This post was produced in partnership with Hustle Culture, a free Substack newsletter from Olivia Rockeman focused on financial and creative guidance for working writers of all genres. Subscribe here.
When I left my job in business journalism last summer to freelance full-time, I thought I’d be lucky if I made enough to cover my rent in my first year. I left the corporate world because of the autonomy and flexibility I hoped freelancing would provide, but I constantly worried about my financial prospects. The rates for freelance journalistic projects are notoriously low, and I’d heard horror stories about writers being out of work for months.
In the months before I quit, I made extra money by cooking at home and unsubscribing from all shopping-related emails. By the end, I had enough savings to cover my expenses for at least a year.
It took me three months of freelancing to gain momentum, a time during which I sent out hundreds of networking emails and considered it a success when one person responded. But once I landed a few writing projects, my monthly income matched what I made as a full-time employee. Within a year of my dismissal, my annual income matched my company salary. When I recently reviewed the numbers with my accountant, I was both proud of myself and shocked! The first year was accompanied by many tears, rejection and financial uncertainty. I hadn’t taken time to celebrate my successes.
There are still times when I am way too busyand others when things feel slow. But as I think about it, I realize that I did a few things right in the first year that supported my profit growth:
- Follow the money
Even though I identify as a journalist, my income does not come solely from journalism or writing personal essays. Journalism contributes 30% or less of my annual income. Conversations with a handful of freelance writers taught me early on that journalism projects don’t lead to a comfortable life, especially in New York.
Instead of spending all my time pitching stories to editors, I spend a good chunk of each week doing brand work. This includes writing newsletters and blogs, creating content strategies, editing white papers, writing op-eds and more. The hard truth is that brands have much larger budgets than publications. The time-to-earnings ratio for copywriting projects is much better than for reporting and writing articles. As a result, I can be very picky about the journalism projects I take on and don’t worry as much when rates are low. Although brand work does not always align with my interests, it does fund my creative work.
- Look for opportunities in unexpected places
The people I thought would connect me to writing gigs early on weren’t the ones who ended up getting me my first contracts. While I’ve found a few brand writing jobs through LinkedIn, I’ve learned that even weak personal connections go far beyond applying for jobs in an internet black hole. Maybe you know a small business owner in your area who needs help with their newsletter? Or a PR professional who would like to outsource his press releases?
An early editing project for a brand came from a woman I met in an art class. She was chief of staff at a major clothing brand and I cold emailed her to see if her team needed part-time help with content. It happened that her team needed a freelancer to edit an in-depth sustainability report, and a few weeks later we started working together.
On the journalism side, my first two assignments came from editors who offered me jobs over the years that I decided not to accept. I followed up with them when I started freelancing and both were happy with my pitches, which turned into a repeat collaboration.
Ultimately, your network goes much deeper than you think. The hardest part for me is swallowing my pride and mustering the courage to hit send on the email. I often remind myself that there is much more to be gained (an interesting project) by putting yourself forward than there is to lose (the person not responding).
- Don’t sell yourself short
Set an hourly rate and stick to it
. I calculated mine by figuring out what my hourly company salary was, and then gradually increasing it as I proved myself to clients. Journalism projects, on the other hand, usually pay per word. To do this, I determine how many hours I expect the assignment to take and whether the salary is in line with my hourly rate.The hardest part is saying no to an interesting project that doesn’t match your rates, but it’s so important to draw the line somewhere. Otherwise, you will often have to make concessions, which will negatively impact your income and your time. I try to tell myself that saying no to one project will create space for the next (better) opportunity.
- Make sure the little things are right
Mastering your craft is important, but Doing the little things well will make you stand out from your counterparts. Respond to emails quickly. File clean copy. Meet your deadlines and send invoices on time. Organization and communication is what proves to editors and brand leaders that they can rely on you. It makes them happy to refer you to people in their network for more performances.
- Find community and inspiration
The stress of freelancing itself is even more difficult. Every month I talk to fellow writers for this newsletter reminds me of that I’m not the only one fighting for better rates or sending dozens of shameless follow-up emails. Last year I joined a community on Slack called O.G.C where women from different sectors promote their work and have candid conversations about pay. I often go there when I’m looking for advice and don’t know where to turn. I also like newsletters like Long live and the interviews published by The creative independent really useful.
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