Since I began freelancing just over a year ago, I’ve had the opportunity to work with nearly a dozen high-growth startups and world-class experts. What’s more is that I’ve never had to negotiate for the premium prices I charge for my content marketing services.

Because I’ve done such an effective job of defining my value propositions, branding myself as an expert within my field, and getting my content in front of new target audiences, I now have a 3–6 month waiting list for new freelance clients.
If you’re ready to get serious about freelancing and multiplying your self-employed income, here are my top twelve tips for earning more during your first year.
However, that certainly didn’t happen overnight. My rapid success in the world of freelancing is the result of a LOT of strategic positioning, hours of hard work, and good timing.

And don’t forget to download Skillcrush’s free book, The Ultimate Guide to Going Freelance. You’ll find tips for learning the tech skills you need to get started, strategies for adopting “the freelance mindset,” plus tricks for building a “career safety net” before quitting your day job. Get the guide here.

1. Choose a Niche
If you’re new to freelancing, you might feel ready to take ANY paid work you can get your hands on. But as you get deeper into your freelancing career, you’ll need to start being more strategic about the types of work you do and the clients you take on.

You might be thinking: How can getting picky about the freelance work I do help me make MORE money?

Because when you specialize, you become an expert in a specific field, and experts can charge more for their specialized services.

In my opinion, the age-old debate of whether you should be a specialist or a generalist when starting your freelance career isn’t even worth thinking twice about. If you were your client and you needed someone to fix your email marketing so people actually sign up, write ad