How to: Begin Your Freelance Journalist Career

December 31, 2009

Hi guys! This is a sponsored post so it’s quite off topic, but it’s actually very helpful to those who want to go into freelance writing, as I do. I swear it’s not spam, lol. I actually read it.

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Beginning your career as a freelance journalist is not an easy task.  The world is filled with writers and you will have to have the determination to prove yourself as a viable commodity.  Beginning your career as a freelance journalist means molding yourself into a product and then marketing that product.

Make Sure You Have The Right Motivation

If you think of freelance journalism as a glamorous life then maybe you should take some time to understand what this field is really about.  Writing is not as easy or anything like what you see in most movies or TV shows.  Writing is a sometimes arduous task that needs to be its own reward because it does not always pay off as you might hope.  You need dedication to complete your writing and the ability to handle the rejections that freelance writers inevitably face.  If you just want the acclaim of being a famous writer then perhaps freelance journalism is not for you.

Get Educated

You may or may not have formal journalism training but you need to have an intimate knowledge of your craft.  Creativity does not make up for exceptional grammar skills or vice versa.  You need to hone your rudimentary writing skills as well as your unique writing voice.  This takes time and practice to develop but is essential if you wish to become a successful freelance writer. 

You will want to pay attention to what other writers are putting out that is getting published.  You will want to look at content and the style of the writing so that you can get a feel for what is effective in the current market.  Of course, you will also have to be well-versed in whatever topics you wish to write about.

Target Publications

You will want to target publications.  This begins with choosing the topics that you wish to write about.  While you do want to focus on topics that spark your interest, you also want topics that publications will find appealing.  To gain more insight into what specific publications do and do not find worthy of print, you will need to review past and present issues of the publications that you intend to target. 

You want to know what has been done and what topics are perennially popular.  Your best crafted pieces have to be marketable or they will never be seen in print.  Understanding the publications that you intend to target will help you to tailor your art to these mediums. 

Start Small And Keep Trying  

It is often easier to submit articles to smaller publications at first.  This will allow you to build a portfolio that will give you more credibility.  Realize that rejection is part of being a freelance journalist.  Take criticism and learn from it but do not take rejection personally.  Writing is a personal craft so rejection of your writing may feel like a rejection of you but it’s just a part of the process.

Beginning a career as a freelance journalist is a challenge.  You have to market yourself and slowly build a career.  Learn all you can and accept that rejection is a sign that you are getting your work out there.  Follow these steps and you are on your way to a real career as a freelance journalist.

Mary Ward writes about how get a degree in journalism.