The Independent Journalist

Be your own publicist

Special thanks to freelancer Elyse Glickman for penning the following post. Glickman has been a published writer and editor since 1987, and since 2002 she has been an active member of the press in Los Angeles. Her work as a writer, editor and photographer has appeared in LUCIRE, Harper’s Bazaar Malaysia, Beverage Industry News, WhereLA, NEO, From House to HOME, Wedding Vow, Casa Y Hogar, La Reppublica, Beauty Store Business, Culinary Trends, JWest, Arizona Foothills, SE7EN, NUVO, Audrey, Food & Beverage and New You. Thanks, Elyse!

In 1992, I thought I had everything I needed  to move forward into a writing career.  
 
During college, I earned straight A’s in my communications classes, co-founded a campus  newspaper, freelanced for several local (Chicago) publications, interviewed  dozens of well-known rock musicians and celebrities, did an internship at an  Upstate New York newspaper with the nicest bosses on the planet and got a  master’s in journalism from a university that all but promised me my brilliant  journalism career a silver platter.  
 
Then  “Reality” bit, and I essentially relived the plot of the  infamous Winona Ryder Gen-X weepie, minus the cute guys and the happy ending.   My school employment centers were no help. After a couple of dead end  jobs and humiliating job interviews that really weren’t, I went to Los Angeles  with nothing to lose.
 
So where did I go wrong?  Here I was,  the journalism equivalent of the Heisman Trophy winner who couldn’t get  drafted by the NFL. I thought about that a lot, even as I ended up doing  public relations work.  While I disliked a lot of the office politics, I  found the work enriching. Though I secretly envied the people I pitched to, I  learned a lot more about the ins and outs of the journalism game from writers  and editors I called everyday than I did in the classroom.  Some were  supportive and helpful while others were sadistic and bent on getting me  fired.  But I gained wisdom from all of them.
 
After seven  years of selling other people’s dreams and ambitions to freelancers and  staffers, I got to the point where I decided to rediscover my own. I went to  my first journalism job fair since college in late 2001 and was rejected,  either for “selling out” and going into PR or not having current clips.   However, the day was not a waste, as a guy ahead of me in line suggested  I do some pro-bono articles and rebuild.  
 
Even writing for  somebody for free was a tough sell, but this time, a neighborhood paper  serving the San Fernando Valley listened to me instead of asking loaded  questions like, “If you don’t get this job, will you cry?”   They  asked me, “What do you have to offer us?” Rather than get insulted, I told  them what I had in my corner—more than a decade of solid writing experience in  journalism and public relations, and the power to persuade.  And that  persuaded them.
 
This was the moment I realized I had to be my own  publicist.  Having worked in PR, I knew how to work with publicists and  develop stories out of their pitches that would sell.  Having dealt with  editors and writers, I had an understanding of what to do and what not to do  when delivering a fully realized pitch. Networking is at the core of this  science, and every relationship, good or bad, serves a purpose.  Asking a  lot of questions is also a given, as every answer—sincere or snarky—helps you  refine your approach.  Doing your homework and knowing your subject,  which is a given when writing an actual story, is also a necessity when  presenting yourself to the world.
 
However, flacking  yourself does not stop with your first major breaks.  A few short months  after writing fashion and human interest stories for the suburban bi-weekly, I  negotiated some paid work (low pay, but still) at two of the city’s better  known lifestyle magazines and found my niche.  I pitched myself as a food  writer to one publisher, and a general lifestyle writer to the other citing my  recent PR accounts as “experience.”  It worked, and when my name became  linked to those magazines, doors continued to fly open on both the PR side  (superb pitches) and in publishing.  By the start of 2003, I was on my  way to becoming an established food & wine writer, but still managed to  effectively market myself as a strong generalist.  
 
Even  with my ups and downs, and the vicissitudes of editors, being my own publicist  continues to work. When I “lose” a publication due to the economy or a new  editor coming in with his/her own “favorite” writers, I don’t take it  personally.  I simply sell myself to another book.  I have a web  site that documents what I have to offer. However, I am ready to go to the  next level—large national newsstand publications—and I am ready to ask  questions and receive answers—snarky and sincere—on sharpening up my “package  deal.”  
 
Let’s trade pitches.

