"I always say yes" - tips from a "generalist" by Fiona Veitch Smith

SOME writers are specialists, others generalists. I’m the latter.
This is partly a matter of personality and partly one of fear. Although I trained as a news reporter in the early 1990s I soon realised that the rigours and confines of writing hard copy for news did not allow me the creative freedom I desired – so I became a freelance feature writer.

Naturally, I pitched for work in areas that interested me. The problem was, I had lots of areas of interest. The result is an incredibly fragmented portfolio with clips from Sports Illustrated to the Plain Truth, with a few doggy mags and even a needlework title tossed in for good measure. Ironically, I’m not really interested in needlework, but that brings me to the second reason I’m a generalist: fear.

I find it difficult to say no to a commission, fearing that I might not get another one in its place. So when asked if I can deliver, I always say yes, whether I know anything about the subject or not. To be a generalist you need to realise that if you don’t know anything about a subject there’s always someone out there who does. Find them. Interview them. Use them. Freelance writing is about communicating information in a marketable, publishable form. Someone else may be an expert in needlework, but you are an expert in communication.

My top tips:

1. Have a ‘can do’ attitude when pitching for work.
2. Don’t limit yourself to what you know.
3. Cultivate a network of expert contacts. I have a ‘pet’ astronomer, for instance.
4. When writing an interview feature, keep your ‘I’ out of it.
5. Keep all interview material for six years for legal reasons.
6. Use a notebook and a dictaphone when interviewing face to face. Remember poor old Andrew Gilligan?
7. Never offer payment to your interviewee. They will get publicity for their cause or career advancement from appearing in your piece.

Fiona is a freelance journalist, author, playwright, writing teacher and publisher of The Crafty Writer, which is packed with hints, tips and discussion on various areas of freelance writing.

Comments

[dissertation writing services]

Great info, i appreciate your kind knowledge

[Sherrie]

Honey, please hurry and use Spellchecker!

[Linda]

Thanks again to Fiona for contributing this piece, which didn't appear to me or my spellcheck to have any howlers there...would you like to share what we have missed Sherrie?

[Fiona]

You're welcome Linda. Didn't notice any typos myself Sherrie, but hey, no one's immune from typitis!

[Sarah Cruickshank]

Thanks Fiona for a great piece. I also have to echo "what typos".