Set Yourself Up Well for Freelancing When You’re Full-Time with Karen Given

The Writers’ Co-op

If you consume media, are a media worker, or just happen to pay attention to what’s happening to the media landscape, you might have heard that the industry is having… a bad time, to say the least. Hundreds of reporters and media employees have been laid off this year as newsrooms are shutting down or downsizing.

Some who are affected by these cuts try to move on to another full-time job, but other times, a layoff can lead to the freelance life.

In this episode, Wudan is joined by guest co-host Karen Given

Karen is a freelance audio journalist, host, producer, editor, and voice coach based near Boston, MA. You can follow her on Twitter here. After more than 20 years working for WBUR and NPR’s “Only a Game,” she was laid off during the pandemic.

Karen chose freelancing after having a full-time job for decades and gives advice for others to do the same. She helps create a game plan for full-timers to consider. Karen and Wudan talk about maintaining relationships, understanding the freelance market, building your own brand and so much more.

Resources:

• Because of the state of media right now, the worksheet for this episode will be available for free
• Our ⁠Layoff to Freelance Survival Guide⁠, which combines multiple resources on business planning, coming up with potential clients, and more, for those who are considering freelancing after getting laid off
• A free worksheet on processing your layoff⁠
• Join us on ⁠Patreon⁠ for access to our newsletters and Slack channel—a great place to find work, get advice, and meet other freelancers
• Check out all our courses, worksheets, and webinars on our ⁠website⁠
• If you’re just getting started with your freelance business, you’ll want to check out our freelance business courses at The Writers’ Co-op Academy on building your business plan and navigating and negotiating contracts: https://the-writers-co-op-academy.teachable.com/