I was a
nontraditional student and recently earned my bachelor's degree at the
age of 32. I went to college right out of high school. I went to school
part time longer than I can remember and quit school to work full time
more times than I can count. Eventually, I realized it was time to bite
the proverbial bullet, and I went back to school with a flurry of
credit hours that would have impressed some medical-school students.
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In between starting and finishing my English
degree (writing emphasis), I worked for both a daily and weekly
newspaper as a reporter (and sometimes opinion writer for the weekly).
I also have some freelancing experience. Unfortunately, I don't have
any professional writing experience in the last few years.
I realize you'll probably suggest some freelancing to get a few
current bylines, but I have never written professionally in the Detroit
area. I have no contacts here and don't know where to start.
Any advice you can provide will be greatly appreciated.
Nathan
The first step toward freelancing anywhere is to analyze the
publications in the market. Gather them up from newsstands and other
outlets and search out the top several likeliest targets.
Read several issues of each. Learn what they publish and what the
approach is like. Pay attention to the titles in bylines, which can
indicate which pieces are freelanced. At the
Detroit Free Press, for
example, freelancers are billed as "special writers." In other
publications, freelancers may be called correspondents.
Once you have identified the sections that take freelance work, come
up with a couple of story ideas that suit the editorial needs you have
identified.
Then look online or call to get the names of editors responsible for those sections. Call them up, ready to pitch.
Treat any assignment like gold. Get details on the editor's
requirements and fill them to the letter. It is far easier to
establish a continuing freelance arrangement with an editor or two than
to have to go through all these steps over and over again as you bounce
from paper to magazine to Web site.
