Summer time can really feel unusual as a contract author.
One minute your calendar is overflowing with deadlines and consumer calls, and the subsequent factor instantly decelerate a bit.
And that may really feel irritating at first. You’re excited to be busy and dealing (and getting cash) so when it dries up, you don’t know what to assume or do.
However through the years, I’ve realized summer season slowdowns are literally fairly widespread in freelance writing.
A number of corporations decelerate in the course of the summer season as a result of groups are taking holidays, launches get pushed to fall, and decision-makers are merely much less lively.
Even the Freelancers Union has said that many freelancers expertise a slowdown, and the American Translators Affiliation shared that July and August have been constantly a number of the slowest months of their freelance enterprise information.
And, I’ve observed this sample in my very own enterprise too.
Some summers keep busy whereas others really feel lighter and manageable.
The primary 12 months I grew to become a contract author I used to be nervous for the summer season hunch, but it surely by no means occurred. I stayed busy with writing.
However through the years it modified and as an alternative of panicking throughout slower weeks, I exploit that point to make amends for the elements of my enterprise that normally get uncared for throughout busier seasons.
Summer time Is Busy in Different Methods Too
Sarcastically, whereas freelance writing work can decelerate somewhat in the summertime, life will get a lot busier for me personally.
Proper now my son has baseball and he’s additionally working as an umpire this summer season.
My daughter has monitor and softball all via the season too.
Then on prime of that, my son additionally has hockey camps and tennis camps blended into the calendar.
And truthfully, between sports activities schedules alone, I typically really feel like I dwell in my automobile in the course of the summer season.
Then add touring, household plans, and home renovations into the combo.
We’re digging up our driveway and patio to switch them, and we additionally fully dug up our yard and must panorama the entire thing.
So whereas freelance work could decelerate somewhat in the course of the summer season, life undoubtedly doesn’t.
That’s really one cause I’ve discovered to understand slower freelance seasons extra now.
As a result of when work eases up a bit, it provides me respiration room to lastly sort out all of the enterprise housekeeping duties that normally get uncared for throughout busier consumer months.
So listed here are the principle issues I concentrate on throughout slower summer season weeks as a contract author.
Psst….whereas studying this, consider me DOING this stuff outdoors basking within the solar and sipping a fruity drink!
1. I Examine All of the Hyperlinks on My Portfolio Web page
Do you know that shoppers can take away your paid article from ther weblog or change the creator to “group?”
Yeah, I didn’t know that and even have that thought in my mind for years and years of being a contract author….till it grew to become a thought.
One time I clicked an outdated portfolio pattern I ended up discovering:
- the web page disappeared
- the consumer redesigned their web site
- my byline vanished
- the article now redirects someplace random
This could occur to you too!
And if a potential consumer clicks your portfolio and lands on damaged hyperlinks or 404 pages, it doesn’t precisely create confidence.
So throughout slower weeks, I am going via each single portfolio pattern and check the hyperlinks manually.
If a clip disappeared fully, I’ve to take away it. It upsets me but it surely’s obtained to be completed.
Generally I can use the Wayback Machine to search out outdated articles and take a screenshot of them like I needed to with Walmart.
2. I Replace My Writing Samples
This can be a good time so as to add any new consumer items you’ve and add it to your web site.
For me I’ll additionally replace the titles and reorganize my samples whereas I’m there.
Generally I take away older items that now not signify the sort of work I need to appeal to.
Different occasions I replace descriptions or catergorize samples higher by area of interest or service.
Not too long ago I consolidated lots of my e-mail advertising and marketing and social media advertising and marketing below the umbrella of, “digital advertising and marketing” on my portfolio web page.
This simply made it simpler for shoppers to see the whole lot.
And over the summer season, I can tweak and modify as a lot as I would like!
3. I Assessment My Pitches
One factor I’ve began doing throughout slower summer season weeks is reviewing my older freelance writing pitches.
After years of freelancing, I spotted sure forms of pitches constantly result in higher shoppers, higher initiatives, and higher-paying work.
So as an alternative of blindly sending random pitches eternally, I like trying again at what really labored.
I exploit a the pitch tracker in my Writeto1k course to assist me with this.
It helps me see issues like:
- which pitches obtained responses
- which shoppers became long-term work
- which niches transformed greatest
- which forms of emails led to discovery calls
- the place my highest-paying shoppers initially got here from
Generally I’ll discover patterns I fully missed earlier than.
