642 reasons to be cheerful

Abstract

While most freelance journalists despair at the parlous state of the industry, Steven Rowland has some encouraging words for those seeking to make a living from freelance writing. Having set himself the task of pitching to every one of the 642 publications listed in the Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook – and fully expecting a string of outright rejections – he was pleasantly surprised by the number of encouraging responses. He offers some useful advice about “forging relationships with editors” and indicates that journalism may be in better health than some of today’s dire predictions tend to suggest.