- Elyse Glickman

Improve your skills at the 2008 Convention & National Journalism Conference

Become a Webmaster, learn how to expand your freelance work and improve your networking skills at the 2008 SPJ Conference & National Journalism Convention, Sept. 4-7 in Atlanta, Ga. Listed below is a mere sampling of the development sessions designed to fit your needs! 

 

The Freelance Magazine Article

Description: From idea to published clip, this session takes you through the freelance magazine article process. Hear from editors and professional freelancers about how to shape an idea, pitch it, report it, write the article and then get paid.

Speakers: Kathy Ehrich Dowd, People, USA Today, Brides.com; Hope Winsborough, ESPN the Magazine, Redbook, Self; Laura Helmuth, senior science editor, Smithsonian magazine

 

Dealing with Pesky Sources

Description: Developing them, maintaining them, schmoozing, them and getting them to talk over and over and over again. Mark Felt is not the only person who wants to meet you in a garage. Dave Garlock will tell you how he got a PR source to deliver secret documents to him in a Brooklyn diner at 5 a.m. This will be a hands-on “working source” seminar and the words Internet, Web or CAR will not be brought up!

Speaker: Dave Garlock, senior lecturer, University of Texas

 

Pursuing the Lead: A Study of Persistence and Payoff on the Bigger Story

Description: This is a case study of how larger, more significant news stories can be found in an area previously considered not interesting enough to have a beat reporter devoted to it. There are investigative stories on all beats and subjects, and ways to get to them when others don't want you to have the information. Getting around the obstacles, why it's important to stick with it and a reminder why every government institution that receives taxpayer money needs a watchdog will all be discussed.

Speaker: Brett Blackledge, reporter, Associated Press and former general assignment and special projects reporter, Birmingham (Ala.) News, 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Journalism

 

They’re Everywhere: Finding Great Stories Off the Beaten Path: 20 Tips Your Editor Won't Tell You

Description: Whether you cover a beat, write features or general assignment, the first step for any reporter is coming up with story ideas. In this session, you'll learn ways to unearth compelling tales from your community and your life. And you'll hear tips about how to recast recurring stories. Guaranteed: You'll walk away with something to write about.

Speaker: Lane DeGregory, features writer, St. Petersburg Times

 

Figuring out Blogs and Whatever's Next

Description: Want to know more about the best blogs FOR and BY journalists, how you can join the blogging revolution as a consumer and/or creator of blogs and how to make sense of all the other new technologies changing our business? Topics covered include blog basics, blogs that are changing America and the world, blogs that are over hyped and a waste of time, how to read blogs without drowning in too much info, how to create a blog and raise your Google rankings and why journalists should or should NOT be blogging. What's next? Photoblogging, videoblogging, podcasting, wikis, RSS, XML. All levels of experience are welcome — blog skeptics to blog fanatics. You will go home with plenty of useful ideas and a printed handout that you will use often.

Speaker: Sree Sreenivasan, professor and dean of students, Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, co-founder, South Asian Journalists Association and technology reporter, WNBC-TV

 

For a full list of programs offered at this year’s Convention & National Journalism Conference, visit http://www.spj.org/c-programs.asp.

Wanted: editor

Please contact Susan Lawson at Susan.Lawson@va.gov if you're interested.

I am seeking a professional editor who is skilled in writing dissertations. I am a Ph.D. student with Capella University and have submitted my finished dissertation 2 times. It keeps getting returned to me for APA format, tense issues, and some sentence context issues. Are there any editors who could assist me with this problem? THANKS!

Blogging for fun and profit

Received this question from Debbie Moose, a freelance food writer in Raleigh, N.C. Moose is the author of the award-winning "Sunday Dinner" column and the new cookbook "Fan Fare: A Playbook of Great Recipes for Tailgating or Watching the Game at Home." Can anyone provide some feedback?

The question I wanted to ask is about blogging for money. I've received an offer from a Web site to do this, and this is new ground for me. How much is fair pay? What questions should I ask? Are there any special aspects of this kind of writing that might raise ethical issues? Have other people found that this is worth it, both financially and for exposure/publicity?

Got ideas?

Hi guys, how's everyone doing?

How are things going? Made a big sale recently? Would you like share how you did it? Perhaps you have a question or problem, and you'd like to share your experience and gain some feedback.

Ideally I'd like this site to become our site, a place where we can gather and exchange ideas on what's working and what's not.

