Don't be that bouncer
The world of freelancing is hard enough as it is. Don’t make it tougher than it needs to be.
I didn’t want to do it, but it felt like I didn’t have a choice.
It was 2012 and I’d just returned to Belgium after a year of studying journalism in the US. As graduation approached, our instructors had told us over and over again: start reaching out to people working at companies you want to join. Ask them how new people typically get in; see if they’ll have a coffee with you.
The idea was to figure out the road map to getting a job or an assignment at a particular organisation.
So after two months of slowly numbing job searching, I reluctantly emailed two journalists working at my dream publication. Both sent back non-committal, vague answers. “You’ve got the wrong person” and “Sorry, it’s hard for everyone out here.”
At the time, the journalism industry felt so close yet so inaccessible to me – almost like a secret cocktail bar. The kind where the bouncer won’t let you in unless you give them some silly password. It was there, right in front of me. But no-one who went in wanted to give me the password and I couldn’t find the back door. So I just stood there, looking at the bouncer.
I don’t ever want to become a person whose success as a freelancer depends on pushing others out.
I’ve aggressively shared resources, opportunities and contacts since getting those two emails. At first there wasn’t much to share, so I had little to lose. But today I have an extended network of contacts across different industries, and I just as eagerly share as I did seven years ago.
The world of freelancing is tough enough as it is. Don’t make it harder for someone else than it needs to be, particularly people who are just starting out. Don’t be that bouncer.
Over time, I’ve also learned that sharing isn’t just the right thing to do. It’s the smart thing to do. Helping others has helped me in ways that are impossible to quantify. I’ve been introduced to well-paying new clients, been booked for gigs and explored corners of other industries thanks to people who I helped out. Five out of 10 times, the people I help end up sending work my way. Those other five, I’m sure, will do so at some point in the future.
Because here’s the thing: when you help someone, they’ll usually want to repay the favour. So if you can’t do it for the altruistic reason, do it because it’s good business.
Just one example: last year, I met a journalist working for Deutsche Welle who was trying to freelance on the side. So I gave her the names of two publications that I knew were open to pitches from new freelancers because I wrote for them. When a couple months later, I wanted to pitch a story to Deutsche Welle, I emailed her and she told me exactly which editor to contact. Reader, that story got published.
And for the love of God, if you are the one benefiting from someone else’s help, send them a thank-you note. I hate it when the people I help professionally ghost me. (Yes, that’s a thing.)
I’d love to hear your views on sharing. How do you decide whether or whether not to help another freelancer? Have there been times when you regretted it?
Linda
What I’m reading, listening to, watching this week:
This piece on how dictating your writing may improve it.
I discovered the Media Voices podcast just last week and I wish I’d done so sooner. The episode with Charlie-Brinkhurst-Cuff stuck, stuck, stuck with me. And I listened to their special on freelance journalism twice 👀
This story I wrote for OZY about a German architect who’s building a platform that can filter microplastic from our rivers. I interviewed Hansch in October and for reasons that are too boring to get into, it’s only being published now. It was a tough delivery but I’m proud of my baby.
This newsletter was written by Linda A. Thompson, a Belgian freelance journalist specialised in covering corporate tax and social injustice. She’s written for Bloomberg Law, Deutsche Welle, OZY, International Politics & Society, USA Today and Equal Times.
You’ll hear from Selma Franssen in two weeks. Selma is a Dutch freelance journalist living in Brussels. She is the author of Vriendschap in tijden van eenzaamheid and has written for Charlie Magazine,OneWorld, De Morgen, De Standaard, The New Statesman, Bustle, Knack, VPRO, & Newsweek.