Taking Charge as a Freelancer: Pitching, managing finances, and collaborating with editors
Dec 8 2023
WHEN:
Dec 8, 2023 at 1:00pm
CONTACT INFO:
Bara Vaida
MORE INFO:
Journalism Institute
Being a freelancer is like running a small business. You are the CEO when it comes to finding stories, keeping the work flowing, and managing the money coming in.
But you don’t have to do it alone. Join the National Press Club Journalism Institute for an in-person afternoon workshop of networking at the Club to find your tribe and to learn strategies for winning pitches, managing freelancing as a business, and building the writer and editor relationship to sustain that business.
Doors for the workshop open at 12:30 p.m. with the sessions starting promptly at 1 p.m. After the workshop, continue the conversation with fellow freelancers and editors in the Eric Friedheim National Journalism Library.
- $40 for National Press Club members
- $50 for the general public
Buy tickets now. This workshop is in-person only and will not be livestreamed or recorded. Light refreshments will be served mid-afternoon.
Gain insights from editors and freelancers from:
- The Washington Post
- AARP Bulletin
- Brainfacts.org
- Washingtonian
- the Institute for Independent Journalists
- Politico magazine
- Industry Dive
- And more!
Click here for the full list of confirmed speakers.
Workshop schedule
12:30 pm: Registration opens
1-2 pm: Pitching — how to craft and freshen your pitches
Hear from editors about how to craft pitches that catch their attention and ultimately get a green light. Learn what kind of pitches work and which ones don’t.
2:15-3:15 pm: Business of freelancing
Hear from the Institute for Independent Journalists founder and experienced freelancer Katherine Lewis as she discusses why freelance writers must see themselves as small business owners and how they can set themselves to be one. Get tips and advice on how to manage your freelance business for financial success. Topics covered will include marketing, negotiating contracts, value of finding your specialization.
3:30-4:30 pm: Managing the writer-editor relationship
Learn how to start a dialogue with editors, what editors want and need from freelancers and how freelancers can work with editors to keep the work flowing.
4:45-5:30 pm: Networking
Continue the conversation at the Eric Friedheim National Journalism Library, or if you are an NPC member or know one, head on upstairs for taco night and a drink.
Getting to the National Press Club
The National Press Club is located at 529 14th St. NW, the entrance at the corner of F & 14th Streets NW, in downtown Washington. The club is on the 13th floor of the historic National Press Building.
About the National Press Club Journalism Institute
The National Press Club Journalism Institute promotes an engaged global citizenry through an independent and free press, and equips journalists with skills and standards to inform the public in ways that inspire a more representative democracy. As the non-profit affiliate of the National Press Club, the Institute powers journalism in the public interest.