I’ve been a freelance writer since 2012, and to say things have gotten bad is an understatement. There are four big reasons for this:
- Google algorithm updates over the past few years have tanked mid-sized sites that formerly hired writers.
- The rise of AI has replaced many writing jobs, especially beginner ones.
- Google’s AI answers have caused website traffic to plummet, therefore reducing the number of available writing jobs.
- Mass layoffs because of the previous reasons have made freelance writing jobs more competitive than ever.
Over the past year, I’ve gone from four steady clients to one. The shift was gradual, losing one client at a time as each of their business models went crashing down. I remained on steady ground income-wise until last month, when my biggest client stopped giving me work.
Now, I’m here. Making about ¼ of the amount of money that I need.
While I’ve wallowed in pity for a couple of weeks, money is dwindling, and I have time to wallow no more. So, you know what they say…when your back is against the wall, your only option is to succeed. (Or something like that.)
So, my fellow freelancers, I hope this series inspires you if you’re in a similar situation.
I still have some income rolling in from what I completed last month. However, I need to earn an additional $1,100 this month to pay the bills and also line up work for December.
The common advice is to “reach out to former clients.” I’ve done it. Guess what? Everyone I’ve previously worked with is in the same position right now and has paused posting new content.
Here’s the game plan:
Send 10 LOIs this week:
LOIs, better known as letters of introduction, are just what they sound like – quick emails introducing yourself and offering your services. I specialize in home improvement, cleaning, and construction, so this week I’m hunting down editors for some of the top sites I’ve always wanted to work with.
Instead of just telling you how many LOIs I’m sending out, I want to track exactly who I’m sending them to, which will make it easier to know how effective this strategy is.
Next week, my LOIs will be targeted toward PR agencies that represent home improvement clients.
- The Spruce X
- Consumer Reports X
- Family Handyman X
- ThumbTack
- This Old House
- Grove Collaborative
- HGTV
- Southern Living
- Apartment Therapy
- Better Homes & Gardens
I realize that the same parent company owns a few of these; however, I’ll be reaching out to the individual site editors.
Work 10 Hours at Data Annotations
Data Annotations is a company that trains AI models. It’s a flexible, work when you want type gig, but you have to pass a qualification test to access the work. Right now, there are a few jobs available to me that pay $25 to $27 per hour. While this isn’t nearly what I need as a freelancer, sometimes you have to take what you can get. It’s also one of the higher-paying legit online jobs that offers flexibility.
Pitch 3 Personal Essay Ideas to News Outlets
Personal essays usually pay between $150 and $300. The biggest problem with them is that it often takes editors a week or two to get back with you. Still, I’ll pitch a few ideas to try to get some work in the pipeline.
- Pitched on to HuffPost 11/9/25
- Parenting topic TBD
- Parenting topic TBD
Apply to All Relevant Job Openings
I’m continuing to apply to all relevant job openings. I’ve been doing this for the past two weeks, and it’s yielded exactly zero results, but it’s easy enough, so I’ll keep going. (I feel like getting a job through a job ad is insanely difficult these days, as most job openings receive a couple of hundred applicants within the first few hours of posting.)
The main places I look for jobs are Qwoted and LinkedIn, though I also subscribe to a few freelance newsletters that curate job listings.