I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.

                                                                 — The Hitch-Hiker’s Guide To The Galaxy, Douglas Adams

Like the celebrated science fiction writer Douglas Adams I too love the whooshing sound made by a deadline when it passes by. But my clients do not share this view, and I am sure, neither does yours. And thus we are forced to work around time. But despite all our good intentions, we fail to meet deadlines, at time.

This particular problem chases many freelance writers, and quite many of them fail to out-speed it, which leaves them panting and gasping for more air. And at this point they wonder — is it possible humanly possible to meet the deadline?

Because of dejection, they get no as an answer despite the fact that deep in their hearts they know it is possible. This article is for those people. It will help them manage their deadlines, and if you are one of them then for sure, you will stop fearing deadlines after reading this.

Do not chew more than you can swallow

I know this is oft quoted maxim, but still it is not oft used. People, more often than we think is possible, end up taking more than mouthful. And this cannot be truer for anyone than for a freelance writer. Partly because of greed, and partly due to morbid fear of losing a client, a freelance writer ends up taking more projects than he can finish in a day.

Allocate adequate time

This is another problem. In a rush to convince oneself of having free time available for one more client, a freelance writer often end up allocating adequate time to a project, in the planning phase, which come to haunt him when he starts working on it.

Cannot say no

This is another reason behind a freelance writer’s failure to meet the deadline. It is the fear of losing a client, a freelance writer end up accepting unrealistic deadline, which they can never meet.

These are the three main reasons why you are constantly behind your deadlines. Remove them from your daily routine, and you will always be on time.

What samples to show and what not to show, and how many to show? These questions often haunt a freelance writer, more so because there is no one right answer to this. Every client is different so is there demand, and so is the solution to that.

The question is then how to decide what to show and what not to show? As said, there is not any definite answer to this question, but I can tell you about what I do when it comes to hunting writing gigs. That will help you devise your plan of action.

How to decide which sample to show

What clients want?

The first step in the process is to see what client is asking for, as sending relevant samples is what you should do. Sending a sample of how-to article to a client who wants a sales page will do no good. Similarly sending a sample of an article to one who is asking for a press release will also not get you the job.

Have you written on the topic?

If you have written on the topic related to project advertise then send that sample, but while doing so do keep the following tip in mind.

When did you write that one?

This is very important. We all grow one article at a time, so sending a sample that you wrote 2 or 3 years back will do more harm than good, as it will not demonstrate you current style. Do not mistake in thinking that writing style is static; rather nothing is more organic than writing style. The more you write the better you become. You should, therefore, send the samples that you wrote in last month, or last to last month. Do not send any sample that you wrote more than 6 months back.

How many

As many as required to get the work. This is a judgment call you have to take. If the work advertised is going to last long than I provide more samples and if it is a small project then I do not send too many samples, or too many types of samples. It also depends on what a client is asking for.

This is how I decide on what samples to send and how many to send. I hope this will help you decide as well.

The freelance writer gets confused whether he should write a free sample or not. He knows that refusing to write a free sample will mean losing the client, and writing a free sample may result in client’s disappearance, which is not unheard of in the business. Many clients, under the disguise of asking for free samples to evaluate the candidacy for a fictional big project, just take samples from various freelance writers and disappear.

The question is what should a freelance writer do, in situation like that?

There is not one single answer to this. You may or may not write a free sample. It all depends on you and kind of sample being asked to write. I cannot tell you that you should write or not, but I can tell you about the process I go through when deciding on whether to comply with the wish of getting a free sample or not.

Client authenticity checklist

Indeed, you need check the person’s authenticity before saying yes or no to his wish to have a free sample, and you can do this by doing the following things, at least I do these things:

1. Run a Google search with the client’s name, nickname along with the words like scam, cheat, fraud, scammer, etc., one at a time. This is done to find whether there is any reported fraudulent activity related to him. If he has done anything mischievous to people or service providers, you may find something. Well, this does not happen always, but most of the time, you will get what you are looking for.
2. I check the reviews and rating of a client, if I have been approached by him through a freelance exchange websites or forums. If there is enough positive reviews about a client then I think favorably of his request
3. Is the client giving me too rosy a picture to be true? A cheater will often show you a grand, often unrealistic, view of the future, in case you get the work, for which you will have to submit a free sample custom written on topic given by him. I stay away from such bait.
4. I never write a sample, if a client asks for a sample of 500+ words. From my experience I can say that such demands often come from clients with dubious intentions. I often offer to write a sample of not more than 250 words, and occasionally 300 words.

