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Today in 2015 I was retrenched from my job as science editor at a newspaper.
I was told that science journalism was a “nice to have”. As of this week, I have been a freelancer for five years.
It was the best thing that could have happened. 1/
I was told that science journalism was a “nice to have”. As of this week, I have been a freelancer for five years.
It was the best thing that could have happened. 1/
Here are some of the most NB things I’ve learned in that time:
1. If you work all the time, the quality of your work declines. As a freelancer, your output is directly linked to your mental health. If you don’t look after it, the ship sinks. Take weekends. Have hobbies. 2/
1. If you work all the time, the quality of your work declines. As a freelancer, your output is directly linked to your mental health. If you don’t look after it, the ship sinks. Take weekends. Have hobbies. 2/
2. You can fire publications/editors that/who don’t treat you well. Whether that is abusive language, late payment, not responding to emails, butchering your work, unrealistic expectations, no one is allowed to treat you badly. 3/
That said,
3. If someone rejects your pitch, they are rejecting a story idea. They are not rejecting you. 4/
3. If someone rejects your pitch, they are rejecting a story idea. They are not rejecting you. 4/
4. You need colleagues, even if you are no longer at a publication. I would have gone mad without @lindanordling It helps that she’s the best science journalist on the continent, and showed me the ropes of intl freelancing, even though I was her competitor. 5/
5. PUT ASIDE MONEY FOR TAX. If I could put that in bold, I would. Each scrap of cash that comes in, put a % of it aside into an account for the taxman – otherwise you will be very, very sad. 6/
6. Every once in a while, ask if these are the kinds of stories you want to be writing. Sometimes – esp at first – you need to take the low-hanging fruit (the low value, high throughput stories). But if you keep doing that, you will be manically busy, not making a lot of money 7/
There is a danger to freelancing, though. Eventually, if you keep at it, you effectively become unemployable.
Why would I ever want someone, beside my toddler and cat, telling me what to do? END/
Why would I ever want someone, beside my toddler and cat, telling me what to do? END/
