I did not query as many publications as I planned, and although my marketing efforts were sporadic, I did net a few new clients to make up for the ones who have not contacted me in a while.

Bottom line for me: I’m still hanging in there and am optimistic about how things will continue to flow.:-)

LL, THAT’S progress! 🙂

Kathy and Susan, I hear you. I think the “R” word has finally begun to impact our work. Gawd, I hope not!

Fiona, how new are you to freelancing? How’s it been going last year versus this year for you? Curious to see what you’re experiencing. Sounds like you’ve got some great prospects!

I’d start on getting the referral now, Gabriella! Get him while you’re still in front of him and see if he can hook you up with his publishing company!

My March was MUCH better than my February, with the fiction far outpacing the nonfiction/business writing.

Royalties make me warm and fuzzy. And pay a few bills.

Stuck to my rates, am in negotiations on some new projects (both fiction and non-fiction) and some of the international negotiations are picking up again.

Picked up a new, ongoing, pleasant client who will provide another month or two of steady work, I think.

Turned down low-paying jobs.

I’m feeling far more optimistic going into April than I did going in to March!

At the risk of sounding like an egotistical jackass, this is why I like NOT having a niche — I’m not limited in my source of income and what I do is diverse enough so if one area starts to falter, I can pick it up in others.

However, I still have to get the new brochures finished and the mailings out — I’ve been behind on that, and I didn’t get out as many pitches as I wanted/should have.

March was better than February, but I could have pushed harder, and will do so in April.

I did land a new client, but I doubt it’s long-term. A while back (perhaps as long as two years ago), I sent a pitch to a editor of a twice-yearly niche pub, and he just got back in touch and made a $1 word assignment for this month. Groovy, but since he publishes so infrequently, I’m not dancing in the streets. The only upside? He outsources to a publishing company, and perhaps I can impress them, and they’ll throw me some of their other pubs’ work.

I heard from an ed for whom I’ve done a bi-monthly column for about two years, and his freelance budget has been eliminated. He’s hopeful he can add it back in soon, but that’s not a plan to bank on.

I’ve also trolled job boards and been highly disappointed. I’ve responded to only one and got no response. So my plan is to work my regulars with great pitches as much as possible.

My goal for this year–break even. If I can pay my bills and hang in there during this crushing recession, I’ll be happy. I’m ahead of that goal right now, but I’m not liking the landscape for the future.

Geez, let’s get through this recession sooner rather than later!

I’m still relatively new at this so not earning big bucks yet but it’s steadily increasing and this has been my best paying month so far.

I can boast nothing more productive than: Getting myself back online and reconnected, after suffering through some turbulant financial waters.

I’ve worked to get my Soul Echoes blog active again.

I logged on to Twitter and became active in the social networking phenom! And I’m thankful for garnering a few followers and those ever-precious contacts; like yourself.

I’ve read several new blogs and newsletters –adding to my growing blogs/sites of interest– and am gaining a better perspective of the changes going on in the publishing industry.

While my health concerns limit my time in my office chair, I’m better utilizing my recovery mode time, by sorting through hand written notes, old hardcopy files, etc.

With all that said, March hasn’t turned out so bad. Not bad at all! Wow, I really do feel like a Dynamo! Thank you, Lori