A freelance journalist can be quite an interesting career to have because you can shape it to suit your character, temperaments and skills. As a freelance journalist, you will need to communicate effectively with a wide range of people on a spectrum ranging from ordinary people that you may have to interview, to specialists and famous people.
Depending on if you are interviewing the owner of a dissertation writing service, or a box office actor, you need to be able to fit the situation that you find yourself in, most appropriately and get the information that you require as efficiently and as effectively as possible.
In order to become a great freelance journalist, you need to consider the following tips.
1. Have a portfolio and a website or blog
As with most other creative artists, you will need to have some evidence of the quality of work that you provide. Having a portfolio, a website or blog, will help you market your skills to other people who can hire you for freelance work.
2. Set up your working space at home
If you are to be a freelance journalist, you will most likely need to have your own office from where you will operate. For most freelance journalists, this is most likely going to be at their home. Therefore, having a powerful editing computer is vital to your career as well as having a printer and other office stationary.
You may also need to have a powerful but light laptop/tablet as well as a camera and voice/sound recording equipment. A reliable internet connection will also be crucial for both your home office and while you are on the move for effective research and communication.
3. Build a network of leads and sources
If you want to be an effective freelance journalist, you will have to rely a lot on your wits and charisma as well as the relationships that you currently have. This will help you to not only gain leads that are relevant to your scope of journalism but also because, you want to know the right people that will give you information which will help you capture a topic with the thoroughness it deserves.
4. Get organized and note down your ideas
Depending on your mastery of a particular subject, it will be important that you note down any idea that you come across or think about. Gaining the habit of jotting down your ideas will help you to better organize and utilize any data you come across and this will be a great impact to your efficiency and effectiveness on the job.
5. Contact local publications and media houses
One of the challenges of being a freelance journalist is that you don’t have the security or luxury of a large group of people to stand behind and support your work. In order to make the best out of your independent position, you will need to have contacts with some of the local publications and media houses in your area who you can contact if you need some help in one way or the other.
Author Bio
Janet J. Frechette has been a freelance journalist for the last 17 years. She has written several articles for established national and international media houses. Visit her blog for more information.
