Who are we all and who do we work for?

[jane furnival]

Hi.  I'm Jane Furnival and I've freelanced for a huge number of nationals from the Telegraph to the Guardian, and am now semi-retired as I'm coping with cancer.

I'm writing, for love, a short column for the British Association of Journalists' quarterly magazine, which aims to help other freelancers.

I would be grateful to hear any experiences, good or bad, from freelancers.

They are used anonymously.

Also examples of what you consider a good or a bad rate for work. This could be specific, e.g. Daily Mirror, general feature, 600 words, £450, paid in 3 months. Or general, e.g. Health magazine, 3 interviews, 1200 words, £350, paid on publication.

Thank you. Best wishes, Jane

[Widgetplus]

I am Widgetplus, well really Fiona - a good Scots Gaelic name which means Fair, well I was fair haired when I was small, many more years than I would like to remember - no don't get the wrong idea, I am not ninety in the shade although last year I did wonder if I would reach my latter fifties birthday as I was bitten by a very nasty insect called a Blandford fly - ever heard of it, well come spring and summer, you had better be cued up on it as it loves biting ankles, especially women although men are not immune if you wear shorts and no socks under your sandals so human friends, beware. It is the size of your fingernail on the smallest digit on your hand. It is now rife in East Anglia and probably other parts of Britain as well with climate change etc.  I am now looking for part time work freelance I can do from home if possible, especially writing as I now have lymphodema which is incurable, when it first started, it was cellulitis.  Also our transport system is a joke with buses every two hours and it would mean walking past the very area via the causeway where these creatures spawn for there are reedbeds in slow moving water.  Hardly normal life enhancing but now I have to work around this infernal problem so now I am trying to find items to write about, ie. antiques etc and the appropriate magazines to publish them, an interest I have been gradually developing due to the fact that in the afternoons, I had to keep my foot elevated.

May I say that, heaven forbid that anyone is bitten by this wretched insect whose origins came from the place in Dorset, near their Stour, get to your doc sharpish, don't assume that antiseptic cream will put a stop to the bacteria as this fiend is loaded with the stuff.  The onset symptoms initially are increasing nausea and feeling off colour, within twenty four hours, your ankle will swell to twice the normal size, you will feel boiling hot one minutes, confulsive chilly shivering the next. Warning, this creature has resulted in deaths.


 

[mimimimi]

Hello everyone! My name's Naomi. I'm currently a student of Russian, but looking to going on to study journalism at postgrad level upon graduation. I have aspirations of becoming some sort of foreign correspondent or reporter, with a particular interest in Eastern Europe. Rather lofty aspirations, especially considering my current lack of experience, but we shall see!

[journogirl]

Hi! My name is Justina and I am also a journalism student. I am graduating this year. One of my roles as a journalism student is a features show producer. I have recently produced a highly entertaining show which is a studio based discussion with a features editor from our local newspaper (Daily Echo in Southampton). It's worth watching!

You can watch it on our youtube channel:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoCi7Dsl91o

Please let me know what you think!

Justina.

[artsin]

I am Trevor Locke Editor of Artsin Leicestershire Magazine, a magazine about the arts and entertainment in Leicester and Leicestershire.  Founded 2005. We publish online with no paper equivalent.  We have over 400 'pages'.

[rednoise]

I'm Eric and I'm from Taylor, Texas in the U.S. I freelance for a community paper around here called The Round Rock Leader.

This forum was the first to pop up when I searched for journalism forums. I'm always looking for job leads as I would like to write full time.

I look forward to participating in the discussions on this board!

[BenFranks]

Hello all,

I'm Ben Franks. I'm a student who will be studying Literature and Creative Writing at Bath Spa University come this Autumn. I'm also the Managing Director, Editor in Chief and Founder of the online magazine, Pie (which I established in 2010 at the age of 16).

I have published two poetry collections (The Moment When She Smiles and Falling) as well as an Annual for Pie, entitled Pie Magazine: Trophy Annual 2012. Those interested can check out those publications here.

