Freelance
Writers' Series
Career & Business
Development Help
How Will a Recession Affect Freelance Writers? I think Chris is Australian. I decided to answer this question because I’m American and have been in the industry long enough to weigh in from an experienced perspective. First, a little background: I have been in publishing since 1987, and have been freelancing since 1993. I’ve been though Black Monday (the stock market crash of 1987), the dot/com boom/bust, Desert Storm, the 9/11 tragedy, the war on Iraq and now this latest debacle crushing the American economy – the subprime mortgage crisis. From 1996-2004, I owned an editorial staffing agency in New York City. I staffed temp, temp-to-perm and full-time positions for large companies (Random House, McGraw-Hill, etc), and small, one-person startups alike. I write all this to say, I have seen the direct effects of a boom and a bust. And, I have heard the reason why a firm was either hiring, firing or laying off directly from Human Resource Directors. And, you know
what … freelance writers have nothing to worry about. If anything, they should
get ready for a rush of work. Why? Let me explain. Is a Recession a Bust or a Boom for Freelance Writers? When the economy gets tight, companies tend to lay off workers. Some of the first ones to go are support staff. These are followed by “fluff” departments like communications, marketing, graphic design and production. But, work still has to get out. Companies will still advertise. But, they will no longer keep an in-house staff to do it, they will outsource a lot of it. And this is why a recession can be a boom for marketing savvy freelance writers. The Biggest Drawback for Freelance Writers in a Recession The biggest drawback for freelance writers in a recession is the nature of the competition. Notice I didn’t say “competition,” but the nature of it. Freelance writing is a competitive profession any day of the week, but when companies lay off, the competition comes not so much from other freelancers, but from the workers who are being laid off. You see, when companies cut back, they will outsource a lot of their work (press releases, brochures, web copy, logo design, sales letters, etc.). But, they will be outsourcing it to former workers. After all, they know the work, the company, exactly what the company is looking for, etc. So, even workers with no prior freelance experience will stand a better chance of getting this work than you, a complete stranger to the company. However, there are some things you can do to heighten your chance of landing work from a company who has recently laid off workers. 4 Ways to Land Work from Companies Who Have Recently Cut Its Staff
Be Proactive:
This is where many falter. They fail to take advantage of the opportunities
presented. How many times has the following happened to you? $4,000
in Work from One Client Who Lost Workers The owner of the firm told me that my email landed in his inbox at the perfect time. Now, while on the surface this may seem like luck (and it is a teensy weensy bit), I know it’s because of hard work and persistence. One of my mantras is marketing is a numbers game. I consistently send out a certain number of marketing queries each day/week. I try to do at least 100/week; 20/day. Sometimes I may do 40 one day and 10 the next, but by week’s end, I try to always have sent out at least 100 queries. Be Consistent: What’s the old saying about luck is when preparation meets hard work? Well, there you have it. The example above illustrates this perfectly. Network: It pays to stay plugged into some type of networking that generates leads. For me, it’s been two local chambers. Although I haven’t attended a formal meeting in a few months, I do keep in touch with a few members on a regular basis — having lunch and/or emailing. Cold Call: I know this can send the tinglies down some spines, but cold calling works. When I do cold call, I usually say something like, My name is Yuwanda Black and I’m a freelance copywriter (sounds better than freelance writer). I’d like to speak with the person in charge of hiring freelancers to forward some information about my services. Depending on the type and size of the organization you’re calling, you may get the person in charge of hiring right away. Many graphic design firms, for example, are owner operated. I’ve cold called a lot of these and about 50% of the time I’ll get the owner. Now that I do a lot of SEO writing, virtually all of my contact is via email. To be honest, I sometimes miss cold calling graphic design firms. Artists are a strange, but nice, bunch to talk to. No matter which technique you use, just remember, a recession can be a golden opportunity if you are a freelance writer. Position yourself to take advantage of it (eg, get a website if you don’t have one, design on a list of services, prepare samples, etc.). NOTE: Regarding competition from laid off workers many laid off workers never even think to ask previous employers for freelance work. There could be bitter feelings, a lack of desire to freelance and/or the inability to freelance (eg, no home office). So, while former employees could be competition, many times it just doesn't work out that way.
Sincerely,
Freelance Success Stories:
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