When freelance journalist Caroline Harrap wrote an end-of-year Twitter thread on her experiences of 2022 she’d like to “bin”, it touched a chord with freelances everywhere.
Here, she reflects on what she has learned – with tips on how to survive (and even thrive) in the freelance world in 2023.
1. Staying sane
There is no doubt that life as a freelance journalist comes with its own peculiar set of challenges. In what other industry do clients decide what they’re prepared to pay and then don’t cough up for a month? And that’s if everything goes well.
Then there are all the other crazy things to contend with – from pitching ideas and palpitating over deadlines to pocket-dialling your editor at 1am (okay, that last one’s just me then…)
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On the flip side, however, there is no costly commute or office politics, your time is your own to manage as you wish and the world really is your oyster (well, no one can actually afford an oyster, but the point stands…)
From taking a sneaky day off to working on a story close to your heart or pitching a dream publication, it helps to remember the good bits, too, in order to stay (relatively) sane.
2. The art of pitching
One of the most important aspects of being freelance is pitching. Thankfully, there are some great resources out there on the subject – from helpful articles such as this one by Writer’s Digest to handy Youtube videos from the BBC to the excellent masterclasses by National Geographic Traveller.
My own two cents: there is no magic, one-size-fits-all formula but these are some things that have worked for me… Be sure to nail the subject line – i.e. “Freelance pitch: And then the suggested headline” – so they can envisage the story straightaway.
Keep the pitch snappy – commissioning editors are always ludicrously busy – and be specific. Mention why the article is of value to their readers, why it needs to run now and why you should be the one to write it. Finally, be sure they haven’t done it before. Then pray.
3. Navigating rates
Talk to any freelance journalist and one of their biggest bugbears will be rates – and how they have barely increased since circa 1985. This subject has already been covered quite extensively by Press Gazette – famously, there was the case of the writer whose daughter made more from babysitting than he did covering a murder trial – so, let’s focus instead on what can be done to mitigate the medieval levels of pay.
First, it’s almost always worth asking for more money as the worst they can say is no. Second, there are publications out there that do still pay a reasonable rate: typically trade/specialist titles, tabloids and certain magazines – and there are some outlets in the US paying a dollar or more a word. Third, it’s always worth checking out resources such as the NUJ’s Rate for the Job and then negotiating accordingly.
4. Chasing invoices
It is a truth universally acknowledged that life as a freelance journalist will involve spending inordinate amounts of time chasing modest amounts of money. And that’s not to mention navigating Kafkaesque levels of complication when getting set up on payment systems.
The best strategy to adopt here is to bypass the commissioning editor altogether – the last thing they want to think about is admin – and to make friends with the accounts department. For my part, I am now exchanging vegan recipes with one accountant in the hope this helps with getting paid (I’ll let you know as soon as I find out…) Not something I would necessarily advocate for, but you get the idea.
5. Dealing with ghosting
A phenomenon more often associated with dysfunctional relationships, ghosting is something most freelances will experience at some point. One particular editor ghosted me last year – after they said they wanted a story – and I now have some kind of weird, inverted Stockholm syndrome where my only dying wish is to gain their attention one last time.
Anyway, the key here is to be less like me, chase once or maybe twice, and then move on. Life – and bank balances – are too short to wait around. Also, a trick I learned from another freelance is that one final email, politely explaining that you’re taking the story elsewhere, can sometimes be the motivation they need to decide they actually do want it after all.
6. Branching out
A regular side gig can help bring some much-needed security to offset the rates rollercoaster. I mean, sure, there will always be the freelances on Twitter who say they make all their money from journalism and are doing very nicely, thank you, and good luck to them. But when the pitching process can be so hit and miss, I find knowing that I have at least some guaranteed income each month helps me to sleep at night.
In fact, if you look at those who claim to earn more than $100k a year, delve a little deeper and they often make part of their money from newsletters/copywriting/book editing/training/public speaking etc. So, it’s worth looking out for opportunities in adjacent fields as well.
7. Finding your tribe
Whenever I am asked what I wish I’d known at the start of my freelance career, it’s the power of community. Freelancing can be a lonely job and even the most introverted of us miss those watercooler moments occasionally. So, finding some like-minded spirits to share in the general madness of it all – such as in the Slack channel of the Society of Freelance Journalists (SFJ) – can really help.
For full transparency, this was a group I helped set up, along with three other journalists, at the start of the pandemic. But everyone in our community is so generous with their help and advice, and support and solidarity, and I don’t know what I’d do without them. There are other notable organisations out there, too, such as Journo Resources, Freelancing for Journalists and Freelancing with Tim, to name but a few.
8. Staying connected
Another thing to mention is the importance of staying digitally connected with the freelance world – whether that’s through newsletters, social media or online resources. There are several newsletters out there that share pitch call-outs – such as Sian Meades-Williams, Write at Home and, again, Journo Resources – and work opportunities can be found in our SFJ Slack channel too.
Being on Twitter (for better or for worse…) can also be hugely helpful when it comes to finding calls for pitches, building relationships with editors and securing tricky case studies or sources. There are plenty of online resources available, too, such as those of Headlines Network who are doing great work around mental health in journalism
9. Getting story ideas
Something that new freelances often struggle with is finding story ideas. Everyone has their own ways of doing this, but back when I was a rookie journo, I was always taught the value of contacts – and I think that remains the case today. So, it’s worth getting to know the people in your area(s) of interest and just talking to them.
Also, signing up to any relevant newsletters can be a good source of inspiration – and anniversaries, events and commemoration days can be a helpful hook. Naturally, reading as many publications as humanly (and financially) possible is the best way to get a feel for what they’re looking for – and what is currently missing. Lastly, simply chatting with friends and family can also throw up story ideas and, more importantly, stop you going insane
10. And if all else fails…
Bear in mind that even the most experienced journalists still have pitches ignored, regularly get ghosted and often don’t get paid as much as they should. The whole freelancing model is a bit bonkers (dare I say, broken?) and there are many talented people out there who deserve to be commissioned way more. And that’s without even getting into the diversity (or lack thereof…) in our industry.
But as long as you keep pitching, file on time and deliver accurate copy, it is possible to survive – and even thrive – in the frenetic freelance world. And at least you can take solace in the fact that you haven’t pocket-dialled your editor at 1am.
- Caroline Harrap is a freelance journalist and editor who has written for The Guardian, The Observer, Euronews, France Today and Culture Trip, among others. She is also a co-founder of the Society of Freelance Journalists
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