New to freelancing? These resources can help jumpstart your career

I’ve been an AHCJ member for about a dozen years, but I’ve only been a freelance member for the past two. In that time, I’ve been impressed by all of AHC;s resources specifically tailored to independent journalist members — a significant and growing segment of our membership. 

So if you’re new to freelancing and/or AHCJ, take advantage of these key tools to support your career. 

Market guides 

Freelancing and pitching go hand in hand, and our “market guides” help freelancers target pitches to the appropriate publications and editors, while raising the chances that their pitches land. These guides are developed from interviews with editors  and detail things like an outlet’s rates, audience, the types of story ideas they like to see from freelancers and common pitching mistakes. 

My predecessors and I have created 51 such guides to publications including AARP, the New York Times’ Well, NPR, Scientific American, Women’s Health magazine, Wired and more. Each guide notes when it was created or updated. 

Freelance directory 

While anyone can access AHCJ’s market guides, only members can add their profiles to our freelance directory, a public-facing database that allows editors to search for health journalists who could be a good fit for their projects. 

For example, maybe an editor is looking for someone with expertise in mental health who’s a “professional” member, or someone whose full-time gig is journalism as opposed to public relations or copywriting for brands. Using the search bar and filters, editors can discover fresh voices and find comfort in writers’ affiliation with AHCJ, which involves careful vetting to join. 

Here’s a step-by-step of how to make sure your profile is a part of the directory and up to date. 

Online communities  

Freelancing can be isolating, but staying connected to other freelance health journalists can help with practical matters like discovering an editor’s email as well as more emotional issues like dealing with rejection. One easy way to stay in conversation with an intimate group of fellow freelance members is our Google group. To join, email freelance committee co-chair Barbara Mantel: bjm [at] barbaramantel.com. 

For access to a broader range of health journalists, join AHCJ’s Slack community by filling out this form. All working journalists are welcome to participate. 

Finally, mark your calendar for the third Thursday of each month at 1 p.m. ET: That’s when freelance members get together via Zoom to talk about a designated topic like contract negotiation, pitching your ideal publication or accountability partners. The sessions aren’t recorded so participants can speak openly, though more general recaps are published on our website here. Here is the Zoom link, which is always the same. (Note there is no Lunch and Learn in June.) 

Mentorship program 

AHCJ members, whether they’re freelancers or staffers, are invited to join AHCJ’s mentorship program, which connects novice journalists with more experienced ones for connection and support. Mentor-mentees agree to a year-long partnership, and should communicate at least four times. Other than that, the pairs can develop a cadence and method of communication that works for them. 

To apply to be a mentor or mentee, go here. AHCJ staff will help you find the best match based on your goals, interests and expertise. 

Additional resources 

AHCJ also has a robust library of tip sheets for freelancers on topics like repurposing pitches for multiple markets, diversifying sources and navigating potential conflicts of interest. The Freelance Center curates helpful tools and apps for freelancers and posts advice and resources on running a business. The association’s webinars on topics ranging from navigating layoffs to breaking into ghostwriting are also recorded and available for viewing here. 

While the freelance writing landscape is constantly shifting, manyAHCJ members have been freelancing for decades — and the association has long been supporting them. So if you’re newer, don’t reinvent the wheel. Fully tap into the built-in community and the many helpful resources here. 

As always, if there’s anything you’d like to see AHCJ offer its freelance members, you can email me at freelance@healthjournalism.org or at annamemi@gmail.com, for a quicker response.