It’s one thing to want to be a writer; it’s another to know what kind of writing you want to do. After all, there are endless opportunities out there, as your freelance journalism course will demonstrate.
Let’s take magazine writing. Do you see yourself as a columnist, or feature writer? Do you want to cover showbiz, finance or sport? Are you a budding scribe for Cosmopolitan, Trout Fisherman or Practical Photographer?
If you’re shouting out answers to these questions, congratulations!
But I’ll bet more than a few of you are shrugging and sighing. Fear not. Here’s a quick guide to narrowing your focus:
- List your interests – Of course, you won’t always be able to pick and choose your assignments, but think about the things you love and try to find publications that focus on your interests.
- List your experiences – Maybe you’ve got a work history that makes you a perfect fit for trade and industry magazines? Or maybe you’ve raised children and would be a welcome contributor to parenting titles? Name anything you have some expertise in and there are bound to be publications who would value your input.
- What type of writing do you enjoy? – Flip through a magazine and look at all the different pieces of writing they publish. Think about which you aspire to write.
Once you’ve assembled your three lists and have a few titles in mind, you’ll have taken an important step towards defining your long-term writing goals.
If you’re just starting out on your writing journey, you might think it’s too early to be specialising; but it’s still a good idea to start thinking about the types of markets you want to target.
That way, when you pass your freelance journalism course with flying colours you can hit the ground running!
See our freelance journalism courses