Freelance Famine

Freelance Famine (published in InPrint magazine)

Spring is here at last: longer days, more sunshine, and bluer skies, cheerfully accompanied by the sprouting of daffodils and bluebells. ‘Tis the season of new opportunities, new awakenings, a time filled with promise – unless you’re a freelancer that is. The problem with spring is that it heralds summer and summer is not the season to be jolly in the freelance world. So, take it that the dawning of spring is an omen that warns us of what is commonly known as ‘freelance famine’.

Of course, this never even occurred to me when I first started out; I was so swamped with crazy deadlines and hundreds of different projects that it never even occurred to me that there would be a quiet period. There never seemed to be enough hours in the day and sometimes I longed for a time where I could take it easy, put my feet up, and watch car-crash TV. Maybe it would be nice to have a more relaxing few months, not that I could afford it, of course . . .

My fellow freelancers emailed me as soon as the weather grew mild and the tulips were in bloom: ‘Beware of the summer’, they said (albeit less dramatically). ‘Make sure you stock up as much work as you can for the season; it’s always quieter then the rest of the year.’ Did I heed the warning? Absolutely not. They were just doomsayers who hadn’t been fortunate in the past and wanted to put a hex on everyone else. Clearly they hadn’t done enough during the winter to ensure a steady flow of work for rest of the year. Conversely, I practically lived in the future; in fact, I had gathered enough work to get me through to the following winter! So, I thanked them for the caution and, smugly, told them that I was fine. After all, I was drowning in work; surely I could afford to be a bit conceited!

And then summer 2008 arrived and, little by little, the curse started to take effect, and the work started to dry up. Projects I had been promised gradually faded away, invoices went unpaid, and, suddenly, I couldn’t get hold of anyone. Publishers were nowhere to be found (they were all gone on something called ‘a holiday’) and the whole industry seemed to have shut down. I spent a good two months last summer wringing my hands in despair; the work I had so neatly lined up had completely disappeared, and there was absolutely nothing to replace it. In desperation, I signed up with a few writing agencies, who wrote back, ruefully, to tell me that they were also struggling with the drought and had no work for me either. Completely paralysed, I started to think that I had made the wrong choice, that freelancing wasn’t for me; perhaps I should have stayed in my cushy banking job after all (although in light of recent events, perhaps not). It was time to admit defeat.

Then just before I threw down my pen, something strange happened. The leaves started to turn to gold, the weather started to cool, and conkers appeared on the trees. Autumn was here, and with it came the end of the freelance famine. Ever so slowly the work started to drift in, and I began to do something dangerous in the freelance world; I began to hope. Within a few weeks I was completely submerged in deadlines and remained so for a further eight months – right up until this spring. Thus I have concluded that being a freelancer is like being a teacher: A good solid eight months of work and then the summer off. Sounds ideal, but the difference is freelancers don’t get paid for the summer.

So, during these credit-crunch times, it is now more important than ever to attract business. Summer is bad enough without the financial crisis looming over us. So, if you do find yourself in an uncomfortably quiet period, then make the most of it: update your website, gather new testimonials, and make sure it is the best it can be; contact your regular clients and gently remind them that you are in the market for some freelancing work, so they won’t forget about you; stay in touch with your fellow freelancers even if it’s just to have a good moan about the dry period, it is always a relief to know that everyone is in the same boat. Most importantly, do everything you can to generate more business not just through your existing contacts but by making brand new ones. Summer is a sociable time, so mix business with pleasure and head to every single publishing event you can think of. The SYP has lots of social events going on all year round, but especially during the summer months, so get yourself involved and join the fray. Remember: the more people you meet the more work you will generate.

Freelance famine is a phenomenon that affects all freelancers at some stage or other and we have to be ready for it. As I discovered, to my peril, it is no use turning a blind eye. So before our clients batten down the hatches, refuse our pleas for work, and take their summer hiatus, make sure you stockpile enough work for the summer months, otherwise you might get caught out by the drought.