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More Info Needed? How to Get All You Need the Second Time Around

November 29, 2021

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Reporters typically connect with a source once, get what they need, and go on their way to write a story. Sometimes you have to revise a story based on your editor’s suggestions. What happens when you don’t just need to edit, but have to ask a source for additional information? Maybe you realize you didn’t have everything you needed once you start writing the story, or your editor comes back with more questions during the revision process. Either way, returning to a source for more information can be tricky.

 

Mostly because you want to make sure you get exactly what you need out of your second interaction.

 

I’ve been there—not too frequently, but it has happened to me. Sometimes the editor raises additional questions when reading your story, or they weren’t clear about what they wanted from the get-go when they assigned it. Writers can equally be to blame, because sometimes we realize what we need—and don’t have—only when we start putting an article together. And sometimes, you simply forgot to ask something or didn’t prod the source for enough details.

 

Whatever the case, here are some insights to help if you have to conduct a second interview with a source.

 

  1. Define what you need. Whether your editor is requesting more information, or you are the one inquiring, it’s essential to know exactly the information you’re looking for. This may involve doing more research or more work—or combing through any other interviews—to ensure you know specifically what you need. Writing out bullet points helps just so you can pinpoint the concepts that need to be addressed.
  2. Devise exact questions. As you know, the information you get can largely depend on the types of questions you ask. If you need a yes-or-no response, ask a yes-or-no question. But if you need more, be specific in your question. Ask for things like a real-life example of a situation. Explain that you understand the subject but need more information about what that means or does. It can help to “bullet-point out” some concepts and have your questions prepared. While you can always try to go back to a source for information, you want to interrupt them as little as possible. Even if they say they’re there to help, it’s your job to get in and out with what you need.
  3. Consider the interview. Will you be emailing additional questions, or do you need to set up a call or meet in person? Sometimes the conversation of a live interview could lead you off track, so you’ll want to be mindful of time to ensure that your priority questions get answers.
  4. Examine the answers. The source’s responses to those questions may prompt you to ask additional questions. Be prepared to do some digesting on the spot so you can then, in turn, ask any follow-up questions to best understand their answer.
  5. Ask for information. Not understanding something? That’s okay. It’s your job as the reporter to ensure that you do, and most people want everything to be accurate (especially what they say) and will take a moment to explain things. If you are unclear about something, the best thing to do is just ask. Keep in mind that if the source spouts off something like an acronym, you can probably figure it out within the context of the subject you’re talking about by doing a quick internet search. But if you’re really lost, ask.
  6. Double check. When you’ve answered all your questions, go back and check again to check off everything on the list. Remember, you don’t want to have to go back and forth with a source to get more and your editor probably will appreciate as few rounds of revisions as necessary.

Writing can be a long process, especially when the editing process turns into conducting more interviews. With a little planning and finesse, you can turn around a draft that has everything it should.

 

Kristen Fischer is a writer from New Jersey. She’s the author of Zoo Zen: A Yoga Story for Kids. Learn more at www.kristenfischer.com.

Categories: journalism, news, news writing, sources, writing tips Tags: editing, interview, interviewing, journalism, journalist, news, sources, writing, writing help

Considering a Career Change?

December 9, 2020

Poynter has a regularly updated post up about newsroom layoffs, furloughs and closures. To me, it’s hard to watch all the publications and professionals being impacted by the pandemic. I wonder how the pandemic may change the media, and also how it may shift for the better.

There are no easy answers on this, I suppose. A shift is happening, though, as many people are considering career changes. For writers and media folks, that may mean switching jobs. But I imagine others are thinking of taking up a new career in a different industry.

I liked what a post in The Muse had to say about career changes, because they pose some useful questions to ask if you are considering a change. These include:

  • Do I Have the Financial Resources to Support a Career Change?
  • Do I Want to Change Careers, or Do I Just Not Like Working During a Pandemic?
  • What Am I Looking For in My New Career?
  • What Is My Mental and Emotional State Right Now?

I’ve always loved that journalism develops a diverse skillset. That is, I think it’s a great foundation to do something else if you so choose. Journos aren’t just writers–they’re great at researching, organizing information, interacting with others, managing content. There are so many alternative career choices for those who choose to leave journalism or the media world altogether.

