Know people. 99% of the freelance/consultants I know that are doing ok are doing ok through personal relationships they've cultivated either through their care

Know people. 99% of the freelance/consultants I know that are doing ok are doing ok through personal relationships they've cultivated either through their career or through freelancing for a good long while or both. You talk to enough people and you will hear the same story over and over. How do you get to know people? Get out there and work. Do projects and do them well. Contribute to the community, either online or better still, in person. Have a record of the cool stuff you did so that people can see it. Expect it to take a long time. Don't jump into freelancing without some of that stuff built already if you're not prepared for a long slog trying to get the pump primed. The good news is, honestly, good developers are hard as hell to find, and consultants and freelancers who ship are even more so. Lot of dudes out there cashing checks and not delivering. Breaking out of the pack isn't that hard to do. Or shouldn't be, if you're good and can push yourself over the hump.