From your network, and everybody has a network. However, you need to make sure that your network knows that you're available.
So: email everyone you know (also non-programmers) a 4-sentence email that you're now a contractor. Explicitly list the domains and technologies you can "hit the ground running" at, and focus on those. People need to be able to see you as "a great Java programmer" or "a great iOS programmer". People have a hard time wrapping their minds around "a great generalist" so don't make that pitch.
Set a high rate from the start. Ask around what's common in your area and go a bit above average - some of your peers are likely charging to little. You'll find that customers don't typically negotiate rates - instead they'll just assume that this must be what a proper contractor costs. You might miss a customer that way, but that's the customer you don't want, the kind of customer that will make you regret contracting. Time-sensitive customers are ok (after all, that's what you sell right? hitting the ground running?). Avoid price-sensitive customers, they're hell.
Sell by the day or week. Not by the project, cause projects always blow up and you don't want to take that risk.
Yeah seems reasonable, nothing wrong with going through a recruiter, it can just be harder to find the interesting work as recruiters. But a good recruiter is definitely a useful thing to have and it can’t hurt to reach out, if just to get a sense of the market. It can also be worth emailing companies you’d like to work with (e.g. interesting or nearby) with a quick note offering your services. Even if they aren’t hiring permanent sometimes there’s budget for a contractor.
So: email everyone you know (also non-programmers) a 4-sentence email that you're now a contractor. Explicitly list the domains and technologies you can "hit the ground running" at, and focus on those. People need to be able to see you as "a great Java programmer" or "a great iOS programmer". People have a hard time wrapping their minds around "a great generalist" so don't make that pitch.
Set a high rate from the start. Ask around what's common in your area and go a bit above average - some of your peers are likely charging to little. You'll find that customers don't typically negotiate rates - instead they'll just assume that this must be what a proper contractor costs. You might miss a customer that way, but that's the customer you don't want, the kind of customer that will make you regret contracting. Time-sensitive customers are ok (after all, that's what you sell right? hitting the ground running?). Avoid price-sensitive customers, they're hell.
Sell by the day or week. Not by the project, cause projects always blow up and you don't want to take that risk.
That's it, really.