Freelance writing is a tough job, and it’s getting tougher every day. With the proliferation of news outlets and their resulting need for good content, the competition among freelance journalists and writers has never been fiercer.
Add to that the constantly changing tastes of media consumers, not to mention technology that’s ever-evolving and harder to keep up with, and you’ve got your work cut out for you as a freelance writer in 2020. So how do you navigate all this uncertainty without going insane?
The first step is getting a good mentor. In today’s article, I’ll provide some tips for finding a mentor who can help you navigate the constantly shifting journalism industry. I’ll also point out some common pitfalls to avoid along the way.
| Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. Research the journalism industry and understand its dynamics. |
| 2. Develop strong writing skills and hone your storytelling abilities. |
| 3. Build a diverse and compelling portfolio showcasing your writing samples. |
| 4. Network with professionals in the industry and build valuable connections. |
| 5. Stay updated on industry trends and continuously improve your skills. |
| 6. Identify potential clients and pitch your ideas or work to them. |
| 7. Stay motivated and disciplined in managing deadlines and meeting client expectations. |
| 8. Consider joining online platforms and job boards specific to freelance writing in journalism. |
| 9. Be adaptable and open to exploring various subjects and formats. |
| 10. Seek feedback, learn from constructive criticism, and continuously grow as a freelance journalist. |
Get A College Degree (Or Don’t)
You don’t need a college degree to become a freelance writer. There are plenty of writers who have no formal training in journalism, and many who work exclusively for themselves. However, having a college degree does make it easier to get jobs as a freelance journalist.
Many employers prefer hiring people with degrees because it demonstrates that you’ve spent time learning how to research and write nonfiction texts independently (and often without the help of an instructor).
While no guarantee having an English major will make you more successful as a writer, it can give you some advantage over applicants who didn’t go through this process.
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Find An Internship
Finding an internship is a great way to get your foot in the door and build up your experience. Not only will you be able to learn about what it takes to work in journalism, but it’s also a great way to build relationships with industry professionals.
Many media outlets are now hiring interns directly after graduation because they have the necessary experience and skills that it takes for them to hit the ground running without any additional training or time spent “on-the-job learning.”
Take Freelance Jobs Where You Can Get Them
If you want to become a freelance writer, you need to start taking jobs. There’s no way around it. This might sound obvious, but I know many people who have struggled with this step because they are too picky about the types of writing jobs they accept.
I remember when I first started freelancing and my main concern was that the pay was low and the deadlines were tight but looking back on those projects now.
I’m grateful for them because they taught me so much about how to be an effective freelancer and how not to waste anyone’s time (i.e., myself).
When someone offers you work, don’t say no just because it doesn’t seem like an ideal situation or there aren’t many opportunities for advancement in your field just yet (or ever). Instead of focusing on problems with your current job offer, think about what opportunities it does provide:
You’ll have a chance to build up skills in specific areas where there might be fewer opportunities available later on; plus you’ll get paid right away since starting as an independent contractor can sometimes take months before clients realize how valuable your talent is!
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Meditate On What Is Missing From Journalism Today
Many journalists are disillusioned with the state of journalism. There is a need for more voices to help shape and redefine the industry, which is in crisis due to low pay and unsustainable working conditions.
The writing community has long been dominated by white men, but there is room for change as more diverse voices emerge in response to these issues.
The lack of diversity among journalists means that many stories are not being told or written about people who do not look like them or who have different experiences than they do.
This can lead to a lack of understanding and empathy between communities, which creates misunderstandings and even distrust between groups (especially when those groups are trying to seek justice).
Don’t Forget The People Side Of Things
As a freelance writer, you need to be able to understand the needs of your clients, as well as their audience.
You’ll also need to have an understanding of the writing process so that you can support your clients’ content each step of the way. To do all these things well, you must remain flexible and open-minded when working with others.
The reason why this is so important is that it will help ensure that everyone involved in a project has an enjoyable experience.
