|
Making
it as a Freelancer Journalist
Yes, it is possible.
By Sreenath
Sreenivasan
(writing samples at sree.net)
These tips and
thoughts are garnered from my experience (as a freelancer and an assigning
editor), from talking to editors and freelancers and from attending countless
panels.
Send in your own tips
You will be fully credited; include a line or two about
yourself
Top
Tips | Pitching | Web sites
| Rates |
Reference
works | Tools | Notes from Writers
Panel
Top
Tips
- There
are lots of assignments out there. You have to know where to look. Thanks
to growth in the Internet and the trade press, there are plenty of places
that don't want to hire full-time writers.
- One obvious
place is Writer's
Market, the "listing of 8,000 editors who buy what you write,"
from the Writer's Digest
folks. Or go to the site of your favorite publication and look for writer's
guidelines. There's a bunch online at Writers'
Guidelines Database.
- Join a
journalists networking group. There are so many kinds out there for
every type of interest; there's at least one for you. Attend meetings,
meet editors, meet reporters. Your contacts will be a good source of
future assignments. Guaranteed. Here's a list of U.S.
journalism organizations: every kind of journalist--travel writers
to cat writers to music writers.
- Create
a peronal homepage and an online resume. You will save postage costs
of mailing clips and stand out from the crowd. Some tips
on setting up a personal Web site. Nowadays, I just send an e-mail
and include my URL: www.sree.net,
which has several of my clips and a bio.
[ Top
]
Pitching
an Idea
- Try to
learn as much as possible about the style of the publication you are
writing for before you send your query. Try to read at least a few recent
issues.
- Be professional
with your editors.
- Use e-mail/fax/snail-mail
to make initial contact with them.
- Nothing
worse than cold-calling a busy editor
[ Top
]
Web
sites for the Freelancer
Rates
Freelance
writing rates vary so much it's hard to keep track... Now that the dot-com
boom is over, prices have come down, since there are fewer places to
publish. Here are some articles with guidelines:
Reference
works--What
I have on my desk and use several times a week
- The Merriam-Webster
Instant Speller
- Random
House College Dictionary
- The Associated
Press Stylebook
- The New
York Times Manual of Style & Usage
- Roget's
International Thesaurus
- The World
Almanac
- Writer's
Market 2000
[ Top
]
Tools
I use
- Microsoft
Word: of course (but I try not to use attachments)
- Timelogger:
Keep track of tasks
and phone calls and billable hours
- Microsoft
Internet Explorer 6.0
- Web site
with stories
See personal sites
of journalists
- Macromedia
Dreamweaver: Web authoring software
- Photoshop:
image editing software
- Interland/Host
Pro site hosting
[ Top
]
Notes
from New York Financial Writers Association
panel
New York Financial Writers Association
March 22, 1999
Getting that first assignment is the hardest
part. After that it can become routine.
More freelancing opportunities out there
than ever before.
Technology makes it easier for both editors
and freelancers to communicate with each other.
The industry getting more flexible, so
needs flexible people.
It is difficult to make a living doing
a lot of little pieces--look for bigger stories and bigger assignments
with bigger checks.
What editors are looking for:
- Good,
dependable writers, who deliver on time, every time.
- People who can work on different topics
within a field.
- Long-term relationships with their writers.
International freelancing: Lots of interest
in international stories. If you are planning to pack your bags &
go overseas for a while, tell some editors where you are going to be.
The less journalists there are where you are going, the more likely it
is that you can get assignments.
ERIC C. GONON
Supervising producer, CNN FN
I know you can make a good living freelancing.
Pays per hour & per diem
Lots of full-time freelancers
Uses a lot of freelance print journalists trying to make the switch
More opportunities for those willing to coming in very early in the morning.
Has positions for entry-level production assistants
cnnfn.com has need for fill-in copy editors
Best way to make a pitch: snail mail, with
follow-up calls
Don't be afraid to be persistent.
Pay: Starts at $20/hr
ALLEN R. MYERSON
Deputy Sunday business editor, The New York Times
Because NYT is such a heavily edited paper,
handing in your copy is only two-thirds of your work. You may have to
do a lot of re-reporting and rewriting, answering questions the editors
have.
Always open to new ideas, especially for
the 900-word profiles in the Sunday "Money & Business" section.
Prefers what you do is exclusively offered
to the NYT first.
Pay $75 - $1,000 for a sunday biz
cover story
EMILY PLISHNER
Senior editor, Journal of Accountancy & a freelancer herself
Needs a lot of freelancers. As long as
I can trust your reporting.
Most freelancers don't listen or follow
instructions.
Don't get bent out of shape if we edit
the heck out of your copy.
We print e-mail addresses. We expect people
with the bylines to get their facts right.
Don't pay expenses.
Pays $1 a word
HOWARD R. GOLSON
Editor. Barron's Online
Need freelancers on occasion.
Big issue is finding good people
Depend heavily on recommendations from
others.
Internet has changed everything
Print& TV will continue to fine
Brevity without sacrificing quality.
News is a commodity online. Add value by
providing analysis.
Pays $750 for the 900-word pieces
sree.net
> tips > freelancing tips
|