These are steps I run a client through before accepting or rejecting his offer. I think this will work for you. At least you should try this strategy, if you do not have any. Something is always better than having an absolute zilch.

I am asking this question because these are the things that stop most of the people from making it big in the freelance writing career. Let’s examine each one of them so that we can get idea about what to avoid, and make it big as a freelance writer.

Do not know enough

This is a classic trap that engulfs everyone who has self doubt about one’s quality. It makes you believe that you are not qualified enough for the job. You should, therefore, stay clear of the job, and should never even try to get closer.

I have this to tell you about “the skill” problem: no one is too qualified or too less qualified for the freelance writing job, or for any other job. We all, indeed, have shortcomings, but those are mere matter of proper training, and some research, which is easier these days than it ever was in the history of mankind.

I have no time

This is another classic excuse. People always complain about lack of time for following their dream. They say they are too busy working in the offices, managing their families, and securing better life for kids and spouses. Sure they are very important, but these things could not be a reason for your “I do not have time” mindset. What is behind this “no time” mentality is the lack of organization and schedule. Make a schedule for writing, and stick to it. When I say make a schedule, I do not mean to suggest making a schedule for writing daily. It could be for weekends as wells.

There is no future in it

This is a very short sighted reply I have heard from the freelance writing quitters. They say why join freelance writing. There is no future in it. I will suggest them to look outside the window, take binoculars if needed, and see how the media is operating — online as well as real world. They all source content, and a large portion of content is sourced from freelance writers. They is future in it, dude.

What else is stopping you from taking a freelance writing career? Waiting to hear from you.

How to gain writing experience before even getting a client

Do you really think you do not have any writing experience? You are wrong in thinking so; what about your term papers and assignments that you submitted in your school and college? Yes, those were writings as well – though not professional, may be not even grammatically correct, nevertheless they gave you some experience.

But, when starting as a freelance writer we are not concerned about just any writing. We are, in fact, concerned about proper experience, which one can get only when one writes professionally, which brings us to the original question of how to get writing experience as professional without having any client. The following points will help you answer that.

1. Start your own blog and post articles on it. Make sure each article is at least 500 words long.
2. Write articles for social communities and motivate your friends to read and give feedback to you. This will be a valuable asset which you can use to show your clients to get work.
3. Write articles for free. This will help you build portfolio — this may be an option, but I will not suggest putting this into effect unless you have exhausted all the available options.
4. Write for charity website. They like contributors.

There are many ways to build your portfolio and have some writing experience. The question is are you will to find an avenue and pursue it to the end?

When to work?

There is no definite answer to this question as one can work whenever one wants as long as one meets the given deadline. I know many freelance writers that write in the morning, right after they wake up. Upon asking, they told me that writing in the morning is more fun as the mind is fresh and ideas keep coming.

I also know freelance writers who work in the deep darkness of the night. They feel they can produce good quality work in the night as there is seldom any distraction at that hour; no phone calls, no people coming over to meet, and kids and wives remain asleep then.

There are freelance writers who want to work during the day because for them working regular hours – from 9 or 10 in the morning till 5 or 6 in the evening – and maintaining a fix work schedule is important. They feel by working a regular hour they can take time out for family.

There are people who say they do not have any fix timing. They can work randomly at any hour without compromising the deadline or quality of the work to be delivered. They believe that the “hour of the day has no effect on their output”.

All of the people I talked to are excellent writers, and they produce excellent output for their clients. In the light of discussions I had, I believe working hour is not important. What is important is the quality of the output and timeliness of delivery. I must mention here that I do not endorse “working random hours” , as it affects the quality of output.

How long one has to work?

This depends where you are in your career and what your financial goal is. If you are starting out then you have to work long hours to meet your financial obligations, but if you are a veteran then you can work just for 3-4 hours and meet your financial goal, provided it is not very lofty.

I know people who worked for 15 to 16 hours (even more) when they started out, but as they gained experience and got good paying clients they reduced the number of working hours.

If you are starting out as a freelance writer then expect to work for more than 12 hours in a day, but as the time will pass you can reduce this to 4 to 6 hours a day.

