How to Bounce Back from Dry Spells as a Beginner Writer
Feel like a failure? Or that you’re not “cut out” for a freelance writer career? Here are ways to dig yourself out of a dry spell (and prevent more in the future).
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Every writer hits a rough patch now and then.
It's not a sign of failure, but a chance to pause and consider how you got there (and what you can do to fix it).
Dive into a few tried-and-true "dry spell remedies," ones that continue to help you find clients and make you money, even when things get slow.
Follow our step-by-step process about how writers can bounce back from a dry spell.
So, you’re a newish writer struggling to land enough work (or any work). Or, maybe you had a few good projects, but now you haven’t landed any additional work, and you’re starting to worry about where your next paycheck will come from.
Dry spells can be really tough and make you doubt yourself – especially if you're just getting the hang of things in your writing career. But these rough patches are all part of being a writer. They happen, but as you progress in your career, there are things you can do to limit them as much as possible.
In this post, we’ll help you bounce back from dry spells and future proof your business to ensure you continue to funnel in clients, on autopilot. Seriously!
Understanding the Reasons Behind Dry Spells as a Writer
When you’re desperate to find writing work, you may start to blame the system: there’s not enough work out there; no one wants to pay for writing services; the economy is struggling.
While these things can affect your ability to find work, these external factors are usually not the cause of your dry spell.
Dry spells usually occur because of things you did or didn’t do. And that’s a tough pill to swallow! Let’s dig a little deeper to identify why dry spells happen and how to bounce back with a step-by-step process.
Defining a Writer's Dry Spell: What It Really Means
A dry spell is when you can’t find any work (or enough work) in your writing career. This happens most often to freelancers, since they have to go out and find clients themselves.
Dry spells have given freelancing a bad rap. In fact, the fear of not being able to land work is a huge deterrent for aspiring writers (and most will never take the leap).
How long do dry spells last? It depends. Some writers start worrying about a dry spell within days or weeks. Whereas others can go months before thinking they have a problem.
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Dry spells in freelance writing can last for different lengths of time, influenced by things like how much people want what you're selling, the specific area you focus on and how much effort you put into marketing.
For some writers, these tough times might only last a few weeks. However, others might find themselves stuck for months. By honing in on long-term marketing strategies like SEO and affiliate marketing, you can reduce or prevent dry spells from occurring down the road.
Factors Influencing How We Feel About Dry Spells
If you’re anything like me, a dry spell ups my anxiety. And the longer it lasts, the more it eats away at me. I’m unable to sleep, and I’ve even experienced panic attacks.
Then, you see other writers living their best life… They look at a dry spell as a “break” and enjoy the time off. Why are we all so different?
Here are some factors about how we feel during a dry spell:
How much money we have set aside: If you’re good at saving, then you can afford to coast for a little while (and maybe even enjoy it). However, if you’re a new writer and haven’t had the ability to build income, you feel you’ve failed before even getting started.
Whether we already have passive income established: Some people (writers and others) make 100% of their income from things like affiliate marketing, reader donations and ad space on their website. While all of those things might not be suitable for every writer, those who prioritize building up passive income streams have (at least) some money coming in.
Whether we have old clients to come back to: Newer writers may not have the client base yet, which can make dry spells that much more difficult. However, those who have worked with clients in the past may be pleasantly surprised when they can score new work.
How much overhead our businesses have: Luckily, starting an online writing business has fairly low overhead compared to a brick and mortar business. However, if you can minimize your operational costs during a long dry spell, you’ll feel much better.
How well-trained we are: Writers who are hardcore DIY-ers may be more likely to question their abilities during a dry spell. Writers who invested time and resources into structured training will have more confidence that they know how to write professionally — and that a lack of skills is not the reason for their dry spell.
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Feeling worried when you have little to no work is normal. The important thing is to not let your worry completely take over. Instead of freezing up with worry, use that anxiety (er – pressure) to take action.
By being proactive, you can transform this “slow period” into a time of growth and adaptation in your freelance writing business.
Why Dry Spells Don't Make You a Failure, But They Better Make You Think
Going through a period without much writing work doesn't mean you're not good or valuable as a writer. Instead of seeing these dry spells as signs of failure, think of them as chances to look inward and grow.
With extra time on your hands, now is a great time to think things through. Things like:
Your writing goals: Revisit them (or define them). While defining your yearly or monthly income goals is very important, you may want to establish goals pertaining to the number of hours you work per week or what kinds of awards or recognition you want to work towards.
What kinds of clients you’d really like to work with: When you dive into all the different ways to find clients, you’ll realize that you need to narrow down industries and niches. However, I’d encourage you to go a step further and define what type of clients – solopreneurs, multi-person LLCs, agencies, SMEs – will be your main target.
What projects you’re truly capable of doing: Maybe you’ve only been focusing on one type of project. Are there other things you can provide to clients – even very small mini projects – that could sweeten the pot?
If you should invest in more training: Whether to improve your writing skills, to learn a new writing service or to learn more about optimizing your own business (including marketing tactics).
