Every now and then, students and aspiring journalists write to me for advice about entering the field. Here’s an email I sent recently, published with permission.
Hello, I am a reader and novice writer,
So far, I’ve been trying to build experience in Anime/Otaku writing.
Currently, I am graduating high school and about to start college. I don’t have much guidance in terms of my journalism interests, but reading your work has helped me progress significantly. I still have a few questions I would like to ask, and they are as follows:
- How would you advise getting started in paid writing?
- Should I stick to unpaid work for now to build my resume, and if so, what sources would be good for developing a larger audience?
- Is there anything I can do during the summer between now and college to advance myself?
These are all great questions, so let’s start from the top. How do you start a career as a paid (journalism) writer?
Now, a much easier question would have been if you had asked me, “How would you advise getting more work as a writer?” That’s simple! You build a portfolio of your previous paid writing work, and show it off to blogs and magazines you want to write for.
The same advice goes for your first writing job. But since you don’t have a portfolio of paid writing work yet, you’ve got to start by writing for free. This brings me to your second question about unpaid work. The answer is yes, kind of, but that unpaid writing portfolio might already exist!
Just a few examples: you could build it out of journalism class assignments, articles for the school paper, or work you’ve written at an internship. If you’re serious about writing, I’m guessing you write nearly every day, too, and might even have blog entries or personal essays you’re proud enough to add to a portfolio. Keep your portfolio online so you can direct editors to a link—it’ll also show you know your way around the internet.
The next step is asking for what you want. When I decided to become a freelance writer, I started out by making a list of dozens of websites I’d like to work for. Then, I began contacting them one by one. Sure, most of them didn’t hire me. But the ones that responded brought me opportunities and connections I wouldn’t have had otherwise.
So! What should you be doing this summer? Even though you’re still in college, there’s no reason you can’t start building your career right now. I’m not talking about trawling elance or Craigslist writing gigs, though you could still do that. I mean networking.
Write to your favorite blogs and ask if they’re looking for contributors. Don’t forget your portfolio. Reach out to professional writers you admire and ask them about how they got to where they are today. You might even gain a mentor in the process. And above all, read lots of the types of articles you want to write in the places you’d like to write for. Get familiar with the writing style. Leave comments and tweets and let the editors know you’re reading and enjoying. They might remember you next time they’re looking for somebody to join the staff.
I hope this is a good jumping off point for you. For more advice on similar topics, check out my previous advice columns, How to get hired as a journalist when you lack experience, and What to do when you’re thinking about becoming a journalist. Good luck!
Do you have a question you’d like to ask? Drop me an email or visit my Tumblr Ask box.