The last few months have virtually changed the economic scenario all around the world. It started when Lehman Brothers collapsed and went bankrupt. But the seeds they say were sown much earlier. What seemed like a mortgage scenario in the US then started a whirlpool of sorts that sucked in major conglomerates from all over the world. Millions of people have lost jobs. Pink slips are being handed over by the dozen. Pay cuts are the norm of the day. Stock markets are tumbling like a pack of cards. The situation looks grim. But me, I am glad that atleast I aint the only one facing financial problems. I am a freelance writer and I have often scoffed at others in the past when they talked about ‘working at office’ woes and when they narrate their peak time travel woes. Not me, I would think and silently smile deep in my heart. I have worked from home for the last couple of years and have nearly mastered the art.
But the last couple of months have nearly left the market dry. I find myself staring at a nearly empty inbox everyday barring a few stubborn as ever spam messages that promise me a bigger penis. Work is scarce. Yes, for all those who thought that finance, banks and IT were the only sectors affected, here’s some inside information. Work is affected across all sectors and the freelancer is not spared either. The volume of work has gone down considerably and I have spent a lot of time in the last couple of months expecting the situation to miraculously improve overnight. But it doesn’t seem to happen as swiftly as I thought it would. So I have worked on a back up plan to keep me occupied when work is scarce.
Surf and read
An idle mind is a freelance writer’s worst nightmare. You ever heard of the writers block? There is something else also called the writers rust. It’s a predecessor for the writers block and can settle in real fast. So keep surfing the internet and catching up on the blogosphere. There’s plenty happening all around the world and it is best that you stay updated. Keep a tab on the best blogs that you come across. You never know how and when they can come in handy.
For those who still haven’t done it, start a blog
If you have managed to escape the insanity till now, then this is the best time to become a ‘meshugener’ (For those who are scratching their heads wondering what that is, it is a Yiddish term for crazy). Start a blog. It might not seem like too much of an important thing at this point but start it nevertheless. I am sure there are hundreds and thousands of thoughts deep within your heart that are waiting to come out as words. Do yourself a favor and get it out. Blogging is a great pastime, is an excellent way to build contacts and with time, you can make some great money out of it. If you are new to blogging, then there is a huge world of experts waiting to help and guide you. Simply log on to Google and look for blogging tips.
Build some credibility via article marketing
This is a good time for freelance ghostwriters to build some credibility of their own. Start writing articles and submitting them to major article directories. It is a great way to build some credibility, get some in coming links to your website or blog and ‘find more work’. Yes, if you are a good writer, then article marketing can do wonders for you. But it will only help if you start.
Promote yourself
If only you and a few selected clients of yours were the elite few people in this world who were aware about your profession, then chances are that work will be scarce when those clients cannot or do not have anything to offer you. Get out and promote your services. There are thousands of tools that you can use. Social networking sites, forums, fellow Bloggers etc. Remember, the World Wide Web is a huge marketplace and you are doing nothing but limiting yourself by not promoting your own work and only working as a ghostwriter. Think of yourself as a publisher. Spare some time everyday for your own content that you can publish online. And GET IT DONE!
Yes, the times are tough! But you can’t wither away or go back to mamma and say that it aint fair! Bear it and work your way out of it.
Good Luck!