At the same time, I am concerned that the upset from the pandemic could result in less diversity in our field. It could essentially force out quality journalists. It could also bring in new ones.

So for those thinking of leaving journalism, specifically, I hope the coming weeks and months greet you with a renewed sense of motivation and personal awakening. You do have a broad set of skills that can be applied to a wide variety of careers. I know the pandemic has been rough, but I wish you the best.

Are you considering a career change now, or in 2021?

 

Categories: journalism, writing Tags: career, journalism, journalists, networking, writing

Surviving as a Freelance Journalist

August 22, 2019

My webinar for NAIWE on surviving as a freelance journalist is today. The PowerPoint is ready, I’m about to get caffeined up, and I’m thinking. What did I miss in my outline? Nothing really.

But it’s more of the intangible things I’m ruminating over. I’m thinking about what survival means.

I think you have to go through times of surviving. For those doing this as a career–and those who need the money–you go through bouts when you’ll write just about anything in order to pay the bills.

Then you go through periods of thriving.

But somehow, when you’re on your own–independent, self-employed, what have you–it always comes back to survival. Even decades in.

Why survival?

Because if you stop working at it, there’s no cushion to save you.

Some people in traditional jobs may not mentally show up every day, but they still go and their job is still there. Their company is still there. There are other companies to go to if one doesn’t work out.

For the journalist, if you stop doing it, there’s no other company to go to if you want to be self-employed…you’re it.

I am nearly 15 years in. Sure, I don’t go through times of no work but I have gone through lean times. When I felt like I was surviving. Or starving like I was 15 years ago. This is okay. (If nothing else, it keeps you on your feet so you know where you want to head next with your business.)

So don’t think that if you’re feeling like you are in “survival” mode that you are a failure…especially if you’re experienced. We all have to keep hustling to stay in business, and self-employed businesses ebb and flow. You’ll start hustling again. And if you are and nothing is happening, it will.

Just by sticking with it, so long as this is what you want to be doing, you’re surviving.

 

Categories: journalism Tags: business, freelance, freelancing, news, writerlife, writing

Crafting a Knockout Headline

March 11, 2019

 

Journalists used to be the only ones who had to write headlines. Now business owners are their own bloggers, reporters, and social media managers. Copywriters are crafting webpage headlines, subheadlines and even email subject lines. It seems like everyone who is either a writer or in the business marketing field needs to know how to write a good headline of some sort…even if it’s not a traditional news headline.

I cultivated some experience in headline writing when I was a copy editor for Gannett. I thought I would only be editing stories, but it turns out half my job was creating headlines–and doing it so they’d fit in tight spaces. You learn a lot of really short words when you’re short on space. (Who knew back then that I’d be doing the same thing on Twitter 10 years later, strategizing on which words to cram in a headline advertising articles I’d written for other news publications?)

Looking to pen an attention-getting headline that lures readers in and sums up what an article has to say? Here are a few tips.

Determine what word must go in. In news, it’s imperative to have certain words from your story in the headline. If I am writing an article for a health publication about a new cancer drug, I definitely want to get “cancer” in there, if not “new” and “drug” too. In more evergreen content, I may be able to add more phrases, but I still want to know which words must go in. What individual words do you think have to go in the headline so your reader gets the gist of the article? Do you need action words to make the reader take action, too? Keep this in mind as you identify those “must-add” words.

Know your audience and the medium. Space doesn’t matter as much if you’re on LinkedIn, but it can if you’re working in a print publication or say, for an email newsletter article. Again, if you’re writing for a newspaper, you want to get a few certain key words (not just keywords) in the headline so the reader has an idea of what the story is about. Also, you may want a more lax, attention-grabbing headline if the headline is not for a news outlet and is instead a social media post promoting a headline. In news, it’s more of sticking to a few words that sum up the article instead of getting a reader to click on it, though you likely want them to read on for more information. News readers want to be able to skim a headline and get the gist of the development–they may not read on. On the flip side, in copywriting, a headline can give a summary but also be used to engage the reader to take action or read the entire article. Look at past articles or content to get a feel for the tone.

