5 Actions That Have Helped Me Earn More Money as a Freelancer

Your everyday business moves can affect how much you earn as a freelancer.

Hello, Finance for Freelancers readers. I hope your Wednesday is going well. For this newsletter, I’m experimenting with a later publishing time.

I’d like to start this post off with a reminder: How much money you earn as a freelancer doesn’t define your success.

Earning more money doesn’t make you a better freelancer or person. And the goal of this discussion isn’t to tell you that you’re not doing enough.

It’s an invitation to consider how your everyday actions can influence how much you earn as a freelancer.

Earning more money can give you:

• More freedom

• More flexibility

• Greater financial security

Lately, I’ve been reflecting on my career.

What I did right. What I got wrong. What I’d do differently next time.

Reflecting on my experiences led me to consider how the choices I made along the way affected my finances.

So, today I’m sharing some actions I’ve taken that have helped me earn more money as a freelancer.

Let’s dive in…

Specializing

Looking back on my most financially comfortable years as a freelancer, there’s a common theme: specialization.

I didn’t earn much from writing about everything. And many of the general writing gigs I found didn’t pay well. It was hard for me to stand out.

But when I started marketing myself as an expert, my finances improved.

Specializing may help you boost your earnings. Focusing on a few niche industries or services can help you land better-paying work.

There’s one caveat: Don’t let your specialization be too narrow.

Industry shifts can happen at any time, so you want to make sure you're in a good position to pivot if needed. Having more than one specialization can help.

Photo by Jess Morgan on Unsplash

Prioritizing opportunities with recurring work

Quick backstory: In 2014, I started travel blogging while living and working in South Korea. And eventually, I found myself freelancing part-time for clients.

After returning home and diving into freelancing full-time, I learned that many travel-focused writing opportunities were one-off assignments.

That meant I would need to cobble together many individual projects to earn a living. And I had to carve out a lot of time for pitching. The reality was I wasn’t earning much money, and cobbling together work quickly got exhausting.

After a year or two as a full-time freelancer, I realized my time would be better spent finding, creating, and prioritizing opportunities that led to recurring work.

I enjoy the thrill of ideation and pitching. And I still get to do that. But put forth more effort in building professional relationships with people and companies that provide a steady flow of work. And guess what? My finances are more stable because of it.

Adapting to what clients need

Another way I’ve been able to increase my income is by being willing to adapt. The freelance industry is always shifting. Lately, I’ve noticed a change in what clients are looking for and what work is available. For example, I’m finding that more clients are assigning projects that ask writers to include insights from expert sources in their completed work.

This requires more effort, time, and work — and it’s an ask that not every writer feels comfortable doing. But being willing to adapt to clients’ changing needs and industry shifts has helped me earn more money.

Ultimately, you get to decide which services you offer and whether you’re open to changing how your business operates. But if you’re feeling hesitant about keeping up with industry shifts, it’s worth considering whether it’s affecting your earning potential.

Photo by Daniel Thomas on Unsplash

Trying new things

Speaking of adaptability, I’ve embraced trying things for the first time. It’s so easy to get comfortable with the familiar. I’m guilty of this myself. But when I look back on the opportunities that helped me grow personally and professionally while also increasing my income, many of them involved stepping into the unfamiliar.

In late 2024, several publications I wrote for stopped working with freelancers or shut down completely. Google algorithm changes led to a big shift in the industry, and I spent a lot of time pitching and applying for new opportunities in the months that followed.

In the spring of 2025, I stumbled upon an opportunity that felt like a stretch. It was an industry in which I had little prior experience, and the type of writing was totally new to me.

I almost didn’t apply. But I did, and I landed the gig. Nearly a year and a half later, I’m still writing for that client. It pushed me outside my comfort zone, helped me learn new skills, and boosted my income.

It can be nerve-wracking to try something for the first time. But don’t focus on what you don’t know or haven’t done yet. Instead, take what you know and do well, and figure out how to apply that experience to something new.

Being willing to step into the unknown could help you grow and earn more.

Putting myself out there

Another way I’ve been able to earn more is by getting more comfortable putting myself out there. Freelancers wear a lot of hats, and sales and marketing are easy ones to neglect, especially when you’re busy with client work.

But avoiding those tasks because they feel uncomfortable can directly affect your income.

Many of my best-paying opportunities came from actions like:

• Pitching services to companies that weren’t advertising opportunities

• Asking someone in my network to make an introduction

• Continuing to follow up with potential leads (sometimes I don’t hear back until several follow-ups)

• Commenting on a public post about a gig (LinkedIn)

Actions like this won’t always lead to work. But sometimes they will.

What business actions have you taken that have helped you earn more money? Let me know by replying to this email.

If you have a topic you’d like me to cover or feedback to share, I’d love to hear more.