For instance, I’ll notice shorter pitches carried out higher. Or that sure industries responded extra constantly. Or that warm-style pitches transformed higher than overly formal ones.
So slower seasons are a good time to step again, analyze what’s really been efficient in your freelance enterprise, and enhance your pitching technique shifting ahead.
4. I Refresh My LinkedIn Profile
I deal with LinkedIn like an lively a part of my freelance writing enterprise now.
Not only a profile I created years in the past and forgot about (like I WAS doing earlier than).
So throughout slower weeks, I’ll:
- add new shoppers
- replace challenge descriptions
- refresh my headline
- take away outdated data
- add newer accomplishments or experience
- change my headshot
- replace my LinkedIn banner
As a result of shoppers completely verify LinkedIn earlier than hiring freelance writers now, particularly in 2026.
And, you realize what? Some writing gigs have come immediately from merely holding my profile present and lively.
5. I Do a Full Web site Assessment
That is a kind of duties that will get ignored the second consumer work will get busy, amiright?
As a result of by some means your personal web site all the time turns into the final precedence.
So throughout slower weeks, I am going web page by web page via my web site searching for outdated data, damaged hyperlinks, typos and something that doesn’t match my model.
Generally I’ll even notice my positioning has shifted and sure pages now not match the sort of shoppers I really need to appeal to now.
That’s normally my signal it’s time for an replace…and a charge improve!
6. I Catch Up on Accounting
That is NOT glamorous however essential.
When freelance work will get busy, accounting turns into a kind of “I’ll do it later” duties till instantly you’re buried in receipts and making an attempt to recollect what random subscription you signed up for 3 months in the past.
So slower summer season weeks are normally after I lastly sit down and handle my earnings. I’ll evaluation invoices, replace spreadsheets, log bills and put together issues for taxes.
It’s not thrilling work however future me is all the time grateful I did it!
7. I Replace My Weblog
Confession time –
My weblog can completely get uncared for when consumer work will get heavy.
By the top of a full writing day, typically I simply don’t have the vitality left to put in writing for myself too.
And I do know lots of freelance writers really feel the identical means.
So when my calendar lightens up in the course of the summer season, I attempt to use that additional house to revisit older weblog posts and replace them.
Generally I:
- enhance web optimization
- refresh outdated data
- replace screenshots
- rewrite introductions
- add newer examples
- replace hyperlinks and dates
And infrequently I lastly write a kind of weblog put up concepts that’s been sitting in my notes app eternally!
Actually, slower seasons can find yourself serving to your freelance enterprise greater than you notice.
8. I Plan Forward for Fall Consumer Work
One factor I’ve discovered after years of freelance writing is that fall will get busy quick.
So throughout slower summer season weeks, I attempt to put together forward as an alternative of ready till September chaos hits.
That is the time the place I brainstorm future weblog content material concepts, replace my providers web page, tweak my pitches (if want be), create a brand new LOI, and analysis new begin ups.
I additionally like utilizing quieter weeks to assume greater about my enterprise.
When consumer work is nonstop, it’s onerous to step again and assume strategically since you’re targeted on deadlines and deliverables all day.
However slower seasons give me house to ask what sort of shoppers do I really take pleasure in working with? Ought to I supply one other sort of service?
A few of my greatest enterprise choices occurred throughout slower seasons as a result of I lastly had sufficient respiration room to assume clearly once more.
And since life will get extremely busy for me in the summertime with children sports activities, camps, journey, and residential renovations occurring continuously, I’ve discovered that utilizing quieter work weeks deliberately helps me really feel far more ready as soon as fall arrives and consumer work ramps again up once more.
Sluggish Seasons Aren’t All the time a Unhealthy Factor
I do know slower summer season months can really feel uncomfortable at first, particularly while you’re used to being absolutely booked.
However now I attempt to have a look at these lighter weeks in a different way.
As a result of whereas freelance work could decelerate somewhat in the course of the summer season, life will get extremely busy for me in different methods, as I’m positive it should for you.
So as an alternative of panicking throughout slower seasons, I exploit them as a possibility to reset elements of my enterprise that normally get pushed apart.
Now in case your summer season feels slower proper now, don’t assume one thing is incorrect instantly.
Generally it’s merely a season to catch up, reset, and put together for the busier months forward.
Within the feedback share with me what your plan is for the summer season!