Working for yourself as a writer, designer, or other creative professional is extremely satisfying. It's also lucrative, if you can face the reality that you're responsible for how much work you do. Your aim as a freelancer is to be happy, constantly employed, but not overwhelmed, so that you're making more money than you would be making if you were working for someone else.

You can avoid under-employment as a freelance creative professional if you compartmentalize the creation of products, and the selling of your services. These two activities demand different mindsets. Schedule both activities, and do them at different times of the day or week.

Set aside a couple of hours each day, or each week if you're moonlighting in your own business, to promote yourself and your services so you can build up work-orders. Over time, you'll learn how much work you need to have lined up in order to feel comfortable.

Here's how to stay as busy as you want to be:

=> Step One: Create a marketing package

You need a marketing package on hand that you can send out to prospective clients immediately, as soon as they enquire.

What your marketing package contains is up to you. Here are some ideas:

* a short bio (100 words max) with a photo. Note: you're a consultant not a potential employee, so you don