Freelancing is the only work where you get paid for you curiosity. Remembering you deserve to be paid well and for your curiosity too. You’ve got only yourself to rely on when trying to come up with a catchy headline. Most freelancer work about ten publications write at least four articles a month, and bring in 5k a month-the chances are that you won’t have say, one article due every Tuesday at noon.
Speaking from my personal experience, I know I go to writers group at street sense every Wednesday at 10:30, and then I’ll hand in or I’ll hand in on a Friday.
There is no such thing as a bi-weekly pay check, but I get papers while I sell to make profit on my article. The work is hard and you have to be self-disciplined. All the time you’re selling yourself. I can write about this or I can have discovered the best story ideas are the ones where I am full of curiosity. I always try something new to pitch, so my mind has to be constantly open to ideas.
Everyone knows it takes money to make money. Freelancing is not a full time job. Writing pitch (query) letters and having a good resume definitely helps: I prefer writing because you don’t have to give in but one article a fortnight. A lot of times I’ll just go to a news stand and just spend time looking through magazines and newspapers for ideas. I get along with my editor “Eric Falquero.” Sometimes, I’ll call him to ask him if he liked a piece. A respectable shout out to chief editor “Mary Otto,” who is currently on leave writing a good book. I try to make sure anything I write on I feel passionate about.
I don’t have a life on the web, but I know HTML. I studied information technology in Lender. I have business cards, because freelancers for Street Sense need business cards. My office is pretty much a pen and a writing pad, a phone, the library and a park bench, as well as my home, where I have a computer.
My storage spaces are my bookshelves and I also keep track of my newspaper sales. I have a library of reference books that help me write. I have no subscriptions, “that’s what the library is for,” and I am not a member of any professional organizations.
Although in England, I am a member of the “British Business Technical Council” (I have a diploma from them), I simply write for Street Sense. Querying occupies a lot of my time. And early evening is the best time to write. I have lunch on the go and I am always looking at a calendar. It is my dream to get a full time job. Freelancing for me is a full time job because I am always thinking about Street Sense. I have good relationships with the staff there.
Sometimes I think of an extremely broad subject to tackle, or something that everyone wants to read. To be successful I have to know the topic, sources, and content. I have discovered that you are what you read. I always try to raise questions in my mind about what I have read, and answer them. I also look at what I have studied in school and the areas in which I have the most experience.
At the end of the day, I think about the last 24 hours, the conversations I’ve had and the conversations I overheard, the things I saw, and the things that raised questions. Only the other day, I overheard a group of guys on the bench talking about Criminal Felonies. One shouted, “I had my first felony when I was 14,” the other shouted “I had my first felony at 18.” The story to be developed here is; “how young do you have to be to catch a felony?” or “How a felony can ruin your life.” Luckily, I do not have one. I get a lot of ideas for my next piece while I am writing the current piece.
When I get an idea drought, I feel horrible. I’ll spend time in book stores looking for that next great idea. I spend a lot of time thinking about articles I like to write. Sometimes I’ll visit the “Newseum” and have an epiphany.
Whilst freelancing for Street Sense, I look for new studies, new findings, current events recently released books and movies, upcoming events and seasons of the year. One thing I am glad of is that at Street Sense, I am not on the mailing lists of any agencies. I think my editor goes to idea meetings where they plan themes for the coming issue. Responses or lack thereof can, but I take it in stride, I might say “oh well, I didn’t make this issue, maybe I’ll make the next issue or be in the online section or portion.” Two things stand out; under reporting and over writing.
Interviews or stuff like that. I like to structure my articles, most important information first, unimportant details later. I am always elated after handing in an article, because it goes through different workers, and editors and interns. So, in closing, freelancing for Street Sense is the best eight year work experience I’ve had.
