In partnership with

Welcome to the 41st edition of Expert•ish Freelancer, a newsletter that helps you grow your freelance business with confidence. Get tips, tools, and insights every other Friday to help you save time, make money, and work smarter based on my 35⁺ years as a freelance writer.

New here? Welcome! 😊 Subscribe for free.

Happy Halloween!

On this spooktacular Friday, I’m definitely in TGIF mode. I’ve been nursing a respiratory infection 😷 these past few weeks, and it’s zapping my energy. So, I’m looking forward to relaxing a bit this weekend and having a little fun (fire pit night? new Springsteen movie?).

I’m also grateful I had a relatively slow week of work—just one deadline. I needed a break, as September was way too busy. And last week, I went on an awesome road trip 🚗 (South Carolina to North Carolina to Tennessee).

While travel is always fun, it can be exhausting, especially when I’m not feeling well. So, I’m embracing the slow pace right now. How was your October?

Today’s newsletter focuses on the rough state of freelancing right now.

🔍 Key Takeaways: 

✅ You're not alone struggling.
✅ Forced pauses bring clarity.
✅ Know what not to pursue.

Today’s issue is brought to you by BELAY. Sponsors help keep the newsletter free, so please click on their link to check out their offer! ⬇️ 

Looking for the last newsletter? Find it here: EF #40: 🚫 Why Saying No Is The Smartest Money Move You’ll Make This Year.

Know of a good resource? Tell me!

Exhausted, Ghosted, and Burned Out: The Brutal Truth About Freelancing Right Now

I'm going to be transparent with you in a way I don't always allow myself to be in these newsletters. This isn't my usual how-to format. Instead, it's a frank conversation about what I'm observing and experiencing as we wind down 2025.

And if you're feeling it too, know that you're not alone.

The Current Reality Check

Everything freelancing feels SO much harder right now.

I'm being ghosted 👻 more often—including by editors I've worked with for years. It's disheartening in a way that goes beyond just lost income.

Every week, I read about more layoffs. Editors and content marketing managers I've pitched to or collaborated with are losing their jobs. The connections I've spent years building are evaporating, not because of anything I did, but because entire departments are disappearing.

Many clients are putting a pause on outsourcing. I keep hearing the same refrain: budgets are frozen or depleted until 2026. The work that was there in summer has simply... stopped.

And then there's AI, hovering over everything, making me question how to pivot my business when the industry itself is being fundamentally reshaped.

These aren't separate problems. They're all symptoms of a larger contraction happening across our industry. It's exhausting. It's scary. And some days, it feels relentless.

And yet—and this surprised me—I'm also finding unexpected gifts 🎁 in this difficulty.

The Blessing in Disguise

I had a great five-figure month in September, but I worked way too much. I was productive, successful, and headed straight for burnout without even realizing it.

Then the budget freezes hit in October. Clients paused projects. My calendar suddenly had white space.

At first, I panicked. But then I realized something: the market just gave me the reset I needed but would probably not have given myself.

I'm now embracing a slower pace 🐢 for the rest of Q4, and honestly? It feels like I can breathe again.

This forced pause has also clarified something I've been avoiding: I need to rebalance my marketing efforts. I've been spending too much time and energy on editorial pitching when I should be focusing more on working with brands for consistent content marketing needs.

Yes, it's a delicate balance—I travel a lot, and those press trips are tied to editorial work—but maybe that tension is okay. Maybe I don't have to figure it all out right now.

Sometimes the market forces the wisdom we need to hear.

Perspective Shifts Everything

This week, I was interviewed by a journalism student (👋 hi, Lauren!) at Kent State University. As I answered her questions about my decades-long journalism career, I found myself reflecting on just how much has changed—and how far I've come.

I started freelancing in the 1980s, pre-Internet. There were no “calls for pitches” online, no databases of media outlets. Everything was print-based. Everything took longer (think 4-6 weeks to hear a rejection from an editor via mail.) I had to adapt then, and I've adapted through every industry upheaval since.