First part of their supposition is wrong, but the second part holds some merit. Indeed, there is not any golden topic for a freelance writer to write about. And indeed, writing for “freelance writing” or related niche will not bring you more clients then what you get while writing for another niche.

Why?

Because seldom you will get an offer to write for this niche.

What niche to write in?

The answer is any, as long as you enjoy writing in it. When a client asks for your samples or blog links, he has two goals in mind:

1. He wants to see how well you write on the topic of your choosing.
2. He wants to see your thought process.

He is least interested in knowing if you have guru’s knowledge about freelance writing or not, and he is more interested in knowing how well you can write and how you think. Because it is upon your thought process that your writing depends.

As long as you are writing well, therefore, you should not be worried about what niche to start a blog in. As a winning strategy, I would suggest you to write your heart out on the blog that you would show to your future client. Such blog will have both depth of thought, and colorful flair of writing. This is what your clients are looking for.

For an experienced writer the choice had not been very difficult, as he or she would have easily said no, but for a new writer who has very little to show to the clients in order to get work, it is not all that easy. And if you are on the same boat that I was on in the beginning of my career then you must be getting frustrated and all the weird feeling about freelance writing career.

Before you succumb under the burgeoning number of clients asking for free article, you must consider the following:

It is hard to convert a free client into a paying one

Once your client tests the blood (free blood), he is not going to pay for your service, even it means he will lose you. If you think, therefore, that you will be able to charge your client after giving him a taste of your blood then I am sorry to say this is not going to happen.

Free for how long?

This is the first question you should ask your client who asks you to do the writing for free. No one can write unlimited articles for free – it doesn’t matter how much free time one has, and even how bad one writes. You need to talk to your client and ask him what the preconditions for getting paid are. Ask him how long you need to write for free before he starts sending out checks.

Well, I cannot say how many articles you should write for free before asking for payment. It all depends on how far you can stretch it. If you ask me, I have never written more than 200 words for free. That is enough to show my client if I can write or not.

It builds portfolio

This is the one thing that always plays in the back of every new freelance writer’s mind, and this is what makes us accept the offer to write for free. But there is a limit to everything, so do not keep on writing to make your portfolio heavier and heavier. After all, who needs to look at your 100-page page portfolio before hiring you?

What will you get in return

The worst possible deal for a freelance writer writing for free could be to write under someone else’s name. Do not accept a free writing offer that does not allow you to put your name in the author’s box. This will not do good to you.

Deciding whether you should write for free or not is on you. I will refrain from giving unsolicited advice, as I do not know your situation. But I will recommend considering each of the points discussed above before saying yes to write for free offer.

You do not need any experience to start with your freelance writing career. All you need is writing ability and determination to make it big. You need a lot of determination because I know many freelance writing aspirants who left the field just after a handful of failures.

No, it is not tough to break into this career, but it takes time before you start making significant sum of money. Initially, the growth rate may be slow, but eventually it will pick up. This is not the right career choice for those who want overnight success, as success comes slowly. I think it happens in every legit field.

What role does experience plays?

Although it does not matter if you have any experience of writing or not, but experience does play a part in your freelancing career. Experience does two things:

1. Get you higher pay rate.
2. Help you complete the assignment in significantly less time.
3. It also helps you know beforehand how much time one project will require. You can use this knowledge to properly bill your clients.

Lack of experience will only result in lower rate and more assignment completion time. And I think, when starting out you can adjust with this. Do not give up, if your rate doesn’t increase in a month or 2 month or may be even in 6 month because the more time you are spending in this career the stronger is the chance of your success. Do not quit it now.

And who said you do not have experience?

Even if you have not written professionally, you must have written a lot of stuff—term paper, assignments, school and colleges essays, or even for school or college publications. Won’t you call it experience? I certainly will. After all, writing is writing is writing, no matter for what you write.

In terms of writing ability, you may already have what it takes to make it big in the freelance writing. If you are not sure then show your written pieces to someone whom you know is good at writing, and go by his opinion. If he says you need improvement then work on it. Nothing is here that you cannot do. All you need is sheer determination. Keep pushing, you will soon be there.

For your free writing success!

