The Journalist as Entrepreneur

Always say ‘Yes’: The so-called life

of a freelancer

Mary Evanssayhello@maryevanswriter.com

P J O’Rourke, 2010

I spent 40 years as a writer and now I'm a content provider. And content is free on the

Internet!

The Primark Principle• It’s everywhere, • It’s cheap to produce• It’s really hard to find the good stuff

Old News? Year-on-year % drop• The Sun: -7.71%• Daily Mail: -4.63%• Daily Telegraph: -7.38%• The Times: -11.04%• The Guardian: -14.1%

ABCs August 2011• Men's Health : 218,368 (digital = 1746)• HELLO! : 413,311 (digital = 1165)• Overall UK magazine circulation 2010

(46,003,577) ; 2011 (46,200,127)

Your Career Inc

CEO = You• Research• Marketing• Sales• Diversification• Profit

Saying Yes. Always.

Research• Know your market (Media Guardian, Press

Gazette, Broadcast)• Learn your trade (training, work experience,

college mag)• Find your niche

Marketing• - See-me CV - SELL DON’T TELL• - Making your move – out with the old?

Social media

NO

You Only Need One “Yes”!

Sales• Sell yourself• Sell your work

Work Experience

• Every Little Helps• Find the right place (or the place for right now)• If at first you don’t succeed• Make the tea, but don’t be a mug• Use it, don’t lose it

Perfect Pitch

• Ideas not articles• Find the right pitch

and pitch it right• The Big ‘O’• It had to be you• Talent borrows,

genius steals

Because You’re Worth It!

Diversification

• Copywriting• PR & Press releases• B2B – big industry • In-store mags: Tesco and Asda have the

biggest circulation of any mag – both have circulation of nearly 2 million

• Charities – might not be paid, but may lead to paid work

• Other creative writing• Teaching

Profit• It’s all about the

money, money, money

• What’s your price?• Can you be

bought?

Why you should be an accountant

• What will tomorrow bring? 

• No sleep ‘till Brooklyn… 

• Broken Ladder• You snooze, you

lose

Why you should be a journalist

• Show me the Money• I answer to no man• Your flexible friend• The greatest gift that I possess

Thanks and a final thought…

P J O’Rourke

I like to think of my behavior in the sixties as a "learning experience”. Then again, I

like to think of anything stupid I've done as a "learning experience”. It makes me feel

less stupid.