Made No Money This Month Freelancing? Here’s What To Do Next

If you’ve clicked on this page, you’re likely stressed.

Realising you’ve made no money this month freelancing is enough to send anyone into panic mode.

Please don’t think I’m rubbing salt in the wound. I’ve also searched this topic numerous times, and moments like these are the reason I started The Freelance Balance in the first place.

I still get quiet moments to this day, but the difference is, I now know how to drum up work and end the silent spell.

Whether you’ve made no money freelance writing or haven’t seen an Upwork client in ages, this blog is for you. We look at why you’ve made no money, what to do, and even how to make $1,000 in one month of freelancing.

I hope this gives you some inspiration, because you have got this!

When You Make No Money Freelancing, Remember You’re Not Alone

As I mentioned in the intro, when you make no money freelancing you need to remember that it’s normal and not necessarily a reflection of you. I started this site in a month where I had zero work. And now, one year later, I’m back in business with a full client roster.

I know, I know, you want some instant tips to get clients. First of all, nothing is instant, but we’ll get to these further on in the article. (You can scroll, it’s ok!)

Before you get to work, it’s key to address any feelings having no work brings up. It’s easy to spiral into self-doubt or wonder if freelancing was a mistake.

Dry months happen for everyone. Maybe a big client ended a contract, maybe the platform slowed down, or maybe you took a well-deserved break and are now rebuilding momentum. None of those mean you’re bad at what you do.

Make sure you’re not internalising the quiet months, or this may impact your career in the future.

Why You Had A Low Income Month As A Freelancer

There are many reasons you might face a stretch of no freelance work for months. Knowing why it’s happening helps you respond strategically instead of emotionally.

Here are some factors to consider before making a plan:

Seasonality. Clients often freeze budgets around holidays or the end of fiscal quarters.
Platform visibility. Sites like Upwork or Fiverr constantly tweak algorithms, which can lower your proposal reach for a while.
Over-reliance on one client. Losing a big retainer can make your income drop overnight.
Pitching burnout. You might simply be tired of sending proposals that go nowhere, so outreach slows down.

Getting Through With No Money Freelancing

Now let’s face the elephant in the room. Not everyone has a huge savings account they can rely on when work dries up.

Sadly, survival mode is part of freelancing too. Everyone talks about landing high-paying clients, but you rarely see LinkedIn posts about the weeks when rent is due and the invoices haven’t cleared.

Be aware that I’m not a financial expert. However, I have faced this issue before. Here’s how to protect yourself financially during a dry spell:

Use your emergency fund strategically. If you’ve set aside even a small cushion and cover essentials only (housing, food, utilities) and track every expense until income restarts.
Take on temporary or part-time work. A short-term contract, tutoring gig, or local side job doesn’t mean you’ve “failed” at freelancing. It keeps cash flowing while you rebuild your client base. I’ve worked in a craft beer bar while writing. It happens.
Pause nonessential expenses. Cancel subscriptions and memberships you don’t urgently need. Even $50 saved a month gives you breathing room for groceries.
Ask for extended payment terms or help if needed. Many landlords and banks will work with you if you reach out early and explain the situation. Don’t wait until you’re behind.
Keep marketing gently, even while surviving. It’s tempting to disappear until things improve, but even one or two outreach messages a week can plant seeds that bloom when you’re back on your feet. We’ll go into this more below.

Take Stock Before You Panic

Rushed actions can harm your freelance business in the long-term.

I’m guilty of panic-reacting, and if you’ve already sent a million desperate pitches, it’s OK. You’re only human. But this isn’t the best way to react.

Before rushing to apply for fifty new jobs, pause and audit your current setup. Look at your past month objectively:

How many proposals did you actually send?
How many were personalized?
Which clients gave repeat work before — and have you checked in with them?

These days, I’m in a position where people pitch to me! However, very few send thoughtful pitches. My website and email address have my name in them. Sending me an email without my name is a big No-No.

I’m also getting more AI pitches these days. Now, I’m not anti-AI completely, but I can spot lazy prompts. Why would I hire a writer who hasn’t written anything?

