Tag: freelancing

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Finding freelance writing work | Issue 154

Illustration of Nika Talbot at her desk by @Sophillustrates
Mood: Accepting. Art by Sophillustrates

Desk Notes

(Please excuse the mess…still building dreams) ✨

We ran a Pitching Clinic with Dr Lily Canter this week. If you want something done, ask a busy mum! Her portfolio career encompasses freelance journalism, running coaching, lecturing, awards, and podcasting.

Top takeaways (some useful tips here across industries)

  • Niche: She started as a generalist, specialised, then changed specialism. It took her 5-6 years to find a niche she enjoyed and wanted to stick to (running and fitness).
  • Format: Now 70% online clients, 30% print.
  • Diverse portfolio: 5-7 clients on her roster and always seeking new ones. Look beyond traditional media to online outlets, trade publications, in-house mags. “Nationals can pay well for commissioned features but their rates for shifts are poor. I’ve found they sit on copy for ages and a lot of them do payment on publication so I rarely write for them now. With Metro being the exception.” (One took nine months to pay her!)

Be open to new types of work as it can come from unexpected places when you least expect it. Get out of your comfort zone.

  • Social media: Set up a Hootsuite – one list for freelance media accounts and at least five search columns relating to areas of interest, e.g. “call for submissions” and “freelance writers.”
  • Networking: Contact editors you’ve worked with and ask how they use freelancers – ask for shift work. “You’ll be surprised how few people actually do this!” 
  • Email signature: Say what you specialise in.
  • Be entrepreneurial: Podcasting, journalism, copywriting, journo education, newsletters, awards, running coaching. She’s teamed up with her friend and colleague Emma Wilkinson to grow the Freelancing For Journalists book, pod and community.

Having a portfolio career is the key to security.  

I love that. What struck me is that despite all the shiny tech and remote working freelancing is still very old-school. Talent yes, but success depends on the strength of your relationships and network (many commissioning eds still use Facebook groups!)

“You’ve got to pitch, hustle and network to get work.” She said 70% of her work comes from pitching, which is a lot – time-intensive work that might go nowhere. Nor do media orgs make it easy to cold pitch – you have to hunt down the right contacts. 

No mention of AI so I asked her afterwards if she’s using it to save time. “Ooo, great idea! It’s not something we’ve tried out yet, but we will add it to the podcast ideas list. Thanks!” 

Someone asked if there’s a ‘directory of commissioning editors’ and where to find content/digital agencies to offer your services. ChatGPT gave me a list of 15 agencies and seven editors in seconds. 

Kudos to Lily for juggling a busy career with two boys. She’s found a good balance – desk work vs active adventures that feeds into the writing and keep her fit!

Collaborating with a friend and colleague makes life more fun as you can bounce off each other and share opportunities.

Check out their podcast, Freelancing For Journalists for deep dives into specific topics (just listened to this one on Newsletter publishing). So refreshing to have a writer’s perspective on it rather than a marketer’s. 

Nika ✨

Cool Reads

▶️The Audiencers’ Festival is coming to London on June 21—a free day of expertise for digital publishing pros covering everything engagement, conversion, and retention.

▶️Jack Appleby is looking for contributors for his newsletter Future Social. Getting burned out and wants to explore other areas of his business. Email your pitches!

▶️Meet the AI candidate ‘Steve’, running for UK parliament. Here to humanise politics. Far too serious a matter to be left to politicians.

▶️Dear Writers: What is your paid vs free publishing schedule? Invaluable thread by Cody Cook-Parrott. Everybody’s experimenting!  

▶️Destination Thailand: New visa allows digital nomads to stay for five years (you must leave and re-enter the country every 180 days + pay a fee), but there’s no strict income requirement with this one – you just need 10K savings. 

Tim, I do. Though doing dishes is my brain yoga, it calms me down. Unlike knowledge work, you can finish the job and see the results immediately! 

Abha said she has one of those clever robot cleaners at home and it’s great fun.

My Internetland 

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The best places to find freelance writing work in 2024 👇

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Working-class writer?

Journalism needs writers from all walks of life

This week, CreativePEC shared new research revealing that the number of people from working-class backgrounds in film, TV, and radio has plummeted to just 8% of the workforce, the lowest level in a decade.

