Monday, December 14, 2009 9:21 - 2 Comments

Freelancers Stress Flexibility in Tough Economy

More competition and fewer freelance assignments force freelance writers to keep an open mind

As old media jobs disappear, more journalists and writers are turning to freelance work. There’s ample evidence of this: nearly every day, there is at least one notice in the Gorkana Alerts, an email sent to business writers, announcing a former traditional reporter or editor going freelance.

With this inflow of talent into the freelance market, long-time freelancers say they are noticing more competition. To make things worse, editors are farming out fewer assignments, instead choosing to use just their staff.

“Almost every freelance writer I know has been affected by the economy,” says Esther Stein, who has written for The Boston Globe, CFO Magazine and Computerworld. She adds that it is taking longer to get paid after each assignment — “Whereas many publications used to pay within 30 days, the norm has now become 45 to 60 days.” So how are these veteran freelancers coping? They are diversifying, focusing on building their brands and staying flexible.

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