I could use some direction...

I could use some direction... UPDATED!!

I am a complete freelancing novice. I write - but have not written for publication before.

A moderator of part of our local newspaper's online site has read my blog and suggested that I approach the paper with a view to writing for them. She is a freelancer herself. Although very flattered at the time, without the first clue on how to do this I dismissed the idea.

She contacted me again recently telling me that the paper is specifically looking for writers available to cover parenting/family/relationship stories, as well as other topics. My contact at the paper copied me on an email from the paper's feature editor requesting that any writers she knows contact her with writing samples and sample story ideas.

I researched as much as I could about approaching editors and drafted a basic query letter. I gave some background, writing samples from my blog, as well as a link to where one of my pieces was republished with my permission on another site. I also provided three story ideas, with basic outlines of how I would like to develop them further. I sent the letter via email and didn't hear back for two weeks.

While I was sending my email - my original contact at the paper - also forwarded examples of my work and recommended me to this editor.

I did hear back from the editor - but it was in response to the email her colleague sent her about me, not a responose to my own email.

This editor has stated that she's interested in me doing a try out story and that I could either pitch a story to her, or she would send me some stories they need written. She also said she would like to meet for lunch to brainstorm ideas.

This feels like a very positive response, but it did leave me wondering about the stories I thought I'd already pitched to her! I responded thanking her for getting in touch with me and I mentioned that I had sent a separate email with story ideas included and that in case she hadn't seen it, I copied that email within the body of my response so she could learn a little more about me and the the topics I had suggested. I told her I would love to do a try out story and looked forward to hearing from her.

Shortly after the editor's first email to me, and before I sent my response, I received a second email addressed to 'freelancers' about a story she needs on an upcoming children's book written by an author originally from our town. She stated how long the piece needed to be, the authors details, and how much they would pay for the article.

I have not at this point responded to the author article suggestion for several reasons most of which center this type of writing being WAY out of my experience.

If you've made it this far, thank you!

I guess I'm looking for clarity on how I move this forward. The idea of writing for publication is an increasingly appealing one for me as something I can do part time (I am a stay at home mom). This opportunity with the newspaper has whet my freelancing appetite so to speak and I have been researching as much as possible on how to do this and have learned a lot from these forums and from a couple of books I'm reading.

I have taken a very professional approach with this editor - but she knows that I'm new to this.

Should I follow up again with the editor on my original story suggestions? It has been one week since her email to me. Am I shooting myself in the foot by not responding to the opportunity to cover the author whose book is due out soon?

I feel like I'm in limbo here - I realize it's not uncommon for editors to take a long time to respond and that's fine. I'm just trying to make sure I've done what I can at my end to up my chances of working with her.

Any tips or suggestions gratefully received

Very late update to this story:

I contacted the Editor with a view to setting up lunch as she suggested and reiterated the story ideas I had already pitched.

I never heard back from her.

I then came down with some stressful health issues (requiring a heart monitor and a cardiology visit) so my mind wasn't focused on the freelancing gig for a while.

Not wanting to drop the ball - I contacted this editor again last Saturday with an additional story idea - one that I have wanted to do for a long time - and one that became very topical following a tragic accident locally where four people were killed including a baby in an accident, with none of the deceased wearing seatbelts or being appropriately restrained in a car seat.

I gave an outline of the article I wanted to write (on car seat safety), sources I had lined up to interview (car passenger safety instructors) and details of what form the article would take in terms of style and content.

I said explicitly in two sections of the email that I wanted to do this article and the implication in the body of the email was that I would be the one to write it given that I had an interview set up.

I got a phone call from the features reporter thanking me for the email - that it was a GREAT story and he would be writing it! I was very taken aback. I assumed that they decided it was a 'news' story rather than a feature that they would normally farm out to freelancers - and while I was a bit ticked - I accepted it.

However, I have a contact who works for the paper - whom has been prompting, coaching and encouraging me to seek freelancing opportunities with this publication - and whom encouraged me to pitch the car seat story. She was also disturbed by what happened and contacted the editor concerned. The editor said she didn't know I was pitiching the story to write myself.

