Using - and ignoring - advice
Take our word for it. Or don't.
There is great support to be found in the freelance journalism community. Ask for advice on an issue or dilemma and you will receive a wealth of insightful responses.
But it’s important to remember that everyone is different and what works for one person won’t necessarily work for you. This week we look at three commonly asked questions and how to navigate the opposing advice you might receive.
Do I need to do a freelance journalism course?
We’ll start with probably the most divisive question, which can attract alarming vitriol on Twitter. Cards on the table, yes we have a vested interest in this since we run online webinars and training courses. We also teach at three universities including a specific freelance journalism module.
But for what it’s worth our view is: it depends. It is never as black and white as ‘courses are a rip off, just speak to freelance journalists who will help you for free’. Neither is it correct that all courses will miraculously find you swimming in a sea of commissions.
The honest answer is that some people, many people, don’t need to do a freelance course. We didn’t do one. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t helpful to some individuals. As well as teaching skills, courses can help to build confidence, give reassurance, and be a useful place to ask questions without judgement.
Some people pay for driving lessons, others learn for free from someone who can drive. People learn in different ways and that’s their choice.
We might not have signed up for a freelance journalism course but we did do a podcasting course before starting our own. And without it we wouldn’t have had the confidence to do it.
So do a course, don’t do a course. It’s up to you. If you are someone who learns well from chatting to others then great, but if you prefer structure and learning materials then research the course that is right for your circumstances. We are not all starting from the same position.
Do I need to learn shorthand?
Without meaning to sound repetitive our mantra at FFJ is ‘it depends’. Britain is the only country that uses shorthand yet training bodies like the NCTJ will say it is an invaluable skill that journalists are handicapped without.
Yes it is incredibly useful and not just for court reporting. It is the best way of taking quick, accurate notes and saves hours and hours of transcription or the worry that an interview hasn’t recorded. Tools like Otter.ai are good but they are not perfect and they are not practical in every situation like a noisy street or somewhere with limited internet connection.
Shorthand is a bit of a ball ache to learn but once you have mastered it you have a skill for life. But hundreds of thousands of journalists worldwide manage perfectly well without it and have found their own tools.
Again, think about the type of reporting you are likely to be doing, what you might need it for and what the alternatives are. Don’t be pressured one way or the other. And lookout for our podcast episode on this very topic in the coming months!
Should I nurture existing clients or spread my wings?
This question popped up on Twitter recently and got some great replies. It is really important to create long lasting relationships with editors to ensure you get steady work and a smooth commissioning and payment process.
But this shouldn’t come at the cost of building your client base. Editors move on, freelance budgets get axed and publications close.
To ensure longevity in your career it is vital to have one eye looking forward and to create time to pitch to new editors. At some point you may want to switch things up and stop writing for a long running client so having other options gives you personal flexibility as well as greater financial security.
But it is a juggling act and you don’t want to spread yourself too thin. Conversely you shouldn’t be afraid to mix things up. It’s what makes freelancing so interesting! Only you will know when you have struck the right balance.
Your freelance career will evolve over time and the clients you write for now may be completely different in one, two, five or ten years’ time. Then again they might not be. It just depends.
What’s coming up
For anyone interested in the next round of our popular Journalism Work Experience Initiative starting in March, now is the time to get your webinar place. Here you get advice on how the scheme works and tips on how to get the most out of it and then you get one year of access to a database of 50 journalists willing to offer remote work experience opportunities.
The webinar fee covers the admin involved in the scheme but there are bursary places available so please do contact us at freelancingforjournalists@gmail.com if you need more information. If you can’t attend the live event, don’t worry, sign up anyway and we will send you a recording.
We are also about to record series 7 of the podcast which we hope to launch soon. We’ve got some great topics and guests. In the meantime you can see our back catalogue here or wherever you get your podcasts. Almost at 26,000 downloads now so thanks for listening everyone!
Triumph of the week
Making the news rather than writing it. Thanks Press Gazette for covering our Twitter verification campaign.
That feeling when
You finally get an answer out of a government press office and you still don’t have what you need to get the story over the line. Onwards.
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!
