3 things freelancers should stop stressing about
Never sweat the little stuff — no one else is
There are a thousand things to worry about as a freelancer. Some are big, some are small, but no single thing should occupy an overwhelming amount of space in your brain as you build out your freelance business.
That said: There absolutely are some things that most freelancers worry about that they just shouldn’t. But it’s understandable! We’re all kind of out here making our own way, and there isn’t exactly a handbook for doing this right. It can be hard to know what’s worth our anxiety and what we should just let roll off our back.
In my half-dozen years commissioning and editing stories from freelancers at The Times, I came to realize that there are a few seemingly universal things that occupy an outsize amount of space in freelancers’ psyches that I — and most editors — didn’t care about or, more often, didn’t even think about it.
Here are three things you simply shouldn’t worry about ever again.
What anyone thinks about where you’re writing
Ever since starting FWT, one of the most common questions I’ve gotten is: “Will editors look down on me if I’ve done X, Y, or Z type of writing/copywriting/project work/non-news writing/whatever else?” The answer most of the time is no. Unless that work presents a conflict of interest with other work you’re being assigned, no one cares! Editors understand that freelancers have to make a living, so as long as your other work doesn’t conflict with work you’re being assigned by a newsroom, do what you gotta do.
The truth is, no one is really following your career except for you and your family. Even if by chance an outsider were following it, they wouldn’t care what you do. We sometimes think our careers are under a constant spotlight, but that is simply not the case. Make that money! No one is watching :)
Making introductions with editors/networking in general
“What if they think I’m being weird? Too pushy? Not up to their standard? Thirsty? Unprofessional? Too inexperienced? Too young?”
This is but a small selection of excuses I’ve heard firsthand from freelancers for not making a casual introduction to an editor. It’s easy to feel these emotions! That interaction can feel intimidating! But I want to tell you: From the editor’s end, it couldn’t be more casual. Of course no editor would think someone is too thirsty for just introducing themselves! But sometimes our impostor syndrome kicks in and gets in the way of doing super-simple, low-stakes tasks — like DMing an editor who works at a publication you’d like to write for.
Here’s the truth, and why you should just make that dang introduction: Editors expect it, and editors need writers. Part of the job of an editor is to build out a roster of reliable writers — look at any job listing for an assigning editor role and you’ll see that having that roster is always listed as a requirement. But they can’t put you on the roster — or even just assign you stories — if they don’t know you exist. So just say hi! If you’re still a little anxious about the idea, here’s some text you can literally copy/paste into a Twitter DM to that editor you’ve been wanting to meet (and yes, they are fine meeting you via DM. No one wants more email):
Hi! I’m [name], a freelance writer. I’ve been following your work for a while, and I just wanted to say hi and see if you happen to be commissioning stories at the moment? (If so, is there anything in particular you’re looking for?) Either way, glad to meet you, hope to work with you on something sometime!
The point is: Networking is only weird if you make it weird. So just be normal and you’re in the clear!
Not having the ‘right’ clips to pitch X publication
This one hurts me to my core, because when I hear a writer ask about this, all I hear is: “My impostor syndrome is actively costing me money and work.”
Don’t let a lack of experience scare you out of pitching a great story to a great outlet.
Sure, it’s probably true that your very first longform narrative feature won’t be published in The New York Times Magazine. But on the other hand: What have you got to lose by trying? One of the core responsibilities of editors is to buy great stories. If you have a great story, why not shoot your shot? In my experience, and from what I’ve learned with conversations with other editors, most of us are generally willing to take a chance on a great story (that came via a great pitch) from a less-experienced writer. We take on these stories knowing we’re also kind of taking on a project that will require extra time, energy, and coaching, but if the right story pitch comes in at the right time, that’s a tradeoff that can have a huge payoff. Yes, clips of course matter, and they are important to landing good bylines. But what matters more when it comes to clips is the quality of the story and the level of your ability, rather than the outlet that happened to publish it.
Okay bye ily see you in a workshop!
- Tim❤️
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Bye ily!
Tim❤️
Great advice. One of my first accepted pitches was to Business Insider - if I’d listened to the devil on my shoulder I’d never have even bothered trying! And yet that really helped my career take off.
This was great, thanks. My Q: What are your tips to apply for fellowships as a freelancer?