How to Get a Cash Fix and Push Your Career at the Same Time

Freelancing in China often means living hand-to-mouth, so writers should be on the look out for ways to make a little extra money in ways that are more career-helpful than the ever-tempting English-teaching route. Peter Hessler got his start by working as a clipper, clipping relevant stories out of newspapers and filing them for reference. Clipping is now obsolete, but freelancers should also keep their eyes open for other opportunities at publications.

Although clipping's now in the grave, one opportunity is still available: copy-editing duty. I recently got a phone call from an editor I often work with looking for help with copy-editing duty. Pay wasn't great: 100 RMB an hour--half what I could get for teaching English. Yet the job has a huge benefit over teaching English: it's useful experience to get to know the style usage of the magazine, improve copy-editing skills, and to get to know the people at the magazine better.

It should be easiest to get copy-editing duty with editors that you've written for previously, but don't just wait for editors to call you. Send an email asking if they use outside copy-editors and say that you're interested in signing up if they do. It won't automatically make you the next Peter Hessler, but it will be helpful to your career--and it just might mean one less week of living hand-to-mouth.