If you've got a few minutes between calls and would like to pen a couple hundred words for the blog, please send me an e-mail at amybgreen@earthlink.net. If it's something that would help other freelancers, I'll put it up.

Thanks so much, guys.

Would you like to write for Quill?

I am looking for a columnist for the next issue of Quill, SPJ's magazine for members. The column would be for freelancers, giving quality how-to advice while sticking with the issue's theme, freedom of information. If you are a freelancer, have experience with public records and freedom of information issues and you have something to say that would help other freelancers, I'd like to hear from you.

I'd need 800 to 850 words, and you'd have a few weeks to work on it. If you're interested please e-mail me at amybgreen@earthlink.net.

Special thanks to David Wheeler, a freelancer in Kentucky, for contributing this month's Quill column for freelancers. Hope everyone is having a good day!

Calling all freelance medical writers

The Greater Chicago Area Chapter of the American Medical Writers Association will offer three workshops and one roundtable discussion at its 2008 conference on July 25 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Abbott Laboratories in Chicago. The workshops are open to both AMWA members and non-members. Courses include "Effective Paragraphing," "Basics of Human Anatomy and Physiology," "Launching a Freelance Medical Writer Career" and the advanced "Critical Appraisal for Writers and Editors of Biomedical Research Articles." The registration form and fees must be received by June 19 for the advanced class and by June 30 for the other course offerings. For more information, contact GCAC Education Chair, Sarah Duban.

Keeping busy when I'm not

A freelancer e-mailed recently for tips on how to avoid slow periods, in other words how to achieve a steady work load without wild highs and lows. When we're busy we don't want to waste time on pitches. When we're slow we've got no way to pay the bills.

It was a problem I struggled with when I first started out, and I still do. Business for me has been dreadfully slow in recent weeks. Here's how I deal with it.

• I rest. In May I went to Tampa about four times in three weeks. I worked six-day weeks and slept in hotels. I was tired. I try to rest up because I never know when someone will send me back to Tampa or anywhere else for that matter.
  
• I get organized. Usually I've got a stack of invoices to file or story ideas to pitch.
  
• I try to enjoy myself. When I'm not under financial pressure and when things are selling I enjoy pitching. I enjoy the creativity that goes into crafting ideas and finding markets for them. Sometimes I'll spend an afternoon at the Barnes & Noble magazine stand. Ideas flare, and that invigorates me. Immersing myself in magazines this way reminds me of why I got into this business in the first place. I toy around with my blog, a book idea or other things I never seem to have time for. I have fun with writing.
  
• Even when I'm busy I make time to pitch. Now that most publications accept queries by e-mail, when an idea is rejected it only takes a few minutes to send the idea to another publication. Some freelancers maintain a quota of queries they send every week. I've never done this because so much of my business comes from breaking news and "right-now" assignments, and sometimes when I'm busy I just go with it because I don't know when the next slow period will be. But I do keep an eye on my calendar and try to make sure I've got at least something lined up for the next week.
  
• I worry, stress and feel depressed. I wouldn't be honest if I didn't admit this. A few weeks into a slow stretch like this I'll start to feel frustrated and discouraged. By now I've sold three stories, and all have been put on hold at least until August. Yuck. I question my abilities as a journalist and my decisions in life.
  
• I try to remember all the other slow times. I remind myself that it's impossible to know when an astronaut will drive from Houston to Orlando with diapers to confront a romantic rival, generating months of work for me. In the news business we never know what's about to happen, what's about to pop up in our e-mail inbox. As long as I've pitched everything I can, as long as I've maintained my Web sites and done everything possible to get my name out, that's all I can do. All that's left is enjoying myself and my free time while I wait for the work to come to me. It always does.
  

So, Was It Worth It? Analyzing My Launch Into Cyberspace

Hello fellow freelancers! For those of you who remember me, I’m sorry it has taken me so long to get my last post here on the blog. (For those of you who don’t remember me: never mind.)

When I last posted I had just launched my Web site, www.kathyehrichdowd.com, and promised to post one more time to let you know what I’d done to promote the site and to share my thoughts on my first foray into cyberspace.

In a nutshell, I can report that the site has not directly led to any new assignments. Editors have not discovered me on the Internet, tracked me down and handed me the assignment of my dreams on a silver platter. Not surprised? Neither am I. HOWEVER, I do feel the site has increased my street cred among publicists, fellow journalists and even interview subjects—and that alone makes me feel it is worthwhile.

