Any Freelance Journalists who can help?...

Question

I am hoping to get a work placement at a local newspaper or radio company over the summer and was wondering what freelance journalism entails- this includes having some sort of contract or simply sending in articles? Thanks to anyone who can help.

Answer 1

The answer, Emmy, is both.

Two basic routes, just filing an article in the hope of it being accepted, published and compensated; and contacting an editor with a query proposing an article.

When starting out as a freelancer, you need to amass clippings -- proof that you have been published.  You can do this locally with small magazines or weekly newspapers...but probably for little or no compensation.  But your reward will be in collecting the clippings with  your byline.

At this point you can begin submitting articles to larger publications (while mentioning you have been published in XYZ magazine).

Once you have contact with an editor, then you can go the inquiry letter route (which could be by email or telephone) and suggest articles to see if the publication is interested.

None of this is a difficult process.  You could accomplish the above in two months of hard work and be on your way.

My two bits of advice to you and all freelancers is that you understand the needs of your target publication, and that you develop articles well in advance.

You have to put yourself in an advanced mental state and look at the chosen publication like an editor.  Here we are in early August and most of the September material is coming in, so the editor is thinking about needs for Halloween in October and Thanksgiving in November.

Those first day at school articles were determined back in June.

Thinking ahead as a freelancer and submitting article ideas well in advance gives you a good chance of getting approval to go ahead and tackle an idea.

The more articles you get published the more editors will contact you about story ideas.

You just need to get started and keep building upon your earlier articles.  And all of this applies to audio reports -- if you can propose packages of interviews with wild sound and voice overs.