It takes time. My first accidental client came after a failed startup I was pitching around NYC. Weeks after we closed shop, Someone asked if I knew a develop

It takes time. My first accidental client came after a failed startup I was pitching around NYC. Weeks after we closed shop, Someone asked if I knew a developer who was looking for work on the side. I said yes, and I took on the project. If you are a developer, your friends should at least know that you are a developer. Start from there. Giving talks at meetup groups is also a huge plus. I think a key thing is that people need to know you do or are at least looking for contract work. If your goal is to find contract work, I highly suggest your linkedin profile list your job title as Freelance Software Developer or something similar if your primary job doesn't monitor your linkedin profiles.