How She Got There: Emily L. Foley, Freelance Journalist

Name: Emily L. Foley
Age: 28
Job Title: Freelance Journalist
College/Major: Georgia State University / Communication
Website: emilylfoley.com
Twitter Handle (if applicable): @EmilyLFoley

Her Campus: What does your current job entail? Is there such a thing as a typical day?
Emily Foley: As a freelance writer, I develop and pitch story ideas to editors and then research/write stories that I have pitched and were accepted, as well as ones that I have been assigned. My days are extremely varied, but they involve responding to emails, conducting phone and in-person interviews, requesting images and information from publicists, researching story topics, staying abreast of all the news in my various fields of expertise (which, as a “non-niche” writer, can be daunting!), maintaining the business side of things (invoicing, keeping the books, etc.), and then of course a little thing called writing!
 
HC: What was your first entry-level job in your field and how did you get it?
EF: I took a very odd path to where I am today. I thought I was going to be a political speechwriter when I was in college, so I didn’t pursue any internships at magazines or develop relationships with people in the industry. And, when I decided I wanted to be a magazine writer, I knew that I wanted to be freelance, so that I could have the flexibility to write about as many different topics as I wanted. So, I just dove in head first, with no foreknowledge, contacts or experience, and began emailing and calling the editors of local magazines and lifestyle papers. My first paid (I use that term loosely, but hey–I wasn’t writing for free!) writing gig was for a small local lifestyle publication. I had emailed the editor and introduced myself; we chatted on the phone about my experience (writing and editing for my college newspaper), and soon, I had my first writing assignment.

HC: What is one thing you wish you knew about your industry when you first started out that you know now?
EF: Since I knew so little about the industry when I started, I seriously underestimated lead times (how far in advance magazines plan their content). If something is timely today, you’ve missed the boat on pitching it. In the world of magazines, you’re always at least a season (if not two) ahead. That means thinking about holiday baking and fur-lined boots when you’re wearing sundresses and thinking about how to survive wedding season and the best summer vacation reads when there’s snow on the ground.
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HC: Who is one person who changed your professional life for the better?
EF: Providentially, I interviewed a gentleman who had a program on a local AM radio station who also happened to be a seasoned and talented freelance writer. He and I hit it off, and he quickly took me under his wing and became my unofficial mentor. I was able to call him with every question I had: “What do you do if a magazine won’t pay you?” “Can I send a story query to more than one magazine at a time?” He also introduced me to many people, which helped establish me as a writer in Atlanta.
 
HC: What words of wisdom do you find most valuable?
EF: “I do not know anyone who has gotten to the top without hard work. That is the recipe. It will not always get you to the top, but it will get you pretty near.” –Margaret Thatcher.
While networking and getting to know people in the industry is important, I firmly believe that just knowing people will not bring you success. If you’re working while your peers are goofing off, you’re going to get ahead. Hard work pays off. And yes, I have been accused many times in my life for being a workaholic, but here are some other workaholics whose names might ring a bell: Oprah and Bill Gates. I rest my case!

HC: What is one mistake you made along the way and what did you learn from it?
EF: Sending a story query to an editor with typos! When I get excited about an idea, I want to get it in front of the editor ASAP, but that is never best. I now have a rule that I always wait until the next day to send a query. So I write it, edit it, and then save it. The following day, I re-read it to make sure it is error-free, and then I send it. It doesn’t matter how excited you are about an idea, that query is your first impression with an editor, and you know the adage–You only get one chance to make that first impression! It doesn’t matter how good your story idea is, if you prove in an email that you are a careless writer, no editor will want to work with you! So now, I always take the same care composing a query as I do writing an actual article.

HC: What is the best part of your job?
EF: The sense of pride I have in having a career at all! I know that every single success I have achieved is because of my own hard work and perseverance. I literally created a career for myself from the ground up, so the fact that I have this job at all is the best part about it!  
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HC: What do you look for when considering hiring someone?
EF: I have yet to hire an intern or researcher, though I know several freelancers who have. I am too much of a control freak to let someone else do any of the groundwork for my articles. However, having had in-office freelance gigs over the years, I will say that a sense of entitlement and a casual attitude are total turn-offs when interns or entry-level employees come into an office. It’s shocking to me how many young women have no respect for the people around them, and I’m talking about everything from playing music on your laptop in the middle of a communal office to having a snotty attitude when you’re given a less than stellar task to complete. That sort of behavior doesn’t make friends and doesn’t impress peers or superiors!
 
HC: What advice would you give to a 20-something with similar aspirations?
EF: I feel like there’s so much, but I’ll whittle my list down to two things: One, being a successful freelance writer (read: actually being able to pay your bills without supplementing your income with any other job) requires an incredible amount of hard work. I’m talking blood, sweat and tears. So get ready to put some effort into your dreams. Is it worth it? Absolutely. Is it so, so much harder than taking an on-staff position somewhere? Of course. That said, not everyone is cut out to work for themselves, and there’s nothing wrong with that. If you try freelancing and discover you can’t handle the inevitable rejection as well as you thought, or you are craving the structure of going into an office and having a steady paycheck, there is no shame in that. Different personality types thrive in different settings.
My second tip (yes, that was all one tip–I’m a writer, I like words!) is never talk bad about anyone. Ever. You never know who someone’s friends are, or where someone’s loyalties lie. Whether it’s in the town where you live, or in NYC on a national scale, you’ll be shocked at how small the media world is. So don’t think that one night of cocktails makes you BFF with someone and bad-mouth a fellow intern or an old boss only to learn it’s their sister’s best friend or worse–their sister. I have seen this happen so many times, and it is very destructive to people’s reputations. Sure editors want to work with talented writers who meet deadlines and produce clean copy, but they also want to work with people of integrity. So have some. 

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