - the cheapest place I have to live, and now it's time to get the freelancing income back to full force.

I am lucky - I have a good reputation established, I've been writing for years so I know how the markets work, and I have 6-7 months of time with frugal living to get back to being fully self sufficient as a freelancer again. A lot of people only have 3-4 months. So my strategy will be different now than someone starting from nothing.

So my next post, which will be up sometime mid to late next week, will be something I was planning to save for an e-book, but hey, here's my chance to help out and I'm not going to miss it. My next post will be a step by step guide of how I would start from nothing to making a solid to full time living as a freelance writer. This is based on my knowledge, my experience, my successes, and most importantly, my mistakes and failures.

If you are a good writer and have four to six months, we can get you up to a stable (although maybe low middle class area depending on where you live) income and set the foundation for a lucrative freelance writing career.

That post comes next week, and until then, here's some reading I highly reccomend not only for the here and now, but information you need for the future to go from getting by to lucrative. I'm also including some links of places where you can get started, but check in next week for a very long post that will walk the beginner through how to get started.

And all you beginning freelance writers, or everybody struggling out there, hang in there, and try to enjoy the holidays. Times will get better.

For further reading:

My Constant Content Review

My Other Constant Content Review

10 Places to Sell Your Freelance Writing

*There will be more links coming over the holiday weekend.