8 Things I Do When Freelance Writing Slows Down in the Summer

Summer can feel strange as a freelance writer.

One minute your calendar is overflowing with deadlines and client calls, and the next thing suddenly slow down a bit.

And that can feel stressful at first. You’re excited to be busy and working (and making money) so when it dries up, you don’t know what to think or do.

But over the years, I’ve realized summer slowdowns are actually pretty common in freelance writing.

A lot of companies slow down during the summer because teams are taking vacations, launches get pushed to fall, and decision-makers are simply less active.

Even the Freelancers Union has stated that many freelancers experience a slowdown, and the American Translators Association shared that July and August were consistently some of the slowest months in their freelance business data.

And, I’ve noticed this pattern in my own business too.

Some summers stay busy while others feel lighter and manageable.

The first year I became a freelance writer I was worried for the summer slump, but it never happened. I stayed busy with writing.

But over the years it changed and instead of panicking during slower weeks, I use that time to catch up on the parts of my business that usually get neglected during busier seasons.

Summer Is Busy in Other Ways Too

Ironically, while freelance writing work can slow down a little in the summer, life gets much busier for me personally.

Right now my son has baseball and he’s also working as an umpire this summer.

My daughter has track and softball all through the season too.

Then on top of that, my son also has hockey camps and tennis camps mixed into the calendar.

And honestly, between sports schedules alone, I sometimes feel like I live in my car during the summer.

Then add traveling, family plans, and house renovations into the mix.

We’re digging up our driveway and patio to replace them, and we also completely dug up our backyard and need to landscape the whole thing.

So while freelance work may slow down a little during the summer, life definitely does not.

That’s actually one reason I’ve learned to appreciate slower freelance seasons more now.

Because when work eases up a bit, it gives me breathing room to finally tackle all the business housekeeping tasks that usually get neglected during busier client months.

So here are the main things I focus on during slower summer weeks as a freelance writer.

Psst….while reading this, think of me DOING these things outside basking in the sun and sipping a fruity drink!

1. I Check All the Links on My Portfolio Page

Did you know that clients can remove your paid article from ther blog or change the author to “team?”

Yeah, I didn’t know that or even have that thought in my brain for years and years of being a freelance writer….until it became a thought.

One time I clicked an old portfolio sample I ended up discovering:

the page disappeared
the client redesigned their website
my byline vanished
the article now redirects somewhere random

This can happen to you too!

And if a prospective client clicks your portfolio and lands on broken links or 404 pages, it doesn’t exactly create confidence.

So during slower weeks, I go through every single portfolio sample and test the links manually.

If a clip disappeared completely, I have to remove it. It upsets me but it’s got to be done.

Sometimes I can use the Wayback Machine to find old articles and take a screenshot of them like I had to with Walmart.

2. I Update My Writing Samples

This is a good time to add any new client pieces you have and add it to your website.

For me I’ll also update the titles and reorganize my samples while I’m there.

Sometimes I remove older pieces that no longer represent the kind of work I want to attract.

Other times I update descriptions or catergorize samples better by niche or service.

Recently I consolidated a lot of my email marketing and social media marketing under the umbrella of, “digital marketing” on my portfolio page.

This just made it easier for clients to see everything.

And over the summer, I can tweak and modify as much as I want!

3. I Review My Pitches

One thing I’ve started doing during slower summer weeks is reviewing my older freelance writing pitches.

After years of freelancing, I realized certain types of pitches consistently lead to better clients, better projects, and higher-paying work.

So instead of blindly sending random pitches forever, I like looking back at what actually worked.

I use a the pitch tracker in my Writeto1k course to help me with this.

It helps me see things like:

which pitches got responses
which clients turned into long-term work
which niches converted best
which types of emails led to discovery calls
where my highest-paying clients originally came from

Sometimes I’ll notice patterns I completely missed before.

For example, I may realize shorter pitches performed better. Or that certain industries responded more consistently. Or that warm-style pitches converted better than overly formal ones.

So slower seasons are a great time to step back, analyze what’s actually been effective in your freelance business, and improve your pitching strategy moving forward.

4. I Refresh My LinkedIn Profile

I treat LinkedIn like an active part of my freelance writing business now.

Not just a profile I created years ago and forgot about (like I WAS doing before).

So during slower weeks, I’ll:

add new clients
update project descriptions
refresh my headline
remove outdated information
add newer accomplishments or expertise
change my headshot
update my LinkedIn banner

Because clients absolutely check LinkedIn before hiring freelance writers now, especially in 2026.

And, you know what? Some writing gigs have come directly from simply keeping my profile current and active.

5. I Do a Full Website Review

This is one of those tasks that gets ignored the second client work gets busy, amiright?

Because somehow your own website always becomes the last priority.

So during slower weeks, I go page by page through my website looking for outdated information, broken links, typos and anything that doesn’t fit my brand.

Sometimes I’ll even realize my positioning has shifted and certain pages no longer match the kind of clients I actually want to attract now.

That’s usually my sign it’s time for an update…and a rate increase!

6. I Catch Up on Accounting

This is NOT glamorous but necessary.

When freelance work gets busy, accounting becomes one of those “I’ll do it later” tasks until suddenly you’re buried in receipts and trying to remember what random subscription you signed up for three months ago.

So slower summer weeks are usually when I finally sit down and manage my income. I will review invoices, update spreadsheets, log expenses and prepare things for taxes.

It’s not exciting work but future me is always grateful I did it!

7. I Update My Blog

Confession time –

My blog can absolutely get neglected when client work gets heavy.

By the end of a full writing day, sometimes I just don’t have the energy left to write for myself too.

And I know a lot of freelance writers feel the same way.

So when my calendar lightens up during the summer, I try to use that extra space to revisit older blog posts and update them.

Sometimes I:

improve SEO
refresh outdated information
update screenshots
rewrite introductions
add newer examples
update links and dates

And occasionally I finally write one of those blog post ideas that’s been sitting in my notes app forever!

Honestly, slower seasons can end up helping your freelance business more than you realize.

8. I Plan Ahead for Fall Client Work

One thing I’ve learned after years of freelance writing is that fall gets busy fast.

So during slower summer weeks, I try to prepare ahead instead of waiting until September chaos hits.

This is the time where I brainstorm future blog content ideas, update my services page, tweak my pitches (if need be), create a new LOI, and research new start ups.

I also like using quieter weeks to think bigger about my business.

When client work is nonstop, it’s hard to step back and think strategically because you’re focused on deadlines and deliverables all day.

But slower seasons give me space to ask what type of clients do I actually enjoy working with? Should I offer another type of service?

Some of my best business decisions happened during slower seasons because I finally had enough breathing room to think clearly again.

And since life gets incredibly busy for me in the summer with kids sports, camps, travel, and home renovations happening constantly, I’ve learned that using quieter work weeks intentionally helps me feel much more prepared once fall arrives and client work ramps back up again.