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If you’re writing a tried-and-tested feature, you’ll need to source the products to test. But how do you do that?
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<p>Senior tutor, Judy Yorke, is a veteran of these as she writes them for the Daily Mirror, Daily Express and BBC Good Food. Here are her suggestions:</p>
<ol>
<li>Judy’s first stop is usually a "shout-out". There are sites, e.g. responsesource.com, where you can put out a media request which is seen by PRs that subscribe. (It’s free for journalists). There are other, specific ones e.g. Home4Media that do the same thing.<br />
</li>
<li>Twitter can be useful – use the hashtag #journorequest, as PRs will frequently check this.<br />
</li>
<li>Do your own research! Judy will google for products she thinks could work or look on somewhere like Amazon.<br />
</li>
<li>You then need to get in touch with the companies. You can get samples either from the maker/ manufacturer or a retailer. Bear in mind that if you get them from a retailer, you will need to credit that shop as being the place to get it.<br />
</li>
<li>Some companies have a direct email for media enquiries on their website. We love those that do as it makes it so much easier.<br />
</li>
<li>If they don’t, google who the PR is – that sometimes works but don’t bank on always being able to find out who it is.<br />
</li>
<li>If you’re still stuck, tweet the company or message them on Facebook. Just explain you are a journalist writing a feature and ask who you should contact for media requests.<br />
</li>
<li>You can, of course, ring the company though you often end up talking to customer service staff who don’t really know how to help you.<br />
</li>
<li>When you do get a contact, it makes life much easier for next time - so add them to your address book!<br />
</li>
<li>Be nice to your contacts. Tell them when a feature is in and send them a link if there is one, it will keep them sweet for next time!</li>
</ol>
</div>
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<div class="adbanner-txt-1">Ready to start your new career or hobby as a freelance journalist?</div>
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We all want the best gear and to look the part when we start a new career, but chances are you probably already have all you need to be a freelance writer.
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<p>One of the joys of freelancing is that your set-up costs are minimal. However, you do need some basics when you start out; good news is you probably have most of them already!</p>
<p>Here's what we think to be the essential tools of the trade.</p>
<ul>
<li>Laptop or desk computer with Microsoft Word (though you can use Google Docs or any word processing program, just remember to save our as a .DOCX file before submitting to a publication).<br />
</li>
<li>A decent desk and chair. If you don’t have a dedicated workspace, make sure you can find somewhere comfortable, like the kitchen table, for the long hours of writing you will be putting in.<br />
</li>
<li>A phone (the smartphone you’re scrolling through social media on is totally fine - no need for a landline!).<br />
</li>
<li>Wi-Fi (a decent connection to ensure you can carry out your research and ensure you’re contactable via email).<br />
</li>
<li>Pens and notepads to take notes – alternatively (or additionally) a digital recorder or an app for recording interviews<br />
</li>
<li>A system to keep track of invoices. An Excel spreadsheet (or Google Sheet) is fine for tracking invoices when you’re starting out (you can create these in your word processing program and save them as a PDF or get fancy and create something on Canva.com). As you do more work, you might like to upgrade to an accounting system such as Xero for invoices, book-keeping and tracking your accounts). <br />
</li>
<li>A separate work bank account<br />
</li>
<li>A separate email address. Make sure this is just your name – no nicknames or your email address from when you were 16 - be professional (we have seen some horrors over the years). <br />
</li>
<li>A social media account, LinkedIn or website. If an editor has never heard of you, they might want to check you out. You can link to published work on social media initially and get a basic website when you are more established.</li>
</ul>
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<div class="adbanner-img-1"> </div>
<div class="adbanner-body-1">
<div class="adbanner-txt-1">Ready to start your new career or hobby as a freelance journalist?</div>
<div class="adbanner-txt-2">Download the free course guide.</div>
<button class="adbanner-btn-1 leadgnfrm">DOWNLOAD NOW</button></div>
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<!-- END: ON-SITE AD BANNER FREELANCE JOURNALIST --> <tag>Freelance-101</tag>
You don’t need us to tell you that the cost of living is shooting up - so here are ideas to keep in mind to help you get your worth in tough times!
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<p>In the UK and elsewhere, the price of everything has rocketed - especially food and energy. The latter particularly impacts freelancers, who mostly work from home.</p>
<p>The difficulty for freelance feature writers is that, with few exceptions, it’s the client who sets the fee for a piece of work.</p>
<p>While other small businesses can increase their rates if they feel they need to, journalists can’t. An editor will tell YOU what they will pay, rather than you saying what you will sell your work for.</p>
<p>So what can you do? It seems to me you can either get more work in (and work longer hours) or start working for publications that pay more. As a general rule, the bigger the circulation of a publication, the higher the rate they will pay. </p>
<p>Local titles pay notoriously badly, so if at all possible, pitch to national ones. If you have an idea for a local story, can you adapt it to make it appeal more broadly?</p>
<p>So you could see this as an opportunity to move up a level – it could really kick-start your freelance career.</p>
<p>We accept, however, that this isn’t always possible, and we know there will be times when you are just offered a very low fee regardless of where you are pitching. </p>
<p>So what can you do if you’re offered a very low rate?</p>
<p>Option one is to do the work – as quickly as you can. Work out how many hours you think it should reasonably take, given the fee. Don’t overdo the research or conduct more interviews than you need to. We’re not saying skimp on effort – but don’t put in more hours than you need to. Be ruthlessly efficient with your time.</p>
<p>Option two – ask for more money! There are ways of doing this, and I suggest being ultra-polite and reasonable. </p>
<p>You could email pointing out that you estimate it will take you, say, two days and given that, is there any way they can increase the fee? It would help if you could explain why it would take so long (perhaps you need to conduct four interviews, for instance).</p>
<p>The worst thing they can say is no. They may (may!) offer you a little more. It's also possible that they may make a change, such as dropping a sidebar that would take a couple of hours to research and write.</p>
<p>We appreciate this is difficult, and you are more likely to succeed with a publication you have worked for before.</p>
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<div class="adbanner-img-1"> </div>
<div class="adbanner-body-1">
<div class="adbanner-txt-1">Take the first step to become a professional freelance writer.</div>
<div class="adbanner-txt-2">Download the free course guide.</div>
<button class="adbanner-btn-1 leadgnfrm">DOWNLOAD NOW</button></div>
</div>
<!-- END: ON-SITE AD BANNER FREELANCE WRITER --> <tag>Freelance-101</tag>
Here are 20 things most freelance journalists worry about. If you have worried about any of these, don’t worry (ha!) – you’re entirely normal. Journalism – in fact, any form of freelancing – can be stressful.
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<ol>
<li>I haven’t got enough work.</li>
<li>I’ve got too much work – how will I get it all done?</li>
<li>Will my payment arrive on time?</li>
<li>Will I upset the commissioning editor if I chase a payment?</li>
<li>Does the silence after I’ve sent my copy in mean they haven’t received it?</li>
<li>Does the silence after I’ve sent my copy in mean it’s so bad they don’t know what to say to me?</li>
<li>Did I somehow miss the reply?</li>
<li>If I chase up the pitch today, will I look too pushy?</li>
<li>If I chase up the pitch next week, will it be too late to pitch it somewhere else?</li>
<li>What if the commissioning editor leaves?</li>
<li>What if the magazine closes?</li>
<li>Can I find a case study for this feature?</li>
<li>Will the case study agree to speak to me?</li>
<li>I’ve made so many calls – what if I end up with too many case studies?</li>
<li>Can I find an expert for this feature?</li>
<li>Will the expert agree to speak to me?</li>
<li>Will they think my questions are stupid?</li>
<li>What if I don’t understand what they are saying?</li>
<li>If I go on holiday, will I miss out on some work?</li>
<li>Will I ever work again?</li>
</ol>
<p>And that’s just the first 20 – there are so many more!</p>
<p>If you have worried about any of these, don’t worry (ha!) – you’re entirely normal. Journalism – in fact, any form of freelancing – can be stressful. We suggest finding some journalism “buddies” either online or in “real life”. Realising everyone worries about the same things can be really reassuring.</p>
<p>Beyond sharing your fears with journalism buddies or even other friends and family, other ways to help manage your worry can include:</p>
<ul>
<li>Mindfulness, meditation and deep breathing</li>
<li>Deep breathing</li>
<li>Practice self-compassion</li>
<li>Keep an emotions journal</li>
<li>Maintain a consistent sleep schedule</li>
<li>Focus on what you can control</li>
<li>Exercise more often</li>
<li>Take positive action</li>
</ul>
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<div class="onsiteadbanner adbanner-fjuk">
<div class="adbanner-img-1"> </div>
<div class="adbanner-body-1">
<div class="adbanner-txt-1">Ready to start your new career or hobby as a freelance journalist?</div>
<div class="adbanner-txt-2">Download the free course guide.</div>
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<!-- END: ON-SITE AD BANNER FREELANCE JOURNALIST --> <tag>Featuring-You</tag>
As a new academic year begins, keep in mind that there are only four months of the year to go. You need to ensure you make the most of them.
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<p>With a new academic year starting and summer holidays being over for most, many of us become aware of the need to really focus on work again. </p>
<p>It’s a good time to take stock of the year and how things are going. There are three good months of solid work ahead before things start to quieten down again for a few weeks in mid-December so you really need to make the most of them. </p>
<p>So what should you do? Our top suggestions are</p>
<ul>
<li>Pitch! As commissioning editors come back from their holidays, they need to make up for lost time and could welcome your pitches. Get in touch with editors you’ve written for before, and also try to pitch to some new ones. </li>
<li>Market yourself. Is your LinkedIn profile up to date? Have you been active on social media like Twitter? If an editor hasn’t worked with you before, they may well do a bit of research on you if they are interested in one of your ideas. If you have had any work published, make sure there are links to it on your social media pages.</li>
<li>Get organised! Is your desk a mess? Have you resorted to writing on scraps of paper because you’ve run out of notebooks? Spend an hour or so sorting everything out and buy or order anything else you need.</li>
<li>Review your finances. Are you earning enough? If not, think about pitching more or using your skills for copywriting, social media management etc.</li>
</ul>
<p>The last few months of the year are really the time to make hay while the sun shines. </p>
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.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-img-1,
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</style>
<div class="onsiteadbanner adbanner-fjuk">
<div class="adbanner-img-1"> </div>
<div class="adbanner-body-1">
<div class="adbanner-txt-1">Take the first step to become a professional freelance writer.</div>
<div class="adbanner-txt-2">Download the free course guide.</div>
<button class="adbanner-btn-1 leadgnfrm">DOWNLOAD NOW</button></div>
</div>
<!-- END: ON-SITE AD BANNER FREELANCE WRITER --> <tag>Journalism-101</tag>
Our course gives you the skills you need to become a successful freelance journalist – but those skills can be used in other ways too.
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<p>It’s a really wise idea to develop a career with different income streams, so if you have a quiet week (and everyone does sometimes), you can look for other types of work. </p>
<p>Some of the work freelance journalists take on to boost their income includes</p>
<ul>
<li>Content writing</li>
<li>Copywriting</li>
<li>Ghostwriting</li>
<li>Social media management</li>
<li>Newsletters</li>
<li>PR</li>
</ul>
<p>Just a word of warning, if you want to do some PR – you must keep PR and journalism clients separate.</p>
<p>If, for example, you write a press release about an amazing new health product, it’s fine to pitch it to a publication. But you would need to do that as a PR and the goal is to get publicity, not payment.</p>
<p>What you can’t then do is offer it as a journalist and expect to receive a fee. It’s unethical and as you will be trying to please two people at once (the client and the editor), it could get very messy.</p>
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background-color: #3AB549;
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width: 35%;
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width: 65%;
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font-weight: 400;
line-height: 1.2;
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@media (max-width: 990px) {
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flex-direction: column;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-img-1 {
min-height: 250px;
background-position: top center;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-img-1,
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-body-1 {
width: 100%;
}
}
</style>
<div class="onsiteadbanner adbanner-fjuk">
<div class="adbanner-img-1"> </div>
<div class="adbanner-body-1">
<div class="adbanner-txt-1">Ready to start your new career or hobby as a freelance journalist?</div>
<div class="adbanner-txt-2">Download the free course guide.</div>
<button class="adbanner-btn-1 leadgnfrm">DOWNLOAD NOW</button></div>
</div>
<!-- END: ON-SITE AD BANNER FREELANCE JOURNALIST --> <tag>Featuring-You</tag>
The sense of an ending - making sure you get it right! If you’ve written an interesting, topical and engaging feature, there’s every chance your reader will make it through to the end.