Recently, I attended an excellent content strategy bootcamp by Treasa Edmond. It provided an overview of how in-depth and complicated a full content strategy really is—and honestly, it was fascinating.

If I were at an earlier phase in my career, I would have immediately signed up for her nine-month, deep-dive course. It's exactly the kind of worthwhile investment that could transform someone's freelance business, especially if you want to offer higher-level strategic services to clients. (I highly recommend taking Treasa’s next bootcamp to see if content strategy is right for you.)

The foundational work is substantial—it would take months to truly learn the elements and years to perfect those skills. And Treasa, with her deep expertise in content strategy, is absolutely the person to learn from if you're ready to go all-in on that path.

👉 But here's what I realized: at 61, this is not the direction I want to take. Truly, it was a 💡moment. As I wind down my career over the next few years, I don’t want such a major pivot in my business.

That's not defeat. That's wisdom. Not every upskilling opportunity is the right investment, and knowing what NOT to chase is just as valuable as knowing what to pursue.

Keeping options open doesn't mean following every path—it means exploring strategically, keeping an open mind, and making informed choices about where to invest your finite time and energy.

What This Means for You

So where does this leave us as we prepare to close out 2025?

I want to encourage you—inspire you, really—to do what works for YOU right now.

• Pivot as needed.

• Work more if you want to capitalize on opportunities.

• Work less if you need to recover.

• Check in with the goals 🎯 you set back in January. Which ones still matter? Which ones can you release?

And start thinking about 2026. Not in a pressured, resolution-setting way, but in a curious, open-ended way. What do you want your freelance life to look like? What would feel sustainable and fulfilling?

👉 Give yourself permission to feel the difficulty without shame. Give yourself permission to change direction mid-stream. Give yourself permission to say no to opportunities that don't serve your long-term vision—even opportunities that look good on paper.

There's no one “right” way to freelance through uncertain times. Your path will look different from mine. And that's not just okay—that's exactly how it should be.

Moving Forward Together

Sharing these random thoughts instead of polished advice feels risky. It's vulnerable in a way that my usual newsletters aren't. But maybe that's what we all need right now—less performance, more connection. Less certainty, more honesty. 😊

We're all figuring this out as we go. The industry is changing faster than any of us can fully process. But we're doing it together, and there's real strength in that.

👉 How are you dealing with this weird state of freelancing right now? Hit reply and let me know—I read every response, and your question might inspire the next newsletter!

⬆️ High: I got three new assignments this week—one resulting from the road trip press trip I just took last week. Woohoo!

⬇️ Low: I just got feedback from a new-to-me editor about an assignment I submitted a few weeks ago, with the note, “Sending this back to you with some fairly major edits.” I rarely get edit requests on my work, let alone major edits. Ugh.

• Share Your Success Story. I would LOVE to hear how you’ve implemented any of the ideas in Expert•ish Freelancer and found success. I might even include your win in a future newsletter. You can always reach me at [email protected]. 

• Follow me on LinkedIn. I share more freelance tips/insights most weekdays.

• Turn to Expert•ish Freelancer’s Tools & Resources page, highlighting valuable resources to help you successfully run your freelance business. You’ll find recommendations for apps, tools, training, services, websites, blogs, podcasts, books, videos, and more! If you’ve got a resource you love, let me know about it.

Thanks for allowing me into your inbox!

I look forward to sharing my freelance journey with you, and I look forward to hearing about yours. I’m just here as your guide. Take what works for you, and tweak it to your needs. Rinse. Repeat.

I’ll be back in two Fridays with another edition of Expert•ish Freelancer.

In the meantime….

Be kind. Do good. Give thanks. 😊

With gratitude,
Lisa Beach

FYI: In yoga, the instructor often closes the session by saying “namaste” as a way of acknowledging and honoring the light, spirit, or goodness within each person in the class. 🧘‍♀️ It’s often used as a closing to convey unity (we’re all interconnected), gratitude (thank you for this shared experience), respect (I respect you and your journey), and peace (may you find peace within yourself). Essentially, it's a way to acknowledge the shared experience and to leave with a sense of peace and connection. 😊