Joanne the Coach

A cautionary tale for freelancers

 

Now here's an odd one - I wonder what you make of this?

Towards the end of April I was contacted out of the blue by X. He said that he knew me from the Journalism.co.uk forum, and enquired about my availability to do some writing work.

As it happens I don't frequent that forum. I did have a freelance listing on the site, but I didn't renew it because it proved to be ineffectual. But perhaps this untrue detail should have been a red flag to me, in the light of what followed.

Over the following weeks I had a couple of emails from X (copied in to 3 other people), saying that the potential project was delayed but still in progress.

I didn't think too much about it - every freelancer gets approached about potential work that can sound terribly exciting at first but doesn't turn out to add up to a whole hill of beans. You soon learn not to get too excited until a definite contract or commission definitely appears.

Last week I was contacted by Y. 

Y is very angry with X. 

Y sent me a bunch of correspondence, including a lawyer's letter, to this effect. There's some kind of dispute going on about money owed, and work done, or not done.

So I asked Y: Why are you contacting me about this? I'm just a freelancer that X sounded out about possible work.

To which Y replied: "I thought you were working for that company and were perhaps a shareholder"

And when I looked at the attachment to Y's reply I could see why - for there in the pages of a marketing brochure were my photo and professional details. Neither of which I had directly supplied. The brochure starts: "We are a group of five journalists", which sort of implies, as they say in High School Musical, we're all in this together.

What I really didn't like was that part of the blurb boasted that "one of us writes the UK's only mother and daughter blog" - whilst it's true that I do that, and am very proud to do so, it's a non-commercial venture. I feel very uncomfortable that my 12 year old daughter's creative efforts are now part of some company's marketing blurb.

And as a pedantic writer I don't like being represented by a text that sees the need to capitalise 'Web sites' and 'Social Networking' - who does that?

There are repeated references to "we" and "our people", and some of the 'facts' about me make no sense at all.

Whilst it's not uncommon for freelancers to band together in order to win a bigger contract than they might do individually, for the love of God, surely you ask people's permission before you do a thing like that?

So I told Y, and then I emailed X pointing out that I hadn't given him my permission to do this, and that in any case I was no longer available to work with him. This is true, but even if I had nothing to fill my days, I don't think I'd ever be comfortable working for someone who thought that this was an OK way to behave.

When I emailed X, I cc'd in the 3 other people involved, who were also featured in the brochure. As it transpired, one of them is X's partner, but the other two, like me, are independent freelancers who had not supplied the information, didn't know that it had been used in this way and aren't happy about it.

So, what's a freelancer to do? I've been researching the legal situation but it seems unclear. Our names are our brands, and we need to get them out there in order to continue to attract work. But what can you do if someone uses your name, your brand, without your permission?

Well, if you've trademarked your name (which, unless you're a celebrity, you probably haven't) then you have a lot more rights if it looks like someone has breached your trademark, and you can sue. Luckily I have an expert in international law in the family so will get him to look at this.

X has said that my details were only in that one brochure, but then also says that my name will be removed "from all of our materials", which implies that there is more to it than that.

I guess it brings home to me the freelancers' curse - we must continually put ourselves out there in order to continue to attract work. It's something I often talk about with coaching clients - freelance journalism is a business, and all businesses must market themselves on an ongoing basis. But in putting ourselves out there we make ourselves vulnerable that our names and experience will be harnessed to something we did not intend.

And what to do differently next time? I think I need to research prospective clients a bit more, and set my red flag alert higher. I did google X, and found a somewhat home-made looking website, but that's hardly the crime of the century. Deep down I think I always knew that this wasn't an opportunity that would amount to much, but again that's not unusual. What is unusual is the element of having your details used without your knowledge or permission. That leaves a bad taste in my mouth. At least now I know who not to work with.

If you were me, what (if anything) would you do now?

 

image credit: Flickr user, twicepix

Writing job: Think you can be a sex columnist? There's a catch...