These days many people are more likely than ever before (or at least since I started working in journalism) to spend their entire careers working remotely from home offices or coffee shops across town from their friends/coworkers/roommates/fellow freelancers who’ve chosen similar lifestyles for themselves
Stop Trying To Be A Jack-Of-All-Trades
If you want to be successful as a freelance writer, you need to focus on one area. Writing is a lot like any other skill in that it takes time, practice, and experience to get good at it.
Trying to write about everything from fashion and art to business and politics is going to dilute your knowledge base and slow down your progress as a writer.
If you’re trying desperately not only to keep up with the latest trends but also to keep up with all of them at once then your writing will suffer because of this lack of focus.
It’s better if instead of becoming an expert in everything (a jack-of-all-trades) or trying desperately not to become an expert in anything (a generalist), you focus on one particular topic or field which interests you most.
This way when someone comes looking for help writing articles on that subject they won’t have far too many options so they’ll probably end up hiring someone who has already established themselves in this niche market
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Choose Your Beat Carefully
The first step in your journey as a freelance writer is to choose the beat you want to write about.
This is an important decision because it will affect how much money you make, how much time and effort you spend on your writing career, and even how long it takes before your work starts paying off.
Selecting a beat that interests me: Because journalism doesn’t pay well and there are lots of other potential careers out there, I need to make sure that the subjects I choose to write about interest me at least somewhat.
Otherwise, working on them will feel like work rather than something fun or interesting.
Selecting a beat that engages my readers: A lot of my favorite writers do this by telling stories rather than just reporting facts they find unique angles or perspectives from which they can analyze their topic so well that people can’t put down their articles when reading them!
Find A Mentor Who’s Been There And Done That
Finding a mentor is one of the best ways to get your career off the ground. A mentor can help you with writing pitches, networking, the business side of things, and much more.
To find a good mentor, ask friends or family if they know anyone who has experience in writing (and not just online content), then reach out!
If you don’t have access to a writer in person, look for them on social media you can even use Twitter for this!
If you send them an email asking if they’d be willing to talk about their experience as a freelance journalist/writer and if there is any advice that would help beginners like yourself succeed as freelancers too then it sounds like something has already clicked between both parties.
So now all there’s left is just setting up some kind of coffee date/phone call time where everyone gets together over Skype or whatever medium works best for both parties.”
Read, Read, Read (And Write)
The best way to become a freelance writer is to read, read, and read some more. The more you know about what other writers are doing (and not doing), the better equipped you’ll be when it comes time to pitch your ideas.
Here are some ways that you can add reading into your daily routine:
Read the newspaper every morning during breakfast. Keep track of stories that catch your attention so that they can be incorporated into future writing projects.
Reading books on subjects of interest such as politics or sports anything, where there’s a lot of conversation around certain topics or events in our culture at any given moment in time, can yield great fodder for articles!
Subscribe to magazines that cover topics related to your industry (e.g., “The New Yorker” might cover national security issues while “Vogue” would likely focus on fashion trends).
Other examples include Businessweek Magazine (business) and Rolling Stone Magazine (music). These kinds of publications have been around since before computers even existed so they’re perfect places for inspiration if nothing else!
Pitch Your Ideas Wisely
Pitching ideas is the best way to land your first freelance journalism job. It’s also one of the most daunting tasks you’ll face as a writer.
When pitching, it’s important to know who it is that you’re pitching your idea to and why they would be interested in publishing it. If you’re not sure how to find out who should be reading and considering your pitches, here are some tips:
Research publications with similar topics and audiences as those you write about on social media (Twitter, Facebook) or online forums (for example Reddit).
This can help provide insight into what kinds of content they publish and which topics they cover regularly and will give an idea of what kind of tone might resonate with these outlets’ readerships.
Look up the contact information for editors at sites you’d like to write for, such as their emails or Twitter handles; try reaching out directly via email first before asking if there are opportunities available within their organization.#ENDWRITE
Don’t Expect Instant Success
As a freelance writer, you are your boss. You may be the only person in your company and that can be both liberating and scary at first. But it also means that you will have to work hard to keep yourself busy and build up a client base.