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<p>If you’ve written an interesting, topical and engaging feature, there’s every chance your reader will make it through to the end.</p>
<p>Writing that final paragraph can be tricky – but it’s really important to get it right. Features that end abruptly can be really unsatisfying and articles where the final paragraph just repeats what has been said before are a waste of time.</p>
<p>Try to end the article in a resonant manner that makes clear it is the end. One way of doing that is by referring back to the beginning. Here is a great example of that <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-60653966" target="_blank" urlname="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-60653966">https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-60653966</a> </p>
<p>Look at the first paragraph:</p>
<p>“I didn't really see her face, but at her feet were several cooing pigeons. Every now and again, a shower of birdseed would tumble from her hand. She was wearing a heavy-looking grey coat, keeping out the late morning winter chill. I motioned to my colleague, cameraman David McIlveen, to try to take her picture - but she sensed he was approaching, emptied the brown paper bag of birdseed and briskly walked away.”</p>
<p>…and the last:</p>
<p>“I am writing this from a hotel in Romania, having left Ukraine via Moldova a couple of days ago. I can't get the image of the woman feeding the pigeons out of my head. She was risking bombs and missiles to feed the pigeons. For me, she represents strength and courage - the indomitability of an independent state, not the cowering fear of the colonised.”</p>
<p>In this example, the last paragraph reflects the opening paragraph. It’s beautifully written and shows just how much a strong ending can add to an article.</p>
<!-- START: ON-SITE AD BANNER FREELANCE WRITER -->
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.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-img-1,
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-body-1 {
width: 100%;
}
}
</style>
<div class="onsiteadbanner adbanner-fjuk">
<div class="adbanner-img-1"> </div>
<div class="adbanner-body-1">
<div class="adbanner-txt-1">Take the first step to become a professional freelance writer.</div>
<div class="adbanner-txt-2">Download the free course guide.</div>
<button class="adbanner-btn-1 leadgnfrm">DOWNLOAD NOW</button></div>
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<!-- END: ON-SITE AD BANNER FREELANCE WRITER --> <tag>Writing-Tip</tag>
Proofreading: It’s never easy to check your own work, but you need to do everything you can to eliminate errors and typos.
Read more
<p>Here are some suggestions for effective proofing:</p>
<ul>
<li>Read your work out loud. You will be forced to slow down, which should help. (See also: <a href="http://britishcollegeofjournalism.com/The-Sound-of-Improvement-Elevate-Your-Writing-by-Reading-Aloud" urlname="https://britishcollegeofjournalism.com/The-Sound-of-Improvement-Elevate-Your-Writing-by-Reading-Aloud">https://britishcollegeofjournalism.com/The-Sound-of-Improvement-Elevate-Your-Writing-by-Reading-Aloud</a>)<br />
</li>
<li>Leave a break between finishing your article and proofreading it. Even better, leave it till the next day. You are much more likely to pick up on mistakes with fresh eyes.<br />
</li>
<li>If possible, get someone else to read it – they may spot things you don’t.<br />
</li>
<li>Change the font and/ or font size. If you’ve read something numerous times, your brain may read what it thinks it sees rather than what it does see. But this will change the layout and may make you see things anew.<br />
</li>
<li>If you prefer to print a copy out, get a ruler and place it under the line you are reading. Finish that one before moving to the next line.</li>
</ul>
<p>Hope this is helpful!</p>
<!-- START: ON-SITE AD BANNER FREELANCE WRITER -->
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background-position: top center;
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.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-img-1,
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-body-1 {
width: 100%;
}
}
</style>
<div class="onsiteadbanner adbanner-fjuk">
<div class="adbanner-img-1"> </div>
<div class="adbanner-body-1">
<div class="adbanner-txt-1">Take the first step to become a professional freelance writer.</div>
<div class="adbanner-txt-2">Download the free course guide.</div>
<button class="adbanner-btn-1 leadgnfrm">DOWNLOAD NOW</button></div>
</div>
<!-- END: ON-SITE AD BANNER FREELANCE WRITER --> <tag>Writing-Tip</tag>
Being a freelance journalist isn’t just about pitching and writing – it’s also about freedom and work/ life balance. Judy Yorke, our senior tutor, shares a perfect example of that here.
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<p>In a couple of hours’ time, I am going to grab my swimming costume, my suncream, a book, a towel and a picnic and head off to the lido.</p>
<p>If you are in the UK, you will understand the excitement of a rare heatwave. If you’re not, well, please take it from me that us Brits get terribly over-excited once the mercury goes over 25 degrees. And as I’m freelance, I can make the most of it.</p>
<p>Do I feel guilty? Absolutely not. I booked the swimming on Monday, so I’ve put in a few extra hours this week. I’ll also catch up a bit at the weekend (we’re promised rain on Sunday).</p>
<p>The ability to set my own hours (deadlines permitting) is a continuing joy, even after 15 years of freelancing. It’s why I can’t ever see myself going back to a job with set hours.</p>
<p>Even better…I am just finishing off a feature about picnic baskets, so it’s the perfect time to take one with me to test out. </p>
<p>Freelancing allows you to make the most of the sunshine and gives you purpose and distraction to buckle down when you’re stuck inside with the winter blues!</p>
<!-- START: ON-SITE AD BANNER FREELANCE JOURNALIST -->
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background-position: top center;
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.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-img-1,
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-body-1 {
width: 100%;
}
}
</style>
<div class="onsiteadbanner adbanner-fjuk">
<div class="adbanner-img-1"> </div>
<div class="adbanner-body-1">
<div class="adbanner-txt-1">Ready to start your new career or hobby as a freelance journalist?</div>
<div class="adbanner-txt-2">Download the free course guide.</div>
<button class="adbanner-btn-1 leadgnfrm">DOWNLOAD NOW</button></div>
</div>
<!-- END: ON-SITE AD BANNER FREELANCE JOURNALIST --> <tag>Freelance-101</tag>
Recycle, repurpose and reuse don’t just apply to physical waste; keep this in mind when looking for new article ideas as well.
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<p>Sometimes, when you’re trying to come up with ideas, it can be a bit of a struggle. </p>
<p>Maybe it’s because it’s Friday afternoon, or you have an exciting holiday just around the corner. It certainly doesn't help if you’re just sitting in front of a blank computer screen with "ideas" written at the top of the page.</p>
<p>One thing that can be worth doing is going back over old ideas (even if they date back to the last decade!). You can try to repackage these old ideas or bring them up to date. For instance, an article from a decade ago about how to talk to kids about saving money would be particularly relevant today, so why not work that up into a new feature? Or look at it in a different way, how has the way we talk to kids about money changed? Is that advice still relevant for an on-demand generation?</p>
<p>Even ideas you do sell can be recycled later on, as long as you can give them a good, topical angle and get some new quotes.</p>
<p>With this in mind, remember that if you get a rejection and can't think of anywhere else to pitch it, leave it on the back burner for now. You can always come back to it in 2030!</p>
<!-- START: ON-SITE AD BANNER FREELANCE JOURNALIST -->
<style type="text/css">.onsiteadbanner {
width: 100%;
max-width: 900px;
background: var(--primary-colour);
color: #F1F1F1;
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gap: 0;
position: relative;
padding: 0px;
margin: 50px 0 20px 0;
border: 1px solid #ccc;
overflow: hidden;
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text-transform: capitalize;
padding: 10px 25px;
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max-width: 240px;
white-space: normal;
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.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-btn-1:hover {
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}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-img-1 {
width: 35%;
background: url('https://britishcollegeofjournalism.com/Media/Uploads/Banners/freelance-journalist-img.jpg');
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background-repeat: no-repeat;
background-position: center;
transition: background-color 0.3s ease-in-out;
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.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-body-1 {
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font-weight: 400;
line-height: 1.2;
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.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-txt-2 {
font-size: 20px;
font-weight: 400;
line-height: 1.2;
padding: 0 0 15px 0;
}
@media (max-width: 990px) {
.onsiteadbanner {
flex-direction: column;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-img-1 {
min-height: 250px;
background-position: top center;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-img-1,
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-body-1 {
width: 100%;
}
}
</style>
<div class="onsiteadbanner adbanner-fjuk">
<div class="adbanner-img-1"> </div>
<div class="adbanner-body-1">
<div class="adbanner-txt-1">Ready to start your new career or hobby as a freelance journalist?</div>
<div class="adbanner-txt-2">Download the free course guide.</div>
<button class="adbanner-btn-1 leadgnfrm">DOWNLOAD NOW</button></div>
</div>
<!-- END: ON-SITE AD BANNER FREELANCE JOURNALIST --> <tag>Journalism-101</tag>
Pitching is key when you want to be a published journalist. In fact, several assignments in our course involve writing pitches.
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<p>No matter how good your pitch is, you need to make sure it lands in the right person’s inbox. So, who do you pitch to?</p>
<p>If it’s a big title, the best person is usually the features editor, commissioning editor or the relevant section editor. A section editor is someone like a travel, beauty or health editor in charge of a particular section.</p>
<p>If you’re lucky, their name will be in the publication, and a quick search should reveal the email format for that company, e.g. [email protected].</p>
<p>If not, Google is again your friend. For instance, you could look up “commissioning editor at (title)” and see what it throws up. LinkedIn can be useful for this too. You could even ring the publication if you can find an editorial number and ask.</p>
<p>A big No-No is to send it to “readers’ letters”. This is aimed at readers who want their letters published rather than journalists offering features; they will likely consider you’re happy to have your work published for free or just discard your contact.</p>
<!-- START: ON-SITE AD BANNER FREELANCE JOURNALIST -->
<style type="text/css">.onsiteadbanner {
width: 100%;
max-width: 900px;
background: var(--primary-colour);
color: #F1F1F1;
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flex-direction: row;
gap: 0;
position: relative;
padding: 0px;
margin: 50px 0 20px 0;
border: 1px solid #ccc;
overflow: hidden;
border-radius: 4px;
border: 1px solid #7e7e7e;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-btn-1,
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-btn-1:visited {
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color: #f1f1f1;
text-transform: capitalize;
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max-width: 240px;
white-space: normal;
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.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-img-1 {
width: 35%;
background: url('https://britishcollegeofjournalism.com/Media/Uploads/Banners/freelance-journalist-img.jpg');
background-size: cover;
background-repeat: no-repeat;
background-position: center;
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.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-body-1 {
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line-height: 1.2;
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font-size: 20px;
font-weight: 400;
line-height: 1.2;
padding: 0 0 15px 0;
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@media (max-width: 990px) {
.onsiteadbanner {
flex-direction: column;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-img-1 {
min-height: 250px;
background-position: top center;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-img-1,
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-body-1 {
width: 100%;
}
}
</style>
<div class="onsiteadbanner adbanner-fjuk">
<div class="adbanner-img-1"> </div>
<div class="adbanner-body-1">
<div class="adbanner-txt-1">Ready to start your new career or hobby as a freelance journalist?</div>
<div class="adbanner-txt-2">Download the free course guide.</div>
<button class="adbanner-btn-1 leadgnfrm">DOWNLOAD NOW</button></div>
</div>
<!-- END: ON-SITE AD BANNER FREELANCE JOURNALIST --> <tag>Pitch-Perfect</tag>
Whatever you are writing about, you'll often need comments from experts.
