Squeaking Noodle Home PageWhat's it like being a freelance writer? Can you make a living and is it a real job?" The easy answers are. It's great, yes and yes.
Think of it like this. Everyday editors are competing for the next best story to outwit their competitors - other papers and magazines - and land a splash or a scoop and sell the most papers or magazines.
With seventy or so pages in each newspaper and more in Sunday editions, not counting weekend colour supplements etc. there are lots of pages to fill and lots of news and features to write.
Most national newspapers - remember there are only about 10 in the UK - have a small team of staff writers, hence it makes sense to take work from a large and varied pool of freelance writers. The freelance writer provides an editor with ideas and stories that his/her staff writers often don't have the time to find.
On a typical day as a freelance writer, the focus is on generating ideas - new ideas - that will be of interest to a paper of magazine. So, before you even consider the writing part of the job, you have to ask yourself. Are you a good ideas person? Have you got what it takes to find a story that no one else has found or written?
Once you have a list of ideas, it's important to know the style and content requirements of each publication you intend to write for. For example, there is no point putting forward a feature idea about orphans in Bulgaria to a fashion magazine - obvious, I know, but it's amazing how many editors get offered ideas from writers who have not researched their publication.
The next step is to shortlist newspapers and magazine that cover these sorts of topics and ideas.
Once you've done that it's worth researching the idea a little further - enough to know a little more about the subject and to see if the people involved are provisionally agreeable to chatting with you or open to giving you the information you require for the story to work.
As soon as you have completed the initial research, you can then summarize the idea into a short paragraph and query the editor responsible for commissioning stories similar to the ones you are approaching them with.
Which takes us to the question of contacts and networking? I have never believed in networking. Would you be shocked if I told you that the majority of national newspaper and magazine editors I write for, I have NEVER met? It's true and believe it or not, I like it that way.
Having worked on a national newspaper, I can tell you that one thing most editors hate more than having their time wasted with poorly researched ideas and bad writing is the freelance writer who tries to bully them into meeting them for lunch. "I'm in the area and I thought it would be great to put a face to the name." This is tantamount to bringing the editor's full laundry basket into the office.
It may sound cruel - but they DO NOT WANT TO MEET YOU. Most of them are far too busy filling pages. If they met with half the freelance writers out there, they would have no time for anything else.
Believe me, do not try and network your way in. Editors and staff writers hate it. It's different if you happen to have written a great piece and they suggest meeting up, but if they don't just carry on as before and leave the invites for your friends and family. Get busy networking with contacts that can get you a great story instead. That's where you need to invest more of your time.
Freelancing is about getting work published not about making friends. Well, you can, if you fancy being known as the freelance writer with the most contacts and no bylines. But some people are very palsy with editors and seem to get lots of work you say. Yes, there are those writers who do seem to have a huge contact book and lots of work, but again, ask yourselves why?
The majority have already worked as a staff writer and the colleagues they once worked with have perhaps moved on and become editors.
This brings me to the subject of experience in your field. I would love to say that ideas are everything, but they are not. Ideas are extremely important as is good writing, but it does help if you have worked on staff for a publication before. It has nothing to do with contacts, but more to do with familiarity. If an editor knows you have worked for let's say The Times, they will instantly know that you must be good or they would not have employed you.
Staff writing jobs are competitive and there are few and far between. Also, it means that you know what it's like working in a busy news/features environment and that you won't be put off by head-splitting deadlines and straight talk. As I said it helps, but you can still carve out a very lucrative career without having held a staff job. With each piece you get published, you will begin to amass a healthy stack of publishing credits, which will also help you with the next idea pitch.
With regards to good writing, which I skated over earlier, it's all about what the publication style is. There is no point approaching a tabloid with flowing descriptive prose, because they don't want that. Read any tabloid and you will see, they keep it short and to the point. Some say that it's the easiest form of writing. Don't be fooled. I challenge anyone to take a news story and summarize it into less than 400-words or write up an interview with a celebrity that has prattled on for 4-hours, in less than 800-words.
