Many freelance writing niches have particular times of the year when there’s more work available. You need to determine the seasonal rhythms of your niches so you are front and center of your existing clients and potential clients when it’s time to hand out those choice assignments.
Freelance Writing Niche Seasons: Examples
Freelance writers who specialize in writing catalog and website copy for outdoors apparel companies need to know when new lines are typically introduced, usually spring and autumn.
Is the auto industry your focus? Then find out when new cars are first introduced, or when important auto trade shows occur.
Cooking your thing? Get article queries into magazines well ahead of major food holidays. Think Thanksgiving feasts and Fourth of July barbeques.
My Main Freelance Writing Niche…
Has been creating curriculum components for college textbooks.
Summer is prime time for winning freelance writing jobs to create supplements and other curriculum materials for textbooks and courses. Here’s why…
Editors Are Scrambling to Get Curriculum Ready for Fall
Supplements need to be revised with each new edition of a textbook. College textbook publishers time the release of new editions to coincide with the beginning of either the fall or winter term, and fall is fast approaching, in the publishing world anyway.
Of course, many editors have already locked down authors for the updated versions of instructor’s manuals, test banks, student study guides, PowerPoint lecture outlines, and the like, but…
There Are Still Some Choice Assignments Available
Here’s why:
#1. Some editors are slow to hire people.
I don’t know why, but I’ve gotten many assignments with due dates of two to four weeks. And often they pay extra because it’s a rush job.
#2. Textbook authors have been slow to complete the manuscript.
Since you usually need to work from page proofs, authors’ delays mean ancillary deadlines get pushed back.
#3. Other writers flake on the editors.
You’d be surprised how often it happens: a lecturer or professor agrees to create an instructor’s manual and then just doesn’t have the time to do it (or just doesn’t manage time well).
I developed a relationship with an editor that’s earned me at least $50,000 because a professor agreed to create the study guide and instructor’s manual/test bank for a new history book and then stopped returning her phone calls and e-mails. I stepped into the breach and cranked them out, and that led to a lot more work.
What to Do Now…
If you’re well established as a textbook supplements writer, then contact all the editors you’ve ever worked for and ask if they have any current projects. If you’re new to the game, consider buying my Writing College Textbook Supplements: Developing Test Questions, Quiz Questions, Instructor Manuals, Lecture Outlines, and Other Curriculum Components. I cover in detail how to find editors and convince them to hire you.
Still Haven’t Found Your Freelance Writing Niches?
Haven’t found your best niches yet? See my Find Your Freelance Writing Niches: Make More Money for Less Work.
Your Take
What are the seasons of your specialties? How do you respond to them?
Hi John. My health insurance niche for employer groups has a busy fall as large companies prepare for open enrollment for plans with a 1/1 effective date.
With health care reform and public health exchanges that time is the latter part of the year into the beginning of the following.
My health care provider niche tends to be busier in the first two quarters of the year and quieter towards the end of the year.
Cathy, it sounds like your two main niches are busy at opposite times of the year, which should allow you to be fairly busy year-round with getting swamped.
Pretty much, John, although I am trying to drum up more public health exchange-related business as typically November & December are slim in the work department.
Freelance writing has some minor ebbs and flows that show up as less or more blog traffic. Ghostwriting books has ebbs and flows but not by season… when people decide to write a book (and hire a ghost) seems almost totally at whim.
Everything slows down around year end holidays imo.
I think most writing slows down over the winter holidays. However, that’s usually not the case for me. Many textbook publishers release new editions for winter term, so I’m often quite busy around Christmas and the New Year.
John, what do you do during those slower periods? Do you continue to write or participate in other activities?
Good question Marcie!
I do a lot of things. I write blog posts for this blog, for example. I also do some marketing. But mostly what I do is take vacations, short and long. I love to hike and be outdoors, so I frequently just head out for a week or more.
I’m different from many writers in that I do have significant savings and I make enough money each year to easily pay the bills and fund my retirement accounts. Other writers will need to develop new niches to see them through the slow times.
How do you determine when the busiest time is? I like to write for the health, lifestyle, and personal development niche.
Rabbine, some of it is just paying attention to the niche and also thinking like an editor. For example, pitch lifestyle stories about summer activities in January.
Personal development is niche that likely doesn’t have significant seasonal rhythms.
Because my niches are things like small business, marketing, and social media, demand is pretty stable year-round. But there have been some exceptions over the years.
For example, when I first started targeting more online business owners, I found that demand went way up in May and June and continued through the summer. It turned out that a lot of my clients were college students starting their businesses part-time (never judge what groups do and don’t have money to hire pros!). So they had more time to focus on the business once school let out, or once they graduated.
During most years I also get a surge around Thanksgiving (so late November). Black Friday to be exact, though I take that day off every year, so I don’t follow up until the following week. Department managers start rushing to use up the year’s budget around that time, so it makes sense that it would happen if you work mostly with businesses rather than publications. Surprisingly, it didn’t happen last year. The surge came a bit later into December. I take off for around two weeks over the holidays, so I can’t squeeze much in then, and I’m usually booked early anyway. But it can be nice because clients resist paying up front even less than usual — they want the project paid out by year’s end whether the work is done then or in January. So yay for that. 🙂
Jenn, I’ve also noted that I can often negotiate better pay rates and conditions during the busy season. It’s about supply and demand.
Nice post
It is very common issue that many freelancers face. At such seasons they will be very busy and the amount of money they earn is also high. But it is tough situation when the rush is low. It can be like vacation for them. I usually work on my own blogs .
But we should also be prepared for such situations. Many of them take short vacations, write blog posts , write books etc. But it is very important to focus the regular rhythms of your corners so you are up front of your current customers when now is the ideal time to give out those assigned works.
Thank you for sharing.
Good question, John. Over the years, I’ve tracked a couple of slow periods, usually just after Christmas and just before the summer. But since my client list is varied I’ve never been able to tie it into anything specific.
The slow Christmas season is common for many writers. If you have several niches you may not see any major slow periods.