What was your first big break?
August 15, 2007 by Deb Ng
Filed under Freelance Writing
Who knew that the one thing stirring up more emotions than the low pay issue is publishing a novel? I appreciate how you’re all keeping it civil down there, thanks.
When I was writing yesterday’s discussion topic it occurred to me that we talk mostly about writing for the web because that’s where most of my experience lies. But I do have print experience as well. In fact, A few years ago I had a weekly column in a
I always wanted to have a newspaper column. I didn’t want to be a Dear Abby as much as I wanted to be an Erma Bombeck. I pitched a humor column to many different places and there were no bites. One nice editor did tell me I was a good writer but if I wanted a column I’d do better to pitch a more specialized topic. Newspapers get so many resumes from aspiring humorists they tend to groan and toss them to the side.
While making my daily troll for jobs on Craiglist I found several listings for writers for a brand new newspaper in
At first she wanted me to work for free because they were just getting off the ground, but I wouldn’t go there. I did want to get my foot in the door however, so I agreed to a low $20 per column. My stint with the newspaper last about a year and it was a great experience. Through that job I was able to land several more. I’m not sure if the column or this blog is my lucky break, but I credit both of them for helping me to be where I am today.
What was your first big break? What gig tends to stand out on your resume and get you the job?
Discuss…
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I had been wanting to get paid to write for as long as I can remember. I made a brief go of it and became so jaded with the whole process that I gave up, got a banking job and convinced myself to give up the “dream.”
Thankfully, through a series of fortunate events I reconnected with an old friend that was in the journalism world. She encouraged me to give it another try, gave me names of editors, and even proof read my first article before I turned it in. Having my first article accepted was a proud moment and gave me the confidence to move ahead to bigger things. It was definitely a turning point.
I’ve had a couple of “firsts.”
First first was when someone who had been offered a job at a small Indiana newspaper turned it down. I was the second choice. It got me out of a low-paying DJ job. (and you thought newspapers didn’t pay much)!
Second first was when a good job moved to DC. Didn’t think it was a break at the time, my wife was five months pregnant. But that put me into freelancing. With my two previous employers providing my initial freelance base, I was eventually able to build my business into a six-figure annual revenue, though it looks like I’ll be a little shy of that this year. Of course, out of those revenues come health care, employer taxes (my business is incorporated), unemployment and other expenses not incurred by employees. Even so, most years my net is far more than I would hazve made as an employee.
Now if my boss wasn’t such a jerk…
My “break” so far was my first writing job. It was Christmas break. I was hanging around the extremely old message board Writer.net for fun on work’s downtimes. (I was at a desk fielding any visitors or calls that came in, usually in Spanish. My bosses didn’t care–they let me read Harry Potter one week as long as I did my job when they came.
I was even in my freshmen year on a B.S. of Biology with a plan to get continue school for research genetics, since an English or Spanish degree was useless as far as I knew.
Then came the post. It was innocuous enough, someone saying she needed writers and to e-mail her for more information. I e-mailed out of curiosity; maybe I could do this.
One of the requirements she listed in the materials was the writer had to be “experienced and proven.” It was probably my disappointment that drove me, then: I e-mailed back saying I couldn’t claim either of those, but did that automatically disqualify me from being given a shot?
She loved my attitude, my sample, and my work for five happy months till the job ended.
That one job changed my part-time job and my planned degree—and the degree change caused me to transfer colleges. If I’d never gotten that job, I never would have learned that it is possible to earn a living from what I love.
Two words: God’s providence.
When I was about 15 I got a piece published in a magazine, and that’s my first big break because it made me have confidence in myself.
My first “real” big break was landing a job with a writing company called Unreel Media. This job allowed my to actually have enough money to warrant freelancing full time!
My first break was a travel piece I wrote for a print mag for military spouses. The editor took a chance on me because she liked my professional-looking query letter. I agree with other commenters; having an article published really helped me to believe in my ability to achieve my dreams.
I returned to finish my English degree in 2003, and right out of the program I was hired as an editor at the local community college. From there I was able to get hired as an editor at a Big 10 college, and ever since then it’s been cake.
allycat,
which Big 10 school? I’m a former sports editor of Purdue Exponent (back when we were first school in conference to have video display terminals — yes that dates me).
I think the first real break I had was when I wrote an article on spec for the StarTribune on how Minnesota funds highways, and they took it. That was in 2003. After that, I did 3 more before turning my attention more to community newspapers.
My first break to making a living as a writer came in 2005 when I wrote my first grant for a small community-based agency. Since that time, I’ve really focused on community groups and do a lot of general financial/strategic planning in addition to writing, but my mainstay is telling their story. I’ve been living off of this ever since.
I got the break for that one because I knew a few people – it’s a small-town Saint Paul kind of story. They wanted a writer, and I gave them writing. I quit my other job (designing and selling furniture) and became a writer full-time as soon as I lined up my *next* contract.