 

Yes this is a real, bona fide writing job from a proper publishing company who will pay you in actual money and not just vague whiffly promises of "promotional value".

Easy Living magazine are advertising for a sex columnist. The column can be anonymous, so your mother doesn't have to read about your penchant for nipple tassles. It's planned to run in the magazine for at least a year. Journalists in their thirties and forties may apply.

 

So what's the catch?

 

You need to be married /in a relationship for at least five years and have "at least two" small children.

 

So, parent of small children with enough of a sex life to write about. For a year.

 

*drums fingers*

 

No, I don't know anybody, do you?

Actually I can think of a few bloggers who could go for it, but they might object to the anonymous bit. Bloggers like to do it, tweet it, then display the evidence on Instagram.

Anyway, if you think you are that elusive parent of small children with an active enough sex life to fill twelve columns, and the ability to write well about it, here are the details - you'll have to  scroll down a bit, but it's there. At least it would make being on deadline a lot more fun.

Do you want to be a TV tech presenter?

Becoming a TV presenter is an incredibly popular career choice amongst bears of little brain, but the opportunities to do it are few and far between. So I thought it was worth highlighting this opportunity from Channel Four. Especially since in this one, you get to use your brain - what a treat!

They're after somebody who can talk knowledgeably but in an accessible way about technology and gadgets for a new TV show

 

I won't be applying myself - they say they're after a "fresh face" and mine is anything but. Plus I still do a happy dance if I manage to successfully send a text, so I suspect my tech knowledge is rather less than what's required. But you guys with the gizmos should definitely give it a shot.

How to deal with rejection

So you receive a rejection letter for a job you really wanted - how to react?

• Cry
• Punch a cushion
• Ask for feedback so you can improve your next application
• Do this:

Answers on a ripped up piece of paper please

 

 

 

 

Free newsletter for journalists and other media freelancers

Every month (ish) I send out a free email newsletter which is aimed at journalists,  broadcasters and other media freelancers to help them work smarter. I aim to include plenty of good job tips, special offers for newsletter subscribers only, latest training schemes and cool media events. 

I know we all get way too much email anyway, so it's kept brief, with links out to articles you might find useful. And yes there is a little ad for my coaching services tucked away in the middle, 'cos otherwise people might forget. But I won't spam you or use your address for anything else. If you need a media career coach, you know where I am. 

Anyway, you can see the latest newsletter here, feel free to join the email list if you'd like to see more. It's been running for over six years so either somebody likes it or I have worn them down into submission with my terrible jokes and tales from the dark side.

And if you are thinking of producing your own newsletter, I recommend the Constant Contact system which I've been using for years with no problems. There's a 60 day free trial, and If you use this link here to sign up then you and I would both get a $30 credit on our accounts. I also hear good things about the free service at Mail Chimp, but haven't used it myself so can't vouch for it personally. And if you want a newsletter, but don't have time to produce it yourself, give me a cheeky wink because I just might be able to help.

Finding work as a journalist - how to help work find you

 

Two years ago on this blog I looked at the various job listings sites for journalists, and how effective they are. And since then, as my business has shifted more towards journalism than coaching, I thought it might be good to revisit the best of those sites and see once again if they work. Only this time I'm playing for real.

LinkedIn seems to have been around for a donkey's age. With around 4 million users in the UK, even if you're not a member, you must have had a bucketful of those "So and so wants to connect with you on LinkedIn" emails. I've had a semi-completed profile for a few years, but never paid much attention to it. But something has been changing, since I keep hearing about people getting writing work via LinkedIn, much as work for writers is beginning to be found via Twitter. So I decided to hop back on that donkey to see where it will take me.

