Despite completing a Journalism degree, my career hasn’t exactly followed that path just yet. Getting my writing out there through freelance journalism has been the way forward so far, but it hasn’t been without its struggles!
What is freelance journalism?
Many journalists often write freelance during the span of their careers. Put simply, freelance journalism is a self-employed role. It is heavily dependent on finding stories and articles for yourself, rather than working as an employee with a guaranteed steady income. However, it provides a flexible, remote schedule – ideal for many living in the post-pandemic economy.
Indeed defines it as:
“A writer who is self-employed. They complete contract work, single pieces or regular assignments for newspapers, magazines, companies and other organizations.”
With key skills not only in writing, but time management, organisation, SEO, marketing and more, there’s more to freelance journalism than just presenting writing to different publications.
Why am I pursuing it?
As many know, I have always wanted to be a writer. If you’re here for the first time a good summary can be found in my blog post Why I Became A Journalist. So far, I have succeeded in becoming a copywriter at a local digital marketing agency. But in doing a Journalism degree, my passion lies in becoming a print journalist.
In comparison to an employed writer, I believe that freelance journalism gives me the opportunity to write about a range of topics, and not just one genre. In currently pursuing this path, it allows me to better discover my own niche and build up my experience as a published writer. I can expand my portfolio, whilst helping me to gain better opportunities within the writing industry.
I can’t deny that seeing my writing out there gives me an immense sense of pride. I want to continue sharing that with the world!
However, freelance journalism is a struggle.
Entering a competitive industry
One of the biggest struggles when it comes to freelance journalism is how competitive of an industry it is. Due to the nature of this industry, a lot of people end up pursuing the same pitch call outs. You’ve got to get in there quick. One of the biggest challenges after all is getting enough work, consistently, to be able to make a living from it.
One company requesting pitches can end up with 100s of really high quality entries. They simply do not have the capacity to publish everyone. Although I don’t wish to be on the other side of the process, deciding which is the best one to move forward to, there’s no denying it’s disheartening to be on this one too.
However, it’s important to remember that this industry is so competitive because of so many passionate writers out there, like me! In fact, seeing such passion is admirable, and inspires me to continue.
Feelings of inadequacy
Another struggle with freelance journalism is the pressure and feelings of inadequacy that stems from this. It can be very mentally draining to receive no after no on countless pitches. They’re often without any specific feedback due to the sheer volume of responses in the first place.
That’s when the negative thoughts start to come in.
Am I not good enough? Do I not have what it takes to become a “proper writer”? Is my writing not as engaging and creative as I originally thought? After dedicating three years of my life to a Journalism degree, surely I should be getting somewhere?
It’s hard not to sit and compare yourself. In a competitive market you have to be more thick skinned and progress onto the next opportunity. I think if I was disheartened by every negative response, I would’ve given up on writing a long time ago.
How to overcome the struggles?
Truth be told, I’m not sure yet. Everyday is another step towards the goal, and every failed pitch or rejection email is something that has to be taken in my stride.
Building up a portfolio, where no one will give me the direct chance to do so, is going to continue to be the hardest challenge. Although you should never shrink your ambition for anyone, but starting small and working my way up will have to be the way forward until someone will put their faith in my writing.
Local newspapers, niche online magazines, these are all great physical places to start. As for the overcoming the mental struggles of freelance journalism? I need to keep reminding myself that people DO want to read my writing. Just in a competitive industry, I shouldn’t take it to heart. Even with my small portfolio, it’s a reminder that I AM good enough to be a journalist. It’s about having the courage and confidence to keep progressing with it!
Fellow freelance journalists, what do you think? How has your experience of the industry been so far?
