Journalistic media outlets
The rules can change significantly when you’re looking to publish nonfiction service pieces (research, how-to) in the wide world of online and print media outlets, though even there, the hoops potential freelancers must jump through differ from outlet to outlet and even from editor to editor within certain outlets.
Richard Eisenberg, managing editor and senior editor of the Money and Work & Purpose Channels for Next Avenue, says, “When a writer who’s new to us sends a pitch, I like to see where they’ve written before and some examples of their writing. Of course, it’s impressive to see bylines in major-league media outlets like the New York Times or The Atlantic…but not having those in your resume isn’t reason for rejection from us.” Eisenberg says how a writer’s clips read and how close the clips’ intended audience match Next Avenue’s intended audience is more critical than where a writer has published.
“I’m far more likely to approve a pitch from a writer who has written for a general audience or even just for our 50+ demographic, especially if it delivers the writer’s expertise, than one whose work appeared in a publication or site read just by professionals. I’d worry about the writer’s ability to talk in plain English in a Next Avenue story,” Eisenberg says.
Julie Pfitzinger, editor for the Living channel on Next Avenue, works with many writers who submit personal essays. “Many of these contributors have a great deal of writing experience, but some do not. What I’m always looking for is a thoughtful and well-crafted essay told from an interesting point of view. Whether the subject matter is deeply affecting or tackles a topic reflecting a shared experience with humor or relatability, when an essay is written in an authentic and engaging voice, it will rise to the top for me.”
Allison Klein, anchor of the Washington Post’s “Inspired Life” blog, says that with new freelancers, she does not put that much weight on publication history.
“You never know how the published piece came to be, how much editing was involved, etc. I’ve had writers who have never been published send me beautiful pieces I’m thrilled to run, and I’ve had writers with bylines in big publications send me pieces that are not focused or well-written at all. I really try to take each individual submission and look at it on its merits,” she says.
There are other magazines and media outlets, many of which depend on a writer’s ability to delve into existing research, that not only want to see your past publishing credits but also the actual articles themselves. These give an assigning editor with no prior knowledge of your skills and abilities both a feel for your voice and a window into how well you are able to incorporate research, interviews, opposing viewpoints, and storytelling. Says Hannah Selinger, a freelance lifestyle journalist, “Clips – the number you have and how good they are – can make up for a writing resume that does not yet have top-tier bylines. Do you have niche clips that relate to the content you’re pitching? That may matter more than whether or not you had an essay in the New York Times once.”
As with literary journals, your publishing history in media outlets can “pay it forward,” so to speak.
Says freelance journalist Edie Weinstein, “I have written for Huffington Post, Beliefnet, Elephant Journal, and The Good Men Project consistently. That has led to being tapped by other venues, and when I send queries, I reference [these clips], and it leads to additional writing gigs.”
“Writing for the Washington Post, LA Times, and JSTOR Daily have all opened up doors in my career,” says Chante Griffin. “A Washington Post essay led to an essay in an anthology. An LA Times article led to a podcast interview. A JSTOR Daily article about natural hair laws led to a radio interview abroad, a documentary interview, licensing in a school curriculum, and being sought out as an expert in natural hair rights.”
“The biggest single outlet that has led to more work for me was the New York Times,” says full-time freelancer Sassafras Lowrey.
“Having a piece in Harper’s resulted in the publication of my first book and every one thereafter,” says Melissa Holbrook Pierson. “It alone is responsible for my career.”
Says Amy Ettinger, the author of Sweet Spot: An Ice Cream Binge Across America, who is also a writing teacher at Stanford Continuing Studies and who has written for the New York Times, New York magazine, the Washington Post, Salon, AARP The Magazine, and the Huffington Post, says, “I tell my students who don’t have bylines to write personal essays (or opinion pieces) and aim high.” This is because it can be easier for even unknown writers to place an opinion piece or essay in a top-notch newspaper like the New York Times or the Washington Post than to get a freelance assignment (on spec) right out of the gate – and having an impressive outlet in your bio, while it doesn’t guarantee future greatness, never, ever hurt anyone. Even if having it simply means you feel more confident about your writing and pitching, that credit has already paid dividends.
Selinger says that her desirability as a writer changed after an essay she wrote for a digital publication went viral. While the publication itself was not top-tier, she says, it didn’t matter. “Sometimes the work you produce overrides where you publish it. Of course, the top spots (NYT, Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, Travel + Leisure, The Atlantic, The New Yorker, Harper’s, Food & Wine, etc.) can still help make a career. It’s easier to sell to top-tier if you already have a history of writing with high-level publications.”
So do big-name media bylines help you get more and better ones, or not? The answer is yes, they certainly CAN help, though they don’t guarantee future byline success. Meanwhile, a piece that runs in a smaller outlet but that snags the attention of a wide audience (by going viral, for example) can grab the attention of an assigning editor at a top-tier outlet.