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<p>For example, if you’re writing about new dental treatments, you could interview a dentist, and if you’re writing about graduate opportunities, you could speak to a university careers officer.</p>
<p>These experts can talk about their subject with real knowledge and authority. Their quotes will really lift a feature and give it added insight. But who do you decide who to talk to?</p>
<p>The key is finding someone the reader will see as an expert. So, someone who is a student dentist, for instance, would not be ideal. Someone with 10 years of experience, lectures in dentistry, or has written a book on dentistry would be perfect.</p>
<p>One essential tip is to get in touch with two or three experts rather than just one. That’s because you can guarantee not everyone will get back. If two get back, you can interview both of them! </p>
<p>And if you already have what you need by the time an expert gets back to you, you can just apologise and ask if you can keep their details for the future.</p>
<!-- START: ON-SITE AD BANNER FREELANCE WRITER -->
<style type="text/css">.onsiteadbanner {
width: 100%;
max-width: 900px;
background: var(--primary-colour);
color: #F1F1F1;
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flex-direction: row;
gap: 0;
position: relative;
padding: 0px;
margin: 50px 0 20px 0;
border: 1px solid #ccc;
overflow: hidden;
border-radius: 4px;
border: 1px solid #7e7e7e;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-btn-1,
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-btn-1:visited {
background: #479807;
color: #f1f1f1;
text-transform: capitalize;
padding: 10px 25px;
font-family: ;
font-size: 18px;
border: none;
max-width: 240px;
white-space: normal;
transition: background-color 0.3s ease-in-out;
border-radius: 6px;
box-shadow: 7px 7px 20px #91301d !important;
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background-size: cover;
background-repeat: no-repeat;
background-position: center;
transition: background-color 0.3s ease-in-out;
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width: 65%;
padding: 30px;
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min-height: 250px;
background-position: top center;
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</style>
<div class="onsiteadbanner adbanner-fjuk">
<div class="adbanner-img-1"> </div>
<div class="adbanner-body-1">
<div class="adbanner-txt-1">Take the first step to become a professional freelance writer.</div>
<div class="adbanner-txt-2">Download the free course guide.</div>
<button class="adbanner-btn-1 leadgnfrm">DOWNLOAD NOW</button></div>
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<!-- END: ON-SITE AD BANNER FREELANCE WRITER --> <tag>Notes-on-Quotes</tag>
Sometimes, you may have a fairly quiet couple of weeks workwise and then, as so often happens, it goes the other way, and you’ve gone too much on. It’s important to develop a strategy to keep you calm in busy times!
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<p>You may have two features with short deadlines plus some copywriting and a few other commitments, including a full-day meeting on Friday. Oh, and you remember there’s a bank holiday on Monday too. It’s fair to say you can easily wake up in a bit of a panic when you have times like this. </p>
<p>So, a great strategy in these situations is to make a list. A very detailed, day-by-day list of what you need to achieve in the week. And we mean specific, rather than “find case study”, write “contact xx press office”, “email yy”, and “Twitter shout out”. Be sure to also add the small but important jobs like invoicing, which are easy to overlook.</p>
<p>It can make you feel much more in control and gives you the satisfaction of being able to tick lots of things off. It will reassure you that you will get everything done and that nothing will be forgotten. </p>
<p>Think about getting yourself a diary for this; one with a blank page facing the diary page is very useful and something we would recommend. </p>
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<div class="adbanner-img-1"> </div>
<div class="adbanner-body-1">
<div class="adbanner-txt-1">Take the first step to become a professional freelance writer.</div>
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<!-- END: ON-SITE AD BANNER FREELANCE WRITER --> <tag>Freelance-101</tag>
We often stress about the importance of not writing too much copy. When you’re given a word count, try not to go over it by more than about 5%. You won’t be an editor’s favourite person if they need to spend hours cutting it back.
Read more
<p>But it’s just as important not to write too little. Print publications know exactly how many words they can fit on a page, which is why they give you a specific number. If you don’t write enough, they will be left with the inconvenience of white space to fill.</p>
<p>Not writing enough often means you haven’t gone into enough depth on your subject.</p>
<p>So, what can you do if your copy is coming up short? The first thing is to go back over the brief you were given. Have you covered every aspect? Is there anything you have written about too briefly that you could expand on?</p>
<p>Another good way to add more to copy is to get some more quotes. Could someone else add another dimension to what your interviewees have already said? Do you need an opposing viewpoint? Could another case study improve the feature?</p>
<p>One thing you absolutely shouldn’t do is just send your feature in with fewer words than you were asked for.</p>
<!-- START: ON-SITE AD BANNER FREELANCE JOURNALIST -->
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</style>
<div class="onsiteadbanner adbanner-fjuk">
<div class="adbanner-img-1"> </div>
<div class="adbanner-body-1">
<div class="adbanner-txt-1">Ready to start your new career or hobby as a freelance journalist?</div>
<div class="adbanner-txt-2">Download the free course guide.</div>
<button class="adbanner-btn-1 leadgnfrm">DOWNLOAD NOW</button></div>
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<!-- END: ON-SITE AD BANNER FREELANCE JOURNALIST --> <tag>Journalism-101</tag>
The cost of living crisis continues to brew in the UK (and across the world for that matter). Is there a silver lining for freelancers in all of this?
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<p>Petrol, energy, rent, interest rates and food costs are rocketing while taxes are rising and this is not isolated to just the UK.</p>
<p>As the Chancellor highlighted when delivering a mini-budget, though they try to ease the pressure on households, the government can’t “fully protect people against the challenges that lie ahead.”</p>
<p>So, what does that mean for us as freelancers? Let’s just take a moment to reflect on the silver lining!</p>
<p>One big advantage of freelancing is that you don’t have a fixed wage. If you want/need to earn more, you have choices that most employed people don’t have. You can boost your income by putting in extra hours or pitching to titles that pay more. You can also use your journalistic skills in other ways e.g. copywriting for local businesses who are also feeling the pinch and realising they need to try new means of revenue generation and business promotion.</p>
<p>The other option when facing such high inflation is to cut costs. Are you on the best-priced broadband deal, for instance? Can you get your ink cartridges more cheaply? Do you really need to go into the co-share office space you have been using this month? Can you work from home and make your own cuppa rather than popping down to the cafe mid-morning as you usually do?</p>
<p>Make sure you claim back all the expenses you are entitled to – for instance, stationery, newspapers and stamps that you need for work. Don’t lose that receipt – take a photo of it and log the expense in a spreadsheet.</p>
<p>Working from home is often cheaper than going to the office anyway – no train fares, fewer office clothes and no whip rounds for birthdays, sponsored marathons etc.</p>
<p>Even if you do decide to take on a fixed income/salaried position for a period of time - you always have your freelance skills to call upon to supplement your income! These are just some of the ways you can make the most of the benefits of working for yourself in difficult economic times. </p>
<!-- START: ON-SITE AD BANNER FREELANCE JOURNALIST -->
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</style>
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<div class="adbanner-img-1"> </div>
<div class="adbanner-body-1">
<div class="adbanner-txt-1">Ready to start your new career or hobby as a freelance journalist?</div>
<div class="adbanner-txt-2">Download the free course guide.</div>
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<!-- END: ON-SITE AD BANNER FREELANCE JOURNALIST --> <tag>Freelance-101</tag>
Journalism is strange. It’s the only type of contract job we can think of where the ‘customer’ determines the fees rather than the person doing the work.
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<p>If you become a painter & decorator, a plumber or a tutor, you get to set the price. If you own a business selling anything from jewellery to secondhand books, you decide what to charge.</p>
<p>But if you want to sell a feature, you are told what a publication’s rates are rather than the other way around. When you’re pitching, you don’t say what the price of your article is – you wait to be told once it is accepted.</p>
<p>So what can you do if you don’t think it’s enough? Of course, you can try asking for more. Sometimes, a commissioning editor will be able to increase the fee if you make a good case for it, but often, their hands are tied by their budgets. Be careful about asking – if it’s a pretty standard feature for the publication or fills a particular slot, it’s nearly always a case of like it or lump it. (This is especially the case for new writers). That being said, a professional publication knows they need to pay for quality submissions, so it’s unlikely you will be offered a lowball rate; it really may be the going rate for that slot/ publication. </p>
<p>We suggest that you have a price in mind when you pitch based on how long something will take you. If you have a really unique story, then factor that in, too. If a publication offers you less than that, it’s fine to tell them it isn’t enough and take your idea elsewhere. But be realistic if you do that – you need to be confident you can get more for it somewhere else.</p>
<!-- START: ON-SITE AD BANNER FREELANCE JOURNALIST -->
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<div class="onsiteadbanner adbanner-fjuk">
<div class="adbanner-img-1"> </div>
<div class="adbanner-body-1">
<div class="adbanner-txt-1">Ready to start your new career or hobby as a freelance journalist?</div>
<div class="adbanner-txt-2">Download the free course guide.</div>
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<!-- END: ON-SITE AD BANNER FREELANCE JOURNALIST --> <tag>Being-a-Journo</tag>
Do you know when World Sleep Day is? What about World Bee Day? Or World Blood Donor Day?
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<p>There are hundreds of events like this – National Tea Day, British Sandwich Week, International Lefthanders Day etc.</p>
<p>They can be useful to journalists by providing a news hook to a story. Magazines and newspapers are actively looking for stories for some of the bigger events, such as Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Veganuary.</p>
<p>The ones you need to be more careful with are those that are invented by an industry or company for the sole reason of promoting their products.</p>
<p>While you can sometimes use them to place stories, many commissioning editors won’t take them seriously enough as news hooks.</p>
<p>Also, bear in mind that commissioning editors will be approached directly by PRs promoting these days, reducing your chances of selling a feature.</p>
<p>So, if you have an idea and it happens to coincide with one of these special days, by all means mention it. But for the smaller events, I would suggest you don’t wait until the “day” to pitch it.</p>
<p>There are many lists of the ‘World’ or ‘National’ days and weeks, but here are a few to get you started:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.un.org/en/observances/list-days-weeks" target="_blank" urlname="https://www.un.org/en/observances/list-days-weeks">https://www.un.org/en/observances/list-days-weeks</a></li>
<li><a href="http://projectbritain.com/specialdays.htm" target="_blank" urlname="http://projectbritain.com/specialdays.htm">http://projectbritain.com/specialdays.htm</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.thereisadayforthat.com/countries/united-kingdom" target="_blank" urlname="https://www.thereisadayforthat.com/countries/united-kingdom">https://www.thereisadayforthat.com/countries/united-kingdom</a> </li>
</ul>
<!-- START: ON-SITE AD BANNER FREELANCE WRITER -->
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}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-img-1 {
min-height: 250px;
background-position: top center;
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.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-img-1,
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-body-1 {
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}
}
</style>
<div class="onsiteadbanner adbanner-fjuk">
<div class="adbanner-img-1"> </div>
<div class="adbanner-body-1">
<div class="adbanner-txt-1">Take the first step to become a professional freelance writer.</div>
<div class="adbanner-txt-2">Download the free course guide.</div>
<button class="adbanner-btn-1 leadgnfrm">DOWNLOAD NOW</button></div>
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<!-- END: ON-SITE AD BANNER FREELANCE WRITER --> <tag>Journalism-101</tag>
When one story dominates the news, it can be hard for freelancers to know what to do. That’s especially the case when thousands of people are losing their lives and homes.
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<p>When a crisis hits, suddenly, the story that you are working on can seem trivial. You can be almost embarrassed to talk about anything else, particularly if you’re working on lighter subjects like beauty or fashion. Should you delay that shout-out for case studies online or that pitch to a new editor?</p>
<p>The fact is that while there have been dozens of pages in newspapers and magazines on what is going on in times of crisis (think Ukraine, for example), there are still feature pages that need to be filled. Many specialist magazines will barely mention what is going on as it isn’t relevant to them. </p>
<p>So you don’t need to feel bad about continuing to work as normal, just as people in other jobs and professions will; you should too.</p>
<!-- START: ON-SITE AD BANNER FREELANCE JOURNALIST -->
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}
}
</style>
<div class="onsiteadbanner adbanner-fjuk">
<div class="adbanner-img-1"> </div>
<div class="adbanner-body-1">
<div class="adbanner-txt-1">Ready to start your new career or hobby as a freelance journalist?</div>
<div class="adbanner-txt-2">Download the free course guide.</div>
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<!-- END: ON-SITE AD BANNER FREELANCE JOURNALIST --> <tag>Journalism-101</tag>
We talk a lot about the freedom that freelancing gives you and how you don’t need to feel guilty about taking a day off. But it is important to note it doesn’t always work out!
