What happens when you accept (nearly) every client

You hear it in every class, workshop, book, blog article, newsletter, and talk by anyone who has spent any time as a freelancer: “Learn to say no”, or some riff on “Don’t accept every client.”

This, to young freelancers sounds nutty because there are bills to pay. They have money and presumably you would like their money. After fifteen years I still believe this is not great advice for most freelancers in small or mid-size markets with little to no network in humble positions such as writing, web development, and graphic design.