Keep in mind that even the writers who have “made it big” have gone through their own rough patches. The key is how you deal with these hurdles – since that's what will really help you move forward and find success in writing.
Dry spells don’t typically happen without reason. For example: Many new writers hit a dry spell because they weren’t booking out future projects. Or, they were pitching a low volume of clients and the numbers are simply not there. So, identify what could be improved to prevent this in the future.
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When you're stuck in a rut, the best way to get out of it is by giving yourself and your business an honest review. It's also very smart to look for new training that can sharpen your skills – whether it’s improving your writing skills, business skills or marketing skills.
Getting into SEO writing and affiliate marketing are also great solutions that can really pay off long-term. And we’re getting into these two things next!
Dry Spell Remedy for Writers: Learn SEO
A great way to get past the tough times when you're not getting much writing work is to dive into learning about SEO (search engine optimization). It’s a long-term strategy to ensure that your website presence continues to grow and get in front of more clients.
With a thorough understanding about how SEO works (and using the right keywords), your writer’s website can climb up the ranks in search results. This means more people can find your work, giving you a better shot at catching the eye of potential clients and opening doors to new opportunities for writing gigs.
By optimizing your website for SEO, you not only stand out online, but you’ll also keep attracting a consistent flow of clients – greatly reducing the risk of dry spells!
How SEO Can Help You Out of a Dry Spell
Leveraging SEO can really turn things around for writers who are having a tough time finding work. When you use SEO strategies on your website, videos, socials and profiles, it makes it easier for clients to find you online.
For example: If someone searches for the keyword “US-based travel blogger,” you can completely optimize your website, blog posts and social profiles to reflect that. If you want to only talk to higher paying clients, you can focus on more specific keywords like “experienced US-based travel blogger.”
SEO writing lets you showcase yourself as an authority – without having to chase after clients through traditional advertising and pitching methods. Plus, getting good at SEO can lead to new projects as an SEO writer (where a client pays you to write their SEO content).
Check out our free SEO writing training here!
Almost all companies, clients and publishers prefer writers with SEO skills. Because if they can hire someone who can make their work rank, of course they’re going to choose an SEO writer versus a writer who doesn’t know SEO.
By providing writing services focused on SEO, you're able to meet this need and pick up extra jobs even when times are lean.
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By weaving SEO tactics into your writing (and into your website as a whole), you have a far better chance at catching the eye of more clients. Why? Because there is a lot of crappy content out there, and not all writers know SEO.
So if you’re worried about competitors, now is the time to learn SEO and optimize your site. You have a very high chance of ranking well – with the right keywords, knowledge and execution.
When you make your content search engine friendly, it pops up more often online. This means people looking for writers are more likely to stumble upon your work. With SEO strategies in play within your articles or posts, finding potential clients and securing freelance writing jobs becomes much easier (and automatic).
Optimize Your Own Portfolio Site for SEO
When work seems scarce, it's really important to make sure your own website is set up in a way that the right people can easily find you. And this goes for your main website pages, blogs and content, social media profiles, freelance platform profiles, videos and more.
Check out this article to see if your current writer’s portfolio site is optimized for SEO.
The biggest hurdle is determining what keywords are going to be profitable and easy for you to rank.
Here are things to keep in mind when thinking about what keywords you’ll need on your site:
You’ll want keywords that people are actually searching for: There’s no point in optimizing your site for words that people don’t type in the search bar. Otherwise your traffic will be near-zero.
You’ll want keywords that are rankable for you: If other high-authority websites are already ranking for certain relevant keywords, you have to seriously consider if you will ever be able to outrank them. Not impossible, but it can be very hard.
You’ll want keywords that are profitable for you: One of the biggest mistakes I see writers make? They’re using great keywords, but these keywords are never profitable. Maybe they’re highly associated with an educational intent versus coming from someone who wants to pay a writer to do something. And what’s worse? Ranking for keywords that are being searched by people who want to steal free information! Get more details about this in our free training.
You’ll want keywords that are individualized to your services: Simply using the term “writer” or “freelance writer” on your website will not do it. They are far too generalized to focus on.
Read This! 27 Things You Need to Grasp Before You Can Land Jobs
Keep adding new pieces regularly to showcase what you do best. Customers and search engines alike love fresh content.
When you completely optimize your own site for SEO, it becomes easier for potential clients to stumble upon you. It also helps keep a consistent flow of inquiries coming through – even during slow periods.
Learn SEO to Offer New, In-Demand Services
While many writers opt to learn SEO for their own sites, keep in mind that whatever skills you learn can turn into paid SEO services for clients. How great is that?!
Companies understand how important it is to have content that's SEO-friendly so they can be seen online easier and pull in the audience they want.
Providing SEO writing services could open up new opportunities for you. This means whether you're working on blog posts, websites or video scripts, you're giving clients exactly what they need to bring in customers.
Plus, businesses are more than ready to spend money on improving how they rank in searches. Just think if you became the go-to writer for SEO within your space.
Dry Spell Remedy for Writers: Start Affiliate Marketing
Diving into affiliate marketing is another great way to beat those tough times when work seems scarce.
