No contacts? No problem! How to Pitch and Sell a Freelance Feature

Catherine Quinn

• Publisher: Methuen Drama
• Year: 2010
• ISBN:
  9781408198773
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Languages & Linguistics
• Subtopic: Journalism
• Index: Languages & Linguistics

There are plenty of books on the market which tell you how to write stylish prose, attention-grabbing headlines or market yourself better as a freelance writer. But how do you get that first piece published in a national publication? This book shows you the techniques that real freelancers use to sell their ideas and get into print. Professional freelancer Catherine Quinn, who built a successful freelance career from scratch, guides you through a step-by-step process to get your first article in print, from how to format your pitch, to identifying the undersold freelance hotspots.
Her tried and tested step-by-step approach: - Shows you how to scope the market and pick the most likely potential customers
- Gives the inside track on how to convince editors who've never heard of you to commission your work
- Tells you what to expect at every step along the pitching process
- Includes a four week plan with a day-by-day process to kick start your freelance career

Table of contents

• Cover
• Contents
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction
• 1 The pitch – at the heart of freelancing success
• 2 Knowing the market – what’s out there?
• 3 Red-hot leads – narrowing your focus
• 4 Not so fast! Before you pitch
• 5 Ready ... set ... pitch!
• 6 Help! I don’t have any clips
• 7 Chase-ups – the most important part of your job
• 8 Your first commission
• 9 Writing the thing
• 10 Keeping ’em coming
• 11 Tricks of the trade
• 12 And finally ...
• 13 The four-week plan
• Useful information and further reading