It’s journalism awards season and journalists are getting very excited about meeting up In Real Life and not having to sit through yet another lonely Zoom presentation.
Entries are now open for the British Journalism Awards and have recently closed for the National Journalism Awards.
Last week FFJ co-founder Lily Canter attended the Headlinemoney awards, after being shortlisted for Freelancer of the Year and Business Story of the year. And coming up next month is the IPSE freelancer awards which we are very proud to announce includes FFJ in two categories - Collaborative Project, and, Podcast.
We feel like we are on a roll at the moment, with FFJ co-founder Emma Wilkinson also being shortlisted for Freelancer of the Year in the Medical Journalists’ Association awards which are being held next week.
Despite our recent successes we are acutely aware that as a freelancer it can sometimes be really hard to enter awards. Firstly there is the assumption that you are associated with one particular publication and there isn’t necessarily a category that you fit into. Fortunately this is starting to change and it is more common to see a freelancer category or an award for one particular story or investigation, rather than a portfolio for one publication.
Secondly, the cost can be prohibitive. Not all awards are created equally. Some have quite sizeable fees which although tax deductible are not always affordable for freelancers. By comparison staffers have their organisation paying for their entry meaning they are already at an advantage and can afford to enter lots of awards. During the pandemic more awards companies moved to free entry / pay what you can but this won’t last forever.
The British Journalism Awards have a tiered payment system and fee waivers to encourage diversity but many freelance journalists will still need to find £50 + 3.5% processing fee + VAT, which is more than £62 in total.
Thirdly the awards are nearly always held in London (if you live in the UK) which involves expensive train travel and overnight accommodation if you are freelance and live elsewhere. Thankfully organisations like IPSE recognise this and offer to pay towards travel and sustenance for some attendees.
So is it actually worth entering awards? As always, we believe the answer is - it depends. Lily wrote about this very topic for Metro recently and explored the burgeoning world of lucrative business awards and pitfalls to avoid when considering entering them.
The key message is to choose your awards carefully and examine their credibility before plunging in. Research the judging panel and previous winners and don’t be afraid to ask around. If they appear to be highly regarded by your peers and they are affordable, then there are some great advantages to entering.
Even if you do not win a prize being shortlisted will inevitably raise your profile. Emma was recently approached to take on some potential broadcast consultancy work off the back of her nomination for the Medical Journalism Awards.
As well as making people sit up and take notice in advance, attending an awards do is an excellent way to network.
You will get the opportunity to speak to commissioning editors you have only ever chatted to on email or spoken to on the phone / Zoom and get detailed face-to-face feedback. After a few drinks editors are very happy to chat about what they love about your pitches and the type of stories they are looking for in the future.
It’s also a great way to pick up new contacts and new work or collaborations, as well as reminding existing contacts that you are available for commission.
There is also likely to be plenty of free food and drink flowing, so whatever the outcome of the awards, you will have a great time.
What’s coming up
We have two great webinars coming up in the next few weeks. First there is How to launch a successful webinar on Wednesday September 29th which will take you through everything from equipment, to software, to content to marketing and monetisation.
And then on Wednesday October 6th we have a special Guest Sessions webinar with Lacuna Voices editor Punteha van Terheyden who will be talking all about Launching an Online Publication.
We also have a few spaces left on our Journalism Work Experience Initiative so sign up quick before all the places go.
Grab your tickets and find out more on the link below. As always recordings are available if you cannot make the live event - just select the Watch Back Later ticket.
Triumph of the week
Getting published in a dream publication for the first time and then having a second, and third pitch accepted. It feels so good!
That feeling when…
You think you are going to have to either a) clone yourself b) pull an all nighter or c) hire an assistant.
We love to hear your feedback on everything we do, so feel free to drop us an email anytime at freelancingforjournalists@gmail.com
Bye for now!