Ya’ll Don’t Know My Struggle,
Ya’ll Don’t Know MY Hustle
There’s a process to my side hustle that is very particular.
As a freelance writer you aren’t usually handed assignments and paychecks. No, no, no! It’s like this.
The first thing you have to do is develop a relationship with the publication of your choice. You can do this by emailing the freelance editor and introducing yourself or calling and asking for the Freelance Submission Guidelines. Also ask for a list of themes and deadlines for article submission.
The BEST way to break into the hearts of an editor is to call with a GREAT story idea that she can’t refuse. This is how I got through to the Miami Herald.
“Hi.I have a story idea that I’d like to share.”
“Really? What’s it about?”
“There’s a club right here in Miami that you can take your kids to! It’s amazing and clean and fun for the whole family! It’s really a place that you can relax and watch the kids have a great time while you do too!”
“Wow, what a great idea. Tell me a little more. Where is it?”
“It’s on 36th and NW 27th avenue. It’s called XYZ!”
“Thanks for the tip!”
“Excuse me! That wasn’t a tip. I’d like to write the story.”
Pause.
“What writing experience do you have?”
“I graduated with a degree in journalism from the University of Florida and I have experience in print and online magazines. I’m passionate and I love to write!”
“Hmmm… Do you have writing samples?”
“I sure do!”
“Well, go ahead and email me a few samples. We’re always looking for good freelance writers. There are plenty of freelancers out there, but we only want the GOOD ones.”
“Thanks so much. I’ll get those to you as soon as possible.”
I had my writing samples in her inbox within two hours.
Two days later I called her back and she asked me to call her back the following day. I followed instructions and she said, “Ok, we’ll give you a try. I’ll give you a month to do it and make it 700 words. Fill out a request for a photographer and get some good shots and we’ll see how it turns out.”
I screamed in her ear because I was soooo excited!
LOL! Yeah, I acted like a rookie. ~smile~
And I went out and WROTE THE HELL OUTTA THAT STORY! I had a great time writing it. It only took me a few hours. I never turn in a story that I am not salivating over. When i get done writing, I usually stand back and say, “DAMN! THAT WAS GOOD!” If I don’t have that feeling, I won’t turn it in.
But she didn’t publish it for weeks and weeks but when she did, I knew that I must have some kind of skills because the MIAMI HERALD published my story with very little, if any editing.
YAY!
And every week I try to send her at least 3 ideas. This is called pitching stories. I’m getting better at understanding what she is looking for and I’m sure over time she’ll accept most of my proposals.
I never write a story unless an editor has given it the green light. Sometimes after I write it, they don’t like the direction I went and won’t publish it. This has actually happened to me twice in the past but never again!
And I repeat the same process with other online and print magazines. My specialty is FEATURE stories. The stories about people and their lives.
I love my side hustle.
How successful I am depends on how hungry I am. And ladies and gentlemen you KNOW I need a housekeeper so I gotta keep it shakin!
Edit
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Check out this article on the Bittervibes blog about freelancing. It was a great read and confirmed that I’m headed down the right path and doing things the right way.