Hi hi hi, happy 2024! I hope your year is off to a wonderful start, and I’m so excited for another year with you all.
I thought for the first FWT newsletter of the year, we’d go over some common pitfalls of freelancing that you can be sure to avoid. Some you probably already know, some might be new to you, but wherever you are in your freelance career, it never hurts to refresh some best practices.
As always, everything below is a guideline and not a rule — there are veeeery few hard-and-fast rules in freelancing. (Though there are a few.) So with that in mind, let’s dive in!
Not checking the archives
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. This is the simplest trap to avoid, yet it’s one that I’ve seen countless freelancers fall into. It really is as simple as it sounds: Go to Google, type “site:[publication’s url] + [keywords related to your story].” That’s it! Read through and see if that publication — or, even better, the editor you want to pitch — has published something related to your idea relatively recently (the length of time will vary by story, so just use your judgment). If they have, move on to the next outlet. It’s a tiny amount of work with a huge payoff.
Pitching ideas instead of stories
It’s a subtle difference, but a crucial one. Ideas are vague and often abstract; stories are specific, concrete, and have a frame to them. Think of this way: Picture an idea as a gas, a substance that expands to fill whatever container it’s in. It has an indefinable shape, and without something to hold it together, it just kinda … floats away. The story is that container: it gives your idea shape and holds it all together. More on that here.
Being too aggressive about following up — or not being aggressive enough
Just remember this: A cold pitch to a new editor should take a maximum of three emails. The first is your initial pitch. If you hear back, great! Go from there. But if not, wait around a week or so to send your first follow-up. Keep it simple and reply to your initial email with something like, “Hi! Just wanted to send a friendly follow-up and ask if you’ve had a chance to take a look at this. Thanks!” Don’t overthink it, and just get to the point. Still hearing crickets? Wait another week or so to send your second follow-up — and third email total — and just say you wanted to check in one last time. If you don’t hear back to that one, assume it’s a no and move on.
Putting all your eggs in one basket
Diversify that income! The best route here is to broaden your definition of what freelance work can be. To wit: My personal income contains all of the following types of freelance work: journalistic writing, copywriting, newsletter writing, consulting, one-on-one coaching, speaking engagements, and workshops. I could lose any one of those and still be fine. Design your business so you’re not overly reliant on one source of income or one type of freelance work. If you’re not there already, make that a 2024 goal.
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Not customizing pitches for that specific editor
Pitch the editor, not the publication. Narrowing your pitch to the editor level takes significant time, but, in my experience, that time is very well spent. As editors, when we get pitches that are specifically written for us, as opposed to generic pitches that could go out to any editor who covers similar ground, we can tell — because the pitches crafted for the person are immeasurably better. At The Times, I could tell within the first few sentences whether I was getting a pitch that was written for Tim Herrera, or a pitch that was written for Generic Service Editor. More on that here.
Feeling intimidated by an editor/publication/gig/etc.
Editors need you just as much as you need them! Don’t psych yourself out of going for a dream publication, or pitching an editor you’re dying to work with, just because you don’t have the “right” bylines or the “right” pedigree. The only way to get great bylines is to get great bylines, so swing for the fences!
Not asking for more money
Always ask for more money! Good editors want to help you out as much as we can, so don’t feel shy about asking. It’s not weird, editors expect it, and a lot of the time it’s the only way to increase your rates. (Rare is the editor who will volunteer a bump.) So how do you do it? It’s simpler than you think. Every two or three assignments, I suggest sending along some variation of this language: “Thanks again for this assignment! I just wanted to ask: We’ve done X, Y, and Z stories together, and I’m wondering if with this new assignment we could revisit my rate? I’d love to be at around [rate]. Thanks!” That’s it! More on that here.
Good luck out there, see you next week!
Oh, a few other things …
• I offer one-on-one coaching! Need help developing an idea or sharpening one you already have? Or want to talk about careers and building your freelance business? I gotchu! Book a one-on-one coaching session to talk about pitch reviews, story development, editing, and anything else you might need help with.
• I’m going to start doing Q&A posts in the newsletter to answer all of your questions, comments, and thoughts about freelancing and journalism in general. Drop any and all questions in the comments section below this post or email me at tim@freelancingwithtim.com, and I may feature it in a future newsletter. Let’s hear it!
• Friend of the FWT Mandy Hofmockel offers one of my favorite journalism newsletters: Journalism jobs and a photo of my dog. It’s a wonderfully comprehensive — and hand-built — listing of journalism jobs all over the country. If you’re in the market and looking, read and subscribe here!
• Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram!
Bye ily!
Tim❤️
Great advice, as always, Tim!
Thanks for these reminders, Tim. Especially about not putting all your eggs in one basket (particularly relevant to me).