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<p>So your birthday is coming up and you’d like to plan a day of leisure. You’ve dreamed of a lie-in, a big breakfast, a walk by the sea and a spot of shopping. But then… everything goes wrong… always be prepared for that. You might get a call for a networking meeting you really have to go to, and they want to schedule for 9am on the big day. </p>
<p>That deadline for next week’s project might also be brought forward, meaning you get to go for a walk, but it’s not leisurely and enjoyable but rather time you can use to plan your next few hours of work for when you get home.</p>
<p>Senior course tutor Judy Yorke recently told us a story to give some perspective on this though:</p>
<p><em>“I was doing a big corporate editing project, which meant I had to go to several meetings, some abroad. And every single meeting seemed to coincide with a significant date in my diary. I managed to miss my wedding anniversary for one meeting and most of my birthday for another, arriving home just in time for last orders at the pub.</em></p>
<p><em>However, I try to look on the bright side. When I had a staff job, I’d be on the 7.32am to London on my birthday/ my husband’s birthday/ my anniversary/ delete as applicable, coming back at 8pm. (I never managed to work for a company that gave you your birthday off). So missing the occasional one now isn’t too terrible. I’ve never missed any school nativity plays, parents’ evenings or sports days either.”</em></p>
<p>If having your birthday off is important to you, you have more of a chance to make it happen as a freelancer than you do in any salaried job! </p>
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Why you need to earn your stripes before you can even think about pitching for a regular slot in a magazine.
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<p><em>"I think this could work as a regular slot in a magazine."</em> This is something we hear regularly from students. Unfortunately, as a new writer, the chances of getting a regular slot straight away are tiny.</p>
<p>Think about it from the publication's point of view. They want freelancers who produce great copy, on time and don't need much editing. Their nightmare is a freelancer who misses their deadline and then produces copy that's 500 words over the word limit and riddled with errors. Or worse still - is then rude to them on the phone when they’re asked to cut it, or who doesn’t answer emails about their copy.</p>
<p>That’s bad enough for a one-off feature – and at least they can resolve never to work with that person again. But what if they have committed to buy six features from them? They would be tearing their hair out.</p>
<p>If you have an idea for a regular series on anything from parenting to travel, we suggest pitching a single feature first. Produce perfect copy – on deadline, to word length, brief and to house style. If they contact you with queries, be charming – and prioritise what they have asked you to do.</p>
<p>Then, pitch another idea and do the same again. Once you have convinced them of your talent and reliability, you are in a much stronger position to get something more regular.</p>
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Communication has evolved so quickly, it’s hard to keep up. It’s not only how we communicate but also what we communicate and how it is interpreted from one person to the next.
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<p>For this reason, we stress the importance of being specific. </p>
<p>There was an article in The Times not too long ago about people being sent on training courses to help them understand what colleagues from other generations were saying. (It’s behind a paywall, so we can’t link to it.)</p>
<p>One phrase highlighted was “at the end of the day”.</p>
<p>If your boss said they needed a piece of work by then, what time would you think they mean?</p>
<p>According to the article, to the over 50s, this means 5pm – the end of the working day.</p>
<p>To a younger person, it means 11.59pm – which would be the deadline if they were submitting work for school or university. This simple misunderstanding was causing friction in some workplaces when bosses thought work was late.</p>
<p>It’s a great example of two things. First of all, how language, and it’s interpretations, is always developing. And secondly, that it’s always important to be specific about details, so there is no room for confusion.</p>
<p>This advice is also very important for journalists when it comes to interviewing. The word “recent”, for example, is meaningless. If someone says, “I won the lottery recently,” ask them exactly when. You can then write “She won the lottery at the beginning of April”, which is much stronger than “She won the lottery recently”.</p>
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There was an interesting discussion on X (formerly Twitter) quite a while ago that sticks with me, where a PR called out a journalist for being (extremely) rude.
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<p>The PR evidently emaied the journalist about something they weren’t interested in. The journalist replied, “Stop sending me stuff about (expletive) Veganuary. (Expletive) idiots.”</p>
<p>The PR (@SophieRhone if you want to look up the conversation, Jan 2022) posted it, together with her own reply, saying “Sorry but I won’t, nor will any other PR, be spoken to like this by any journalist. I think we can all agree.”</p>
<p>There were many replies, including my favourite, "Just send her a veggie sausage in the post." But the best one was this: “Just wait. As night follows day, that journo will suddenly need vegan-related copy for a tight deadline sometime soon & they will learn what the cold shoulder of PR feels like.”</p>
<p>Because it’s so true.</p>
<p>For most journalists, PRs can be really useful when you are looking for information/ comments/ review products from the clients they represent.</p>
<p>Of course, basic human decency means you should never reply to ANYONE the way that journalist did. Yes, they were probably fed up with getting repeated emails on the same subject, but there is no excuse for this level of rudeness. </p>
<p>On a practical/ professional level, even if you don’t write about the subject the PR is emailing about, you might well do in future.</p>
<p>And what if that PR you have been abusive to moves to a PR firm that DOES deal with your subject matter? What if they tell their colleagues about you and they refuse to deal with you?</p>
<p>So NEVER be rude to a PR – or you could come to regret it.</p>
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Avoid this common pitching error… it’s not always a case of the more you tell, the more you sell and you need to always clearly state your angle!
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<p>When you are sending in an idea, don't send your article in it's entirety but also remember to explain what your actual idea is rather than just writing about the subject/topic.</p>
<p>We often find that in our pitching exercises, students give lots of background about a topic without revealing their angle, making it hard to picture the finished article.</p>
<p>Here’s an example. If you want to write about running, don’t just talk in your pitch about the fact that loads of people took up running during covid and that it remains a passion for them. That’s a topic – it isn’t an idea.</p>
<p>You would need to be specific. For instance, you could write about three people who took up running in their fifties as something to do in lockdown over covid – and have now entered several marathons. Or you could write a feature about how people are now combining two lockdown trends – running and dog owning – and going out jogging with their pooches. You could find case studies and write a sidebar with expert advice on how to do this safely for both owner and pooch.</p>
<p>Do you get the idea? Once you have your general subject, make sure you narrow it down and explain exactly how you will approach it.</p>
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<!-- END: ON-SITE AD BANNER FREELANCE JOURNALIST --> <tag>Pitch-Perfect</tag>
There has been so much ‘news’ in the UK in the last few years, which stresses the importance of looking for ideas that are left-field to see your by-lines grow.
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<p>The Bibby Stockholm death-trap, the British Museum scandal, the Queen’s passing, the King’s Coronation, Prime Ministers coming and going, the Downing Street parties, the Prince Andrew case – and that all aside from Covid and Brexit and all that is going on abroad, with wildfires, climate change disasters and many other big news items.</p>
<p>Journalists thrive on news and it’s been an undeniably fascinating time in that respect. That can create problems if you find yourself checking the news every five minutes because you can easily lose focus! </p>
<p>It can also make freelancing quite difficult – for the papers at least – as so many pages are dedicated to these major stories, but they know that their readers tire of such news items quickly as well and they need to keep things fresh.</p>
<p>As we often note, editors usually put staff journalists on to these stories. So unless you have a unique take on a story or an amazing contact, you’ll struggle to get a commission to write about these subjects, but don’t despair! What you can do is to try to think of some left-field ideas.</p>
<p>For example, back to the Downing Street parties, you could be sparked to write about whether it’s right to take your partner to a work party or bad things that have happened at a work leaving do or Christmas party.</p>
<p>Or, for a more serious story, take a look at the history of other countries and how they handle asylum-seekers and identify mishaps and good examples our country and politicians can learn from.</p>
<p>Look for ideas inspired by and connected to a topical subject that can hold a reader's interest and provide a break from the more obvious ‘big news’ stories to see your career flourish!</p>
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When you are starting out as a journalist, it’s a good idea to read as many magazines and newspapers as you can. The 100% best way to become a better writer is to read more!
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<p>If you want to write about running, for example, reading magazines in that field will help you get a sense of what publications there are in that market. You will start to understand what kind of features they are looking for, how long their articles are and what the writing style is.</p>
<p>It’s also worth picking up some general interest magazines because they may well be interested in your ideas, too.</p>
<p>Reading dozens of magazines, however, can get expensive. One way around this is to go to the library and see which titles they have there. Even better, find out whether you can borrow them online from your library. For example, we know of a local library with an app called Libby, giving free access to loads of magazines which you can read on an iPad.</p>
<p>Kindle Unlimited includes magazines as well as books so this can be very useful. </p>
<p>There is also a website/ app called Readly which lets you read thousands of titles. Both Kindle Unlimited and Readly offer free trials before you need to pay. Readly is currently £9.99 a month. (We’ve mentioned Readly before, so you can probably tell we’re big fans)! </p>
<p>Both of these options have rolling monthly subscriptions, so we recommend you use them for a month or two, dip out and then sign up for another month later on and binge if you don’t want to sustain the ongoing subscription fee!</p>
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When an interviewee mixes up their words, but you know what they were trying to say - do you quote what they said, or instead, what they meant to say?
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<p>There’s an interesting example of this on the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2022/feb/04/uk-politics-live-boris-johnson-tories-fresh-ultimatum-no-10-staffer-quits-downing-street-parties-latest-updates" target="_blank" urlname="Guardian’s politics blog">Guardian’s politics blog</a> from a while back now. (Scroll down to 09.16). They were reporting on an interview on the Today show with Tory MP Huw Merriman. Apparently, Merriman said:</p>
<p>“I’m deeply troubled by what’s going on. We all know that if the prime minister doesn’t ship up, then they have to shape out and that’s exactly what happened when this prime minister took over.”</p>
<p>The Guardian played this nicely by introducing the quote like this:</p>
<p>Talking about Huw Merriman, the Conservative chair of the Commons transport committee said that Johnson had to shape up or go. Mangling the familiar phrase (it was early in the morning), he said: “I’m deeply troubled by what’s going on. We all know that if the prime minister doesn’t ship up, then they have to shape out [sic], and that’s exactly what happened when this prime minister took over.”</p>
<p>If a print journalist had been doing a private interview without a live audience, they might have decided just to tweak the quote so it said, “We all know that if the prime minister doesn’t shape up, then they have to ship out.”</p>
<p>There's nothing dishonest about this because it was a slip of the tongue and there was no doubt what he meant to say. However, we acknowledge that some people would argue that what a politician says is a matter for public record and so shouldn't be changed.</p>
<p>Another option could be to avoid it altogether. They could introduce the quote as the Guardian initially did…</p>
<p>Talking about Huw Merriman, the Conservative chair of the Commons transport committee said that Johnson had to shape up or go.</p>
<p>....And then, rather than repeating the mangled quote, just move on and quote what he said next, neatly avoiding the problem.</p>
<p>If interviewing a case study, we would have no reservations whatsoever in recommending you tweak the quote to what they meant to say.</p>
<div style="width: 100%; max-width: 850px; padding: 20px 30px; border-radius: 6px; background: #F1F1F1; margin-bottom: 16px; ">
<h3 style="color: #000;">A [Sic] refresher:</h3>
<p><strong>[Sic]</strong> is used to indicate that something has been intentionally left as it was originally spoken or written even though it is incorrect. It’s usually italicised and should always be surrounded by brackets of some description and it signals that a quote appears without edits. It directly follows the error. </p>
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When you want journalism to be your everyday bread and butter, how do you know where to pitch a story?
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<p>The first thing we say is that often you start with the publication and THEN come up with the idea rather than the other way round.</p>
<p>If there is a publication you want to work for, study it! Look at what features they run and if they have any regular slots. From there, try to think of some ideas that could work for the publication. </p>
<p>Once you start working regularly for a publication, this becomes much easier. You get a real feel for what they are looking for and as you build your rapport with them, you will find they are more open to other ideas you may have as well.</p>
<p>There are occasions, of course, when you come across a story or an idea pops into your head and you need to decide where to pitch it.</p>
<p>Sometimes, the most obvious titles are too obvious. Got a story about a new trend in yoga? It probably won’t be new to the yoga titles. So study some of the women’s magazines – you might be able to place it in the health pages.</p>
<p>The best advice we can give you is this: read as many publications as you can. Why not try to read a different newspaper every day for a few weeks? Make sure you mix the days up though – for instance, lots of the papers have health stories on a Tuesday, so don’t always read the same paper on a Tuesday.</p>
<p>For magazines, there are various options. Some libraries give you access to magazines online, so it is worth checking if yours offers this service. </p>
<p>We’re also big fans of readly.com – for a monthly subscription (£9.99 at the time of writing), you can read hundreds of magazines online. The first month is free and you can cancel at any time. </p>
<p>We recommend this a lot as it's so comprehensive and of great value. Our senior tutor, Judy, will tend to dive in and out of it – she’ll subscribe for a month, then take a few months off. It’s a great way of keeping up with what is going on in the magazine world. </p>
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When you are writing a human interest feature, the narrative often needs to include dates about when things happened. It might be when your case study first noticed a health symptom, for instance, or when they realised their child was being bullied at school.
