Staying sane as a freelance journalist

Okay, so I might have left it a little on the long side again since my last blog, ahem. But, in my defence, it was the pre-Christmas rush, then Christmas itself, then the post-Christmas/pre-New-Year holiday, then New Year, and then the post-NYE annual bout of flu/covid/rubbish cold thing. Anyway, I think you get the picture, and, frankly, who even has time to read blog posts at this time of the year, let alone write them.

That said, I am conscious that in my last post, I half-promised a few tips on freelancing - and I feel duty-bound to at least attempt to deliver on that in the coming weeks. So, by way of an introduction, I thought I'd start by sharing this piece I wrote for Press Gazette about how to survive (and even thrive) as a freelance journalist: https://pressgazette.co.uk/com...

Although it came out a little while ago, this article contains some of my best advice for staying sane as a freelancer - not always easy - and much of it still holds true now. In fact, if anything, it is probably even more relevant in this upside-down, crazy world of freelancing in which we now find ourselves. I don't think it's any secret that 2024 was, er, a challenge for many independent journalists. From mass layoffs in the media, resulting in an evermore desperate marketplace, to ever-decreasing budgets and the looming threat of AI, last year was a lot for anyone.

To access the piece, you may have to share your email address, as Press Gazette recently moved much of its content behind a registration wall - or you can still read one article per month I think. In any event, as one of the leading sources for all things media-related, their site is well worth signing up for anyway. But I digress...

In this particular article, we touch on everything from the art of pitching and dealing with ghosting to the importance of finding your tribe, so hopefully there'll be at least something there that may help. And, at the very least, you can take comfort in the fact you didn't pocket-dial your editor in the middle of the night like I did...

Given my involvement with the Society of Freelance Journalists, that suggestion about finding your tribe is one particularly close to my heart - and I'll be talking more about the importance of connecting with your community in the coming weeks. For now, if you'd like to join us at SFJ, where we share work and training opportunities, support, solidarity and much more, you can sign up here: https://freelancesoc.org/ It's also completely free.

In the meantime, wishing everyone a very Happy New Year - and here's hoping for a better 2025 for us all.