As a journalism major, you learn a lot in the classroom – how to write, report, edit, etc. – but when it comes to the real deal, there are some things you have to learn by doing. I have experience in freelance magazine writing. Here are some lessons I’ve learned, things I wish I’d known and tips I have for first-time freelance writers.
1. Pitch lots of ideas
If you’ve never done freelance writing before, especially for a magazine, it can be hard to know what kinds of ideas will work best. In order to maximize your chances of getting an assignment, it’s important to pitch many ideas. In my case, I was asked for pitches before being assigned an article. I came up with six or seven ideas, and the one chosen was the last on the list. Had I only pitched the couple at the top that I liked best or thought of first, I wouldn’t have gotten the assignment.
2. Hit your deadlines
Freelancing an article is one thing, but getting more assignments is another. At the beginning, it can feel like you have a lot to prove, and in a sense, that’s true. You want to make a good first impression in order to be asked back for more. A huge part of the process is timeliness. If you want to freelance professionally, you have to hit your deadlines, because if you don’t, one of two things could happen: your article gets killed or you won’t get offered more opportunities in the future. It seems simple, but it is crucial.
3. Reach out to sources often and early
In order to meet your deadline, you need to start working on your assignment right away. To set myself up for success, I don’t wait until the last minute to find sources since getting ahold of sources is often the hardest part for me. My biggest suggestion is to reach out to more people than you need, giving you leeway in case one or two don’t get back to you. For example, in preparation for my article “The Science “Fiction” of RoboCop is no Longer Fiction,” I reached out to seven sources and got interviews with four.
4. Establish yourself before turning things down
One of the best things I’ve learned as a journalism major is the importance of saying yes to opportunities that come your way. If you get the chance to write something for a magazine or another publication, be in the business of saying yes. Early on, you want to establish yourself as someone who is flexible and committed. With that being said, don’t feel like you have to say yes to everything. For example, I turned down an assignment that I had no interest in but only after I had already established myself, saying yes to both previous assignments and many that followed.
5. Learn to manage rejection
I didn’t feel like any of my classes prepared me for what it was like to get rejected. “Rejected” is such a harsh word, but even worse is when an article in production gets “killed.” I really struggled when this first happened to me. The thing I had to realize was that it was never personal. Not everything’s going to work out the way you want it to, and that’s okay. Let yourself feel the pain of a rejection, but then pick yourself back up and try to learn from that experience. Take constructive criticism as a way to improve rather than a personal attack. Not only will it make you a better writer going forward, but it will also make you happier.
6. Don’t be afraid to ask questions
When you’re starting out, be curious. Ask questions to your editor, professors or other journalism friends. By taking everything in as a learning experience, you can improve your writing exponentially. Getting an assignment isn’t the end; it’s the beginning. I was very lucky in that I’ve had a mentor through this experience who has helped with so many things. And yet, I couldn’t have gotten that help if I didn’t ask.
The best advice I ever received was from one of my professors who encouraged me to turn in my work “a day early and 10 words under” the word count. Between this advice and the lessons I’ve learned on my own, I’ve been able to grow tremendously as a writer, both freelance and otherwise.