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<p>When you are writing a human interest feature, the narrative often needs to include dates about when things happened. It might be when your case study first noticed a health symptom, for instance, or when they realised their child was being bullied at school.</p>
<p>The difficulty comes when the person you are interviewing can’t remember.</p>
<p>One magazine Judy, our senior tutor, used to work for was particularly hot on including some sort of chronology. She remembers once interviewing someone and asking them when did this happen? When did that happen?</p>
<p>The interviewee did his best, pausing to search his brain, but eventually, there was a silence and the mild protest, “I wasn’t keeping a diary, love!”</p>
<p>It’s something journalists should always think about when asking questions like this and they should try to sympathise. After all, we can’t always remember things like that ourselves, right?</p>
<p>So what do you do when the magazine wants dates and your case study can’t provide them?</p>
<p>You’ve got three options.</p>
<p>The first – if it’s acceptable to the publication – is to hedge it a bit. You could write something like “Susannah was first stung by a bee about seven years ago”, or “In the late 1990s, Jim….”</p>
<p>The second option is to make an educated guess while you’re interviewing them, given what you already know. So you could say something like, “Oh, would that be in 2006 then?” If they say yes, then use it. If they say no, it was later, you can say “Maybe 2007 then,” and hope they say, “Yes, that’s more like it.”</p>
<p>The other option is to complete the interview getting as many dates as you can. Before you hang up, ask them if there is anyone else they can check with and make a firm date to ring them back. Write the copy up, roughly working out from the chronology when something would have happened. When you ring the case study back, they will hopefully have some more information for you. If they don’t, then explain what you have worked out and ask if they agree with it.</p>
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It’s great to just be able to grab a paper and pen and take notes if someone phones you unexpectedly, rather than scrabbling around for a tape recorder or recording app.
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<p>It’s great to just be able to grab a paper and pen and take notes if someone phones you unexpectedly, rather than scrabbling around for a tape recorder or recording app.</p>
<p>If you’re interviewing someone in a public place like a café, you don’t need to worry about background noise. And you can’t record over your notes, as most journalists have accidentally managed to do on at least one occasion.</p>
<p>Being able to use shorthand impresses interviewees if you’re speaking to them face-to-face, which proved very important to Judy, our senior tutor, at the start of her career. She was a fresh-faced 21 year old interviewing company directors for a business title. It proved to them that she was a trained journalist rather than a workie and she says, “I always felt I gained respect when they saw my shorthand squiggles”.</p>
<p>Shorthand is also your own secret code if you want to write down something without the other person seeing. This can be particularly useful for profile features or if you are writing a “colour” piece, for example, a behind-the-scenes article.</p>
<p>A total bonus is that it can be useful at home too. Judy writes Christmas shopping lists in shorthand, so it doesn’t matter if anyone else sees it.</p>
<p>If you are serious about learning shorthand, Teeline is easier but Pitman can get you to higher speeds.</p>
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If you are including case studies in your feature, it’s important to know that they should be fully identified, unless the editor says otherwise.
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<p>That means you must use their full name (first and surname) and age. You also often need to include roughly where they are from – so “London” or “Nottingham” for example, as well as their job.</p>
<p>Sometimes, depending on the topic, of course, it may be relevant to say if they have a partner and/or children. In many cases, you will need to ask them for a photo too.</p>
<p>Why is this so important? Editors – and readers – have an annoying habit of assuming anonymous case studies are made up. And inventing quotes from imaginary case studies is bad journalistic practice. The point of interviewing someone is to really get under their skin and offer new insights into a particular subject. Making it up cheats the reader.</p>
<p>There are some occasions when it is fine to use anonymous case studies – as long as you actually carry out the interview, of course. Examples include:</p>
<ul>
<li>Legal reasons. You cannot name a victim of rape or sexual assault, for instance, without their written permission (and they may not want you to use their name).<br />
</li>
<li>Not identifying other people. Naming a case study can potentially identify others e.g. someone’s husband or wife. If you quoted a case study saying their wife had an affair with the milkman, you could potentially end up in court having to prove it is true.<br />
</li>
<li>When the subject is very sensitive. This is the most common reason. You may find it hard to get anyone to go on the record if talking about the time they were involved with social services, for instance.<br />
</li>
<li>The embarrassment factor. Want to talk to someone who admits that when supposedly working from home they are actually watching Netflix? They are very unlikely to want this to be public knowledge.</li>
</ul>
<p>There are also people who are very happy to be interviewed on perfectly innocuous subjects but don’t want their name and face in the press. If there is no good reason for this and they won’t be persuaded, you’ll need to find someone else.</p>
<p>The golden rule is to always check with the commissioning editor at the start – and occasionally once you’ve started your research. For instance, if you find two great identified case studies, they may be happy to accept a third anonymous one if they have a strong story.</p>
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Students often mention that their first port of call for research is Wikipedia. While it can be a good stepping stone, it should never be the destination.
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<p>There’s no doubt Wikipedia can be a useful resource. There is loads of information on so many subjects, and as a starting point, it can give you a good understanding of a topic.</p>
<p>Note we say “as a starting point” because that’s all it should be. Anyone can write or edit an entry, so you can’t rely on it at all. It is sometimes as reliable as getting your information from social media, and we all know how dangerous that can be!</p>
<p>If you want to use any information from Wikipedia, check it against other, more reliable sources. There are often references at the bottom with links to the original stories and it’s always worth going directly to those sources to check your facts.</p>
<p>Also, bear in mind that if a reader wants to read up on a subject, Wikipedia will often be their first port of call. If you just repeat what is on Wikipedia, you are doing yourself and your editor a disservice because you’re not offering the reader anything they can’t easily find for themselves.</p>
<div style="width: 100%; max-width: 850px; padding: 20px 30px; border-radius: 6px; background: #F1F1F1; margin-bottom: 16px; ">
<h3 style="color: #000;">The CRAAP test is a well-known acronym for the best practices when evaluating content:</h3>
<p><strong>Currency: </strong>Is the information up to date?</p>
<p><strong>Relevance: </strong>Make sure the source is relevant to your research.</p>
<p><strong>Authority: </strong>Where is the source published (reputable sites/publications)? Who is the author and are they considered reputable and trustworthy in the field you are researching?</p>
<p><strong>Accuracy: </strong>Is there evidence to support the source? Is it truthful, reliable and correct?</p>
<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Why was the source published, and what was the motivation behind it?</p>
</div>
<p>You can also do your own research into how to find credible sources of information. It’s excellent practice.</p>
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You don’t need to have a niche – but it helps. It’s especially good when you can get paid for something you love as well!
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<p>If you are enthusiastic about something, like running, UFOs, or dogs, there are magazines for people like you (and almost every other interest out there). The same applies if you are at a new stage in life e.g. planning a wedding, having a baby or retiring.</p>
<p>As a freelance journalist, look out for specialist magazines in areas you are interested in. You’ve already got a big advantage as you should be aware of the trends and issues, which will always make it easier to come up with ideas. When you get to interview people, you might well know who to ask straight away and will most likely also know what to ask. </p>
<p>If you’re already reading magazines for your areas of interest, then all the better, as you will be familiar with their style and, most importantly, what they are looking for. </p>
<p>Have a look at the regular slots in these titles. Do you have an idea that could work for that section?</p>
<p>Writing about something you love can be really enjoyable – and you get paid for it too!</p>
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Most editors like case studies to be fully identified. That means their full name, where they are from and photos. But when is it okay to not identify them?
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<p>There could be a number of reasons for this, including:</p>
<ul>
<li>Identifying them could cause them problems e.g. they are talking about workplace bullying and still work at the company. <br />
</li>
<li>Identifying could put them at risk of prosecution e.g. they admitted taking drugs in the past.<br />
</li>
<li>They are talking about someone else - perhaps you are writing a feature about parents of autistic teenagers – and the other party may not want readers to know the story is about them.<br />
</li>
<li>There could be legal reasons. Back to the workplace bullying example, a boss accused of workplace bullying could potentially sue for libel.<br />
</li>
<li>There are some cases where identifying them is actually against the law. This is the case with victims of rape or sexual assault who legally have anonymity unless they choose to waive it. You can’t identify children who have committed crimes either.</li>
</ul>
<p>If your case study needs to be anonymous, flag this up to the commissioning editor right at the start. Sometimes, changing minor details can also be an option. You just need to be transparent and open with your editor to find the way to best navigate the situation.</p>
<p><em>You might also be interested in <a href="/Balancing-Transparency-and-Privacy-Navigating-the-Use-of-Case-Studies-in-Feature-Writing" urlname="Balancing Transparency and Privacy: Navigating the Use of Case Studies in Feature Writing">Balancing Transparency and Privacy: Navigating the Use of Case Studies in Feature Writing.</a></em></p>
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There are certain months of the year when many people take time off (think Summer or even the Christmas and New Years periods can mean extended leave for some).
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<p>There are certain months of the year when many people take time off (think Summer, or even the Christmas and New Years periods can mean extended leave for some). Case studies, experts, editors and PRs might be harder to reach than normal. They may not be around for interviews, queries etc.</p>
<p>The trickiest problem can be with case studies. If an editor asks you for some more quotes, an extra photo, or anything else, you need to be able to get hold of them.</p>
<p>Our best advice if you interview anyone coming into holiday periods, ask at the end whether they will be around if there is anything you need to check with them. You can then write on the top of the copy something like “Note to editor – Susie is away from July 15-22 inclusive, so please let me know before then if you have any queries”.</p>
<p>If you are going away yourself, it’s worth noting that when you send in your copy. After all, you don’t want to be asked to get some more information while you’re lying on your sun lounger or off shredding the gnar!</p>
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If you want to write about fashion, it's an obvious idea to pitch to a fashion title. If you want to write about running, you'll logically pitch to a running magazine.
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<p>If you want to write about fashion, it's an obvious idea to pitch to a fashion title. If you want to write about running, you'll logically pitch to a running magazine. It’s not quite that easy though.</p>
<p>You need to bear in mind that if you want to write for one of these titles, your idea has to be a bit quirky and not the first obvious pitch idea that springs to mind.</p>
<p>If your pitch is about the colours that will be featured heavily or trending in next season’s collections, you can bet your bottom dollar that the fashion magazine will already be on the case. If you want to write about your latest running footwear? The specialist running mag will certainly have that covered.</p>
<p>You need to try to think of something really original, not something that will make the editor think, "Nice idea, but we're doing that already." Have a careful look at the magazines and get a sense of the more "outside the box" features they publish and build from there.</p>
<p>Alternatively, you can pitch your idea to a more general interest title or local paper that may be interested in your idea, especially if the timing is right. For example, pitch a running shoe article in time for the next big marathon or charity fun run in the area.</p>
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When a story like this breaks, publications will often use it as a “news hook”. Many newspapers and magazines will try to find other people who also developed the disease at a relatively young age.
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<p>When a story like this breaks, publications will often use it as a “news hook”. Many newspapers and magazines will try to find other people who also developed the disease at a relatively young age.</p>
<p>So it is a good time to pitch a story about it, especially if you can source a strong case study. In this instance, you would normally also need to speak to an expert who can talk about the causes of Alzheimer’s, symptoms and so on.</p>
<p>You can find case studies by contacting the press offices of relevant charities and doing a “shout out” on places like Twitter.</p>
<p>This is one reason why you should always keep an eye out for celebrity stories, even if you don’t want to write about celebrities.</p>
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Quotes can be a bit tricky when you’re starting out! Once you have interviewed someone, you may think the hard bit is over. But you still have to select the quotes and then work them into the copy.