My advice, for what it’s worth – get to know everyone. Naturally, my Myers-Briggs is ENTP, so that may not work for you. But I hope it does. Be a friend to everyone you meet, chat with people and remember their stories. You’ll have connections for paid gigs and fodder for stories that are real and alive.
Cast your bread upon the waters, and you will have ducks. That is my motto.
My big break was meeting an acquaintance I had met years earlier – she just happened to be a photographer for several name-brand newspapers and magazines. We caught up with each other, and I said, “Hey, we ought to collaborate.” She knew my work and was all for it. Really, it was the confidence she gave me to start pitching to national publications that actually got me a great gig – and her a new photo credit. Since then she’s returned the favor. We even work on queries together, always mentioning that she helped me research the project so it’s imperative that she be assigned as photographer.
My first break came out of frustration for a job that went from a flexible part-time situation to a full-time job. I was unhappy that I had to trade the time I had spent with my kids with a part-time work schedule — I was trudging into work everyday and ending the day completely exhausted. I had to travel as part of the full-time gig and missed my son’s first kindergarten concert! I said “there must be a better way” and responded to a post for a freelance writing job. I got the job — the very first try out of the gate — and even though it paid peanuts, it gave me the confidence to know I could quit my job and build my freelancing business. It’s all been uphill since then — and I’ll never have to miss another school performance again!
Moving from NY to Cali, I had no idea how to break on to the writing scene. So I ventured on the Internet checking out writing and entertainment job sites and came across an ad from a PR firm looking for intern writers. I applied and although it was a “hair raising experience” I learned a lot and was turned on to another writing gig from one of the other interns. This turned out to be my first pay gig. It was for a magazine that reviewed books and jazz CD’s. I made only $3.00 an article, but it was cool to see my name in print.
Hey Phil, Michigan State. Oh and I forgot to say the reason I was hired as an editor was another big break- I secured an internship at a national level magazine headquartered in my area, where I learned editorial skills from the Editor in Chief, who took me under her wing.
I would just like to say HAHA for once I am up and online before Jodee and Deb! Usually when I get here the jobs are already posted WHOO HOO for me. (and I am not participating in the contest, so this is not a brainless FLUFF post- which have SUDDENLY proliferated around here) ;}
My first big break was though a post on the WHAM forum looking for writers with experience in psychology. I survived an awful telephone interview that left me feeling as if I didn’t have a chance. I wound up writing two very long articles for Mentalhelp.net. That job lead to a book deal with Laurel Lane Publishing and so on.
Now I’m looking for more breaks:):)
I’m still waiting for my big break…any day now.
My first “big break” would probably be the two article assignments I landed for a national toy collecting magazine. I collect dolls, so when I saw the listing in Writers Weekly I mailed off a query… The editor accepted one of the articles, but I changed and re-queried one of the other article ideas, and got that one too.
This was a big deal to me because it was right as I was going freelancing full-time, and because it was more than I had ever gotten for an article — about five times more, actually. It proved to me that freelancing was something I really could make it at.
Unfortunately, I’ve tended more towards web content and copywriting in my career, so my magazine and newspaper clips aren’t as numerous as I would like. Once I finish the Big Project I’m working on right now, I plan to start querying a little more (in addition to writing more fiction — man have I got plans!
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My first break was Write for Cash. I had decided to try freelancing and started googling phrases like “writer’s guidelines” to find paying markets. I came across Write for Cash, and after googling them and finding out they were legitimate, I applied, got accepted and wrote quite a few pieces for them before they belly upped. I was able to use my clips from those pieces to land lots of other jobs.
Also, when WFC ended, Writer’s Row was started and staying connected to a group of other writer’s and the advent of Deb’s FWJ was a big help in finding other jobs.
I feel as if I’ve had many breaks with regard to my writing career–which has been off and on again during the past, oh, 20 years.
My first break happened in the late 80’s when I approached the editor of a city magazine and expressed my interest in writing for his publication. I took my really terrible clips from college to him, but there must have been something there, because he hired me to write restaurant reviews, then continued to use me to write other articles for the magazine.
My national break came when I submitted an article idea to Family Fun and they bought it, and also writing for a magazine called Moms On Call, a Woman’s Day Special interest publication, that is no longer around. That paid great–$800 to write up small snipets that could be found in the front of the book. Probably the best paying gig I ever had.
Freelance Success is a great way/place to network, but it does cost to join. I found work that way, through Babyzone.com and some other sites.
It’s a blast when something comes through that pays a decent wage and is fun to work for.
My first big break was actually applying through the lists here and a company responded, and now I will be published in some magazines soon! It’s beyond my comprehension really. I so love to write, yet my sister is the lit major and a teacher in English! Who would have thought I would be the one who would get paid for writing! I am so glad to have a found something I love to do, and so many others who love it too!
