What I've learned in 12 years of freelancing

Some unsolicited advice on navigating an unstable industry

Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash

“It’s been a brutal year for the media industry” increasingly feels like a statement you could accurately make at any point, in any year. But 2024 has, so far, been brutal. Press Gazette has been tracking journalism job cuts in the UK, US and Canada, and counted almost 1,000 by the end of January - after at least 8,000 in 2023. It’s a bleak enough picture that the New Yorker published a cheerful essay headlined “Is the media ready for an extinction-level event?” I’ve seen numerous journalists online saying that when young people ask for advice about pursuing a career in media, they no longer know if it’s ethical to tell them anything other than “do something else”.

I’m not quite there yet, perhaps because I’ve been freelance since 2012, so I haven’t experienced firsthand multiple rounds of redundancies. (Though, of course, freelancers do experience the shrinking budgets and diminishing number of publications to pitch to). With so many journalists now becoming self-employed - whether by choice or circumstance - I thought I’d share what I’ve learned in (almost) 12 years of being freelance about how to make it work in an unstable industry.

1. Create a buffer fund.

Work out what you need to cover your basic costs for a month and keep it in a separate account. You will 100% get stuck waiting for payments and it is a huge relief to know you can still pay rent when that happens. If you use it, top it back up when you can. I’ve read advice online saying that you need at least six months in savings or whatever. If you can do that, then great! It wasn’t ever possible for me to save that much, but I do think that having a month’s costs in reserve is the minimum. If you’ve been laid off and become freelance unexpectedly it might take longer to sort this out, but it’s definitely something to work towards to make self-employment sustainable.

2. Pitch a lot, pitch everywhere.

Think widely about places you could write for – international publications, online only, special interest magazines – and research the kinds of pieces they run (style, word lengths, subject matter) and rates. Earlier in my freelance career, I used to make big lists of outlets to approach - a longer wish list and a shorter list of immediate priorities - so it was there if I felt stuck for inspiration.

The depressing thing about this is that so many of the outlets that are going bust are those online publications that offered opportunities for young, untested writers, like Vice. But I’m not totally pessimistic. There are still opportunities, and new online publications springing up all the time (even if they don’t last long). I think the important thing is to avoid relying too heavily on just one outlet, so that you’re not totally screwed if it closes. If you’re starting out, think creatively about ways into getting published in national magazines or newspapers - is there a story you’re particularly well-qualified to tell? Or a specific slot that a magazine runs every week? On a recent episode of the Freelancing for Journalists podcast, Rebecca Liu, a commissioning editor at the Guardian magazine, pointed out that there’ll always be an editor desperate to fill those slots.

3. Develop a thick skin.

It doesn’t mean you’re stupid or have bad ideas if someone says no. Go back to the editor with new ideas, or repurpose the rejected pitch for another mag. I’ve had stories accepted after two or three rejections elsewhere. Everyone has dud ideas sometimes! I loved this Fence piece from a couple of years ago where great writers shared their stupidest pitches.

4. That said - don’t just copy and paste pitches.

Have a look at where you’re pitching to. This doesn’t have to be hugely in depth, just a quick search to see if your story has already been covered, a browse to see if they run reported features/opinion/whatever you’re pitching.

5. Follow up on pitches.

Lots of editors have flooded inboxes so won’t reply immediately or might miss your email, especially if it’s a cold pitch. That doesn’t mean they don’t like it. I usually send a brief follow up email after a week or so. I’m amazed by how many people I speak to are nervous of doing this! When I was an editor, I never found it annoying to get a polite follow up - usually I’d genuinely forgotten to reply.

6. Make it easy for the editor.

When pitching, include a brief sentence or two about who you are and what your work history is, with a link to any published work relevant to the publication or story you’re pitching to. Make it as easy as possible for whoever is reading the email.

7. Try out writing for lots of places.

The longer you’re freelance, the easier it’ll be to work out which places are not worth your time because the rates are too low for the level of work or because they’re so consistently late to pay.

You’ll also get a sense of the balance of work you can manage - so one thing I’ve realised (the hard way) is that I can happily work on lots of projects at once but find it very challenging to be writing more than one longform reported piece concurrently.

8. Make lists all the time.

As you get more busy, it can be difficult to keep on top of contesting demands, deadlines, interviews, and admin. No one else is keeping track of your workload and usually no one is reminding you about what you have to do and when.

9. Look at different income sources.

This is a big one! There’s no shame in not earning all of your money from producing journalism. In fact, as the media industry faces its “extinction-level event”, it’s sensible to have a few strings to your bow, and most freelance writers I know do. My writing and reporting is the most visible part of what I do, but I’ve almost always had some kind of extra income. For years, that was an editing job a couple of days a week at the New Humanist magazine. Now I don’t have a regular gig but I occasionally do copy-writing, proof-reading, editing, speaking. Look into all those things, plus teaching, consultancy, doing reports for think-tanks, etc. These things can all bolster your income and provide some stability in an incredibly unstable industry.

10. Be professional.

This is basic advice, but it’s important. Don’t overpromise what you can deliver. File your copy on time and without loads of typos. If there’s a delay for whatever reason, let the editor know in good time. Be polite. Communicate clearly.

11. Invoice immediately!

Plan in some dedicated time for admin, otherwise you don’t get paid. Remember to factor in the (shitty) fact that most places only pay after publication – so if you’re spending six months on a project, that’s six months before you can even start the process of getting paid. Put money aside for tax.

12. Figure out what you need to focus.

Again, kind of basic, but for me it’s important to get up, have a shower and get dressed as if I was going to work, even if I’m staying home. If you need to get out of the house to focus, work in a library or coffee shop.

13. Find a community.

It can be isolating to suddenly work on your own, so try to offset that. For me, that’s trying to keep my freelance work to office hours so I can socialise at the weekend and in the evenings, and having freelance friends I can talk to and bounce ideas off. There are scores of different freelancing podcasts and online communities if that’s your thing.

14. Enjoy the freedom.

I like being able to go to the gym in the middle of the day, stop working at 3pm if I’ve finished, get up and go for a walk if I’m stuck and come back to it later, and so on. Freelancing is stressful in lots of ways, so allow yourself to enjoy the benefits too.

Reading/listening

• This Guardian Long Read piece about the crackdown on protest, focusing on a series of incredibly punitive court cases in Bristol, is riveting and enraging.

• It’s tough to keep reading harrowing stories from Gaza, but make time for this wrenching Associated Press report on a woman who lost her twin babies who were born after 10 years of trying and fertility treatment.

• Tortoise Media’s new podcast series Who Trolled Amber? is an amazing insight into the disinformation industry.

• In keeping with the theme of this newsletter, I liked this heartfelt Defector piece about how the money produced by art (including in the media) has not disappeared, but is increasingly going to the people at the top and not the artists.

My recent work

Here’s some stuff I’ve published recently:

• I wrote a short feature for the Observer about lads’ mags, marking 30 years since the launch of Loaded magazine by talking to the women who worked there.

• For GQ, I talked to Ukrainian refugees in Britain, who are uncertain about their future two years after Russia’s full-scale invasion.

• For the Guardian, I wrote a column about equal pay claims in Birmingham being unfairly blamed for the council’s bankruptcy. (Based on my recent long read on the broader fight for equal pay).

As always, if you enjoyed this newsletter, please hit subscribe, share it online, or forward it to someone who might be interested. Thank you so much for reading!