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It’s that last bit that can trip up many new journalists as it isn’t as easy as you may think. There are two mistakes we see frequently.<br />
<br />
<strong>The first is to introduce the quote by telling the reader what is in the quote. </strong><br />
<br />
<strong>Here’s an example: </strong><br />
<br />
Amanda says she found the long winter nights difficult to cope with. “I found the nights difficult to get through,” she says. “I was lonely and it was too cold to go out.”<br />
<br />
Instead, make sure the information inside and outside the quotes are different so you are not repeating yourself. I’d suggest something like this:<br />
<br />
Amanda says she found the long winter nights difficult to cope with. “I was lonely and it was too cold to go out,” she says.<br />
Here, the quote is a natural follow on from the information you have provided and adds to it/ explains it rather than repeating itself.<br />
<br />
<strong>The other most common mistake is to introduce the quote with a question. </strong><br />
<br />
<strong>Here’s an example:</strong><br />
<br />
So how did Susan feel when she got home? “I was ecstatic,” she says. “It was brilliant to be back with my family again.” <br />
This is a bit clunky – you are telling the reader the question you asked Susan but they really don’t need to know. It also puts up a bit of a barrier between her and the reader.<br />
<br />
A better way to do it is to write something like this:<br />
<br />
Susan was ecstatic to be home / Susan says she was ecstatic to be home. “It was brilliant to be back with my family again,” she says.<br />
<br />
As you can see, it’s also more concise. The question/answer paragraph was 24 words long, while the rewritten version was either 18 or 20. <!-- START: ON-SITE AD BANNER FREELANCE WRITER -->
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width: 100%;
max-width: 900px;
background: var(--primary-colour);
color: #F1F1F1;
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position: relative;
padding: 0px;
margin: 50px 0 20px 0;
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white-space: normal;
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}
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}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-img-1,
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-body-1 {
width: 100%;
}
}
</style>
<div class="onsiteadbanner adbanner-fjuk">
<div class="adbanner-img-1"> </div>
<div class="adbanner-body-1">
<div class="adbanner-txt-1">Take the first step to become a professional freelance writer.</div>
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<!-- END: ON-SITE AD BANNER FREELANCE WRITER --> <tag>Notes-on-Quotes</tag>
Sometimes when you arrange to do an interview, the person you are going to speak to asks if they can see the questions beforehand. This will usually be because they are nervous, or it may be because they want to prepare.
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<p>Sometimes when you arrange to do an interview, the person you are going to speak to asks if they can see the questions beforehand. This will usually be because they are nervous, or it may be because they want to prepare.</p>
<p>As a rule there is general no issue with sending questions in advance. However we recommend that you send questions with a friendly note that there will almost certainly be follow up questions depending on the reply. As a journalist, you don’t want to feel you have to stick rigidly to the questions.</p>
<p>It’s also worth asking your interviewee to write out answers which they will then read out. Just let them know that notes are fine but they will sound much better if they just speak naturally.</p>
<p>If they still seem nervous about the interview, you can also offer to read them the feature out loud when completed (don’t offer to send it to them or they will start rewriting it). Reading it aloud is slightly less risky however they must also be aware that this won't be the final edit, that the publication may want to cut/change your work (not their quotes though) to fit into their space better or to make it more clear.</p>
<!-- START: ON-SITE AD BANNER FREELANCE JOURNALIST -->
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padding: 0px;
margin: 50px 0 20px 0;
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max-width: 240px;
white-space: normal;
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box-shadow: 7px 7px 20px #91301d !important;
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.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-btn-1:hover {
background-color: #3AB549;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-img-1 {
width: 35%;
background: url('https://britishcollegeofjournalism.com/Media/Uploads/Banners/freelance-journalist-img.jpg');
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background-position: center;
transition: background-color 0.3s ease-in-out;
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.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-body-1 {
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flex-direction: column;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-img-1 {
min-height: 250px;
background-position: top center;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-img-1,
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-body-1 {
width: 100%;
}
}
</style>
<div class="onsiteadbanner adbanner-fjuk">
<div class="adbanner-img-1"> </div>
<div class="adbanner-body-1">
<div class="adbanner-txt-1">Ready to start your new career or hobby as a freelance journalist?</div>
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</div>
<!-- END: ON-SITE AD BANNER FREELANCE JOURNALIST --> <tag>Interview-Tips</tag>
It’s very easy these days to rely on your computer, phone or tablet for everything – to take notes, mark appointments and set reminders, for example.
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<p>It’s very easy these days to rely on your computer, phone or tablet for everything – to take notes, mark appointments and set reminders, for example.</p>
<p>But there are still some things for which good old-fashioned pen and paper are better. For instance, a traditional desk diary is great for keeping track of deadlines. We suggest you leave it open in a prominent position on your desk so there is no way you can miss anything - you’ve written it down in the one place and can easily keep track of it. It’s just not as visible if you put it on your phone calendar or add it to a notes section.</p>
<p>It can also be of great benefit to physically write down your to-do list. There are many apps for this and we’ve tried several of them but they don’t work for most of us as a rule. There’s nothing like the satisfaction of grabbing a pen and crossing a task out with a flourish when you’ve completed it.</p>
<!-- START: ON-SITE AD BANNER FREELANCE WRITER -->
<style type="text/css">.onsiteadbanner {
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max-width: 900px;
background: var(--primary-colour);
color: #F1F1F1;
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flex-direction: row;
gap: 0;
position: relative;
padding: 0px;
margin: 50px 0 20px 0;
border: 1px solid #ccc;
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border: 1px solid #7e7e7e;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-btn-1,
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text-transform: capitalize;
padding: 10px 25px;
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max-width: 240px;
white-space: normal;
transition: background-color 0.3s ease-in-out;
border-radius: 6px;
box-shadow: 7px 7px 20px #91301d !important;
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.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-btn-1:hover {
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}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-img-1 {
width: 35%;
background: url('https://britishcollegeofjournalism.com/Media/Uploads/Banners/freelance-writer-img.jpg');
background-size: cover;
background-repeat: no-repeat;
background-position: center;
transition: background-color 0.3s ease-in-out;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-body-1 {
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padding: 30px;
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flex-direction: column;
justify-content: center;
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.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-txt-1 {
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.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-txt-2 {
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font-weight: 400;
line-height: 1.2;
padding: 0 0 15px 0;
}
@media (max-width: 990px) {
.onsiteadbanner {
flex-direction: column;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-img-1 {
min-height: 250px;
background-position: top center;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-img-1,
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-body-1 {
width: 100%;
}
}
</style>
<div class="onsiteadbanner adbanner-fjuk">
<div class="adbanner-img-1"> </div>
<div class="adbanner-body-1">
<div class="adbanner-txt-1">Take the first step to become a professional freelance writer.</div>
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<!-- END: ON-SITE AD BANNER FREELANCE WRITER --> <tag>Writing-Tip</tag>
The font is the type style you choose to use to present your work. No matter what program you create your copy in, you will have many dozens to choose from.
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<p>The font is the type style you choose to use to present your work. No matter what program you create your copy in, you will have many dozens to choose from.</p>
<p>You should always stick to one of the plain fonts when sending in copy or emails. Arial, Times New Roman and Calibri are good examples.</p>
<p>Avoid fancy fonts or those that mimic handwriting – they are just hard to read. If you are a commissioning editor, it is irritating to have to convert it to a different, more readable font.</p>
<p>Also, think about the size of your font. We recommend 11 or 12-point font. Anything less is too small and anything bigger just looks a bit daft or like you’re trying to inflate your text.</p>
<p>Finally, don’t overdo italics – many students put quotes in italics, but there is no need to do that. That’s what speech marks were invented for.</p>
<p>It’s important to study the style of a publication before you send in any pitch - if there are any obvious rules the publications seem to apply, make sure you follow them. It will go a long way to demonstrate your attention to detail and build the editor’s confidence in you.</p>
<!-- START: ON-SITE AD BANNER FREELANCE WRITER -->
<style type="text/css">.onsiteadbanner {
width: 100%;
max-width: 900px;
background: var(--primary-colour);
color: #F1F1F1;
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flex-direction: row;
gap: 0;
position: relative;
padding: 0px;
margin: 50px 0 20px 0;
border: 1px solid #ccc;
overflow: hidden;
border-radius: 4px;
border: 1px solid #7e7e7e;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-btn-1,
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-btn-1:visited {
background: #479807;
color: #f1f1f1;
text-transform: capitalize;
padding: 10px 25px;
font-family: ;
font-size: 18px;
border: none;
max-width: 240px;
white-space: normal;
transition: background-color 0.3s ease-in-out;
border-radius: 6px;
box-shadow: 7px 7px 20px #91301d !important;
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.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-btn-1:hover {
background-color: #3AB549;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-img-1 {
width: 35%;
background: url('https://britishcollegeofjournalism.com/Media/Uploads/Banners/freelance-writer-img.jpg');
background-size: cover;
background-repeat: no-repeat;
background-position: center;
transition: background-color 0.3s ease-in-out;
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.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-body-1 {
width: 65%;
padding: 30px;
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flex-direction: column;
justify-content: center;
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.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-txt-1 {
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font-weight: 400;
line-height: 1.2;
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.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-txt-2 {
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font-weight: 400;
line-height: 1.2;
padding: 0 0 15px 0;
}
@media (max-width: 990px) {
.onsiteadbanner {
flex-direction: column;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-img-1 {
min-height: 250px;
background-position: top center;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-img-1,
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-body-1 {
width: 100%;
}
}
</style>
<div class="onsiteadbanner adbanner-fjuk">
<div class="adbanner-img-1"> </div>
<div class="adbanner-body-1">
<div class="adbanner-txt-1">Take the first step to become a professional freelance writer.</div>
<div class="adbanner-txt-2">Download the free course guide.</div>
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<!-- END: ON-SITE AD BANNER FREELANCE WRITER --> <tag>Pitch-Perfect</tag>
Journalists need to produce copy that is free of spelling mistakes if they want to look professional. Using a spell check is a no-brainer but you can’t rely on it 100%.
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<p>We are fans of mnemonics for spellings (and it’s a little laughable that that this word itself is hard to spell). A mnemonic is a tool that helps you remember something. For example, when I was seven, I learned a mnemonic for the colours of the rainbow – Richard Of York Gained Battles In Vain – red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. Many years on, I can still recall that effortlessly.</p>
<p>I still like to use a mnemonic when learning something new. I’ve taken up a Spanish evening class and initially struggled to remember which of setenta and sesenta was sixty and which was seventy. I told myself that “s” comes before “t” in the alphabet and 60 comes before 70. So Sesenta is 60 and setenta is 70.</p>
<p>If there is a word you can never spell, try to come up with a mnemonic. For instance, one word I always struggled with is “surprised” – is there an “r” in it or not? I told myself to stop being surprised to find there was and now I don’t have any problems with it.</p>
<p>Another example is “starring” – is it one “r” or two? Remember that your favourite film might be staRRing Robert Redford and you’ll remember that double r!</p>
<!-- START: ON-SITE AD BANNER FREELANCE WRITER -->
<style type="text/css">.onsiteadbanner {
width: 100%;
max-width: 900px;
background: var(--primary-colour);
color: #F1F1F1;
display: flex;
flex-direction: row;
gap: 0;
position: relative;
padding: 0px;
margin: 50px 0 20px 0;
border: 1px solid #ccc;
overflow: hidden;
border-radius: 4px;
border: 1px solid #7e7e7e;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-btn-1,
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-btn-1:visited {
background: #479807;
color: #f1f1f1;
text-transform: capitalize;
padding: 10px 25px;
font-family: ;
font-size: 18px;
border: none;
max-width: 240px;
white-space: normal;
transition: background-color 0.3s ease-in-out;
border-radius: 6px;
box-shadow: 7px 7px 20px #91301d !important;
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.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-btn-1:hover {
background-color: #3AB549;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-img-1 {
width: 35%;
background: url('https://britishcollegeofjournalism.com/Media/Uploads/Banners/freelance-writer-img.jpg');
background-size: cover;
background-repeat: no-repeat;
background-position: center;
transition: background-color 0.3s ease-in-out;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-body-1 {
width: 65%;
padding: 30px;
display: flex;
flex-direction: column;
justify-content: center;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-txt-1 {
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font-weight: 400;
line-height: 1.2;
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.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-txt-2 {
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font-weight: 400;
line-height: 1.2;
padding: 0 0 15px 0;
}
@media (max-width: 990px) {
.onsiteadbanner {
flex-direction: column;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-img-1 {
min-height: 250px;
background-position: top center;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-img-1,
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-body-1 {
width: 100%;
}
}
</style>
<div class="onsiteadbanner adbanner-fjuk">
<div class="adbanner-img-1"> </div>
<div class="adbanner-body-1">
<div class="adbanner-txt-1">Take the first step to become a professional freelance writer.</div>
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<!-- END: ON-SITE AD BANNER FREELANCE WRITER --> <tag>Journalism-101</tag>
Five top tips for writing engaging copy: Mix up the length of your sentences. Have some short ones (six-eight words), some longer ones (up to about 25) and some in their teens!
