Hi Reader,

Happy Friday!

Summer is absolutely sailing by and I'm worried I'm not making the most of it. It's always so hit and miss in the UK, but this year we're having an excellent summer and I'm making a big effort to Get Out More.

I'm enjoying the freedom of switching up my schedule, too. I'm enjoying slower mornings, gentle strolls to my coworking space, and long lunches with friends. The beauty of freelancing is we can do this, and we should do this. It's all seasonal, and the schedule we set for ourselves now doesn't have to be the schedule we stick with forever.

P.S. This week on Instagram, I shared 5 pricing shifts I made that helped me go from £50 a piece to £850 a piece. See them here. And don't forget to give me a follow for regular tips and tricks!

Here's what I've been up to this week work-wise:

👉 I wrote 3 pieces for clients (Salsify, a route optimization tool, and an influencer marketing tool)

👉 I refreshed 1 pieces for Shopify

👉 I edited 1 piece for Klaviyo

👉 I hashed out the details of a new project with an old client

👉 I had one discovery call with a potential new client

⏱ Approx hours spent on client work this week: ~18

⏱ Approx hours spent on non-client work: ~1

💰 Total revenue this week: £3,550

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Friday Freelance Tip​​ ✨ ​

Lately, I’ve been having the same conversation over and over again:

And no, it’s not just you.

The last couple of months have been weird for me. On paper, things look great. I've been getting tons of enquiries, calls in the diary, exciting brands reaching out. But when it comes to actually converting those enquiries into projects?

It’s been a lot like getting blood out of a stone.

A few projects have been put on hold because of internal delays.

Some potential clients ghosted after I sent over a proposal.

Others said they’d “circle back in a few weeks” and then… vanished.

A couple of long-term clients are mid-restructure and radio silent while things shake out.

None of this is unusual in freelancing, but the timing of it all makes it feel louder than usual.

I think a few things are going on here:

• Summer mode: People are away, or slowing down. Budgets are paused until Q4 and teams are stretched covering holidays or planning for the next big push.
• Uncertainty behind the scenes: Some brands are dealing with layoffs or restructures. Others are watching their numbers more cautiously and waiting to green-light spending.
• General fatigue: Many marketing and content teams are burnt out. They’re doing more with less and that sometimes means pushing things back, saying no, or ghosting (it's usually never personal).

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And yes, it’s frustrating. Especially when you’re doing the work and still not seeing the momentum you want.

But I’ve been freelancing long enough to know this is part of the cycle.

I also know that slow spells don’t mean you’re doing something wrong. In fact, they can be a good opportunity to reflect (if you have the financial and emotional headspace to, obviously, which I completely understand not everyone has right now).

Here’s what I’m focusing on right now:

Planting seeds that’ll pay off later

I’m pitching speaking gigs and workshops, connecting with people I’d love to collaborate with, and updating my internal systems so future projects feel smooth and simple.

Showing up in real life

I’ve been going to more events, coworking days, and casual meetups with other freelancers. These moments fill me up creatively, but they can also lead to opportunities down the line. Even if nothing “big” happens right away, I always leave those conversations with new energy and ideas.

Actually enjoying the summer

I became a freelancer to have more control over how I spend my time, so I’m leaning into that. More walks, more long lunches, and more time outside instead of glued to my inbox refreshing for replies that might not come.

Reflecting on what I want next

Sometimes slowness gives you space to think about your pricing, your ideal clients, and the kinds of projects that feel energising versus the ones that drain you. I’m using this moment to check in with myself and make sure I’m still building the business I actually want.

So if you’re in a quiet patch too, I just want to say this:

You’re not alone. You’re not doing it wrong. And this will pass.

Sometimes the best thing you can do is ride the wave, take care of yourself, and stay visible in small, genuine ways.

This week, we have a B2C writer from Seattle.

Where are you based? Seattle, USA.

How long have you been freelancing? Almost 2 years.

What do you do? I mainly write for universities and nonprofit research organizations in the Science and health niches.

What was your 2024 revenue? $97,000 USD.

This person freelances full-time, and this was their highest earning year.

How much did you take as a salary?

$94,000 (I was a sole proprietor for most of 2024 so this is my salary after business expenses but before taxes, I've since incorporated as an LLC/S-corporation.)

How much did you pay in taxes?

I think about $20,000. I'm married and filing jointly, so I don't remember the exact breakdown of how much of the taxes were from my salary and how much from my spouse's.

What were your business expenses?

Expenses were about $2500 in 2024. Ongoing expenses include a Google business account, a Zoom account, memberships to science writers' organizations, and state and city business licensing fees.

At the end of 2024, at the advice of my tax preparer, I formed an LLC and registered as an S-corporation. That means I now use a payroll service in 2025 to withhold my taxes and pay me a salary. The payroll service is not very expensive, about $150/quarter, but the tax preparation for an S-corp is fairly expensive -- about $1300/year. Otherwise my expenses for 2024 were fairly low -- under $3000. In 2025 I've paid for a writing workshop and may travel to a conference so expect my expenses to be a bit higher.

Do you contribute to a pension or investments?

I have a self-employed 401k and contribute about $33,000/year to it.

Do you have any hot money-management tips?

Accountants/tax preparers are a necessity! I would have made so many mistakes on my tax return if I didn't have a professional doing this for me.

We need more Freelance Money Diaries submissions!

As you know, I'm on a mission to bring more transparency around rates in the freelancing world. And, to do that, it really helps to see what other freelancers are earning. I'd absolutely love it (and be eternally grateful) if you share your finances with us (you can do it totally anonymously!).

As always, happy freelancing :)

Lizzie ✨

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