The short answer is yes, but there is some good news.
Where Did The Writing Jobs Go?
At the start of Covid-19, there were mass calls for articles about the pandemic. There were also mass layoffs, and more people than ever decided to try their hands at being a freelance writer. After all, it is a comfortable work-from-home job if you are persistent.
With more people trying to break into freelance writing, popular paying markets got flooded with submissions. Suddenly, websites that payed for articles before the pandemic found that there were plenty of people willing to not get paid just so they could get published.
A few of the places I used to write for stopped paying writers and two of the sites I used to write for switched to paying their established writers while not paying the new writers emerging onto the scene.
Finally, a large number of publishers, from magazines and newsletters to paying websites, closed their doors forever. They could not survive the economic downfall and went under completely.
What Do Freelance Writers Do Now?
A large number of my colleagues have turned to other markets, such as Medium, to scrape together some cash. But even that market is saturated with newcomers.
Any contracted writing positions are claimed as soon as they are posted on the job boards, and many people are accepting writing gigs that barely pay a pauper’s salary.
For the moment, finding work as a freelance writer is hyper-competitive. But, writers who venture out on their own are finding some success.
Up From The Ashes
Because so many publishers went under during the pandemic, there are now more opportunities to start up one’s own podcasts, blogs, websites, magazines, newsletters, and even a YouTube channel. Sure, the competition is still fierce, but when you create your own business, your destiny is in your hands.
I was fortunate enough to build up residual incomes from multiple sources over the years, plus have this blog and a YouTube channel so that when the shutdowns hit, I was still bringing in income.
If you find yourself out of work, use your new found time to create your own brand, to grow into your own niche, and to explore the multiple ways to not only make an immediate income, but to also build a residual income that will pay you each month for the years to come.