Time management tips for freelance writers

Tip 1: Fix schedule for each client

The very first thing a freelance writer can do to manage time is to set a schedule, client-wise. Let’s say you have three full time clients and one or two one-time clients. Fix one proper time for each permanent client and keep one-time projects floating in between them. For instance, you can work from nine to eleven on Client A and then from one to three on Client B and from four to six on Client C, and keep the other one-time projects floating in between them depending upon when you get time. Do not follow my two-hours to one client timing. You can vary the duration of work according to the amount of work given to you.

Tip 2: Make a weekly list of articles to write

If you have a permanent client who needs so many articles each week then you should take one day out, probably Saturday, to make a list of articles’ titles that you should write in the coming week. This will save you a lot of time cracking an article idea at the time of writing.

Tip 3: Use Word 2007 for blogging

I am writing this post using blog feature of Word 2007. This is very handy. You can use it to write and publish blog posts. All you need to do is add accounts using XMLRPC link to the client’s blog. IF you do not have word 2007 then you can also consider using other offline blog editors. It will save a significant amount of time.

Tip 4: Install Clutter Cloak

On computer, it is quite easy to get distracted, and it is equally easy to save yourself from distraction while writing. You can save a lot of time by installing clutter cloak or any other similar application on your computer.

There are many more things that you can do to save yourself the horror of missed deadlines. Stick to these and see the improved performance.

A freelance writer should read anything that succeeds in catching, holding, and retaining his attention. Because the more diverse your reading habit will be the better equipped you will be to handle the challenges posed by freelance writing. You should care less about following a genre through head to tail. Well, doing it will be make you an expert and may be better accomplished as a writer of that particular genre, but expertise in one and dumbness in rest of the subjects is not what you should eye for. You need to have sufficient control on as many genres as possible.

What did you say— you will be master of one and will research for the rest?

I know many freelancers doing that, and quite a few have attained some degrees of success while treading down this road. But more often than not an article written by a freelance writer who has no prior knowledge or intuitive understanding of the subject matter lacks depth. To add depth and texture to your writing, you need to learn various things.

Freelance writing poses unique challenge that is seldom faced by fiction or non-fiction writers. Therefore, the solution used by freelance writers should also be different.

Read as much as you can, and from as many genres as you feel comfortable in!

Learning is a complex process, and acquiring knowledge is even more complex.  One never knows which piece of text or byte of media triggers what. Sometimes the knowledge gained is a direct result of the things you are reading, while at other times, it is gained because the things you are reading have activated some unknown part of the brain which has triggered something else then something else, and the end result of all this could be the new understanding you have developed.

So, to help your brain form new pattern and new understanding, you need to provide it as many types of fodders as possible.

But, there is a way out. You do not need to keep on staring on your computer screen, incessantly, for every waking hours; I understand that it cannot be avoided at times, but you can try. In the following paragraph you will see how you can add human interaction in the equation.

Talk to your client on phone

Occasionally, calling up your client is the first thing you need to do in order to break the loneliness. Your client may not entertain frequent calls, but occasional calls will get due respect. He will be happy to answer your questions on phone. Discussing issues on phone will help you understand client’s need more precisely, but never overdo it; no one goes to work just to be on call with service providers. Call only if you must, or at max twice a week, and for rest of the time, stick to emails.

Build an online network

You must have heard this umpteenth number of time, and you must have got frustrated listening to this networking s@#t, but let me emphasize it one more time because it is very, very important. Forming a network of freelance writers will not only help you secure more gigs, but it will also help you break the monotony of freelance writing life. You can use this network to talk and share ideas and discuss issues. This can be akin to chat near virtual water cooler.

Go to café to write

For long, coffee house has been used by writers to craft their literary work. Why do not you try this alternative? You will be midst people doing different things. Who knows, you may get an idea for your novel! Nevertheless, it will help break the loneliness.

What else do you think can be done to break the monotony of freelance writing? Let’s see what all comes on the table.

Well for starters, carry a notebook with you wherever you go.  Of course in the modern age of technology, a smart phone or a PDA can serve the same purpose.  Anything that enables you to quickly jot down an idea while you’re on the run.  Frequently ideas hit us whey you’d least expect, and you have to be ready to write down that idea so that you can save it for use when you have the time.  That’s one of the best ways to stay fresh and full of new concepts.

Make sure that you read as often as possible.  For a writer, reading is a great weapon because gaining knowledge influences you to think.  With that thinking about a certain piece you’ve read, comes new ideas or concepts you’ll be motivated to write about.

