by Joe Wallace

A good post at FreelanceWritingGigs offers some advice on how to scoop up some extra freelance writing jobs when you are between gigs. But there’s a little secret you might not find mentioned in other posts that could put you in a completely different place financially when you find those freelance projects scarce in your favorite places.

I’m talking about signing up for creative temp agencies like Artisan, or FILTER. These agencies are often regional–Artisan serves a select group of major cities only, for example. They are also highly selective in some cases, but for those who make the cut, the pay can be phenomenal.

I once had to turn down a very lucrative $40-an-hour fulltime temp gig–three weeks worth of eight hour days (you do the math) as an editor for a very well-known dot com because I was otherwise engaged. That $40 fee was actually a bit on the lower end of the scale. Good freelancers can earn $55 and hour or higher depending on the gig, qualifications and other factors.

What’s the key to landing your resume with one of these creative staffing agencies? Experience, good clips, and a way with people. Be personable, charming and available and you could find yourself picking up lots of good work in between the gigs you do for those regular clients.