So, if you’re going to pitch, put yourself in the recipient’s shoes. What kind of email would get your attention? (for the right reasons!)

In addition, use this quiet period to review your profile, rewrite your bio, or update samples. Chip away at the list slowly. Keep on movin’!

How To Make $1000 in One Month Freelancing

When you’re starting freelancing or desperate for clients, $1,000 often seems like the magic number.

If you at least make $1,000, everything will be alright. At least, this is how I felt when I started out as a freelancer.

Ignore those braggarts on LinkedIn and Reddit posting about $10,000 months. When you’re behind on income, your goal is to create short-term movement.

Here are simple, realistic ways to make $1,000 in one month freelancing:

Reconnect with past clients. Send a short message offering a small, helpful deliverable. Depending on your niche, this could be an audit, refresh, or update. Many clients prefer hiring someone they already trust.
Create mini-offers. Instead of waiting for big projects, sell short packages like “3 blog rewrites” or “LinkedIn bio makeovers.”
Look outside platforms. Post your availability on LinkedIn, Facebook groups, or local networks. Sometimes the fastest clients come from warm leads. I’ve also seen a lot of freelancers finding clients on Instagram these days.
Pitch consistently. I rely on pitching, but the key to pitches is knowing that 99% of people won’t reply. Just keep doing it and you will connect with a client. It sucks to hear this, but this is genuinely the truth (in my experience). I am for 3 pitches per day.

Some guides will tell you to sell unused assets. For example, writers can repurpose old drafts or templates into Notion packs, e-books, or other digital resources. I hate to be negative, but this only works if you already have an audience.

And as a side note: Don’t spend money on paid guides that tell you how to make money. There’s lots of free information on Reddit. Most of these are scams.

When a Client Hasn’t Paid You

Maybe your zero income month isn’t due to a lack of work, but rather a client that hasn’t paid you. This is also frustrating, but you don’t need me to tell you that.

One of the hardest parts of freelancing is chasing unpaid invoices. I’ve had invoices go over 90+ days late. And that’s not even that late compared to freelancers who wait for 6+ months!

If a client still hasn’t paid you, here’s how to handle it calmly and firmly:

Follow up in writing. A polite reminder like, “Hey [Name], just checking in — I haven’t seen payment for [Project]. Could you confirm the transfer date?” keeps it professional.
Know the platform’s policy. Upwork, Fiverr, and PayPal each have built-in dispute or mediation systems. Use them early if needed.
Set boundaries for next time. Always use contracts or milestone payments before starting large projects.

I’ve noticed that every time I’ve had payment issues, it’s been with a client that’s given me a bad gut feeling. I agree, you shouldn’t base business decisions on gut feelings, but if you’ve noticed red flags, take a closer look before you sign the contract.

How To Avoid Quiet Months Forever

Okay, forever isn’t guaranteed. However, once you stabilize, you can focus on building a stronger pipeline so this doesn’t happen again.

Too many freelancers get steady work and then stop marketing and pitching. This is a sure way to book a quiet month in the future.

Start by refreshing your portfolio and niching down your messaging. For example, if you’re a writer, specify who you write for — “SEO blog writer for B2B brands” is more powerful than “content writer.”

Batch your outreach so it becomes routine. Send three personalized proposals a day or reach out to five to ten past clients each month. Schedule marketing time like you would client work.

Even when I’m busy, I show up on LinkedIn and I send out emails to my past clients every quarter. If you’ve been brought up to be polite and discrete, this will feel like you’re being annoying. But when done professionally, it’s normal and nothing to feel awkward about.

Last Thoughts

There’s so much to say about months where you make no money freelancing, and here we’ve just outlined the basics. I hope this blog has helped you, even if you’re not a freelance writer, these tips can transfer to most niches.

For my final tip, don’t be afraid to speak to other freelancers. There are excellent communities online (e.g., on Reddit r/freelance) which can help you find your way. Seriously, don’t sleep on these forum posts.

Good luck out there!

Have more questions? Read more on The Freelance Balance blog.