I spread the word about the site in a few ways shortly after launching it late last year. First, I printed up new business cards to include my Web site address. Second, I added an email “signature” to my hotmail account, which includes the site’s address as well as my home office and cell numbers at the bottom of every email I send (unless I choose to delete it out). Doing these things took less than an hour out of my life and yet they continually pay dividends. Whether I’m trying to get in the good graces of a publicist or attempting to convince a possible interview subject to talk with me I know my Web site validates me as a journalist. I get a lot of compliments on the site and I can tell it legitimizes me a PROFESSIONAL and probably makes people think of me as more than just some fast-talking crazy lady with a hotmail address.

Not everything I did to promote the site and myself has paid off. For instance, I paid $14 for a listing on mediabistro’s Freelance Marketplace for one month. (It would have been $19, but I’m an AvantGuild member so they knocked five bucks off.) I spent a lot of time crafting my listing and was proud I could provide a link to my site. Sadly, all the effort was for naught. I was contacted exactly once: by a scammer interested to involve me in an “enticing” overseas business deal.

Other than the things detailed above I have not promoted my site aggressively. Frankly, I ran out of ideas. Yahoo Small Business, the application I used to design my site, has a “promote your site” function I used shortly after it went live, but as far as I could tell it didn’t do much. It also took a month or two for my site to come up as the initial listing on Google when I’d search my name. (Yes, I am cringing while I write about Googling myself, but I know it needs to be done—though not to excess.) However, now that the site IS the first thing that comes in a Google search I am quite pleased.

So, as I wind down my final blog entry I sincerely hope some of you have benefited from my posts in some way. Also, I am currently scheduled to serve as a panelist at the SPJ national convention in September, so I hope to meet many of you in Atlanta shortly. (Also, profuse thanks to SPJ freelance committee chairwoman Amy Green, who is working hard to put together valuable panels and workshops for attending freelancers.) As always, feel free to drop me a note at kathy_ehrich@hotmail.com and I wish everyone else success and luck as you pursue your freelance careers. KATHY EHRICH DOWD

Wanted: freelancer for women's pubs

Hi, guys. I wanted to share this e-mail from Courtney Sandora at Courtney_Sandora@b-f.com. If you're interested please send her a note!

I work for Brown-Forman, a producer and marketer of wines and spirits. We're hosting a press trip to California for Bonterra (our wine made with organically grown grapes) and Fetzer (our wine produced in an earth-friendly manner).

The trip is August 5 - 7 and there are more details below,  but I was trying to track down freelancers who contribute to national consumer publications, particularly women's pubs (ie) Woman's World, Redbook, Martha Stewart Pubs, Real Simple, etc. . Obviously there would be a wine / culinary angle but there would also be an environmental angle as we are showcasing our two "green" wines.

Let me know if anyone comes to mind or if there is any way to put this request out. It would be an all-expense paid trip but the space is limited.

Any help would be much appreciated.

SPJ freelancer directory

Many of you know about SPJ's freelancer directory, which puts freelancers' information and work samples at the fingertips of editors. Today members who are part of the directory are getting the following message in their e-mails. I wanted to make the message available to those who are not members or who may not be aware of the service. Hope everyone is having a great day.

If someone told you that you could have unprecedented access to the world’s top editors and news directors, would you believe them? Thanks to the Society of Professional Journalists’ freelancer directory, this isn’t a far-fetched idea.

SPJ’s freelancer directory can put your work at the fingertips of the country’s top editors and news directors. The directory enables independent journalists, who are members of the Society, to post information and links to work samples online for free. This same list is viewable by editors and news directors from around the world. They can search by state, specialty or both. All you have to do is post your best work and wait for the calls to come.

To help ensure these decision makers are aware of your work, SPJ will send out regular announcements to more than 5,000 editors and news directors, explaining the benefits of using our directory.

If you are a current member of SPJ, visit http://www.spj.org/fdb.asp with your username and password to complete the registration and submit your work samples. If you are not a current SPJ member, what are you waiting for? Join today by visiting http://www.spj.org/join.asp and let SPJ start working for you.

For more information about SPJ’s freelancer directory or SPJ membership, please contact National Freelance Committee Chairwoman Amy Green at amybgreen@earthlink.net.  

