Becoming a freelance journalist

Emma Purcell - Becoming a freelance journalist

We all make decisions on a daily basis; what to eat, what to wear, what to watch on TV, what to do this weekend and so on. Then there are bigger decisions such as should I go to university, where to live, whether to get married, have children etc. For me, these past 12 months I’ve been contemplating my future career and have decided to become a freelance journalist.

Last summer I was considering studying a masters degree. But after several trips to open days, I’m not keen on the idea. Then before that, I spent two years seeking full time employment in the media industry with no success.

This year I’ve been solely focused on my blog and freelance work with Disability Horizons and AccessAble.
Now I’ve made another big decision in my life. I’ve come to the conclusion that with my personal difficulties hiring full time care and struggling to secure employment, I’m going to become a freelance journalist.

In a nutshell, I’m going to try to start my own freelance journalism business where I can work from home with flexible hours and basically be my own boss.

I know this maybe a lengthy process and I may face some complications such as losing benefits. However, I want to earn my own money, be paid for the work I do and give back to society. I do not want to rely on benefits for the rest of my life.

I will of course continue my roles at Disability Horizons, AccessAble and soon to be, Treloars.
I’m mostly interested in working for publication and broadcasters who focus on disability or music as these are the two niches I have experience in. But I’m eager to expand into other fields such as lifestyle, technology, business, films, television and theatre.

So far I have made a list of things I need to do in order to achieve this goal:

1. Work out how much I should charge for my services.
2. Decide whether to be a sole trader or limited company.
3. Learning how to pitch news stories.
4. Search for my first clients.
5. Register with HMRC.
6. Get business insurance.
7. Marketing my freelance journalism business.

If any of you have become self-employed freelance journalists or writers, particular those of you with a disability, I would really appreciate your tips, advice and suggestions on where to find information, possible training and/or potential clients.

I know this will be difficult and take time but I’m determined to launch my full-time career as a freelance journalist!

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One thought on “Becoming a freelance journalist

  1. I am so excited for you to embark upon this journey. I wish I had some tips for you, I would just like to encourage you to pursue your dream!

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