Building a client base is one of the hardest things a freelance writer has to do in their career. 

And it’s not just for getting those first gigs, the ones that likely pay nothing and are barely worth listing on your resume. And not even for getting your first decent jobs, ones that pay a little better and are a little closer to what you actually want to be writing. 

No, those jobs might seem difficult to find when you’re first starting off on your own but in retrospect? The biggest challenge is finding stable, reliable, high-paying clients who want you to do the kind of writing you like to do best. Whether that’s social media copy for a brand that values your energetic voice or blogs and newsletters for a company that relies on your direct, clean writing to keep their customers engaged, this is the kind of day-to-day work that you dreamed of getting when you left the nine-to-five lifestyle. 

The easiest thing to tell someone who is just starting out, or someone who needs to replace some of those anchor clients, is to send cold emails—reach out to companies you know work with freelancers, look for places where you have a connection on LinkedIn, find that editor you used to work with years ago and check in on where they are now. 

While cold emails can be a great way to get your foot in the door, you might also want to think about the other end of the equation—people who are out there looking for you. And that means making yourself easy to find. 

Update Your Website

There are so many ways to easily make a website, and it’s such a helpful tool for your professional life, that there’s really no excuse not to have one. Even people with traditional corporate jobs would be wise to at least own their domain name. 

But for a freelance writer, a good website is nonnegotiable. It’s okay if you aren’t an SEO specialist who knows how to make your website the top result in a Google search of your name; most reasonable people will click on your website before any other random search results if they’re interested in getting to know your work. 

You don’t have to get into blogging or fancy programming. In fact, simple is almost always better, so stick to a clean template with easy to read text. You can organize it however you like, but make sure that a good photo, a resume, and a collection of your bylines are easy to find. 

You’ll also want to include a “Contact Me” section, and maybe even write a few sentences about the kinds of clients you’re hoping to work with, just as a company will describe what they want out of a new employee. Editors looking to hire freelancers will want to know they’re a good fit for you before they reach out. 

Share Your Work—If You Can

It’s great to have a good list of recent clips on your website, but it’s even better to actively share your work wherever you can. If you’re the kind of person who bristles at social media, post on LinkedIn instead or make a social media account for yourself as a professional and don’t have any personal contacts there. 

Many freelance writers, especially those who also harbor creative aspirations, might not think to share their latest email copy online, and it’s true that it doesn’t always make sense to do so. But what does make sense is to share things like what kind of writing you’re working on that day and for which clients. It also makes sense to share milestones like anniversaries with your favorite clients, celebrations about getting your first gig in a new niche, or even just patting yourself on the back for getting through a week of deadlines. 

If you really can’t imagine sharing your work life online in any way that feels appropriate to you, consider the overall point of it: letting potential new clients know that you’re consistent, reliable, and self-driven. Remember, when you’re your own boss, there’s no one to give you a title bump, and it can be harder to show potential new clients that you’re able to maintain long-term professional relationships. 

Just remember to follow the rules—if you do the kind of writing where you don’t get bylines and your clients want you to remain anonymous, then stick to your contract! 

Follow Up

It doesn’t do you any good to post about your work and have a beautiful website if you don’t actually check out the responses you get. 

It’s not a bad idea to have queries through your website go to an alternative email address; you don’t want your current clients to get lost in a wash of spam emails. But then you do actually need to check that alternate email address, along with your direct messages and any other social media interactions. 

A good first impression is invaluable. If a potential client is interested enough that they’re cold emailing you, then a quick response is probably all it’ll take for you to snag that new income stream. 

Chelsea Ennen is a writer living in Brooklyn with her husband and her dog. When not writing or reading, she is a fiber and textile artist who sews, knits, crochets, weaves, and spins.