Helicopters. Stretch limos. Elaborate cheese boards that stretch across two tables. It’s fair to say that March has been quite the month. My income for March was pretty low compared to this time last year because I’ve been focusing on travel and travel writing, but that said, the non-financial perks of travel writing are pretty great. But while I had some incredible experiences this month, I also had some big lows.
This may seem a bit meta, but did you know there are loads of digital and print publications that are specifically geared towards readers who are journalists or freelance writers? They are usually wonderful reads and often these magazines and digital outlets are also looking for contributors. I’ve complied a list of 9 great publications throughout the world where you can write about writing.
If you’ve been reading this blog for a little while you’ll know that 2017 and 2018 were huge years for me. I went full time as a freelance writer in 2017 and hit $100K worth of commissioned work by November. In 2018 I worked part time, but still managed to hit a similar income level ($120K). But despite having a couple of hugely successful years, this year I’ve decided to ease up a little.
February was a good month. My monthly income was much lower than this time last year, but I had a couple of experiences where I seriously pinched myself at the opportunities I’ve been given since becoming a freelance writer. So often we are solitary workers at home, in a cafe or a co-working space, and it’s rare to have any significant amount of time with other writers. So when it does happen it feels like a blessing.
Service journalism seems to be becoming popular (again) and this type of writing offers lots of opportunities for freelance writers. But I’ve found that people are not always clear about what constitutes service journalism.
I started 2019 in frosty London, feeling entirely familiar with the streets and landmarks despite not having visited for years and years. After a few steamy days in Singapore, I was back at my desk on January 14, with two articles due (thankfully I had written them before I left for overseas). I only worked half of January, but it’s been an important month – a contemplative one, and a month where I’ve made some big decisions.
When I “met” Bex Shapiro, the Managing Editor for Intrepid Travel on Twitter a little while back, I immediately got the sense that she’s an editor writers love – she was responsive, generous, funny and thoughtful. I love this Q&A with Bex because not only do you get an insight into pitching and writing for a travel company that is one of the most ethical in the business, but also how passionate, committed and talented Bex is in supporting freelance writers and bringing their unique travel stories to light.
Overwhelm happens to me more than I’d like to admit. I’ll be chugging along happily and then panic-stricken thoughts will hit. How are you going to fit all this in? You’ve forgotten to set up that interview. What if all those people you sent LOIs to are interested? I want to pitch a new editor but I have no ideas. And so on. My theory is that overwhelm is super common amongst freelance writers because we have so much freedom to determine what we want to do, but often that means we feel like we have to do everything.
I’ve heard so many horror stories about freelancing platforms and ‘content mills’, that I was intrigued when award-winning writer Amy Suto got in touch to say that she was regularly using Upwork and making good money from it. I hope you enjoy this Q&A with Amy – it definitely got me seeing Upwork in a new light.
I don’t know about you, but I feel tired just thinking about 2018. After a full on November, I really eased up this month. I had a fair bit of work to finish off, but I didn’t want to pitch much, knowing that I was headed overseas for three weeks over Christmas and new year. Despite this, it has been an enormous year, and one that has definitely proved to me that you can earn a great income from freelance writing – even working part time.
I have never been a runner. In fact, I’m not really a huge fan of exercise in general. My relationship with exercise has always been sporadic – I’ve played tennis, gone swimming, done a couple of years when I was really into spin classes, dabbled in yoga, but apart from a three month stint when I was 15, I’ve never been a runner. But recently I took up running and had an epiphany that changed the way I look at my business.
There’s a lot to think about when you start working with a new client. It’s imperative that you have a clear brief, a detailed scope of work and set deliverables. I’ve found that if you don’t have these from the outset, a productive and stress-free working relationship can be very difficult to achieve.
About how to write fabulous articles for publications you love? What about strategies on how to earn great money from content writing?
Weekly emails on what’s working right now for freelance writers who are writing for magazines, newspapers and corporate clients.
We acknowledge the Traditional Aboriginal Owners of the land we work on – the Dja Dja Wurrung. We pay our respects to Elders past and present, and to the ongoing living culture of Aboriginal people. Always was, always will be Aboriginal land. 💛🖤❤️
