Latria Graham-freelance journalist, essayist and teaching artist-took the time to let HCSC know what it’s really like to write for publications like The Gaurdian and be your own boss while doing it. Sounds pretty nice, right? Right, but it’s not as simple as it sounds. If you’re considering pursuing a career in journalism as your own boss, keep these five tips in mind.
1. You’re accountable.
“Your reputation is everything—particularly when it comes to the internet,” says Graham. “Editors I’ve worked with have reached out to my previous editors before to see what my reputation is like. Do great work, turn it in on time, and if something goes awry, be honest.”
2. Some subjects are tough.
“I spend a lot of time thinking about social justice issues that keep me up at night—right now I’m trying to figure out how to write about the famine happening in Somalia,” says Graham. “I write about things that I don’t fully understand—something will happen in the news and it’s glossed over so quickly that I don’t understand the total impact of the situation.”
3. Income is a challenge.
“It’s getting publications to see that my work has value, making sure I’m getting paid as much as men in the field, keeping track of all of my work expenses and the occasional frustration of chasing down money owed to me by publications,” says Graham.
4. Honesty is key.
“I once accidentally deleted an interview with an author and knew I couldn’t meet my deadline. I emailed my editor, she moved the placement of the article and I redid the interview. She kept giving me more work because I was honest about my mistake instead of just disappearing and never answering her emails,” says Graham.
5. It’s rewarding!
“I wouldn’t do this job if the reward of knowing that I did my absolute best to help someone empathize with another human being, to help them understand a struggle that is not like their own,” says Graham. “I knew it was going to be a challenge to get sports fans to care about the Dakota Pipeline and the water contamination issue in Flint. I knew I’d be failing my craft and these communities if I didn’t try. I may never see the true “reward” for that type of work, if there is one. The situations in Flint and the Dakotas is still in flux. In many ways what I do is a thankless job. But I can say when I do local pieces for the Spartanburg Herald Journal and Spartanburg Magazine, I feel the impact. Sometimes people cry when they see their names or pictures in print—no one cared enough about their stories to every sit down with them and explore their lives, and people have endured so much, and seen so much history.”
And for everyone, not just those who want to write for a living, Latria Graham’s best advice is, “don’t be afraid of rejection—a ‘no’ just means it wasn’t right for that moment of your life. That doesn’t mean the idea or project won’t be useful later. Acknowledge the disappointment but don’t let it destroy you.”