I know it may appear that I’ve got this whole freelance writing thing sorted. Yes, I earn a very good income from my writing, I love what I do and most of the time I write quickly and can get a lot done in a short amount of time. But I am also quite the procrastinator.
If you’re a freelance writer who spends any time on LinkedIn or Twitter, you’re likely to have come across John Espirian. John is known as the relentlessly helpful technical copywriter for a reason – he always seems happy to help. A guru on all things LinkedIn and blog-related, John is generous with his advice (you don’t want to miss his top three tips for LinkedIn), so I was thrilled when he agreed to be interviewed for this Q &A.
It’s hard to describe what a whirlwind August was – I spent the first week in Fiji, the second week at home, the third in Thailand, the fourth at home and the last week of the month in Vietnam. At the end of 2017 when I said I wanted to do more travel writing, I don’t think I ever imagined a month like that! I went on three famils in August, but I also attended the annua Australian Society of Travel Writers Conference in Thailand, which was incredibly worthwhile.
In the last eight months, I have coached over 30 different freelance writers. I’ve worked with writers in person, over Skype, and from all over the world including Australia, the USA, France, the Philippines and Mexico. I wasn’t 100 per cent sure about becoming a freelance writing coach, but it’s become one of my favourite parts of the job. Many writers I coach aren’t making the income they want, so I think it’s imperative that if you are going to pay for professional support, that you get the most out of it.
What kind of success rate should freelance writers be aiming for when pitching editors? I got asked this question recently and it’s not easy to answer because it depends on if you’re sending pitches to editors you have a relationship with and the quality of your query letters. But I think if freelance writers get 60% of their pitches accepted they’d be doing exceptionally well. There’s lots of advice out there about how to pitch, but there are five particular things I have found that freelance writers can do to help secure a commission.
Long before I met Neha Kale at this year’s Emerging Writers’ Festival in person, I had read her work. I was full of admiration for her eloquent and evocative writing, and how Neha manages to master a range of styles, from personal essays, profiles and food articles. In person, Neha is just as her writing suggests – thoughtful, articulate, honest, passionate and willing to explore topics that rarely get highlighted in the mainstream media. I hope you enjoy this Q&A with Neha – it’s one of my favourites.
As each month passes I’m always amazed at how much can change within the space of four or so weeks. I purposefully started July slowly, because August is shaping up to be crazy busy. But somehow time always seems to speeds up towards the end of the month and before the end of July, I found myself madly finishing stories and receiving last minute commissions just days before I head overseas for my first international press trip.
When I first heard about Unearth Women, a feminist travel magazine (in fact the first feminist travel publication), I loved the idea and wanted to know more about its co-founder and editor-in-chief, Nikki Vargas. As a travel editor and freelance journalist Nikki was perfectly positioned to see and act upon a gap in the market for a travel publication for women and by women. She said something that struck me as incredibly wise and pertinent for all freelance writers: “It’s not enough to have a fabulous idea, you need to have the means to set it in motion.”
The last day of June marks the end of the financial year in Australia, and editors and clients are either putting a freeze on commissions or are hurriedly trying to spend their budget. I deliberately set my income target lower this month in an attempt to bring back some balance into my life, and for the most part, it worked. But happily, my invoice total for the month was the most it’s ever been. And if you’ve been following my blog over the past few months, you’ll be glad to know I got my cake!
Olivia Gagan is the kind of writer that many people aspire to be – she’s a full time freelancer living in London, having written for titles such as The Times, Psychologies and The New York Times. Olivia cut her teeth working as a journalist for trade media before making the decision to go full time as a freelancer. She transitioned to full time freelancing in such a smart way; by building up her savings, drawing on her existing networks, establishing boundaries and learning about running a business. I hope you enjoy the interview – there’s absolute gold here.
I went into May after busy April determined to take things easy – not send out too many pitches and dedicate some time to thinking about a creative project I could take on. The beauty of being a fairly established freelance writer is that work tends to flow in, but it’s meant that I’ve found it hard to carve out non-work time. Despite this, I’m still feeling really positive about my writing and I’ve had an absolutely bumper month income-wise.
One of the qualities that is crucial for freelancers to have is generosity. I really believe that the ‘soft’ attributes of openness, kindness and big-heartedness are just as important as technical skills for freelance writers. I’m part of writing groups and communities that are incredibly generous – especially with sharing contact details for editors. But recently I’ve started thinking about what happens when writers and journalists don’t source their own contacts.
And how about writing articles for publications you love? What about strategies on how to earn great money from content writing?
Interested in writing a personal narrative essay, seeing examples of personal essays and discovering publications that pay for them?
Wondering what it takes to be a travel writer and how to score travel writing jobs? Some of the world’s best travel writers spill the beans.
Sometimes when freelance writers are asked “What’s your rate?” it feels like a game where every answer is wrong. Here’s how to answer.
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. 💛🖤❤️