Despite always wanting to be a writer, my career aspirations lie whole-heartedly with journalism. I've attained experience in this writing for The Salisbury Journal, columns in The Sarum Link, edited Sarum News and Pupil News, and published my work to The Young Writers' Society and SparkSite Young Reviewers.

I'm currently revamping my magazine, Pie Magazine, in order to tailor it to its vast crew and global readership.

[Judith Coyle]

Hi - I'm Judith Coyle and I did the Periodical Journalism course at the then London College of Printing in the 1980s. After graduating with a degree in Eng Lit from Lancaster University I worked in the Civil Service as a journalist. I went into freelance journalism in 2000 writing for business magazines, local and regional press and magazines.

I joined this forum many years ago and found it very useful.

However, I gradually switched to PR, working mainly for arts projects, freelance, and this I do still. I am looking to move back into freelance journalism though and the first port of call... this forum.

www.judithcoyle.co.uk

[TheMagician]

Hi all,

I'm Harry and I work, full time, for an online sports site based in London.

I'm 17 years old, and got headhunted after some top quality work experience with The Sun, and my family and professional contacts.

I've only been working for them for the past month, but I am absolutely loving it.

[guthers19]

My name is Robert Guthrie and I am 14 years old. I live in Scotland and I am a young journalist. I already write very regularly for a number of local publications, online non-profit website Youth Journalism International and have played a large part in the BBC News School Report project, allowing me to be live on BBC channels. I really am just a freelance getting experience.

Enjoy seeing you all around on the forum!
Check my portfolio too http://robertguthrie.weebly.com

Thanks

[MartinMartyn]

My name's Martin Willerton, and am currently the Deputy Editor of Hi! Magazine's music section. I started off playing in bands when I was younger and, having an opinion about everything, made the move into writing about music more recently. The project itself is still growing, but all of us are happy with how it's currently progressing.

I'm not actually certified in any way, and the only proper training I've had on writing is from my time in university studying English and Creative Writing. That being said, I've never been one to think that a plaque on my wall is ever going to explain how I feel about something or argue my case in a serious discussion. Some might disagree with that, but each to their own.

[Jessica Houghton]

Hi, I'm Jess.

A virtual fledgling, I can hardly present myself as a journalist, having written only a few freelance article many years ago. Following this, my career took a turn into the creative arts - first visual, then, the more sustainable, although still pretty turbulent! avenue of music and performance. I have nearly always done something else to sub it, but this has never held long-term prospects, or employed my academic qualifications. Meanwhile, live music in London has become, in recent years at least, a culturally fickle and aggressive minefield that rains cold, recession-saturated fish.

So in my late thirties I am feeling a bit anxious, wiped out; still performing a lot, but looking at ways in which I can turn my rich and rather squandered intellect to better use than replacing a dud jack-to-jack and exerting my heart, mind and body to extreme but unprofitable ends, often before a pub full of self-absorbed piss-heads who would rather watch The X-Factor. Or rushing around trying to court the attention of financially-strapped venues and their evil bedfellows, The Promoters. I'm a damn good writer but could only show piecemeal journalistic inroads on my CV, which is now dominated by ten years of trials and tribulations - and some success - on the live music circuit.

I am happy to study on line, with a view to forging a career as a respectable freelance journalist, part-time. But how difficult will this be, given that I am loath to surrender my music to the void?? Even if I did? I actually figured my experience in this field, at any rate, could provide the substance I lacked as a 24-year-old, reeking of fresh "humanities" degrees. Moreover, is a course in journalism a way forward, or should I, as one source suggested, be looking at course in digital media (I'm not such a technophobe but the two words together make me shudder) because of the way "things" are going?

So grateful for experts or veterans who can assist me in damage limitation and fly the flag for good  wordsmiths with wit and opinion, maybe wisdom too, etc etc.

Thanks!!