I don’t believe I have had a big break yet – I’m new to writing. I have had a few great jobs though. I write for an online website, and while most posters do not get paid, I do. It’s not much, but it is fun and great for my resume. I also have a client that loves my reviews of various products, and I love writing them since they are so easy and I write on products I actually own! With more confidence, I will try for bigger assignments and let all of you know my big break!
For those of you who are plugging away, waiting for the “big” break, I just want to say that the journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.
I say this because my main function here is to be your Taoist Master. It is wired into my programming.
Kidding! Just kidding! Well, it is what I *do*. And I do mean it sincerely when I say that getting a few gigs and building a rep will lead to bigger and better things.
More importantly, you’re out on the ‘net meeting people and talking to them. My advice is that you make sure you are meeting people in the real world, either through discussion groups or (better yet) through volunteer work in your community.
Big breaks are made of little breaks. Little breaks are made with contacts. The more contacts you have, the more shots you have. If you use each gig to push yourself and improve your talent, you’ll eventually be known. Don’t be afraid of taking a part-time job to keep yourself fed, because you need to stay happy if you are to stay focused.
Skill is something you carry within you. Keep it with you no matter where you go, and you’ll have it handy when you need it. The rest is just your own personal journey. Take each step boldly, but enjoy the journey!
I’m still waiting for mine.
Well, depends on how you define “big break”, I guess. If big break entails getting paid almost $1 a word, I’ve already been there. But if “big break” means getting published in national magazines or newspapers, then I’m also still waiting for mine.
Twice had publishing companies come knocking at my door. Twice had they knocked at the wrong time — I was already busy with big web content projects. Sure the disparity of “value” (i.e. byline) is great but when I don’t want to renege on commitments.
Mariella:
I’d go with the money. I don’t see that anyone needs fame, but we do have to eat. Once someone is properly fed they can probably find time to do what they need artistically – for themselves.
It sounds like you’ve got your priorities clear in your own head, and I totally agree. A commitment is a a commitment. That’s what pays the bills.
When it comes to what it takes to get the freedom to do what you want, I can’t see that fame has anything on a good paycheck. Well, a paycheck and a good reputation that gets more coming.
(Feel free to see me as more than a little crass that way.)
Erik:
Thank you. I totally agree with you.
“When the stomach is full, it is easy to talk of fasting.”
What that means for me is; it is only when I have enough money in my pockets that I could think of writing “for myself”, so to speak.
The significance of being published in mags and newspapers, I think, would be recognition. Not for recognition in itself, of course, but just like Deb said, it can get you places.
For example, I had been shortlisted for a scientific journal job some time ago way before I even considered freelancing. There were only two of us left in the selection. The employer admitted that there wasn’t much disparity in the quality of our writing syles, but the other person had written for a magazine before while I was fresh out of college. Of course, I didn’t get the job.
I do believe though, that I’ll “get there” in due time when I’m done with my other commitments and I could write what I want.
Mariella (and everyone else):
There are a lot of young writers starting out who read what we say here, so I’m very glad you’ve told your story. Thank you for it. I hope the message sinks in!
After a few of the discussions here, I tried to boil it all down to first principles, as is my wont. I hope you don’t think it is gauche to post a link to my own blog here:
http://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewblog.asp?authorid=55121
To me, it comes down to this: if you want to have time and a good attitude to create your own art, you have to make the scratch it takes to live first. Hustling all day for $10 here and there isn’t going to get a novel written. If you charge $40 instead, and lose a full 2/3 of your clients, you’re not only ahead in money but you’ve got a big hunk of time freed up to do what you have to.
I guess this is what got me so bitter during the disucssion about publishers and agents. I don’t care how much people like to write – do they like to eat? Do they like something more than a carboard box between them and the pelting snow? How does starvation really affect the quantity and quality of your writing?
This thread is “What was your first big break?” and before it hits I can see that some hustling might be needed to make the rent. I only hope that people build on each success, charging a little more each time as their resume gets better looking. When people talk about making a living as a writer, they usually emphaisize the “living” part, as if it were a Kunstlerleben (artist’s life). I emphasize the “making”, as it’s your creation.
Erika>
Fantastic article. Really hits the nail on the head. I wish I could comment there, but it seems it’s not allowed.
It’s just like the advice my college professor gave me when I told her I started freelancing: “Since you’re free to make your own hours, don’t spend eight hours a day actually working for the next years to come. Instead, find ways to be able to earn more while working less, so you can spend the rest of your time pursuing your real interests (in my case, that’s writing fiction).”
I’m sorry to say I’m not quite there yet. But I’m new to this business and learning more as days go by.
Oops, sorry, that’s “Erik”. LOL.
My big break might not be it so I continue to look through the listings here and meet all of you
. I also agree with the post about liking to eat. Nothing like not having money to motivate what I write and who I write for. A wonderful aspect is becoming more and more proud of my work.