How do you earn $1k-2k/month?

[charmed]

It is important to work on getting private clients. There are many ways to get private clients besides on this board. In fact, I would argue that most of the people hiring here, including myself, pay too low. I pay what I can afford, and what the market bares so don't take that wrong. But if you want to make more, go to places that people will pay more.

At first, it may seem impossible -- everything takes time, and dedication and marketing is a never ending job for the freelancer. Create your own website that gets good traffic. Use all that SEO knowledge to your advantage. Join groups that have people there who need what you have to offer.

Price your work accordingly. If you are a great writer, price it as if you're a great writer. Underpricing yourself is one of the main reasons people find themselves working their fingers to the bone and burning out. If your writing needs a lot of editing and work, charge less but practice and hone your craft.

Consider writing for offline publications. Many local businesses also need writing for proposals, grants, white papers, and copy writing. Create great marketing materials for yourself, join your local chamber of commerce, alumni associations or other groups and give out your business card.

Tell people what you do. I've given out my business card while at the doctor, in grocery stores, and elevators. I try to talk to people wherever I go and tell everyone I know what I do.

You can do this! It's great that you're making 400 a month, that's at least grocery money! It can be really difficult when you have little kids under foot. I can still remember my now 20 year old daughter crying when I got near the computer. At that point I made a choice for a while to put her first, my income went down, but as she got older it went up.

Best wishes!

[anng]

I have one private client paying a little over $500 a week. I have another client whose work is a little more sporadic, but it still comes out to about $300-$400 a month.

Yesterday, I landed a Love List position on Writer's Access with a company that's paying 4 cents a word and said they'll need about 40 articles a month starting next week too, so that's going to help boost things.

Private clients are definitely the way to go.

[beanandpumpkin]

I make about $300 from one steady private client each week, so that definitely helps. Then I have other clients who need less work, but tend to rotate through my months... last week I did a biggish article for one, and this week I'm doing some marketing letters for another... then there are the occasional or one-time clients. Sometimes I have weeks where everyone needs something, and other times I have weeks where I'm only doing work for the one steady PC. During those slower weeks, I often pick up some extra work from TB and work on marketing myself more.

I agree with what jwinter said about not thinking that writing is the end of the game... you always need to be marketing and looking for more opportunities, even if you're currently too busy, because that could change in the span of a week or two.

I started freelancing when my kids were 7 and 5, so they could be independent for a short period of time during the day (we homeschool). I still did most of my work after they went to bed. Now they're 11 and almost 9, and I can carve out at least a couple of hours during the day. (I only work about 12 hours per week most weeks.) My husband takes them grocery shopping and then to a Pokemon club on Saturdays, so I have a good 4 hours that day if I want/need to catch up... but lately I've been putting in my time in the evenings so I can have that time to myself.

[luvcamerasnic]

for me the key has been to have a daily goal, then do whatever it takes to meet that. . . .even if it means $5 Klat blog posts or $1 jobs on MTUrk (haven't had to do that but I will if I have to)

[WorkingMom227]

I'd say private clients are definitely a necessity if you want to make $1,000-2,000 a month. I think that I have just reached that $1,000 a month goal and I have about three separate private clients. I've had other private clients here and there but those clients were sporadic and didn't need constant work from me. When work is slow with private clients, I find myself searching for new private clients and doing some work on TB because I am at a Level 4 and there is usually some work there.