My best advice is to get involved in your (platform here) local user groups. Not only are they a great source for networking, it's a target-rich environment and projects expect to pay a reasonable rate for freelancers.

You don't have to wait for a meeting - most groups have a mailing list / discussion group. You can introduce yourself and tell them openly that you're looking for work. You can also sign up for (your platform here) groups on LinkedIn. I signed-up for a few and received several "cold calls" for work within a week.