Many freelance writers make one fatal mistake in their business. They wait until they run dry before they plan their future freelance writing gigs. Big mistake! If you do this, you will only hurt yourself in the end, since you are the person suffering most when no money comes through.

You don’t really drive a car until your fuel runs out do you

Unless of course you run out of money to fuel up beforehand. Running out of work as a freelance writer is inevitable at times. Sometimes you can plan all you want, only to find that your new client pulls back at the last minute.

This alone is enough to throw the towel for some. Especially since they need to keep paying the bills and often the only way out of this dry spell is to go back to the dregs of normal employment.

The real danger in this lies in the comfortable feeling one acquires rather fast when all of a sudden money starts flowing in (even though the job doesn’t require any creativity whatsoever). Suddenly the freelancer has morphed back into his/her old life and before he knows it he is so settled in the old rut that going back to his own business (with considerable effort) is more than he can handle.

Another one bites the dust

The art of refueling before the tank is dry

So what do I do to keep me from going back to the galley as a slave that I was for 22 years? I plan ahead. Even when business is strong I always source the Internet for better paying jobs and send out applications quite frequently. Not only does this allow me to grow my application skills, but I can also build valuable contacts for the future as often editors will get back to me stating that there isn’t an opening right now.

Right now doesn’t mean forever!

I always carry spare fuel

I don’t know about you, but when I’m driving the thought of getting stranded under the scorching Australian sun in the middle of summer is enough to send me into spastic heart palpitations. I’d panic if I was to get stranded, especially outback. Therefore carrying spare fuel is an essential for me at all times.

I have this knack for carrying spares actually (including around my middle). You’ll never see me without any cash in my pockets and neither will I ever want to run out of freelance work ever!

Planning future gigs can save you headaches later

By planning early for what’s around the corner you will avoid sitting in front of your computer with nothing but your screen to stare at. I always over apply which means if every single job I was applying for would come through I’d have to work around the clock.

But wait, I have a better solution for that: it’s called outsourcing

If the need would ever arise to do just that, I have enough industry contacts now to outsource work in hours. For now it is a backup plan.

I just want you to understand that you should never be afraid of applying for too many jobs as life always works out - including the numbered kind.

Do you wait until your fuel has run out, or do you plan ahead as well?

Monika

Freelance Writing

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