Try having a running dialogue with someone else in the industry, or even the audience of where you write.  See what their feelings are on your writing, or what’s going on in the common culture that relates to what you write.  That can give you plenty of ideas because you’ll see how someone else thinks.  That may influence you to write a new topic, or an old topic rewritten from a different point of view.

Always keep up on the news as much as possible.  Current events are what get the most reads, because the majority of internet searchers are looking for information regarding news.  Keeping current, and relevant to where the world is in this instant is key.  Plus all the different news stories are bound to influence something that you’ll want to write about.

I am narrating here my discussion with him because I want to tell the readers that no matter what, feedback given by your client “about your work” matters a lot. His reaction to your personality may not matter, but for the work you have done for him, it does matter.

Having said that, I must say that your client’s feedback is not the final word on the quality you are able to produce. It is just a reflection of the kind of work you have produced for the client. You need to ask yourself where you have erred, and you should try not to repeat the same mistake again with another client. One feedback may not hurt you, but quite a few will blow a serious dent in your reputation.

How to avoid negative feedback?

1. Ask as many questions as you need to ask in order to understand the full details of the project before you start working on it.
2. Ask for the deadline, and verify if it is realistic or not. If you feel the time frame for the completion of the project is not sufficient tell him that. And also tell him what according to you should be the deadline for the work. Stick to whatever deadline is fixed.
3. In case you need extension, tell him days in advance. Calling him on the last day for extension may give you an extension, but will take away your reputation.
4. Do the best for each of your client. No matter how low or high one is paying. Always remember it was you who accepted the low rate, client did not put gun on your face to do so.
5. Ask for feedback.

Always keep your eyes and ears open, and welcome feedbacks with open arm. This is how you will grow.

To succeed as a freelance journalist, you need to have:

• A willingness to spend as much time as required chasing a good story.
• A desire to travel from place to place in search of a good story.
• A knack for working under tight-deadline

If you have these three traits then freelance journalism is a right career for you, and the more you will do each of the things discussed above, the more successful you will become in your career. This is not a career for you, if you are looking for a job that gives you lots of personal space. The news story is the life of a freelance journalist, and he has time for nothing else.

A day of freelance journalist begins quite early in the morning when the editor of the newspaper gives the topic to cover, which is followed by calling up concerned person for interviews and interview bites. The information collection goes on till evening after which the journalist needs to sit down and craft a story using the information he collected. In the process, he may also require to verify the credential of data collected and recheck the numbers. He will have to do all these things before mid-night when the newspaper goes for printing.

The day of a freelance journalist ends after news submission to begin once again at 6 AM for the next day news. Not everyone can take this, so you need to ask yourself if you can handle such pressure or not.

Always have a complete list of every client and contribution you’ve made in your career.  These come in handy so that you can have a comprehensive guide to tailor a resume to any given position.  If it’s a job writing about entertainment, you want to have your entertainment examples handy, and so on and so forth.  Always have a complete list for your reference, but limit what you put on the resume to the best examples of your work, as they relate to that job.

Practically everyone is going to ask for a brief summary of your writing experience, and usually about yourself personally.  This serves as a guide to your experience, as well as the sort of writer you are.  Usually you’ll end up writing a few paragraphs to satisfy both, and these will serve to give them a taste of your writing style.  So make sure they are concise, easily read, and reflective of the style in which you write.

Try to make the information about you as interesting as possible.  Think of an interesting professional story that you can tell, that defines your character and ability.  Then tell the story in a riveting way.  Something that keeps your target engaged in what you written.  You want them to be dying to talk to you more about the job, and certain that you’ll be a great fit.

How to avoid it?

Fortunately, there is a way out of it, which anyone of you can use to avoid distraction, regardless of your situation.

Assign yourself a place of work

This is the must-take action for any freelance writer. It is not good to carry your laptop and sit anywhere in your home to work, well occasional working-in-kitchen will not hurt but do not make it a routine. I know it sounds against the spirit of freelance writing—you can work from anywhere and anytime—but this is worth a deviation. Find a lonely corner in your house and turn it into a workplace.

Fix your work hours

I may sound like talking against the freedom of freelance writing, but my intention is not to drag you back into the 9-5 job that you left in the past, it is only to help you produce more. And as it is you can anytime pull the string and call it off.