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<style type="text/css">.adjust-content {font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.7em; padding-right: 100px;}
.adjust-content h3 {line-height: 1.35em;}
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.adjust-content {padding-right: 0px;}
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<div class="adjust-content">
<ol>
<li>Mix up the length of your sentences. Have some short ones (six-eight words), some longer ones (up to about 25) and some in their teens! When all your sentences are the same length, your copy can become really tedious.<br />
</li>
<li>Make sure you don’t keep using the same word. If you find yourself repeating something, use a different term. Sometimes you might have to rewrite the sentence to avoid this.<br />
</li>
<li>Don’t start every sentence in the same way.<br />
</li>
<li>Further to point 3, avoid beginning every paragraph with the same phrase – e.g. “there is”. Read your copy carefully to make sure this isn’t happening.<br />
</li>
<li>Write in the active voice rather than the passive. For example, “The dog bit me” rather than “I was bitten by the dog”. It’s punchier and less flabby.</li>
</ol>
</div>
<!-- START: ON-SITE AD BANNER FREELANCE WRITER -->
<style type="text/css">.onsiteadbanner {
width: 100%;
max-width: 900px;
background: var(--primary-colour);
color: #F1F1F1;
display: flex;
flex-direction: row;
gap: 0;
position: relative;
padding: 0px;
margin: 50px 0 20px 0;
border: 1px solid #ccc;
overflow: hidden;
border-radius: 4px;
border: 1px solid #7e7e7e;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-btn-1,
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-btn-1:visited {
background: #479807;
color: #f1f1f1;
text-transform: capitalize;
padding: 10px 25px;
font-family: ;
font-size: 18px;
border: none;
max-width: 240px;
white-space: normal;
transition: background-color 0.3s ease-in-out;
border-radius: 6px;
box-shadow: 7px 7px 20px #91301d !important;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-btn-1:hover {
background-color: #3AB549;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-img-1 {
width: 35%;
background: url('https://britishcollegeofjournalism.com/Media/Uploads/Banners/freelance-writer-img.jpg');
background-size: cover;
background-repeat: no-repeat;
background-position: center;
transition: background-color 0.3s ease-in-out;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-body-1 {
width: 65%;
padding: 30px;
display: flex;
flex-direction: column;
justify-content: center;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-txt-1 {
font-size: 30px;
font-weight: 400;
line-height: 1.2;
padding: 0 0 10px 0;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-txt-2 {
font-size: 20px;
font-weight: 400;
line-height: 1.2;
padding: 0 0 15px 0;
}
@media (max-width: 990px) {
.onsiteadbanner {
flex-direction: column;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-img-1 {
min-height: 250px;
background-position: top center;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-img-1,
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-body-1 {
width: 100%;
}
}
</style>
<div class="onsiteadbanner adbanner-fjuk">
<div class="adbanner-img-1"> </div>
<div class="adbanner-body-1">
<div class="adbanner-txt-1">Take the first step to become a professional freelance writer.</div>
<div class="adbanner-txt-2">Download the free course guide.</div>
<button class="adbanner-btn-1 leadgnfrm">DOWNLOAD NOW</button></div>
</div>
<!-- END: ON-SITE AD BANNER FREELANCE WRITER --> <tag>Writing-Tip</tag>
It’s all too easy to be repetitive when you are writing and to keep on using the same word. But you should always try to vary your vocabulary. It’s what keeps your copy fresh and interesting.
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<style type="text/css">.adjust-content {font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.7em; padding-right: 100px;}
.adjust-content h3 {line-height: 1.35em;}
@media (max-width: 992px) {
.adjust-content {padding-right: 0px;}
.adjust-content h3 {line-height: 1.2em;}
}
@media (max-width: 770px) {
.adjust-content {font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5em;}
}
</style>
<div class="adjust-content">
<p>For instance, if you are writing about cars, you could use a synonym like “vehicle” or be more specific e.g. a Ford Fiesta. Sometimes you need to rewrite a sentence entirely rather than using a replacement.</p>
<p>Also, be careful to avoid starting consecutive sentences in similar ways, e.g. “there are” or “it is” – or using someone’s name.</p>
<p>I’d always suggest reading your copy aloud as you are more likely to pick up on this happening.</p>
</div>
<!-- START: ON-SITE AD BANNER FREELANCE WRITER -->
<style type="text/css">.onsiteadbanner {
width: 100%;
max-width: 900px;
background: var(--primary-colour);
color: #F1F1F1;
display: flex;
flex-direction: row;
gap: 0;
position: relative;
padding: 0px;
margin: 50px 0 20px 0;
border: 1px solid #ccc;
overflow: hidden;
border-radius: 4px;
border: 1px solid #7e7e7e;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-btn-1,
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text-transform: capitalize;
padding: 10px 25px;
font-family: ;
font-size: 18px;
border: none;
max-width: 240px;
white-space: normal;
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background-color: #3AB549;
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width: 35%;
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background-size: cover;
background-repeat: no-repeat;
background-position: center;
transition: background-color 0.3s ease-in-out;
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.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-body-1 {
width: 65%;
padding: 30px;
display: flex;
flex-direction: column;
justify-content: center;
}
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font-size: 30px;
font-weight: 400;
line-height: 1.2;
padding: 0 0 10px 0;
}
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font-size: 20px;
font-weight: 400;
line-height: 1.2;
padding: 0 0 15px 0;
}
@media (max-width: 990px) {
.onsiteadbanner {
flex-direction: column;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-img-1 {
min-height: 250px;
background-position: top center;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-img-1,
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-body-1 {
width: 100%;
}
}
</style>
<div class="onsiteadbanner adbanner-fjuk">
<div class="adbanner-img-1"> </div>
<div class="adbanner-body-1">
<div class="adbanner-txt-1">Take the first step to become a professional freelance writer.</div>
<div class="adbanner-txt-2">Download the free course guide.</div>
<button class="adbanner-btn-1 leadgnfrm">DOWNLOAD NOW</button></div>
</div>
<!-- END: ON-SITE AD BANNER FREELANCE WRITER --> <tag>Writing-Tip</tag>
Get it right and you will grab the reader’s attention and entice them to read on. Get it wrong and they will scroll down or flick over the page.
Read more
<style type="text/css">.adjust-content {font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.7em; padding-right: 100px;}
.adjust-content h3 {line-height: 1.35em;}
@media (max-width: 992px) {
.adjust-content {padding-right: 0px;}
.adjust-content h3 {line-height: 1.2em;}
}
@media (max-width: 770px) {
.adjust-content {font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5em;}
}
</style>
<div class="adjust-content">
<p>Get it right and you will grab the reader’s attention and entice them to read on.</p>
<p>Get it wrong and they will scroll down or flick over the page.</p>
<p>But just because it’s the first paragraph, it doesn’t mean it has to be the first thing you write. Many students agonise over it so much they end up staring for hours at a blank screen.</p>
<p>If you can’t think of what to write for your intro, write a different paragraph instead. You could start with a paragraph that you know will end up in the middle of your copy. Or you could choose your quotes and write linking sentences to get the copy flowing between them. Before you know it, your copy will be taking shape.</p>
<p>You will also have exercised your writing muscle and should find it much easier when you go back to that first paragraph.</p>
</div>
<!-- START: ON-SITE AD BANNER FREELANCE WRITER -->
<style type="text/css">.onsiteadbanner {
width: 100%;
max-width: 900px;
background: var(--primary-colour);
color: #F1F1F1;
display: flex;
flex-direction: row;
gap: 0;
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padding: 0px;
margin: 50px 0 20px 0;
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transition: background-color 0.3s ease-in-out;
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line-height: 1.2;
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.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-img-1 {
min-height: 250px;
background-position: top center;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-img-1,
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-body-1 {
width: 100%;
}
}
</style>
<div class="onsiteadbanner adbanner-fjuk">
<div class="adbanner-img-1"> </div>
<div class="adbanner-body-1">
<div class="adbanner-txt-1">Take the first step to become a professional freelance writer.</div>
<div class="adbanner-txt-2">Download the free course guide.</div>
<button class="adbanner-btn-1 leadgnfrm">DOWNLOAD NOW</button></div>
</div>
<!-- END: ON-SITE AD BANNER FREELANCE WRITER --> <tag>Writing-Tip</tag>
Some freelancers love working from home but others find it lonely.
Read more
<style type="text/css">.adjust-content {font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.7em; padding-right: 100px;}
.adjust-content h3 {line-height: 1.35em;}
@media (max-width: 992px) {
.adjust-content {padding-right: 0px;}
.adjust-content h3 {line-height: 1.2em;}
}
@media (max-width: 770px) {
.adjust-content {font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5em;}
}
</style>
<div class="adjust-content">
<p>To avoid that feeling you can:</p>
<ul>
<li>Join journalist Facebook groups or ones for local freelancers. There’s a lot of chat in those.<br />
</li>
<li>Seek out co-working spaces. You might think this sounds expensive when you have a perfectly good desk at home. However, many will let you sign up for a day pass or just a few days a month. These can be very sociable and some will have events like yoga classes.<br />
</li>
<li>Network! Our senior tutor, Judy, is a member of my local Chamber of Commerce and there are branches of these up and down the country. They offer plenty of chances to meet up with other people with many networking events, discussions, and debates. There are plenty of other networking groups, some national and some local.<br />
</li>
<li>Meet up with non-journalist friends. I have regular walks and runs with friends who do completely different jobs. I know their working hours and days off, so we get regular dates in the diary. It's sociable and healthy - and definitely stops me feeling lonely.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<!-- START: ON-SITE AD BANNER FREELANCE JOURNALIST -->
<style type="text/css">.onsiteadbanner {
width: 100%;
max-width: 900px;
background: var(--primary-colour);
color: #F1F1F1;
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flex-direction: row;
gap: 0;
position: relative;
padding: 0px;
margin: 50px 0 20px 0;
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overflow: hidden;
border-radius: 4px;
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white-space: normal;
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.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-btn-1:hover {
background-color: #3AB549;
}
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width: 35%;
background: url('https://britishcollegeofjournalism.com/Media/Uploads/Banners/freelance-journalist-img.jpg');
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background-repeat: no-repeat;
background-position: center;
transition: background-color 0.3s ease-in-out;
}
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width: 65%;
padding: 30px;
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flex-direction: column;
justify-content: center;
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.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-txt-1 {
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font-weight: 400;
line-height: 1.2;
padding: 0 0 10px 0;
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font-size: 20px;
font-weight: 400;
line-height: 1.2;
padding: 0 0 15px 0;
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@media (max-width: 990px) {
.onsiteadbanner {
flex-direction: column;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-img-1 {
min-height: 250px;
background-position: top center;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-img-1,
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-body-1 {
width: 100%;
}
}
</style>
<div class="onsiteadbanner adbanner-fjuk">
<div class="adbanner-img-1"> </div>
<div class="adbanner-body-1">
<div class="adbanner-txt-1">Ready to start your new career or hobby as a freelance journalist?</div>
<div class="adbanner-txt-2">Download the free course guide.</div>
<button class="adbanner-btn-1 leadgnfrm">DOWNLOAD NOW</button></div>
</div>
<!-- END: ON-SITE AD BANNER FREELANCE JOURNALIST --> <tag>Freelance-101</tag>
August is a funny old month for freelancers as everyone seems to be away. It can be hard to find people to interview, or pitch to an editor without getting an "out of office" response.
