Freelancing
Freelancing can give a writer the flexibility to cover what they want, but it comes with tradeoffs. If you want to be a freelancer, you’ll need to become comfortable pitching to editors constantly, navigating legal contracts, and managing sometimes-unstable workflows. Basically, a freelancer must run their own one-person company. Here, we’ve assembled a series of resources to help you write successful pitches and become a savvy businessperson.
- Pitch Publish Prosper. Hosted by The National Association of Science Writers, this resource includes advice from the authors of The Science Writer’s Handbook about making it as a freelancer.
- The Open Notebook Pitch Database. This searchable collection of successful pitches can serve as both an inspiration and a model as you hone your next story pitch. Once your work is published, you can submit your own pitch to the database.
- Freelancing is more than a pitch. It’s a business. This 2020 piece from The Poynter Institute offers tips about the business side of freelancing, including what it takes to get started and how to turn it into a fulltime job.
- Reading and Negotiating a Freelance Contract. Contracts can be confusing, and they aren’t always written with the freelancer’s best interests in mind. In this article from The Open Notebook, you’ll learn what to look for when reviewing a contract and how to negotiate the agreement so it works for both you and the publication.
- Freelance Writing Contracts: What You Need to Know to Protect Yourself and Your Work. This article from The Write Life explains key elements of freelance contracts. It lays out what the clauses mean, why they matter for a freelancer, and how to approach a negotiation.
