Interview #29: How Cassidy Randall Makes Money Writing

In this interview, Cassidy shares how landing a book deal helped her step off the freelance treadmill and focus on big projects.

Cassidy Randall has written for Rolling Stone, National Geographic, The New York Times, and beyond. But even with those bylines, the hustle hasn’t disappeared. Her career spans longform journalism, co-authoring major nonfiction books, branded content, and consulting work. She’s also the author of the new survival epic Thirty Below, which marks her shift toward bigger projects—trading volume for focus (and a bit of sanity).

In this interview, Cassidy gets real about the burnout of pitching, the rollercoaster of freelance rates, and why having a big project like a book can offer both creative freedom and financial breathing room. If you’re trying to navigate the unpredictable world of longform journalism and nonfiction writing, this one’s for you.

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• What you do: Author and freelance writer, writing on adventure, environment, and people expanding human potential.

• Years writing professionally: 10

• Earnings range: $40k–$70k per year. I should/could be making more, sure. But I mostly get to write what I want to, and I know that can come with a sacrifice in income.

Cassidy, your writing career spans journalism, co-authoring, and now authoring a major nonfiction book. What does your current income mix look like across these different streams of work?

Over the last few years, book advances and well-paying longform make up the bulk of my income. I used to be able to make good money hustling a ton of freelance journalism and branded content—but I’m pretty burned out on the hustle. 

What was your first paid writing assignment, and how long did it take before you felt like you could rely on writing as a primary income source?

It was for Backpacker in 2015. I wrote on the side of marketing for environmental and public lands organizations until about the end of 2019, when I wanted to see if I could support myself by just writing. When COVID hit in 2020, I lost a lot of work, as did most people. Luckily my first book deal came in 2021.