Channel 4 News platformed some young creatives to talk about it. I can relate to Sam Oddie’s comments on mindset and self-belief.

Just read through the comments on X and saw this piece by Tom Walter, Journalism: Occupation of the Privileged?, which he shared ten years ago!! 

Christ, it’s depressing.

Wrote this a decade ago, and I see no change. The idea of working-class lads from former Nottinghamshire mining villages, for example, taking unpaid work experience in London is becoming laughable. The same people again and again in the media. 

I remember being in Mansfield Library (my second home) while doing my A Levels and wondering whether to bother applying for an internship at ITN News. Inner Aggie: “What’s the point? You won’t get anywhere with it, being from round here. You’re at a state school.”

But I’m a stubborn bugger, so I did apply. I didn’t get shortlisted, but you’ve got to try and keep pushing. And that’s been my mindset ever since. 

After uni, I wrote 100 letters to production companies all over the UK and finally got my first job as a runner at Maidstone Studios for £80 a week. My bedsit was £40 a week – quids in! 

Later, I won a scholarship with Emap to study magazine journalism and was over the moon. This was 2000-2001, pre-digital boom, and I knew I had to move to London to get my dream job in women’s mags. But I couldn’t afford to move there without a job and had no family to stay with.

A friend from my Maidstone days had relocated to London, and she let me crash in her spare room in Waterloo for a bit while I was on unpaid work experience at the BBC, Emap and IPC Media. I’m super grateful for that opportunity. I couldn’t have done it otherwise.

Always a side hustle. I had a Saturday job at Penhaligon’s and temped between media jobs to keep myself afloat. But even though I was working all hours I still managed to get into debt in London and spent the next decade paying that off. 

Looking back, it’s a crazy life and a route to burnout. I can see how it’s shaped me: Working with writers’ orgs and a journo union to help freelancers survive and thrive in an expensive city and messed-up media industry. Here for the little guy!

It’s good to see lots of folks commenting on this report, sharing ideas, opportunities and trying to change the status quo. Jackie Oudney has just premiered a short film on exactly this from a female perspective (semi-autobiographical). Well worth watching; link below. 

The 98% Pod has started a chain of working-class creatives to uplift wc voices. Please share if you know someone who needs a leg up with their creative career. 

Levelling up? I am positive but I agree with Celine Haddad on the levy.

As always, it comes down to money.

Read, Watch, Listen

▶️What I Am — a short film written by award-winning director Jackie Oudney 

▶️How and why to make a / now page on your site — a public declaration of your priorities | Derek Sivers 

▶️Substack is completely gutting their business right now — followers vs subscribers | Jeanna Kadlec. And Simon Owens‘ take on it

▶️Welcome to SmallStack! A brand new library for small publications | Robin Taylor

▶️Journalists Pay Themselves — how indie worker-owned outlets are making money to fund their work | Lex Roman 

Nika ✨

Thanks to Sophie Parsons for the fabulous illustration – it is me and I love it!

Work with me

I help entrepreneurs impact the world with their stories. Life is too short to play small. See my services.

▶️Newsletter Talent Directory! for creative collaborations.

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DCMS report: Creator remuneration

How are you doing?

I’ve been reading the new report on creator remuneration from the Culture Committee—a good summary of the issues and potential solutions, which the NUJ’s Freelance organisers have commented on here.

✅ A Freelance Commissioner to advocate for creative people and the self-employed, for legal protection & rights, and to address outdated copyright and IP regulations. Yep – it’s urgent.

✅ Tackling stagnant fees—some companies are paying the same rates they did 20 years ago and generally rubbish rates across the sector. I had to chuckle (and cry) at our Swedish colleagues’ cake celebrating ’20 years at the same pay rate.’ 

✅ A UK private copying scheme to remunerate creators such as the Smart Fund, which safeguards payments from abroad.

✅ AI and creators: “The Government must ensure that creators have proper mechanisms to enforce their consent and receive fair compensation for use of their work by AI developers.” (You can block AI training on Substack, which “may limit your publication’s discoverability in tools and search engines that return AI-generated results.”)

Good stuff. Let’s share it about and fix it for freelancers! We have a manifesto at #FairDeal4freelances, which includes a charter of freelance rights that the self-employed should enjoy. Gov has two months to respond to the report.

