Comments on: Mind the Gap

By: Stacey Abler

Stacey Abler — Sat, 08 May 2010 13:43:27 +0000

I'm in the process of kicking the content mills to the curb now. Thanks for the ideas of where else to go to avoid going back to them when things get slow!

By: Lori

Lori — Tue, 04 May 2010 19:56:18 +0000

Kathy, I know a freelancer who has never marketed. Ever. He's the exception to the rule. He's the type of guy who walks into a room and people just hand him work (I've seen it!). The rest of us? Yea, we market. :)

Good idea, Mridu! I'm using a brief idle spell to work on book edits.

Did you bookmark it, Sarah? Makes it easier to find later.

Paula, you use your idle time to knit more car coats - I know you! I hope your dream means you'll make a fortune selling your stuff. ;)

Yo, you mean the National Enquirer didn't tell you the truth?? :)

Wendy, whatever works, right? Congrats!

By: Wendy

Wendy — Tue, 04 May 2010 18:46:27 +0000

Warm/cold calling is what I've been trying my hand at in the last few months. It's only worked once, but that's not too bad since it was a big one.

By: Yo Prinzel

Yo Prinzel — Tue, 04 May 2010 16:51:49 +0000

I thought Demand Studios was where all the writers (and journalists) went when business was slow. Man, I gotta start getting my information from better sources! 😉

By: Paula

Paula — Tue, 04 May 2010 16:18:06 +0000

It's been about 8-10 months since my last real lull. I consider more than a week without a real article assignment to be a lull. It's now been three weeks since I turned in my mot recent article. Yes, I've done blog posts, columns, and some quick-turn-around jobs, but it's been much slower than I'm used to.

I try to use the down time to research and approach new-to-me markets. Right now I'm looking into trade mags and trying to see which ones might be the best match to my skills and experience.

Just this morning, I told myself that instead of watching my in box waiting for that next assignment or a response to one of the queries or LOIs I've sent out, I'll focus on finding more things to throw into my neighbor's garage sale. (Last night I had a dream that I found a treasure trove of great garage sale items hidden in the top shelf of my closet. Sadly, none of the things in my dream actually exist.)

By: Sarah Nagel

Sarah Nagel — Tue, 04 May 2010 15:42:16 +0000

Great info! Thanks for all your insights. Keeping this in mind for the future 🙂

By: Mridu Khullar

Mridu Khullar — Tue, 04 May 2010 15:05:35 +0000

Great ideas. On the slow days or weeks, I tend to write essays. I also read a lot, look for new story ideas, and pitch like crazy.

By: Irreverent Freelancer

Irreverent Freelancer — Tue, 04 May 2010 14:17:36 +0000

Great ideas, Lori. I market like crazy when business is slow, but thankfully my slumps never last long. I'm trying to just enjoy the brief respites they bring, but I just can't seem to let go of the idea that they might endure. They never have but there's always that slight possibility that nags and refuses to let go. Some people have a guardian angel on their shoulder. I have a freelancing nagger on mine. ;o)

By: Lori

Lori — Tue, 04 May 2010 13:04:03 +0000

Super idea, Devon. For those who don't know, what's your market rate? I've gotten anywhere from $250 on up for them.

By: Devon Ellington

Devon Ellington — Tue, 04 May 2010 12:39:37 +0000

Fiction and plays. They're my priority anyway, but I up the short fiction output if there are too many gaps.

Because I'm especially good at press releases, I'm also aggressively pursuing press release writing jobs right now -- those are quick turnaround, and, if you don't fall into the Craigslist trap of "I'll pa $50 for a press release", the ones who pay market rate are pretty darned good.