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Topic: Freelance basics
| Author | Message |
| jerseygirl1000 | Posted – 7/20/2007 12:49:19 PM | show profile | email poster Hi, I'm a promotional copywriter for an advertising agency and I've written for a bunch of brands, including M&M'S, Snickers, Campbell's Soup, J&J Baby line, etc. I do a mix of things, from sell sheets to print ads to concepting consumer promotions. Lately I've been thinking about freelancing (for fun and profit) in my spare time and I'm not sure how to get into it. How do you go about finding projects? Thanks! |
| pbrooks6 | Posted – 7/22/2007 10:07:53 PM | show profile freelance basics I've been freeelancing for 15 years - started with our local newspaper and branched out to various regional and finally national magazines. Local resources are the easiest to break into and stories are everywhere - today I did a piece on a 90-year-old who's just closing the door on a shoe shop he's run since 1948! I found that one in an ad family members ran to alert his old (really old!) friends that his shop was closing. I just knew there'd be a cool story there that the local paper would want - and there was - and they did. Start by thinking about what you want to write about and then finding outlets looking for those stories. Then read everything those outlets publish, to get an idea of the style they're drawn to and how the articles are put together. In what I do, there's a lot of attribution - quoting -which drives the story, rather than me inserting myself in any way. It's a skill, like making a sweater, to have a unique voice but still remain invisible. When you make a pitch of any kind, always include info on what kind of art can be provided - often good photos will clinch the deal even on a weak story. Hope that helps - good luck! |
