A few years ago, I lost 70 percent of my clients in the short span of about two weeks.

Why?

Budget cuts.

A media industry in free fall. (Here we go again.)

Leadership changes that impacted their budget.

And honestly… life.

Here’s the plot twist.

A free newsletter with the marketing ideas you need

The best marketing ideas come from marketers who live it. That’s what The Marketing Millennials delivers: real insights, fresh takes, and no fluff. Written by Daniel Murray, a marketer who knows what works, this newsletter cuts through the noise so you can stop guessing and start winning. Subscribe and level up your marketing game.

Sign Up Free

#ad

It sorta happened again this year for me (and many freelancers I know).

I’d say 40 percent of my steady income needed to be replaced.

An anchor client wrapped up in the summer.

Other ongoing clients paused their freelance budgets while they tried to figure out AI’s impact.

And for about five minutes — okay, 30 minutes —I let myself feel it.

Tiny pity party. Some growls of frustration. Solace sought in chocolate.

Then I did what I always do.

I got back to work.

I marketed the heck out of my freelance writing business. (On LinkedIn. Emails to previous clients with fresh pitches.)

When this happened a few years ago, I ramped up my marketing and brought in 30+ new clients.

Some lasted a season.

Some lasted years.

Some disappeared because their editor got laid off or their department lost funding.

That’s the freelance life. It’s messy and unpredictable, and somehow still the best career path I’ve ever pursued.

So how did I rebuild?

Here’s what worked every time:

✓ I stayed in touch with past clients. Follow-up emails became new assignments.
✓ I messaged people on LinkedIn consistently. That alone brought in over $6,000 during my rebuild phase.
✓ I kept posting on social. Clients always mention it.
✓ I attended industry events and followed up with every interesting person I met. That generated another $4,000 in work at the time.
✓ I walked through specialty stores, noted brands I liked, and introduced myself. (One of my favorite creative exercises. Here’s how you can do it.)
✓ I applied to opportunities for women-owned businesses.

Here’s the truth I wish more freelancers knew:

A long-term freelance career doesn’t look like a perfect upward line. 📈
It looks more like one of the curly cue drawings my toddler likes to scribble on the wall. ➿

But the beauty of this path is that a rise eventually follows every dip.

You have slow months.

You have great months.

Patterns emerge. (Know your slow seasons. Mine are mid-December through February, and July through mid-August.)

None of it means you’re failing. (Or that you’re on a secret “freelancer do-not-work-with-them” blacklist.)

It means you’re a working freelancer.

And if you’re in a dip right now, consider this reminder:

You’ve got options.

You’re freakin’ skilled and capable.

And you’re absolutely not starting from scratch.

You’ve done hard things already.

You can do this, too.

If you want a business refresher to make sure your pitching emails are on point, your marketing plan is in play, and you’re targeting the right clients, check out my popular freelance writing online course, Get Paid to Write.

It’s available on Teachable. You’ll have access to the lessons FOREVER but, if you purchase before 12/6, I’m tossing in a FREE edit of one of YOUR pitches.

Yep, this limited-time offer means if you enroll in the course now, you have until the end of January to send me a pitch before you send it to an editor so I can help you make even better and help it turn into a paid assignment.

(And if that assignment pays more than $49, this deal has already paid for itself.)

Get 10 written and video lessons, tons of Bonus resources and learn how to write an even better pitch to an editorial client or potential content marketing or copywriting client.

Thank you for being here and reading!

Diana

Let’s Work Together!

• Ready to get personalized feedback on your freelance business? I’m now booking December 1:1 coaching sessions; it’s a 40-minute call + an edit of a 600-word piece of your choice. If you don’t see a time that works, just hit reply or email me to find a slot that works. [Recent coaching client Mary said: Diana's own first-person experience as both a former magazine staffer and hiring editor, as well as her experience as a freelance content creator, has so much to offer freelancers at any stage of their career.]

• Enroll in my limited-time Black Friday Cyber Monday online course deal for Get Paid to Write. Sign up on Teachable by 12/6, and you’ll get a FREE edit from me!

• Book a sponsored slot advertising in my newsletter in DECEMBER (Join brands like Morning Brew, Shortform, Fiverr, HUBSPOT, Get Response, Freshbooks, Found, Authory, and more)

• Hire my freelance writing company, DKL Content Services Inc., to help with SEO content writing, ghost writing, thought leadership, newsletter writing, and copywriting services. I’m a NY State and NYC MWBE-certified business.