When I first started freelancing in 2012, I spent about 80 percent of my time marketing and 20 percent of my time writing. Over time, that ratio flipped. As my client base grew, I spent most of my days doing the work itself rather than looking for the next project.
For many years, writing alone was enough to meet my business goals. But over the last few years, I’ve watched the marketplace change dramatically. Artificial intelligence has altered client expectations. Marketing budgets have tightened. Many organizations are investing more heavily in video, social media, and other forms of content rather than relying exclusively on long-form blogs, newsletters, and articles.
Like many writers and editors, I found myself asking an important question: How do I continue building a sustainable business in a changing environment?
My answer wasn’t to stop writing. It was to expand the ways I help clients solve problems. Writing is still a piece of that puzzle, but an increasingly smaller role in my business overall. It’s had an interesting effect: while it was hard to pivot, I also now have more of my “writing brain” left over for my own creative pursuits and publishing projects. Ultimately, that’s a win for me.
Why Marketing Writing Services Has Become More Challenging
The challenge facing many independent writers and editors isn’t a lack of talent. It’s that clients are increasingly focused on outcomes rather than deliverables.
A client may think they need blog posts. What they actually want is more website traffic, better lead generation, stronger customer engagement, or increased book sales. Writing remains part of the solution, but it is often no longer the entire solution. As a result, many freelancers are finding themselves competing in a crowded marketplace where writing is viewed as one component of a larger strategy.
That doesn’t mean writing skills are less valuable. In fact, I would argue the opposite. Strong communication skills are more valuable than ever. The difference is that many clients now need help connecting those skills to larger business objectives.
Look for Adjacent Opportunities
One of the biggest mistakes I see freelancers make is trying to diversify into whatever seems new, trendy, or profitable.
A better approach is to look for adjacent services that naturally connect to the work you already do and enjoy.
In my own business, diversification often happened because clients kept asking for help with challenges beyond writing. Could I help manage a project? Could I coordinate other freelancers? Could I help build a process? Could I advise on marketing strategy?
Those requests eventually led me into project management, consulting, fractional CMO work, fractional COO work, developmental editing, book coaching, publishing consulting, and content strategy.
The common thread wasn’t that I suddenly became an expert in a completely unrelated field. Instead, I built on skills I was already using every day.
Writers and editors often possess highly transferable skills, including:
- research
- organization
- interviewing
- communication
- strategic thinking
- process improvement
- project coordination.
Many of us are already managing deadlines, coordinating stakeholders, gathering information, and synthesizing complex ideas. Those abilities translate surprisingly well into consulting, project management, training, coaching, and strategic advisory work.
Start Small Before Making a Major Pivot
If you’re considering adding a new service, resist the temptation to launch an entirely new business overnight. Instead, test it. Offer a small project to an existing client. Take on a short-term engagement. Explore the work before making a major commitment.
Every new service comes with learning curves and blind spots. There are often gaps in our knowledge that don’t become apparent until we work through a few real-world projects. Starting small gives you the opportunity to refine your systems, establish boundaries, improve your processes, and determine whether you actually enjoy the work. That’s an important point (it’s how I learned I really hated running Amazon Ads for other authors, but love doing Facebook ad strategy.)
Just because a service is profitable doesn’t mean it belongs in your business. The goal is not simply to generate more revenue. The goal is to create a business that is sustainable and enjoyable for the long term.
How Additional Services Can Deepen Client Relationships
One unexpected benefit of expanding my services is that I now work with fewer clients, but at a deeper level. Years ago, I might have had 10 to 15 writing clients at any given time. Today, I have only one client whose engagement consists solely of writing. Even that client recently approached me about expanding into project management and operational support.
When you become a trusted advisor rather than a single-service provider, your relationship with clients often changes. For example, I may begin working with an author as a developmental editor. Later, that same client may need help creating a marketing plan, navigating the publishing process, organizing a launch strategy, or coordinating outside vendors.
Similarly, a business client might initially hire me for content creation but later need assistance with project management, operational systems, freelancer coordination, or strategic planning. The result is a stronger relationship built around solving problems rather than delivering a single product.
Many of these relationships also tend to last longer. One of my current fractional CMO engagements is entering its sixth year. I’m harder to “let go” because I represent a big part of their marketing or operational plan.
The AI Opportunity for Writers and Editors
Artificial intelligence is often framed as a threat to writers and editors. While it has certainly changed the landscape, it has also created new opportunities. Nearly every client I work with wants guidance on AI. They want to know when to use it, how to use it, and where its limitations exist.
Because writers understand language, nuance, audience, and quality, we are uniquely positioned to help clients make informed decisions. In many cases, AI can help generate rough draft outlines, frequently asked questions, or ideas. In other situations, particularly when technical expertise, legal accuracy, brand voice, or strategic messaging are involved, human oversight remains essential. Lean into that. People trust me for my advice on this because I can show them where AI’s limits are and what’s at stake. Especially in the publishing world, many new authors don’t know what they should not be doing with AI, so I’ve had a lot of conversations about that with prospective clients who see me as a trusted ally from day one because I steered them away from dangerous waters.
Clients increasingly need someone who can explain the difference between what AI does well and where it really doesn’t belong at all. Same goes for conversations around software vs. people. That advisory role represents a significant opportunity for experienced professionals.
Build Multiple Referral Pathways
One final advantage of expanding your services is that it creates multiple referral channels.
Today, a significant percentage of my business comes through referrals. Some people refer me for fractional leadership work. Others refer me for book coaching, developmental editing, content strategy, or publishing guidance. Because I offer several complementary services, there are more opportunities for people to think of me when a need arises. That doesn’t mean you should offer everything. It means you should thoughtfully consider where your expertise can solve additional problems.
Moving Forward
The future of independent writing and editing doesn’t require abandoning the work you love. For many of us, however, it may require thinking more broadly about how we apply our expertise.
The strongest opportunities often exist just beyond the services we currently offer. By listening to client needs, exploring adjacent skills, and testing new offerings thoughtfully, writers and editors can create more resilient businesses while continuing to build careers centered on communication, creativity, flexibility, and problem-solving.
Laura Pennington Briggs
NAIWE’s Business of Writing Expert
Laura Pennington Briggs is the founder and CEO of the Freelance Coach. A three-time TEDx speaker on how freelancing is changing the economy, Laura has helped over 15,000 freelancers start and scale their businesses. She’s an expert on systems, project and client management, marketing a solopreneur business, delegating to team members, retainers, and developing multiple income streams for writers of all stripes. Laura is the author of five books, including the Six-Figure Freelancer, How to Start Your Own Freelance Writing Business, and award-winning Remote Work for Military Spouses. She’s currently preparing to defend her dissertation for her doctorate in business administration.
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