Let's talk about freelance journalism

(Illustration by Matt Lubchansky)

It’s always been tough to be a freelancer. And as the coronavirus pandemic continues to decimate the media industry, it’s only getting harder. What was already an opaque, grinding system has only gotten worse.

Sooo … let’s try to change that a little? 

Hi! I’m Tim, and welcome to Freelancing with Tim! I’ve been a full-time editor for six years, and a working journalist for 11 years. I’ve worked with dozens of freelancers on hundreds of stories. I’ve read thousands of pitches, and gone through countless story edits and revisions.

It feels selfish to hoard the knowledge I’ve gained over the years, so I want to share it with the freelancing community.

Here’s the deal:

Every Sunday, I host free Zoom panels at 3 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Eastern time on all kinds of topics about being a freelancer and writer. I’m joined by experienced editors and freelancers, and for about an hour and a half we take all your questions about making it in the industry. Want advice on writing the perfect pitch? Not sure how to structure a longform narrative? Need some help coming up with story ideas? We’ve got answers.

Here’s what you can expect:

At the beginning of every month, I’ll send out a note to subscribers of this newsletter with details on how to register for sessions. Once you’re registered, you’ll get the Zoom info to join your session. In between announcements, every week I’ll send out tips and advice for succeeding as a freelancer, helpful resources, job listings and more, all archived on this Substack.

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To make sure this doesn’t hit your spam folder, mark these emails “not spam!”

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I’d also love to hear your feedback and requests! Please don’t be shy about telling me what’s working, what isn’t and what else you’d like to see. You can DM me your feedback on Twitter or email me at freelancingwithtim@gmail.com.

Thanks for reading, see you on Sunday!
— Tim