The first time that Julia Furlan tried freelancing, she only earned $14,000/year, but she gained valuable skills from the experience and has more success freelancing.
Furlan, alongside Monica Castillo, imparted tips for freelancing.
Monica Castillo and Julia Furlan advise attendees on getting started in freelancing at the Excellence in Journalism conference in San Antonio on Sept. 6. (RTDNAPhoto/Sarah Al-Arshani)

Do not work for free, not even in the beginning. Beyond the financial toll, Furlan explained that working for free has an emotional toll.