How to freelance without going broke

We asked six prolific freelance journalists how they make it work

By Arielle Domb

There’s no way around it: making a living from freelance journalism has gone from bad to worse. With gutted editorial teams, slashed budgets and stagnant (or decreasing) rates, making a healthy living off writing articles alone can feel like a Sisyphean feat. But it is possible – and succeeding has as much to do with wrapping your head around the business of freelancing as it does with your talent as a writer.

We asked six of the UK’s most prolific freelance journalists about how they’re making it work, from rate negotiation to invoice chasing to audience-building. Here’s what we learned.

To freelance or not to freelance?

If you’re considering leaving a staff job or taking the leap from another industry, it’s realistically a good idea to have savings or some sort of financial backup. “I saved six months in an emergency financial buffer and put that in a high-interest savings account,” says Zing Tsjeng, freelance journalist, documentary host, podcaster, author and former editor in chief of VICE and VICE UK.

She recommends having a “minimum of three months of emergency savings” before making the leap to freelance. It’s worth factoring in costs that will no longer be covered, from transcription services to magazine subscriptions to international phone calls. “Expenses just really add up and I think people should probably know that before they go freelance.”

If you don’t have savings or some form of financial safety net, it may be worth looking into journalism grants, especially if you have a particular long-term project in mind. “I got a grant from UC Berkeley for their psychedelic journalism fellowship in 2024 which was very helpful,” says Mattha Busby, a freelance journalist whose work has been published in VICE, Time, Rolling Stone and more.