Self-employed rockstars make up a significant part of the creative workforce. I read that more than one million over 50s now work for themselves despite the pandemic’s impact on self-employment [IPSE]. Folks who want to start their own biz or have had enough of the 9-5. 

Yet we lack a single voice to represent our interests in government. And support and biz training generally, which is why we have such active unions, small biz orgs and freelance communities. 

AI and creative work

This week, we had a lively meeting on AI and creative work with speakers Laurence Bouvard from Equity (actress and computer scientist) and John Sailing from the Writers’ Guild. Interesting to hear about Equity’s successful campaign #StopAIStealingtheShow. The NUJ is also developing an AI toolkit for writers; watch this space.

Laurence said part of the problem is that the gov doesn’t understand the tech/AI and that there’s a general malaise: “People just don’t care.” 

It’s not that we don’t care, but it feels futile; the horse has already bolted. AI is here to stay; the companies already have our data, and what’s depressing is they’re so hungry for new data (i.e running out) that they’re now developing ‘synthetic’ info—i.e. training AI on text generated by AI (this NYT article went viral).

They hope that bringing different AI models together will solve the data problem and that “it should be alright.”

Where will it end?

I agree with Laurence that it isn’t just about protecting jobs (AI will create new jobs—I’ve had recruiters reach out for help training AI systems for $15 an hour!) but about protecting what it means to be an artist and writer—and keeping the human at the heart of it.

And protecting our planet – can you imagine how much power these machines are using?

Things I enjoyed this week

▶️ Death of the follower & the future of creativity on the web with Jack Conte [SXSW]. Amazing keynote and storytelling. His thoughts on the arc of the internet, how it will continue to evolve, and Patreon’s place in it. A call to make beautiful things that light you up and go deeper with your ‘true fans’ rather than chasing followers/algos/other people’s agendas. Love his passion. Go Jack!

▶️ The #1 Neuroscientist: After listening to this, your brain will not be the same [Mel Robbins]. Practical tips on how to trick your brain into manifesting your goals and desires and using manifesting as a tool for success, happiness, and better health. Dr. Tara has a knack for simplifying science and making it fun.

▶️ I’m analysing 49K Substack newsletters [Newsletter Circle]. Understand the newsletter space and other creators’ behaviours and strategies in this new report. I’m enjoying Ciler’s work and love that she’s dreaming big. Her goal is to create a full-fledged media company for newsletter creators.

▶️ Axios sees AI coming, and shifts its strategy [NYT]. “The premium for people who can tell you things you do not know will only grow in importance, and no machine will do that.” Spot on, Jim. Axios is focusing on live events, a membership program centring on its star journalists and an expansion of its high-end subscription newsletters. Can’t wait to see how this plays out.

▶️ NylonMag is getting back into the print biz and relaunching its physical magazine for the first time since 2017. Back on the newsstand on April 16 with cover star Gwen Stefani to celebrate their 25th birthday.

It may be less frequent (bi-annual) and more of a coffee table magazine, but that’s not a bad thing. Quality over quantity is better for the planet. A keeper!

I’ve been enjoying reading physical magazines lately—I have to give my eyes a break. Seriously, I look up, and I can’t see! 😱 We’re not built to sit and stare at a screen all day.

Have a great week.

Nika 🙂

PS. I’m compiling a list of niche media events – newsletter conferences, creator events etc. If you have any recs, let me know.

Hi, I’m Nika! 👋

I run Firebird, the content consultancy helping entrepreneurs impact the world with their stories. Life is too short to play small.

See my services here.

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On nimble power and driving industry conversations.

“The only way to succeed in media is through niches.”

I just queued for 15 minutes and paid £11 for two scones. 

On autopilot and about to swipe my card when my brain registered the price. 

“Is that right? £11 for two scones to take away?” The waitress nodded her head. “I know. I’m sorry. It’s the cost of the ingredients. Everything’s gone up.” 

I’m in a multi-award-winning free-from tearoom in an old fishing lodge. Set in a hamlet with lakes, a caravan park, a working farm and walking trails – mostly locals and a few tourists. 

I looked around, and the place was packed – families, kids, dogs under tables, people on laptops.

Not one table left outside on the terrace. Going niche is big business. They’ve gone an inch wide and a mile deep – offering over 50 gluten-free cakes and bakes. Crazy combinations to surprise and delight the customer. 