Read more
<style type="text/css">.adjust-content {font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.7em; padding-right: 100px;}
.adjust-content h3 {line-height: 1.35em;}
@media (max-width: 992px) {
.adjust-content {padding-right: 0px;}
.adjust-content h3 {line-height: 1.2em;}
}
@media (max-width: 770px) {
.adjust-content {font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5em;}
}
</style>
<div class="adjust-content">
<p>But bear in mind that it can be a frustrating time for editors too. There's nothing worse than editing a freelancer's copy and needing to check something with them, or ask for extra quotes, and discovering they are away. If it means the feature can't run, that can cause big problems for a publication which will need to find a replacement.</p>
<p>So if you have some copy to send in before your holiday, email it over with several days to spare rather than 5pm the day before you head to the airport.</p>
<p>Write on the top of the email that you will be away from x to x inclusive so please could they get in touch with any queries before that. Editors will really appreciate the advance notice.</p>
</div>
<!-- START: ON-SITE AD BANNER FREELANCE JOURNALIST -->
<style type="text/css">.onsiteadbanner {
width: 100%;
max-width: 900px;
background: var(--primary-colour);
color: #F1F1F1;
display: flex;
flex-direction: row;
gap: 0;
position: relative;
padding: 0px;
margin: 50px 0 20px 0;
border: 1px solid #ccc;
overflow: hidden;
border-radius: 4px;
border: 1px solid #7e7e7e;
}
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text-transform: capitalize;
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max-width: 240px;
white-space: normal;
transition: background-color 0.3s ease-in-out;
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box-shadow: 7px 7px 20px #91301d !important;
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.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-btn-1:hover {
background-color: #3AB549;
}
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width: 35%;
background: url('https://britishcollegeofjournalism.com/Media/Uploads/Banners/freelance-journalist-img.jpg');
background-size: cover;
background-repeat: no-repeat;
background-position: center;
transition: background-color 0.3s ease-in-out;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-body-1 {
width: 65%;
padding: 30px;
display: flex;
flex-direction: column;
justify-content: center;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-txt-1 {
font-size: 30px;
font-weight: 400;
line-height: 1.2;
padding: 0 0 10px 0;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-txt-2 {
font-size: 20px;
font-weight: 400;
line-height: 1.2;
padding: 0 0 15px 0;
}
@media (max-width: 990px) {
.onsiteadbanner {
flex-direction: column;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-img-1 {
min-height: 250px;
background-position: top center;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-img-1,
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-body-1 {
width: 100%;
}
}
</style>
<div class="onsiteadbanner adbanner-fjuk">
<div class="adbanner-img-1"> </div>
<div class="adbanner-body-1">
<div class="adbanner-txt-1">Ready to start your new career or hobby as a freelance journalist?</div>
<div class="adbanner-txt-2">Download the free course guide.</div>
<button class="adbanner-btn-1 leadgnfrm">DOWNLOAD NOW</button></div>
</div>
<!-- END: ON-SITE AD BANNER FREELANCE JOURNALIST --> <tag>Being-a-Journo</tag>
I always read my own work for a variety of reasons. For a start, it’s just nice to view the finished article on the page.
Read more
<style type="text/css">.adjust-content {font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.7em; padding-right: 100px;}
.adjust-content h3 {line-height: 1.35em;}
@media (max-width: 992px) {
.adjust-content {padding-right: 0px;}
.adjust-content h3 {line-height: 1.2em;}
}
@media (max-width: 770px) {
.adjust-content {font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5em;}
}
</style>
<div class="adjust-content">
<p>Do you actually read your articles once they’ve been published?</p>
<p>I always remember a journalist telling me she didn’t bother to read her features once they appeared in print or online. “I’ve done the work, they’ve paid me and I’ve moved on to the next article” was the general gist.</p>
<p>This surprised me – I always read my own work for a variety of reasons. For a start, it’s just nice to view the finished article on the page. More importantly, it’s good to see what an editor has done with it. Have they rewritten the intro? Have they changed the structure? Have they cut some parts out and if so, which? Have they left it pretty much as you wrote it? If so, give yourself a big pat on the back!</p>
<p>Seeing how your work is edited is very important. If you want to write for them again – and why wouldn’t you? – you can get an idea of how to make it better.</p>
<p>If you don’t want to buy a copy of a magazine because it’s expensive, it’s always worth asking the commissioning editor if they can send you a PDF.</p>
</div>
<!-- START: ON-SITE AD BANNER FREELANCE WRITER -->
<style type="text/css">.onsiteadbanner {
width: 100%;
max-width: 900px;
background: var(--primary-colour);
color: #F1F1F1;
display: flex;
flex-direction: row;
gap: 0;
position: relative;
padding: 0px;
margin: 50px 0 20px 0;
border: 1px solid #ccc;
overflow: hidden;
border-radius: 4px;
border: 1px solid #7e7e7e;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-btn-1,
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-btn-1:visited {
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color: #f1f1f1;
text-transform: capitalize;
padding: 10px 25px;
font-family: ;
font-size: 18px;
border: none;
max-width: 240px;
white-space: normal;
transition: background-color 0.3s ease-in-out;
border-radius: 6px;
box-shadow: 7px 7px 20px #91301d !important;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-btn-1:hover {
background-color: #3AB549;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-img-1 {
width: 35%;
background: url('https://britishcollegeofjournalism.com/Media/Uploads/Banners/freelance-writer-img.jpg');
background-size: cover;
background-repeat: no-repeat;
background-position: center;
transition: background-color 0.3s ease-in-out;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-body-1 {
width: 65%;
padding: 30px;
display: flex;
flex-direction: column;
justify-content: center;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-txt-1 {
font-size: 30px;
font-weight: 400;
line-height: 1.2;
padding: 0 0 10px 0;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-txt-2 {
font-size: 20px;
font-weight: 400;
line-height: 1.2;
padding: 0 0 15px 0;
}
@media (max-width: 990px) {
.onsiteadbanner {
flex-direction: column;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-img-1 {
min-height: 250px;
background-position: top center;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-img-1,
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-body-1 {
width: 100%;
}
}
</style>
<div class="onsiteadbanner adbanner-fjuk">
<div class="adbanner-img-1"> </div>
<div class="adbanner-body-1">
<div class="adbanner-txt-1">Take the first step to become a professional freelance writer.</div>
<div class="adbanner-txt-2">Download the free course guide.</div>
<button class="adbanner-btn-1 leadgnfrm">DOWNLOAD NOW</button></div>
</div>
<!-- END: ON-SITE AD BANNER FREELANCE WRITER --> <tag>Freelance-101</tag>
Seeing your name in print can be a real thrill. It can also be incredibly useful for your portfolio.
Read more
<style type="text/css">.adjust-content {font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.7em; padding-right: 100px;}
.adjust-content h3 {line-height: 1.35em;}
@media (max-width: 992px) {
.adjust-content {padding-right: 0px;}
.adjust-content h3 {line-height: 1.2em;}
}
@media (max-width: 770px) {
.adjust-content {font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5em;}
}
</style>
<div class="adjust-content">
<p>Don’t lose that byline</p>
<p>Seeing your name in print can be a real thrill. It can also be incredibly useful for your portfolio.</p>
<p>There are times, however, when your byline (literally the bit that says “by Judy Yorke”) gets accidentally left off an article - and that can be really annoying to say the least.</p>
<p>Of course, you can’t prevent that happening but here’s a tip to lessen the chances.</p>
<p>When you send in copy, write your own byline on it. So under your headline, just write “by xx”. It’s less likely to go accidentally missing that way as a sub or someone else will need to physically delete it. It also lessens the chance of your name appearing with an incorrect spelling, something which is also very irritating!</p>
</div>
<!-- START: ON-SITE AD BANNER FREELANCE JOURNALIST -->
<style type="text/css">.onsiteadbanner {
width: 100%;
max-width: 900px;
background: var(--primary-colour);
color: #F1F1F1;
display: flex;
flex-direction: row;
gap: 0;
position: relative;
padding: 0px;
margin: 50px 0 20px 0;
border: 1px solid #ccc;
overflow: hidden;
border-radius: 4px;
border: 1px solid #7e7e7e;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-btn-1,
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-btn-1:visited {
background: #479807;
color: #f1f1f1;
text-transform: capitalize;
padding: 10px 25px;
font-family: ;
font-size: 18px;
border: none;
max-width: 240px;
white-space: normal;
transition: background-color 0.3s ease-in-out;
border-radius: 6px;
box-shadow: 7px 7px 20px #91301d !important;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-btn-1:hover {
background-color: #3AB549;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-img-1 {
width: 35%;
background: url('https://britishcollegeofjournalism.com/Media/Uploads/Banners/freelance-journalist-img.jpg');
background-size: cover;
background-repeat: no-repeat;
background-position: center;
transition: background-color 0.3s ease-in-out;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-body-1 {
width: 65%;
padding: 30px;
display: flex;
flex-direction: column;
justify-content: center;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-txt-1 {
font-size: 30px;
font-weight: 400;
line-height: 1.2;
padding: 0 0 10px 0;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-txt-2 {
font-size: 20px;
font-weight: 400;
line-height: 1.2;
padding: 0 0 15px 0;
}
@media (max-width: 990px) {
.onsiteadbanner {
flex-direction: column;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-img-1 {
min-height: 250px;
background-position: top center;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-img-1,
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-body-1 {
width: 100%;
}
}
</style>
<div class="onsiteadbanner adbanner-fjuk">
<div class="adbanner-img-1"> </div>
<div class="adbanner-body-1">
<div class="adbanner-txt-1">Ready to start your new career or hobby as a freelance journalist?</div>
<div class="adbanner-txt-2">Download the free course guide.</div>
<button class="adbanner-btn-1 leadgnfrm">DOWNLOAD NOW</button></div>
</div>
<!-- END: ON-SITE AD BANNER FREELANCE JOURNALIST --> <tag>Journalism-101</tag>
Reading copy aloud is one of the best tips I can give you to improve your writing.
Read more
<style type="text/css">.adjust-content {font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.7em; padding-right: 100px;}
.adjust-content h3 {line-height: 1.35em;}
@media (max-width: 992px) {
.adjust-content {padding-right: 0px;}
.adjust-content h3 {line-height: 1.2em;}
}
@media (max-width: 770px) {
.adjust-content {font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5em;}
}
</style>
<div class="adjust-content">
<p>My son stuck his head around my office door and looked at me in surprise. “I thought you were talking to someone,” he said. “Were you on the phone?”</p>
<p>I had to tell him no; I was talking to myself – or rather, reading aloud my copy to myself before sending it off.</p>
<p>Reading copy aloud is one of the best tips I can give you to improve your writing. You will</p>
<ul>
<li>Pick up on long sentences</li>
<li>“Hear” clunky sentences</li>
<li>Realise when your writing is too formal as it won’t sound right.</li>
<li>Pick up on typos.</li>
</ul>
<p>It makes you slow down and it’s much more effective than going over your copy on screen one more time, or printing it out (which can be a waste of paper and ink).</p>
<p>Go on, give it a go!</p>
</div>
<!-- START: ON-SITE AD BANNER FREELANCE WRITER -->
<style type="text/css">.onsiteadbanner {
width: 100%;
max-width: 900px;
background: var(--primary-colour);
color: #F1F1F1;
display: flex;
flex-direction: row;
gap: 0;
position: relative;
padding: 0px;
margin: 20px 0;
border: 1px solid #ccc;
overflow: hidden;
border-radius: 4px;
border: 1px solid #7e7e7e;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-btn-1,
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-btn-1:visited {
background: #479807;
color: #f1f1f1;
text-transform: capitalize;
padding: 10px 25px;
font-family: ;
font-size: 18px;
border: none;
max-width: 240px;
white-space: normal;
transition: background-color 0.3s ease-in-out;
border-radius: 6px;
box-shadow: 7px 7px 20px #91301d !important;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-btn-1:hover {
background-color: #3AB549;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-img-1 {
width: 35%;
background: url('https://britishcollegeofjournalism.com/Media/Uploads/Banners/freelance-writer-img.jpg');
background-size: cover;
background-repeat: no-repeat;
background-position: center;
transition: background-color 0.3s ease-in-out;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-body-1 {
width: 65%;
padding: 30px;
display: flex;
flex-direction: column;
justify-content: center;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-txt-1 {
font-size: 30px;
font-weight: 400;
line-height: 1.2;
padding: 0 0 10px 0;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-txt-2 {
font-size: 20px;
font-weight: 400;
line-height: 1.2;
padding: 0 0 15px 0;
}
@media (max-width: 990px) {
.onsiteadbanner {
flex-direction: column;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-img-1 {
min-height: 250px;
background-position: top center;
}
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-img-1,
.onsiteadbanner .adbanner-body-1 {
width: 100%;
}
}
</style>
<div class="onsiteadbanner adbanner-fjuk">
<div class="adbanner-img-1"> </div>
<div class="adbanner-body-1">
<div class="adbanner-txt-1">Take the first step to become a professional freelance writer.</div>
<div class="adbanner-txt-2">Download the free course guide.</div>
<button class="adbanner-btn-1 leadgnfrm">DOWNLOAD NOW</button></div>
</div>
<!-- END: ON-SITE AD BANNER FREELANCE WRITER --> <tag>Writing-Tip</tag>
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