I got two very watery apologies from the Features Reporter, and his Editor that they didn't know I was pitching to write this myself. I responded that from my perspective given that I said twice in my email that I would write it that I felt it was very clear I was pitching to write this myself.

I just wanted to ask the more experienced writers - is this common? Is this normal?

I spoke with the editor involved today and she said that she would welcome further story ideas from me. I am beyond frustrated at this because I have already sent her 3 story outlines - on two separate occasions and she has never responded to them. I sent my pitch on the car seat story as a follow up to previous emails and still - no feedback from her.

At this point I'm wondering if my previous story ideas were too broad - but to be honest I am loathe to give any meatier details for fear that they will 'steal' them as well and have a staff writer do the piece.

Any advice on how to deal with this? This is a local newspaper - owned by the New York Times. Should I cut my losses and knock on other doors? Is it worth pursuing other opportunities with this editor or is it likely that this will happen me again?

trishabartle said:

Oh man! What a shitty thing to happen. That's totally messed up.

When you said, 'hey, this is my story, not yours,' was it before the story was published? Did they go ahead with the story anyway?

Because, with them stealing your idea, they are essentially taking away your right to it. You can no longer pitch it to another newspaper. They really stole your idea, and any money you could have made with it.

I don't really know anything about newspaper publishing, but I'd definitely not work with them again.

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My understanding is that they are actively working on this (with my source whom they claim they've worked with before) with a view to running it as a news story. They have not published it yet. I guess they're doing it as a follow up to other news articles they ran on the accident I mentioned - so technically they are taking it into the 'news' realm - and not a feature as I had pitched it.

I heard from my source today - that the features reporter interviewed her yesterday - so they are definitely going ahead with this story.

You know, if they'd told me from the outset that they liked the story - that they wanted to cover it but rather than run it as a feature, they wanted to run it as a follow up news story - and wanted a more experienced journalist to do it - I could have accepted that much more easily.

As it stands I still feel like they completely ripped off my story - and added insult to injury by saying they didn't know I was pitching it for myself - I've had others read my query email - and they agree it was clear I was pitching to write this myself.

I'm having a hard time getting over this lol! I guess this is what they mean when 'they' say that freelancers need to have a thick skin. I just didn't think I'd be dealing with people stealing my stories.

JoshPatton said:

Irishmom,

I'd get their address though and send them an anonymous package...maybe frogs, rotten eggs, or some sort of treat that would later make them all have noxious gas.

I mean thick-skin and moving on is a good thing to do, but who says you can't have a little fun first?

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LOL! Believe me I was tempted

My gut reaction is to be done with them - my contact at the paper is still encouraging me to write for this paper - she even wants to talk about me to the Managing Editor of the paper, rather than have me submit to the sub editors. I don't know - I'm torn...

On the one hand - I would like to have published work with them to build up my portfolio - on the other hand - I don't ever want to work with the actual editor who stole my story as to do so would send her the message that I'm okay with what she did - and I am not.

So the publication ran the article today - on their front page!

The article covers ALL the talking points I (stupidly) gave to the reporter when he called me.

They made one glaring mistake though in terms of putting photographs of a local 'expert' in child passenger safety with her two kids - one of which was an 18 month old in a forward facing car seat - which is not illegal or anything - but directly flouts the 'advice' given in the piece to have such kids rear facing.

I would not have made that mistake.

I suppose I should take some solace in the fact that they ran it as a front page news story - therefore my idea was a GREAT one - and that he covered all of my 'talking points' - means I was spot on in this. I am somewhat encouraged by that - but still pissed (and freshly so seeing it in print lol!) about what happened.

Now, I can draw a line under it since the piece has run - and I'll forget about it and put it down to experience.

Autodidact said:

Have you taken advantage of the gajillion freelance books on the market, starting with Jenna Glatzer's? The nifty thing about writers is that they write, and there's a book (or 50 books) about every aspect, corner and bit of the freelance career.

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Yes, I have a few. Thanks.