The main tip I picked up when researching LinkedIn is that being at least a little active on the site, and having a complete profile, are the most important elements in helping recruiters find you. One of the things I had to do to complete my profile was to ask people who've worked with me for recommendations. It was pretty excruciating to do, but surprisingly, once I'd asked, some really lovely testimonials came forth. So if you're wondering what I'm like to work with as a journalist, you can find out here. I haven't asked my current colleague, Dennis the Cat, for a recommendation because I know he would only whine on about the lack of Iams in the office and the way my singing disturbs his naps.

One benefit of LinkedIn is that it ranks fairly highly on search engines, so if you haven't got a website yet, it's a good way to quickly and easily get yourself online. After all, nobody's likely to hire you if they can't find you.

The other thing I've done is take out a freelance listing at Journalism.co.uk This costs £50 for a year, so in theory it should only take one commission to cover the cost, though like any of these sites it's a gamble from which you may not see any return. Here is my listing which is much more pared down than LinkedIn, but I think it gets the essential information across. I'm not naive enough to think that simply registering with these sites will be enough to open the doors to an avalanche of work. But whatever the outcome is, I'll let you know.

What has your experience been of listings sites like these?

pic: Flickr, mariosundar

10 things Twitter can do for journalists

It seems like every media bod I know has put "Get to grips with Twitter" at the top of their To Do list for 2011.

So looking back at over two years on Twitter @joannemallon, and with the help of the hive wisdom of the members of MediaWomenUK , here are 10 things that Twitter can do for journalists and other media professionals:

1. Find them work
   This isn't just a myth. I've spoken to enough journalists who've found work via Twitter, and experienced it myself, to know that people really are finding writing jobs, and jobs are finding them. For example, one night at 10.30pm an editor I follow tweeted that they were looking for anyone who could write about toys. I do lots of this, so I jumped on it like a tramp on chips, and the result was this commission for Tesco Magazine.
   Travel journalist Abi King @abigailking says that she's picked up extra commissions by letting her Twitter followers know where in the world she is, and where she plans to go next.
2. Provide social connections and a sense of buzz when you're working home alone
   Or as one freelancer put it to me "It can stop you going mad". Well maybe, though I think you might be over-estimating the power of the tweet there mate. But it is definitely useful for making social connections and acting as an online introduction, so it's easier to chat when you meet in real life.
3. Suck up all their time
   Watch out that Twitter doesn't become yet another procrastination device. It's such a whirl of ever-changing energy that it's very hard not to get sucked in. Keep reminding yourself that you don't have to click on every interesting looking link you see. There will always be more monkeys on pigs to look at later.
4. Save you time
   Conversely, if you're clever about it you can use Twitter to save you time as well. If you're researching an issue, Twitter can give you a quick snapshot of what a wide group of people are saying. Just don't use it as your Bible and make sure you also solicit opinions elsewhere.
5. Make them feel inadequate
   Follow some people and you could be forgiven for thinking that everyone is having the most delightful, sexy, successful time ever. This is your red flag warning that you're following the wrong people. Unfollowing someone on Twitter is much less fraught than defriending them on Facebook, so don't be afraid to chop and change the people you're following until you find a mix that works for you.
6. Find case studies
   Use the hashtag #journorequest (started by @SarahEwing and now widely used) and people will retweet your request. Journalists tell me that even quite obscure case studies are being found relatively easily using this method.
7. Provide new skills
   Tweeting on behalf of a business is a new writing job which many people are now being paid to do. So if you want to be in with a shot at jobs like that, the best way to prove you can do it is to start tweeting from your own account.
   And for other jobs, tweeting is now regarded as a necessary skill. For example, the writers at parenting site Ready for Ten all have dedicated Twitter accounts - here's mine @RFTJoanne - which they use to support the site's content. If as part of your next writing job you were expected to tweet as well, wouldn't it help if you'd already been doing it?
8. Connect them with PRs
   Because we just love talking to PRs, don't we hacks? The PR sector is quite well represented on Twitter, and if you state on your profile that you're a journalist then many of them will start to follow you. And this makes it easy when you want to do a shout out for information on products or brands. So when I was writing about advent calendars last year, I mentioned this in a tweet, and it turns out they make advent calendars for dogs. Wowsers. Who knew?
9. Pimp your stuff
   Hey, we've all got to eat. As long as it's not all you do, it's fine to link to your latest work or blog post. You can even link to them more than once, just stop well before you feel your inner spam alert rising.
10. Provide a creative outlet
    It's underrated, but I think there's a lot to be said for the mental challenge of coming up with something interesting in 140 characters or less. And since there are no real rules of Twitter, you can make your own up.
    I have created two hashtags (so far only used by me, but every trend has to start somewhere): #boggles is for when I see something amazing but hard to understand (like a pigeon eating a slice of ham whilst simultaneously walking and crapping), #kudos is for something so amazing I wish to send it good vibes (like a woman dressed all in green with green hair as well). Very occasionally, I will spot something worthy of #kudos and #boggles. Well, it amuses me.

