Are Getting Freelance Gigs More About Skill or Luck?
Plus, lots of resources that can help you snag paid opportunities
Hi and happy spooky season! (I had to — Halloween is my favorite!)
Are Getting Freelance Gigs More About Skill or Luck?
In some of my past newsletters, I’ve signed off with a quick message like “Good luck!” or “Best of luck!”
To some degree, this is just a well-wishing sentiment we hear/say often and a message I genuinely want to send your way.
But I realized it’s a bit deeper than that, too.
Let me explain. Back in November 2021, I saw a call for pitches for HuffPost Wellness. I’d been freelancing for a little over a year, but not for many big-name publications. Writing for HuffPost seemed like an unreachable dream… and for that same reason, I had to try.
After reaching out with some ideas, one was accepted, and I was able to become a regular freelance contributor for the publication.
Between the kindness of editors to the ease of minimal edits to the great pay, it’s been a blessing—one I don’t always feel worthy of. (Hello, imposter syndrome!)
I remind myself that getting a writing gig isn’t solely due to luck, of course. To do freelance writing work, you have to be able to write well, turn in assignments in a timely fashion, etc.
But at the same time, there’s definitely a lot of luck (& God) involved. Some examples I’ve experienced:
Seeing a specific editor’s call for pitches among a sea of tweets and with a gazillion other things on my to-do list
Having an idea that the editor liked, and at the right time
Having time to send the pitch when I did & the courage to send it
The message I want you to get here is this: If you haven’t had luck in freelancing so far, that doesn’t mean you’re a bad writer or that you’ll never see your work published.
To some degree, it just means it’s not your time yet. You haven’t hit your luck yet.
Until then, what can you do?
Invest in what you can control, like becoming a stronger writer with more knowledge about the field.
To make that easier for you, I've got some freelancing resources that can help!
Coaching services — reviews here ($40-$50)
Resource Set for Writers ($18)
These resources will always be here. While I think “the sooner the better” is a great motto (I’ve wasted time trying to decide whether to buy someone’s product when I could’ve had more success if I just did the dang thing!), I totally understand if you need to wait for whatever reason, whether it’s your budget or time constraints or something else. Or if you looked through that list and weren’t intrigued by any of them, that’s fair, too! No offense taken.
I just want to support you how I can, before (and when, and after) you hit your luck :)
Writing/Freelancing Tips
Pitch Calls
GENERAL NOTES FOR THE PITCH CALLS BELOW:
If the story is about a marginalized community, you probably need to be in that community to write the piece.
Mentioning my name in your pitch won’t help, unfortunately!
Who Pays Writers can be a helpful site to get an idea of how much publications pay.
Pitch calls:
Conz Preti on X: "I always get asked the same question "Is it too early to pitch about xyz?" The answer is no. It's never too early, so send me your Halloween pitches, your Thanksgiving pitches, and your crazy holiday stories now for @thisisinsider Email in bio! #journorequest" / X (twitter.com)
Jenna Mahale on X: "hi! it's that time again! looking for new (and old) writers and fun, thoughtful pitches for the @i_D site! send ideas for film lists, rankings and features to 📨 jenna.mahale@i-d.co🌟" / X (twitter.com)
Katie Corvino on X: "(1/2) Freelance writers! Betches is seeking pitches for in-depth reported features around larger cultural trends and conversations. Is there some bigger shift you’ve noticed/felt/talked about in your group chat that lends itself to a bigger convo??" / X (twitter.com)
Writer Jobs
Writing/Freelancing Resources
Trello (apologies if I shared this before, but it’s my latest obsession for keeping deadlines, to-do items, etc organized!)
Answer the Public (for story ideas)
Encouragement
Worried your writing is bad? (there’s a plot twist in this video!)
My Articles + Updates
I’m trying shortform on Medium! After I get some more data, I’ll update you on what I learn. So far, I’ve published two shortform pieces: one on an unexpected dental tip and one on an anxiety hack!
My first “as told to” story is live! I helped Lindsey Hall share a part of her story on how she relearned confidence in the kitchen in eating disorder recovery.
Want More? Here Are Other Ways I Can Help
Don’t forget about my approved pitches document and Medium guide and coaching/editing services and writing checklist set and worksheet packet for writers!
More of my content: (1) my writing Twitter // (2) my portfolio // (3) my resource set // (4) my newsletter with tons of writing jobs and pitch calls // (5) my Instagram
(BTW, my Ko-Fi shop is here!)
This newsletter is free, but if you’d like to donate, my Venmo is @AshleyBroadwater, my PayPal is paypal.me/aebroad, and my CashApp is $ashleybroadwater3 :) A huge thanks to donors!
NEW-ISH: I can also accept money through Zelle! My email is ashleybroadwater346@gmail.com. I believe that’s all the info you need!
That’s all for now! Thanks for reading this month’s newsletter. As always, feel free to reach out if you have any questions :)