Why did you choose to become a freelancer?
As a business journalist I spent years writing about people going it alone, and so freelancing had always appealed to me. When I was made redundant in the summer of 2009 I toyed with the idea of going back to a staff job, but freelancing meant I was able to live wherever I wanted. Staff jobs are predominantly in London and as much as I love the big city, I no longer want to live there.
If you trained, where? If not, how did you become a freelancer?
I am NCTJ qualified and have been writing and working as a journalist for about nine years. I worked for a news agency for a year and was published in national newspapers such as the Sunday Times, as well as various 'real life' women's magazines. After that I joined Crimson Business and was deputy editor of Growing Business magazine. Most of my training has been on the job and my 'teachers' (editors) have varied both in their patience and the colour of their language.
Do you specialise in any particular field and what areas do you write about?
Primarily, I write business features and news, although I also do more commercial projects through contract publishers and marketing/PR agencies. My degree is in history and politics and I love doing political stories. My other passions are music, food and wine. I think once you've been a journalist for a few years you can write about pretty much anything.
Which publications have you been published in?
Most recently, I have been published in Growing Business magazine, Business XL and theBusinessDesk.com, as well as doing work for Smooth Radio and numerous commercial/corporate publications and websites. Prior to my freelancing work, I was published in most tabloid and broadsheet newspapers, as well several national magazines.
Which articles, in which publication, are you the most proud of?
I really enjoyed writing a feature on leadership inspired by writer Malcolm Gladwell and psychologist Daniel Goleman, which I wrote for Growing Business magazine. Covering the last general election and Leaders' Debates in Birmingham for Smooth Radio was also really exciting. At the start of 2010 I spent some time working with the West Midland's branch of theBusinessDesk.com, which had just started. The site is doing really well now which is great to see.
What are the best and worst aspects of freelancing?
Freelancing means you are in control of your own life and career in a way you never can be when you are doing a staff job. However, I do sometimes miss the camaraderie of being a part of an editorial team.
Do you have any interesting anecdotes in relation to your experience as a freelancer?
If I told you the best ones I'd get sued. However, I do remember Peter Mandelson asking me if I thought he was "smooth enough for Smooth radio". I then got him to admit he regretted the sale of Cadbury's to Kraft, which wasn't very smooth at all.
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