ASK A FREELANCER PT. 6
Some questions by Waylan:
1) On interviews and approaching interviewees: Should an affiliation be a prerequisite? How much does representing a publication (known or obscure) help in getting someone to sit down?
Some artists might be willing to grant you an interview with no assignment or publication attached to it but it's not very common. I generally counsel writers NOT to approach a subject for an interview until you actually have an assignment in hand. Even if the publication is obscure, the very fact that it is a publication is usually enough to help get a foot through the door.
2) Is there an etiquette involved in the approach?
Being persistent but not pushy is, in general, a good approach to take to any approach to freelancing: from pitching, to scheduling, to making sure you get paid.
3) Where do you distinguish an 'interview' from a 'conversation'? Or are they one and the same?
Not necessarily but an ideal interview tends to feel more like a conversation, meaning that it flows naturally, can go into tangents, and is enjoyable for both parties. Sometimes, you may not have time to allow for the conversation to develop but generally, you want both you and the interviewee to feel relaxed, comfortable (and hopefully, candid).
4) On pitching...how do you get good at it?
It depends on what kind of pitching you're talking about. The most common pitch a freelancer has to make is simply to get an assignment from an editor. In that case, here's my basic advice on approaching an editor for the first time:
A good pitch is succinct and to the point: it shouldn't be longer than three paragraphs. The first paragraph identifies who you are, explains what you want to pitch within one sentence. The rest of the first graf should be to give more background on who you are, where you've written, why you think you'd be a good person to write this assignment. Again: think short. The worst thing you can do is send someone a friggin' essay on your first pitch.
Second graf explains why you think the publication should run a story on whatever your pitch is. Again, a few sentences should do. Third graf lays out your contact info, a few pleasantries and that's it. Don't overstay your welcome. There's other things you might want to include in a pitch letter (clips for example) but those are the basics. Seriously, it's not as complicated as it may sound.
5) If you're approaching a publication for the first time, do you submit a story for consideration? Or ask to submit?
There may be exceptions to this rule but I counsel people to almost never pitch a finished piece. You should be pitching for assignments but in many cases, a publication is not going to want to finished piece because they'll feel like they were never part of the editorial process. To be honest, you could finish an assignment then pitch the idea, without revealing that you've already written the piece and then submit it later, as if you wrote it after the fact. But if you do that, you better make sure your submission meets the editorial expectations of the publication in theme, concept, angle, etc.
6) What are the differences between print and webmags?
The space between the two is shrinking but my feel is that print mags, in general, still have a better reputation and status over most web publications. It depends on the publication though: someplace like Slate.com is more prestigious than many print publications but the number of well-respected web publications, I think, still is smaller than the number of comparable print mags.
The main benefit that webmags tend to offer is greater word count (since it's not as crucial that pieces have to fit within a strict word count online vs. in the print world). On the other hand, some sites tend to have a really lax editorial approach which doesn't really help a young writer step up their craft. Rubber-stamping might seem to make things easier but you're not doing yourself big favors in avoiding getting meaningful feedback and critique.
7: How did you get over fears about writing, if any?
This one is easy: you just jump out and do it. The single best way to learn how to write - and this includes mastering freelancing - is simply to do it. It's not a "trial by fire" by any stretch of the imagination, even if it feels like a struggle. But it's not like skydiving: you can make mistakes and still try again.
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