Finding Stable Freelance Writing Jobs: Primary Factors To Consider

Whether you are new to freelance writing, or you’ve been at it for some time, finding stable jobs is key. The instability of this kind of work is often intimidating and can turn people away from it. But there are a few easy factors to consider to that will make freelancing much more stable for you.

1. If freelancing is your primary source of income, and you rely on it to pay your bills, you should be conservative when calculating how much to charge per hour and how many hours to work a week. In other words, if you need to be bringing in $500 per week, and you charge an average of $25 per hour, you’ll need to work 20 hours a week to meet your needs. But, because workloads can fluctuate, you should try to work more like 30 hours per week and save the extra for a week when you don’t get as many hours.


2. Planning ahead is key to freelance stability. It is easy to fall into feast or famine, where you go from having not enough work to far too much work. Planning ahead, and starting to apply for new jobs when you are ¾ through your current jobs, not when you are done with them, will help increase stability.


3. Finding one or two regular weekly assignments can be key in making your freelance work a stable source of income. This could include editing a weekly periodical or writing a weekly article. Knowing that you’ll have that income, plus what you work in other jobs, will help to avoid finding yourself with no work.


4. Try your best to cultivate repeat business from your clients. The key to repeat business is to leave your clients happy and confident in your work, but also to remind them that you’re there when they have more work. When you finish a job, be sure to email the client, thanking them for the opportunity, and to offer your services for future jobs. If you’ve worked with the same client several times, but haven’t heard from them in some time, don’t be afraid to email them to check in, ask how their projects are going, and remind them that you’ve available.


5. While repeat clients are great, you should also try to cultivate a diversity in clients and projects. A mix of long term projects that pay hourly and short one time lump sum projects can also help to manage your workload for stability.