It’s not easy making a living as a freelance journalist. That’s long been the case, especially now with newsrooms halting freelance contributions (if not shutting down entirely) at the same time as more of us are entering the field.
Plus, as I’ve noted before, one 2022 survey found that most independent writers’ freelance income was less than $30,000 a year. And that doesn’t even seem to be considering those who only or mostly pursue journalistic work, as AHCJ’s members do.
So how do we make it work? Are we even making it work? AHCJ’s freelance journalists candidly discussed those questions at September’s Lunch and Learn. Here’s an overview of the main takeaways.
If you’re taking assignments outside of journalism, you’re not alone
As much as we’d like to, few members seem to exclusively write for independent media outlets. Rates are low (anything around $1 a word is good, not great, yet atypical) and each round of edits makes the effort — though often rewarding — harder to justify.
“We’re kind of caught between a rock and a hard place because, in a lot of ways, editors treat us as they would a staffer” when it comes to revisions, one member said. “They kind of forget that every time, our hourly rate gets progressively lower.”
As such, several freelancers mentioned trying to maintain relatively obscure, though better paying, gigs like writing employee profiles for a niche local business’s website. Others, like me, occasionally pick up some branded content work, which can pay upwards of $3 a word.
As long as you’re spending most of your time on journalism assignments, you’re eligible for professional AHCJ membership.
Monthly income is rarely consistent
One of the many things Lunch and Learn participants agreed on: The freelance workload tends to swing between way too much and way too little. “You’ve either got more stories than you can handle at any one time, or you wonder if you’re ever going to work again,” one member said.
How reporters track their monthly income, though, varies. Some account for each assignment when they invoice; others wait until the money actually hits the bank. One said she has a set amount she aims to reach each month, and then knows to hustle for more work if, partway through the month, she’s coming up short.
Relationships are key
When it comes to finding better-paying gigs, like for a nonprofit, association or even a university’s magazine, connections are key. Many of us said we were tapped for our most secure repeat clients by former colleagues.
If you’re newer to the field, freelancers recommended attending conferences and AHCJ chapter events, and introducing yourself to peers — not just editors — along the way.
Starting a newsletter may be worthwhile
Some freelancers wondered whether it’s smart to start a newsletter like on Substack to bring in money from reader subscriptions.
One member who already has one said that while it doesn’t account for a significant part of her income, it does help her establish herself as an expert on various topics, which then leads to assignments. It fuels her creatively, too.
Chris Gayomali, a GQ-editor-turned-Substacker, previously told me something similar. He finds the platform doesn’t “give away” his ideas, but rather attracts editors to them.
That said, launching a newsletter is a bit of a gamble: The landscape is only getting more crowded, and you don’t really know how much your newsletter will grow, or how fruitful in one way or another it will be, until you try. And that takes time — without bringing in money.
Navigating potential conflicts of interest isn’t always straightforward
Writing for associations, societies, schools or other publications can pose a conflict of interest. For instance, if you wrote for an orthopedic society’s website, is it ethical to use one of its member doctors in a news story?
Many writers draw their own lines, since there’s no real enforcement and organizational guidance is generally vague: “Avoid conflicts of interest, real or perceived,” the Society of Professional Journalists’ code of ethics says.
“There are always going to be people who simply choose not to follow them and then there are people always going to gray areas because no guideline can possibly address every single situation,” one freelancer said.
One good rule of thumb, though, is to disclose any potential conflict of interest to the editor, and let them help you decide.
The discussion overall “points to the incredibly chaotic nature of freelance journalism — that we have to go and do these kinds of additional gigs because we can’t make a decent living just doing straight journalism,” one participant said. “I don’t know that any of us would really be pursuing these clients if the publications paid more, if the work was steadier.”
Source: Freelance journalists share their financial challenges and potential solutions