I’m sure it wasn’t this expensive last time I came, but here we are. The cost-of-living crisis – one year on. 

Not seeing much evidence of that here, mind. The woman before me didn’t bat an eyelid at £23 for a small order. The folks behind me talked about the best places to eat and where to get good quality cake. 

People will pay for something niche and different. We associate higher prices with quality. 

We may have cut back on non-essential spending, but we’re not willing to compromise on other things – life’s simple pleasures. Our daily rituals and routines.

Time out, good food, company and conversation. A nice place to work.

I paid a premium to not be treated as an afterthought. I stopped eating gluten a few years ago for health reasons, and it’s a pain. Often not much choice on the menu – usually chocolate cake and boring biscuits.

Here I can have anything on the menu – and something different whenever I go. 

As they say, the riches are in the niches.

They are celebrating their 10th anniversary and clearly doing something right. Younger staff, shorter hours, a simpler menu, local deliveries, an online shop, and gift vouchers.

With a vision that people can get behind. Simple food created with love.

She handed them over. Big, fat, juicy scones, wrapped in paper bags with little pots of jam and rolled butter. 

They tasted great and didn’t crumble and fall apart, so she’s got the magic recipe right. All that trial and error has paid off. 

Got me thinking about niche media and what I can take away from this for my business.

Shorter hours, a simpler menu, pricing, a 5* experience, printed content, maybe.

Little things to surprise and delight. An inspiring view on the road. A thank you note to new clients. A cuppa and a chat.

There is no problem a cake and a cuppa can’t fix. 

Something so simple and universal is very powerful. 

Nika

Things to Read, Listen, and Watch 

Jacob Donnelly on the concept of nimble power, at FIPP World Media Congress 2023. “My belief is that going forward, the only way to succeed in media is through niches.” Morning Brew’s ethos: “Business doesn’t have to be boring.” Full report here – worth a read.

6 steps to kicking ass as a freelancer with Eman Ismail – brilliant advice on being intentional with your pricing, niching, life-work balance, and creating a 5* experience. Really enjoyed this one. 

Eve Arnold wrote a piece on how to never run out of things to write about. She’s just published her 900th article on Medium (updating its Partner Program incentives btw). Spotted this in Chenell Basilio’s fab NL.

PS, I’m watching ‘Deep Fake Love’ on Netflix. So bad it’s good!? Slightly alarmed that this is being classed as entertainment. But then it’s raising awareness, I guess.

When did life get so complicated? Bring back Cilla Black and her sympathetic shoulder pads. The wordplay, the innocence, the rituals, the flirting!

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Work Without Limits 2022 🚀

Work Without Limits Summit 2022

Hey, a quick reminder about the Work Without Limits Executive Summit next week.

It’s a hybrid event bringing C-suite executives together to explore business growth strategies, challenges, and societal changes leading to the breakdown of old ways of working.

Join online on Tuesday 16 August (starts at 4 pm GMT) for insights and actionable advice from executives, thought leaders, and industry experts.

I’ll be on a train to Devon – workation in an eco-lodge next week with six teenagers – bit of an experiment, wish me luck! Will tune in to listen to Scott Galloway on The New Abnormal – our post-pandemic economy and the implications for public companies, startups, and individuals. 

Looking forward to hearing his thoughts on remote work, the attention economy, loneliness, community, and the importance of making the most out of each moment.

Also, Tim Sanders (Upwork VP of Client Strategy) on how leading companies are redesigning how teams are constructed, how they collaborate, and how work gets done.

Should spark a few ideas for collaboration.

For a full debrief, tune in to How The Future Works with Barry and Eleanor Matthews at Open Assembly. My favourite podcast!🍷The format works brilliantly – a mix of news, talk show, and insightful interviews on open talent. Barry will be at the summit, so it will be interesting to get his take on it.

Have you used Upwork to find clients? I’m not drawn to platforms like this as they tend to favour the client over the freelancer. Being graded, reviewed and competing with other freelancers isn’t my thing, but I know some people have made good money there.

If you’ve used it to find clients, let me know your thoughts.

RSVP for the free virtual event

Get in touch if you have a project to share, a link suggestion, or just want to say hi 👋

Buy me a coffee

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