Oy Vey
The economic slowdown? It’s real, yo.
The first hit came today. A magazine I write for regularly is going on indefinite hiatus. The editor hopes to have it back up by early 2009, and because it’s been through worse and survived, the editor (and I) do have hope that it’ll make a comeback.
In the meantime, I’m struggling to fill that huge void in my income.
April 10th, 2008 at 6:49 pm
My biggest client in 2007 cut its use of freelancers this year, so I’ve been facing a similar situation. Refocusing my work has been more fun and productive than I’d expected, though, and the advice on your blog has been great for my morale. I hope you’re able to replace your lost income soon!
April 11th, 2008 at 2:37 am
Good to hear! I’m sure something will come up to fill that empty space soon. Deep breathing helps.
Feel free to share any tips you may have!
April 14th, 2008 at 12:49 am
First I shredded old papers and moved some furniture — good for clearing the head and signifying newness. And I breathed deeply! Then I started a campaign for new clients. My focus is corporate writing, so Phase One included revising resumes, finishing copy for my Web site, cold calling, and getting back in touch with some on old contacts. Plus a lot of persistence and belief that good would come out of bad.
I took all of this slowly, both because I still had work with my old clients and because I wanted to think through my real goals. I also didn’t want to make rash decisions to take on projects (or a job) I wouldn’t enjoy. I’ve made good progress, with a new client (or maybe two or three?), and a much clearer idea of my ideal client list and workload.
I’m not sure that’s very helpful, but, for me, the psychological piece was most important. Good luck!
April 17th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
It’s very helpful! Thanks, Lisa.