Thinking of a career in journalism? Freelance journalism can be an incredibly exciting and flexible career. You’ll pitch your own stories, write for different publications and often work from wherever you’d like to. There’s freedom in freelancing but also plenty of responsibility, and you’ll need a little more than just writing talent to succeed. Here are six skills you need in your toolkit:
Staying Curious
The best journalism begins with a question. If you’re a naturally curious sort of person, with an interest in people, places and what’s happening in the world, chances are you’re on the right track.
Writing Skills
You might be a talented writer, but you need a little more than simple writing skill. You need to know your audience, craft engaging copy and fit your tone and style to various different publications. A journalism degree, such as those from //schoolofjournalism.co.uk, will help you to hone your writing talent and learn the structure and style an editor will look for.
Resilience
Rejection is part of the deal in journalism – but try not to take it personally, as a rejected pitch is par for the course for freelancers. Not every editor will say yes the first time, but if you stay professional and learn from feedback, your hard work will pay off.
Organisation
If you’re your own boss, you need to stay on top of things. You’ll have taxes, deadlines, invoices, interviews and more to balance. A digital or old-school calendar or a tracking system for your pitches, along with some careful time-management, can make your life a lot easier.
Networking
A lot of freelancers spend quite some time alone, but building relationships and networking with editors, writers and sources is a really important part of getting your foot in the door – so reach out, follow up and don’t be scared to put yourself out there.
Digital Knowledge
A lot of journalism today is online, so knowing how to build a brand, use social media to promote yourself and even shoot photos or edit audio will give you an edge over the competition.