When I’m writing about that cancer drug in news, my headline may be “New Cancer Drug Extends Life,” while an email or social media headline may be “The Cancer Drug That Could Help You Live Longer.” Big difference!

Add action. Depending on where your headline will appear, it’s important to add action. News readers want to know what the news is, while an email subject line (it kind of counts as a headline) will want to drive the user to open the message and convey what they’ll get if they do.

Think phrasing. I love what this article has to say about the phrases we can choose, as certain ones can be more effective for different mediums. Keep in mind that “will make you” and “this is why” may work awesome in an email subject line–but not so great for a news headline. If you’ve got more room, flexibility or the ability to add in a subhead, that’s where a good phrase can come in handy. Otherwise, I stick to identifying the must-feature words and building a headline around those.

Send me your questions about journalism or writing in general. Visit my website or read up on the latest NAIWE news!

Categories: journalism, writing, writing tips Tags: writing

Pitch–Don’t Perfect–Stories

February 6, 2019

I was reading a post this week in a community forum about an essay writer. She wanted to know how she could find “homes” for her work.

Instantly, I felt strongly that her question revealed the problem. She was writing, storing up essays, without any publication in sight. She was spending her time wrestling over the writing process instead of focusing her time on selling the work.

Her method for selling the work was then to ask other writers to find “homes” for the essays. But her job as a writer–or at least as one who wants to earn money from working–is to do that work too. As you know, a freelance journalist rarely just writes. I can’t tell you how much time I spend searching for markets and connecting with editors. But in doing that work, I know where my work can find a home.

Now, there’s nothing wrong with penning essays and then selling them. Some of our best work can come when we’re not writing an assignment under a deadline. But when you’re looking to make a living out of it, you often have to pitch them first. Or at least know where you eventually want to propose the article. Otherwise, you’re just saying you have a stash of stories waiting to be sold.

So does everyone else. That’s never going to sell your writing, or sell yourself as the writer.

Focus on the Pitch Prior to Writing

This is what I see as one of the top problems that new writers face when they’re trying to break into this field. While I’m an advocate of the “just write” mentality, you’re wasting your business resources–and time–when you write without a focus on selling an article or essay. You’re also wasting your time if you try to perfect your work on your own, because an editor will want to make changes to it after they acquire it.

How do you know a publication will want your article if it’s already written? Maybe the editor wants to give his or her input for a specific angle. If you write it out and spend too much time “perfecting” it, you will be spending more time on it.

In looking at the writer’s guidelines, a publication may want to buy an essay after it’s completed. But don’t assume it. Many outlets want a thoughtful pitch before you begin writing. The editor wants to hear your idea, add something to it to give you direction, and receive a draft that meets his or her requirements.

This is a bit different in the essay-writing field, where a lot of publications want to buy essays on spec. A lot of those markets are low-paying, though.

Here’s my advice in this situation: Have a few publications in mind before you start writing away your best stories and wondering why outlets aren’t lined up to purchase them. If you do draft a piece, don’t worry too much about editing it–just get the idea down. Pitch your essays out so you receive an assignment. Editors rarely ask a writer they’ve never worked with what kinds of essays are sitting on their hard drives.

Your time is precious, and so is your creativity. Nothing kills a creative writer like the person with a trove of stories waiting to “find a home.” Shelter cats find homes. Your work needs to be sold if you’re going to be a reputable working writer.

Find yourself a home with a publication and connect with the editors there. Build up your portfolio. Then, hopefully by the time you have that killer essay idea, you only have to write an elevator pitch about it and you will have that awesome, paying assignment already lined up.

Got questions or just want to connect? Visit my website or read up on the latest NAIWE news!

 

Categories: journalism, pitching, writing Tags: essay, essay writing, essays, journalism, journalist, news, professional writer, publication, published writer, working writer, writer, writing, writing markets, writing tips

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More Info Needed? How to Get All You Need the Second Time Around

November 29, 2021

Considering a Career Change?

December 9, 2020

The Importance Diversifying Sources in Journalism

June 22, 2020

Hunting for Editor Emails

April 28, 2020

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