By Randy Showstack
Perseverance. That’s been the watchword for Haisten Willis, a freelance journalist since 2016 and a recent transplant to Washington, D.C. Willis, who chairs the SPJ Freedom of Information Committee and is a past president of SPJ Georgia, recounted how he pitched story ideas to the Washington Post 28 times over two years – during which he adjusted his technique and approach — before the newspaper finally said yes.
He told that tale Sept. 4 as a panelist for the session, “How to Break into National Media as a Freelancer,” presented at the national SPJ21 Journalism Conference, held virtually on Sept. 2-4. That session was one of five at the conference that provided advice and resources to freelance journalists.
Also during the national media session, Hilary Niles said freelancers need to keep trying and not take rejections personally. She and others emphasized the importance of building relationships with editors and making yourself available and useful to them. Niles, a multimedia reporter, data journalist and journalism trainer, chairs the SPJ Freelance Community, which organized the freelance sessions at this year’s national conference.
For those just starting as freelancers, the Sept. 2 session on “Freelancing 101: Establishing Yourself as a Freelance Journalist” offered an excellent introduction. Ruth Thaler-Carter, a freelance writer since 1984, and author of “Freelancing 101: Launching Your Editorial Business,” focused on the details of starting out. She said that, as your own boss, you need excellent writing and related skills, attention to detail, a filing system to track queries and assignments, a good website and an online portfolio, among other items. She stressed the need for contacts, including through the SPJ Freelance Community, membership associations, and other resources. Thaler-Carter acknowledged the difficult job market with the consolidation of news outlets and publications going out of business. However, she said, there are “more outlets than ever for freelance work,” and that people should consider not limiting themselves just to newspaper work. She said, for instance, that other freelance opportunities might include associations and nonprofits, and that journalists could also consider doing editing, proofreading, website work, and even public relations. She said that freelancing for a public relations firm can pay good money and “as long as what they’re producing and asking us to work on is accurate, honest, and ethical, I have no problem with that area.”
Another session was “30 Tools to Boost Your Freelance Productivity,” which provided a rapid-fire look at tools in the areas of productivity management, research and searching, documents, pitching, audio, business, and networking/self-promotion. Some of the specific tools mentioned included Evernote, Otter, and Expensify. Also mentioned at the Sept. 3 session were the Journalist’s Toolbox, which also offers a twice-monthly e-newsletter, and the Tools for Reporters newsletter.
Other freelancer sessions were a freelancer-editor meet and greet and a pitch clinic.
Hazel Becker, a founding member of the SPJ Freelance Community, said that having actionable takeaways makes attending annual SPJ conferences worthwhile for freelancers.
“Freelancing can be a pretty lonely pursuit,” said Becker, a member of the DC Pro Chapter who has been involved with conference program planning for the freelancing sessions. In addition to providing guidance on basic skills, “the conference provides an opportunity for us to bond, maybe find a ‘pitching buddy’ or ‘accountability partner,’ and sometimes connect with news directors/editors who might become clients,” she said.
She, too, emphasized the resources available through the SPJ Freelance Community, which currently has about 300 members. The community also has a Facebook page. Becker also coordinates the SPJ DC Pro freelance group with SPJ-DC member Stephenie Overman, who also is SPJ Region 2 coordinator. You can find out more about the local freelance group by contacting Overman at soverman@spj.org.
The DC Pro freelance group has a virtual happy hour planned for 5 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 23, 2021, via Zoom link. Contact Stephenie Overman for an invitation.
Randy Showstack, president of the SPJ DC Pro Chapter, recently joined the SPJ Freelance Community.