Work, no matter what

Once you fix your work hour, you should stick to it, no matter what. Well, you can deviate from “no matter what” principle without any guilt feeling when you know you need to. Occasion deviation never hurts, at least not in our profession.

Talk to your family

At times, getting things write just need a word from us. Talk to your family and tell them that you are working around here, so not to create distraction. Well this might not work with a disgruntled spouse, but in most of the cases, this will be enough. Believe it or not, they understand the value of the work you are doing.

As you can see, fighting off distraction does not take so much of muscle power as much it takes discipline and tactics. What are your tactics to fight this monster off? Use the comment box and tell me your strategies.

Article writing

If you can write a well-researched article on the given topic then this is the job you have been waiting for. Many people needs 500+ words articles on various subjects, and if you think you can provide a well-crafted article then tell them about your desire to help. And also provide some samples of your previous work.

Blogging

Blogging is another thing that a freelance writer can do. You can either write your own blog or work as a staff blogger for big and established blogs. As a staff blogger, you are supposed to write a predetermined number of posts per day, and for that you may get paid on per blog post basis, or on per month basis. You can have more than one blogging job at one time.

Résumé writing

If you know how to create a well-crafted CV then the world of jobseekers is waiting for you. Seeing the competition for each vacant seat, everyone wants his CV to stand out from the crowd and for this one seeks professional help. You need to know what kind of CV works for what industry to succeed as a professional Résumé writer.

Press release writing

A press release is as important for a web-based company as it is for any brick and mortar company. Press release writing is a specialized task, and if you know how to write one then the world is waiting for you. Well, not exactly, but still there are plenty of press release works available both online and offline.

Web content writing

Whoever needs a website, needs content for the website. You can also choose this niche, if you know how to express everything a company needs to say using the given number of words than this is the right kind of writing job for you. You may also need to write about terms & conditions, FAQS, and help pages for the company along with home pages, services, and about us page.

In this short post, I will provide a list of common cause of concern for freelance writers, especially when one is starting out on the freelance writing journey.

Investment

If you thought it is just the number crunchers who worry about investments then you couldn’t have been more wrong. Investment woes keeps freelance writer worried as well, but most of the time it is not the investment in stocks, bonds, and funds that worries a freelance writer, but it is the investment in equipments and stationeries.

Do I need to have that new Mac? Or will windows do? Should I buy a printer, scanner and fax combo, or will the faxing part be dealt with installing fax modem software? These and similar questions pops in the minds of freelance writers quite often, and answer to these depends upon the requirement one has, and the stage of career a freelance writer is.

Working too much

Some people have left their day jobs for freelancing in a belief that he will have to work a lot lesser than they do while in a regular 9-5 job. Well, if the work timing is your concern then leaving your job is not advised because a freelance writer may have to work long hours. If this seems like a problem then revisit your decision. I took this job because working more was never a problem for me because I love what I do. Having said that, I must say that in time, everything will settle down, and work hours will become more regulated, but not initially.

No clients

Not getting enough clients to keep one occupied is another common worry that most of the freelance writers have. If you are in the initial stage of your career then this worry is legitimate. Indeed, getting a new client is difficult, and that is why we stress on retaining existing clients. If you stick long enough to freelance writing, you will see that this worry also subsides in time, as you start getting more and more clients through referrals.

No Money

This concerns all of us. We all get paranoid when it comes to money. After all, this is what we get (along with experience, learning, excitement, and fun) from freelance writing. When starting out, a freelance writer often commit a mistake of grabbing low-paying jobs. This indeed gives you something but not what you deserve for the time you spent. Hence, a freelance writer gets frustrated. Do not fall prey to the clients that wish to take you for a ride by paying you less and making you work more. I once travelled down that road. It was fatiguing. Wait for some time, you will get well-paying clients.

Should you leave your freelance writing that you enjoy so much and take some regular and more paying job? Or should you look for alternative source of income?

What you will choose from the given options depends on what is your priority. For me, the choice is simple. I would go for developing the alternative source of income. And I believe most of the readers of this post will want to do the same. Therefore, I will be talking about alternative source of income that you could develop to increase your income.

1. You can start an AdSense or any advertisement supported website.
2. You can write an e-book.
3. You can start a coaching program.
4. Become a corporate blogging consultant.
5. Create a team of writer and get bulk content done.
6. Become a content consultant

Your options are not limited to these. You can do many more things while continuing your freelance writing.