3 tips to get started in freelancing

Welcome to Questions from my team; where my team at Deakin gets to ask me questions and hold me accountable in answering them.

So here's Question #1:

(i) Reach out to everyone

When I started freelance writing, I reached out to every single publication - print or online - that I could think of.

But do your background research, if you’re interested in writing about fashion, don’t reach out to publications that talk about technology.

Or vice versa.

Be clear on what value you are providing.

Then execute against that.

I knew very early on I wanted to write about travel and culture - so I hit up HuffPost, AWOL, Rucksack...and became familiar with their style, their tone of voice, right down to what kind of headlines would get me through the door.

Imagine you already write for them, envisage what kind of content they create.

Then pitch them.

And as the cliche goes, for every 99 no’s that I got, I got that 1 yes which made my day.

The process is actually such a thrill, and to finally sell someone on your vision and idea is incredibly rewarding.

(ii) Speak your truth

People can smell a phony from a mile away.

The same can be said for writing.

I had a rule; only write about things I knew about and was passionate about.

I never wrote much about global warming or veganism - I know very little about those topics.

But I was passionate about culture and race; about drawing attention to issues of difference and giving a voice to those that might not otherwise have it.

It was a fire within me.

It made all the countless emails, late hours and no's worth it.

I believed in every word I wrote with every fibre of my being.

And so should you.

Because if it's real, it's familiar.

(iii) Be willing to work for free

This is the catch.

If you're new to freelancing, your work is literally worth nothing.

Don't get that confused with your self-worth; you cannot put a value on human potential.

But without a portfolio, a proven track record or mere examples of previously published work - no one in their right mind is going to pay you to create for them.

I did free work for awhile before my first paid gig came along with AWOL; a small pay cheque but a massively proud moment.

To many, the idea of free work sounds absurd; but it gave me further platforms to test my content, my writing style and hone my own voice.

More importantly, it gave me a thick skin.

The comments section on the internet is a rough place; it becomes even rougher when you are the one subject to anonymous scrutiny.

In the meantime, I continued to leverage all my free work with Rucksack, HuffPost and the UN to seek out and create further opportunities.

So yes; work for free.

It was the best thing I ever did.