It's a chance to make money on the side by recommending products or services (and then getting paid for any sales that come from your suggestions).
By appropriately adding affiliate marketing to your writing business, you're giving yourself more ways to earn money, which can really help when things get tight. This means even if finding writing gigs gets hard, you've still got cash coming in.
With affiliate marketing, your knack for writing is super useful. Writers like you can craft engaging content that talks about different products or services – all aimed at people who might be interested in them.
And, not only does this approach help you manage slow periods, but it also opens doors to new chances for making money with clients in need of affiliate marketing.
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Affiliate marketing might be a great way to make money for lots of writers, but it's not the best fit for everyone. I also don’t like to recommend products that I haven’t personally tried, so let your integrity guide you.
Think about your niche, who you're writing for, and what kind of stuff you'd be recommending.
A Beginner's Guide to Bouncing Back During a Writer Dry Spell: Action Steps
Okay, so you’re experiencing a dry spell (or a rough start), but don't let that get you down too much. Next, we'll go over some steps to help you recover, find some work, and move onto the next phase of your writing career: success!
Step #1 Revisit Your Niche
When you hit a rough patch in your writing career, one of the first things to do is take another look at what you usually write about. That is… your niche.
Spend some time thinking about whether this area really matches up with what you're good at and interested in, as well as if people are looking for writers who can talk about it.
On the one hand, by “niching down” into one particular topic, you can become the go-to person for that subject (and you’ll want to totally optimize your website for that niche).
However, on the other hand, you might want to consider expanding away from a set niche. If work has dried up in your niche (maybe not forever, but for now), think about what other topics you can write about. Are there similar topics and industries that relate to your niche? What if you did a complete 180 and wrote in a totally different industry?
Spoiler: I was a niched writer, and then became an un-niched writer. Which gave me more work? Not having a niche.
Read This! 9 Cons of Niche Writing That No One Talks About
Step #2 Revamp Your Writer Portfolio Website (or Start One)
If you don’t already have a dedicated website to promote your writing business, you need one. Not just a LinkedIn profile. Not just a Google Drive folder. If you’re serious about being a freelance writer, you need to have an awesome portfolio site that is 100% your property (AKA something you’re paying for).
Now, I understand that funds might be a little tight right now during your dry spell. But this is one of the best investments you can make in your freelance writing career.
Your writer portfolio website is like an online “shop window” where you show off what you can do, your past work and bits about yourself for people who might want to hire you.
And if you already have a dedicated portfolio site, now is the time to give it a makeover. Here are a couple quick tips:
Refresh your website’s colors and design.
Make it easier for potential clients to contact you.
Add in some new portfolio pieces (and trash the old ones).
Incorporate testimonials from past clients (or even professional contacts)
Read This! How to Make Your Writer’s Portfolio Site Rock
Step #3 Take a New Business or Writing Course
Freelance writing courses and business courses can really turn things around for you. You’re building new skills that you can promote to clients and boosting your potential for landing work. Not to mention, most of what you’ll learn can improve your freelance business as a whole.
Even though money might not be coming in, investing in a new course is always a great investment. And believe it or not: It’s something I’ve done during every dry spell — and it’s only led to bigger, better things (and more earning opportunities)!
Read This! The Good and the Ugly: DIY Free Training for Aspiring Writers
Step #4 Practice SEO Writing
Getting good at SEO writing is essential if you want to find more clients online.
Start by familiarizing yourself with SEO tools that help you find the right keywords people are searching for. Then, learn how to tweak your articles so they're easy for search engines to understand (all while being valuable to your readers).
Weave SEO best practices into your website. It’s beneficial for your own site. Plus, SEO writing skills are in high demand these days!
In fact, pivoting into SEO writing can be the exact thing that can get you out of a dry spell. Mastering these skills could really open up new doors for freelance gigs and be a lifesaver when work seems scarce.
Step #5 Explore Affiliate Marketing Opportunities
Affiliate marketing is a fantastic method for freelance writers to add more sources of income and make money, even when they're not actively “working for clients.”
It's all about finding affiliate marketing chances that fit well with what you know best and the topics you love writing about.
When picking products or services to promote, go for those you really stand behind and that you think would be useful for your readers or followers.
Place affiliate links in your blog articles, on your social media pages, or in emails you send out — (hopefully) earning a bit of cash every time someone buys or signs up through one of your links.
By diving into affiliate marketing opportunities, it opens up new ways to keep money coming in during times when regular freelance work might be slow, helping build some financial security.
Additional Ideas to Avoid Writer Dry Spells in the Future
To keep your freelance writing business going, it's best to deal with dry spells proactively, rather than reactively.
Here are some steps you can take to ensure you've always got work:
Get active on social media: Preferably the B2B-based platforms (e.g. LinkedIn) and/or more learning-based platforms (e.g. YouTube).
Join writer groups or clubs: Many give you access to helpful resources, job boards where companies post work opportunities, and chances to meet other professionals.
Keep writing and creating: Experiment, practice and perfect new types of projects within your existing niche (and beyond).
Watch our free training: We specifically talk about how to find troves of low-competition work. Sign up to watch here!