The Society of Professional Journalists works to improve and protect journalism. The organization is the nation’s most broad-based journalism organization, dedicated to encouraging the free practice of journalism and stimulating high standards of ethical behavior.

Founded in 1909 as Sigma Delta Chi, SPJ promotes the free flow of information vital to a well-informed citizenry; works to inspire and educate the next generation of journalists; and protects First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press.

Sincerely,

Amy Green
National Freelance Committee Chairwoman
Society of Professional Journalists

A Writer's Worth

Hi guys. I wanted to share this post written by Allie Bullock Kagamaster, a freelancer in Southern California who has covered stories for CAT FANCY, OCMetro, 944 and Inland Empire Golfer. She is interested in the worlds of entertainment and science, and she would like to cover movie premieres and engineering feats.

Allie e-mailed me today to ask how to establish a freelancer rate. Our e-mail exchange produced this post by Allie, but I wanted to quickly weigh in myself.

Usually when I'm working with a new client I start by asking the client what the client's rate is. The publications I work with pay a broad spectrum of rates. If the rate is high usually I just go with it. If the rate is mediocre I might test the waters and try to nudge it up a bit. If it's just not doable I either try to negotiate or move on. When I negotiate I try to be friendly, and for leverage I draw on my experience and anything else I can think of. I might, for example, mention that the clients' competitors pay a higher rate. In other words, I have a plan.

I weigh what is valuable to me. I might accept a lower rate if the clip will be especially valuable in my portfolio. I've also asked established clients for pay raises. I feel it's only fair as the cost of living escalates, and my own worth rises with experience.

Here is Allie's perspective. She makes a good point, that when a client low-balls us we should point to resources such as Writer's Market because the client may be unaware of average industry rates. Thanks so much, Allie!

Sometimes freelancing can be hit or miss depending on the answer to: “What are your rates?” What if you’re in the process of building your business?

Freelancing is all about juggling assignments. And those assignments are two-fold: building clips from publications and seeking work that’s sustainable.

It’s those fill-ins and quasi-day jobs with new clients who wonder what your fees are for writing services that keep most of us afloat.

The way I see it, we’re building clips to garner more and more assignments from different publishers who mostly pay flat fees. In the meantime or in-between time, most of us seek more mundane projects like writing or editing business manuals, marketing materials, or Web content.

But it’s important to be honest to clients who don’t know what to pay writers by pointing the way to the “going rate,” which can be found in Writer’s Digest per type of writing project, and on the Journalism Jobs Web site under salaries.

This week after invoicing the editor of the annual magazine I write features for, I’m negotiating a deal with one company to write Web content and with another that needs a sales letter but who are printing my business cards for free because they like me so I’m giving them a discount and they’ve agreed to send clients my way. At first they were hands clasped over mouths when they saw the “going rate” for sales letters. It’s taken them six weeks to digest anything over the bartering system.

Going to the SPJ convention?

Question

I'd like to share this question from SPJ's discussion board about freelancing.

Having just heard the perils of libel cases at the Region 1 Conference this weekend, I'd gotten religion and want to get libel insurance. It would be very nice if the SPJ offered a group policy for freelancers. What do other people think?

Thanks for your comments.

Links

This month Writer's Digest publishes an annual list of 101 best Web sites for writers. On the list are a few that looked good for freelancers. Thanks, Writer's Digest!

• fundsforwriters.com. Freelancers on the prowl for jobs and cash need to look no futher. This site offers up the big four -- grants, contests, fellowships and markets -- that pay. Plus, C. Hope Clark's free e-newsletter is a must read for all who freelance.
  
• fwointl.com. With more than 11,000 registered members (membership is free), Freelance Writing Organization-Int'l offers thousands of online resources and job offerings. It also gives members a free blog listing (as long as the blog deals with writing).
• theurbanmuse.blogspot.com. The Urban Muse is populated with excellent tips on writing, marketing and staying creative. Don't miss the "5 Ways to Promote Your Blog" post; great advice.
  
• worldwidefreelance.com/writing.htm. Sign up for this site's e-newsletter and receive access to a list of more than 500 magazine market listings. There's also a European market listing available through a subscription.
  
• writergazette.com. In its fourth consecutive year on the list (sixth overall), this site lives up to its tagline: "Bringing you free writer-related articles, paying call for submission and freelance job postings, contests, resources, tips, and more to help induce, improve, and promote your writing career -- every week."