How To Find A Position For A Freelance Newspaper Writer

There is and always has been a lot of competition for writing jobs. Even if you have a degree in journalism it is a very competitive area of work. There may be newspaper jobs advertised and if you are applying for them you need to stand out from the crowd.

• Find out all you can about the newspaper and the audience that it serves. What do you like about the newspaper? Do you know if there is an area of news that the newspaper would like to expand. Make sure that you find out as much as you can about the newspaper.
• It may be better to start off with local newspapers at first. Most freelance writers have started off this way. It’s a way of gaining experience and confidence. Check out online to see if there are some websites that can offer you some sound advice and tutorials to help you build on your writing skills.
• Preferably do not pin all your hopes on one newspaper. Remember that as a freelancer you can work with several different newspapers as long as you are not selling the same article to two papers. Each article should be bespoke.
• Spend a little time crafting two or three samples of your work that would be worthy of being published in a newspaper. You can do this by choosing a particular news item and putting your own spin to it. Make sure that your work is error free by getting someone to read through your work for you. At this point it may be worth using a professional proof reader, just until you get more confident.
• Contact the newspaper to see if they have any projects that you could work on. Create professional relationships and be proactive. At this point you may have to speculate to accumulate. In other words you may have to give a sample of your work that you have prepared especially for the newspaper you want to write for.

At the same time you also need to be promoting your profile. Add your details to professional websites. Look for opportunities to write even if it is 'comments to the editor' after reading the editorial. When you buy something or stay at a hotel and you are asked to leave your views, take your time to get your point across. Make yourself known.