So what does Twitter do for you? And what do you do for Twitter?

pic: Flickr user - Andreia

How To Get a Job in Journalism

Thanks to all who joined us for the live web chat at the Guardian Careers forum. Although it was originally supposed to focus on new jobs in journalism, the discussion quickly broadened into how to get any writing job that pays the rent.

Along the way we took in the value of blogs, Twitter, best sites for finding work, work experience exploitation, what online rates are like, writing anonymously, training, which websites are the best for finding work and more. So as you can tell it was kind of a busy afternoon. I needed a quick lie down afterwards. You can read the live Q & A in full here.

Guardian Careers Forum - New Jobs in Journalism

So what are you doing on 6th May? Not much on is there? Of course there's the voting business, but scribbling your X against the monster raving loony party of your choice will take 10 seconds max. So what to do with the rest of the day?

Well, if you're interested in working as a journalist, and you're around in the afternoon of the 6th of May, you could do worse than to join us here on the Guardian Careers Forum, where I'll be joining a panel to answer questions on new jobs in journalism - what they are and how to get 'em.

And if you can't make it between the appointed hours of 1 and 4pm, the site is open for advance questions so feel free to add one.

The irony has not escaped me that I have been asked to join a panel on digital media, when I have only just discovered that you can use both thumbs to text with. But that's OK. The good part of the brave new online world is that lack of technical know-how doesn't have to be a barrier.

The only thing that worries me is that lately my advice-giving has been limited to the parents who write to my agony aunt column at ParentDish. Must remember not to lapse into Boundaries are important...don't worry, they'll sleep through at some point before university...have you spoken to your GP about that?  then hopefully all should be well.

Two Ways Into TV

Today the BBC reveals the humungous gabillions it pays to keep the 'talent' happy. Don't know about you, but it definitely puts a little spring in my step to find that I'm keeping Jonathan Ross in cherries.

And now you can get your own mits on the cherries, as a new scheme has been launched to help those of you planning a career in the fleshy pits of broadcasting. It's called Step Up, and it's a training and mentoring scheme for people seeking a first job in media. New entrants often complain that the media is a closed shop to outsiders, unless you've already got the right connections or parents. But at least with this scheme anyone can apply and hopefully get through on their own merits. Though it helps if you're near London, as that's where the training workshops take place. Closing date is 1st March, all the details are here.

Also open to all-comers is The Network 2010, a training event for young people attached to the MediaGuardian Edinburgh Television Festival. This is the latest version of what used to be called TVYP (Television & Young People), but I guess they're going for a mafia kind of vibe with the new name. Turns out TV is all about who you know after all - and taking part in this scheme is the way to get to know 'em.

I did some CV coaching at TVYP a few years ago, and it was frightening how bursting with energy and ideas everyone was. Like being in a room with 100 Tiggers, and they're all putting on a show RIGHT NOW. I had to go for a little lie down just to recover from the blast of their combined aura.

This is a great scheme if you can get on to it, so take a look and find out how to apply here.