It's easy to waffle, but trying to get every detail in, within the required word count is a skill. This does not mean that broadsheets like The Daily Telegraph like your waffle any more than the tabloids - they don't, but they look for another style of writing and more than likely focus on a different angle to suit their particular readership.
For example, a Sun reader wouldn't expect to read a three thousand -word analysis piece on education with their tea and toast. They might, but they would probably tackle something like that on Sunday or on a day off when they have more time to read. It's all terribly obvious, when you know these things, and hopefully useful if you don't.
I often get asked why a paper of magazine would take a freelance writer's story if they could simply take the idea and run with it themselves. Why should they? These are multi-million pound businesses not conniving idea stealers. If you have a great story and they want it - they will commission and pay you for it - end of story.
What if other people or PR’s offer them the same ideas before I get a chance? That's brings us back to looking after your idea contacts. Talk to them; ask them whom they have spoken to. It's amazing how many stories can be lost by not asking if any other writer has approached the person involved. Most publications want exclusive stories. Yes, they all cover the same news - that's what staff writers do. If you are not on staff don't worry about daily news, concentrate on news and ideas they haven't got time to get. Strengthen your relationships with PR's, media professionals and anyone and everyone who can lead you to an interesting snippet or story. Check the Internet, read and read, and ask lots of questions.
Is there enough work to make a living? Again, think about how many newspapers and magazines there are. Pop into WH Smith and have a look around. Now multiply that by 70 or so pages, times however many articles and news pieces and you have your answer. Unless you are on every front page of every newspaper - there is enough work to keep thousands of freelancers in work.
As for money, how long is a piece of string? If the story is an exclusive - you can certainly rest assured that the money will be very good indeed, especially if it's a celebrity scoop with photos. If it appears on page 30, then assume you will get paid less. As a rule, the tabloids pay the most and the broadsheets the least. But remember getting a few pieces in the Times or The Guardian etc. does wonders for your reputation.
Reputation - that's another interesting area. Do you need one? Depends what you got it for? Are you writing for your friends to see your byline in the paper or magazine or are you writing to because that's what you do?
I suggest that you forget who sees what you write and keep writing. The most successful writers have so many bylines; they no longer keep track of them. So, ask yourself - if you are still counting bylines, perhaps you should concentrate on generating more ideas. The bylines will flood in by themselves.
But what's it like working for yourself? Is it lonely? Great and no. You are never on your own, because being a freelance writer you are busy talking and meeting people all day long. Of course, there are advantages of being home alone, like conducting telephone interviews in your knickers, but if you hide away in the comfort of your home or study waiting for work to find you, of course it'll be lonely.
Who would you prefer to give work to a) Ms. I am always available and I sit by the phone all day for you to call or b) Ms. I'd be delighted to write that for you, I'm very busy this week, but I'm sure I can get that on your desk first thing tomorrow morning.
You decide which category of freelance writer you want to be and then go for it.
Above all, IGNORE REJECTIONS, they’re not personal, they just mean keep trying; keep searching for those ideas. There is no point sending out three ideas and wondering why the work isn't rolling in. Send lots and then some more, but make sure you send them to the right people for the story. Send lots of ideas, but only if they are good, don't just bombard editors with quantity.
How about motivation? Well, let's see. You can work however many hours you like, we've covered the knickers scenario, you can earn as little or as much as you like and you are answerable to yourself for the most part. Great isn't it!
But don't you get sick of selling and begging to get a commission? Excuse me? Please go and read up about journalism before you ask me this.
Editors NEED news ideas and good writers and freelance writers NEED editors. It's a two way street. Once you are writing regularly for a publication, you are in effect another member of their team and will be treated as such - just remember it all starts with ideas, hard work and positive thinking.
After all - it's the best job in the world.
Please feel free to email me if you have any specific questions and I will select some of them to put up for discussion.
Keep up the good work as it sure beats working for a living.
Freelance Writing