Don’t expect to make money right away; it will take time for people in your industry (and potential clients) to know who you are as well as what type of work they should hire you for. Be patient and persistent!
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Be Patient With The Process And Develop Your Skills To Become A Successful Freelance Writer In The Journalism Industry
Patience is a virtue, and it’s an important one to have when embarking on the journey to becoming a successful freelance writer in the journalism industry. Patience isn’t just about waiting for things; it’s about being patient with yourself as well.
Being impatient means that you want something done immediately and are unwilling to wait for it to happen. To be successful at any job, you’ll need patience because there will always be times when things aren’t going right or as quickly as you’d like them to.
The key here is not giving up on yourself just because things aren’t happening quickly enough, after all, time flies by!
The best way I’ve found myself able to develop better patience skills is by focusing on my goals instead of what’s going wrong in my life at any given moment (or even months).
For example: if one day I gave up on writing an article because I thought it wasn’t good enough yet but then realized later on that everyone loved it after all?
That would have been such a missed opportunity! So the next time this happens again (and trust me it will), try changing your focus from how long something takes before completing it to how much progress has been made through dedication alone instead.”
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Conclusion
So there you have it, some tips and tricks on how to become a freelance writer. Hopefully, this helped you understand what it takes to make a successful career out of writing professionally.
The best thing about being a freelancer is that you can work from anywhere at any time, making money on your schedule! All these things should help guide you towards becoming one of the top writers in journalism.
If I could leave you with one last piece of advice then it would be this: no matter what happens don’t give up because there are too many people who want their stories told! Thank you for taking the time to read this article and good luck finding success as an independent journalist
Further Reading
Here are some additional resources to further explore the topic of becoming a freelance writer in the journalism industry:
How to Become a Freelance Journalist: A Comprehensive Guide: This comprehensive guide on Indeed provides insights into the steps and skills required to become a successful freelance journalist.
How to Become a Freelance Reporter: Learn the ins and outs of freelance reporting and discover tips on how to establish yourself in the field with this informative article.
How to Become a Freelance Journalist and Build a Killer Portfolio: This Medium article offers valuable advice on becoming a freelance journalist and creating an impressive portfolio to showcase your work.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is The Difference Between “Freelance Journalist” And “Freelance Writer”?
A freelance journalist is a term that refers to anyone who writes for a publication or website, regardless of their work status. Freelance writers are typically self-employed and may or may not have formalized relationships with the publications they write for.
Do You Need To Be A Journalist To Become A Freelance Writer?
No, but it helps! Journalism is an incredibly broad field, and there are many ways to become involved in it from writing for newspapers and magazines to blogging about your interests.
Becoming a journalist means learning how to report unbiased facts that can be trusted by your readers. Freelance writing is more flexible since you don’t have as much pressure on deadlines or style guide requirements as traditional journalists do.
However, if you want to become a successful freelancer, having journalism experience will help you understand what it takes to write compelling articles that drive traffic back to your site or publication.
How Do I Become A Freelance Journalist?
You don’t. You become a freelance writer. Journalists do things like report the news and come up with ideas for stories (and write them). Writers create content not necessarily news or features for print, digital, or other media outlets.
How Do I Get Started As A Freelance Writer?
You need to have some experience in writing for other companies/brands and have some samples of your work to show off your skills and talent!
Don’t worry if you’ve never written for a living before; there are plenty of opportunities out there for people who are willing to put in the time and effort required to succeed at this career path!
How Much Can I Make As A Freelance Writer?
The amount you can make as a freelance writer depends on how much experience you have and how many hours you put in.
Beginning freelancers may make anywhere from $10-$15 per hour, while more experienced writers may earn up to $50 per hour or more. Some publications also offer bonuses for high-performing writers, so be sure to review your contract carefully before signing anything!
What Are The Best Skills For Writing?
Writing skills are important, but they aren’t everything. The best freelance writers also have good listening skills and the know-how to communicate effectively through emails and phone calls.
You’ll also need patience because some clients can take longer than others when it comes time for payment or revisions on their projects.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.
