I’m going to call it. This is one of my favourite Q&As with a freelance writer. You know when you interview someone and they are so passionate about their work that you want to do what they do? Well, after this Q&A with Benét Wilson, I actually started wondering if I too could write about aviation. And perhaps more astonishingly, this conversation with Benét almost (almost!) had me reconsidering my anti-niche stance.
Are you as stunned as me that it’s the end of June already? Each year I set myself goals and targets that I want to achieve and happily, I’ve started hitting lots of them, including ramping up the amount of travel writing I do. This year, almost 80 per cent of the articles I’ve written have been travel related (that may explain the big drop in income!) But this month I’ve had to say no quite a lot – especially to things I really have wanted to do.
Before I started travel writing I thought it would be an incredibly tough time to be one. This is why there’s never been a better
Lots of freelance writers I know offer press release writing as one of their services, as it’s a great way of diversifying what they offer to clients.
It sounds like a dream career for a freelancer – writing for big name publications like Conde Naste Traveller, penning guidebooks, working as a photo editor for GQ, creating corporate communications for AMEX, while also fitting in time to volunteer each week. This kind of workload made me wonder how British writer and photo editor Katie Silcox does it all. I asked her in this Q&A, and I think you’ll agree, her responses are fascinating.
Ah, pitching. Most freelance writers I know have a love or hate affair with pitching (and even that may change each week or day). I’ve been lucky in recent years that I haven’t had to relentlessly pitch story ideas to keep afloat, but this month was different. In April I pitched only one story and my income came to me, but my goodness, how things change in the space of four weeks.
There’s no doubt that pitching is an art, and if I’m honest, despite all the good advice out there, pitching is one of the things that lets so many freelance writers down. Despite what some people may profess, there’s no one single way to make sure your pitches to magazine or newspaper editors hit the mark, but there are definitely ways to increase your chances of your queries getting opened, read and responded to.
Sometimes half the battle (or more) with freelance writing is finding clients or publications to pitch.
With my background in social work, it probably won’t surprise you to know that I really admire publications and editors who strive to cover human rights, social justice and environmental issues. Michelle Pini is the executive editor of Independent Australia, an online publication that champions investigative journalism and promotes a diversity of voices. On a personal level, Michelle is generous, funny and open, and professionally she is an incisive, supportive and meticulous editor. I love that mentors new writers, so let’s meet Michelle.
This month felt like a bit of an experiment. I barely pitched any articles, I went on two press trips and yet still somehow made my income target (just). I feel as though I’m in a liminal space, but I’m not sure what is ahead. All I know is that freelance writing allows you to be so flexible and nimble. It feels like only a few short months ago I decided to focus on travel writing, and here I am, at the end of the month, having travelled to India and writing this post from Canada.
The word ‘inspirational’ gets thrown around a lot in the disability space, but I have to say that freelance writer, blogger, editor and disability activist Julie Jones absolutely inspires me. I first met Julie on a famil in Thailand last year as part of the Australian Society of Travel Writers’ conference. We spent lots of time talking about the number of people who want to travel but can’t because of a multitude of barriers – societal, not their own. It’s not easy advocating for accessible travel in a space where travel writing is often portrayed as white sand, glimmering water and ten course degustations. But Julie’s blog and now, her new magazine, are breaking down some of those barriers.
A month or so ago when I asked what you wanted me to cover in upcoming blog posts, there was one question that kept coming up: How do I find high paying corporate writing gigs?
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. 💛🖤❤️
