Boosting freelances

THE NUJ'S "Boost your income and maximise your professional profile" event held in London in January was attended by over 100 journalists, including some who had recently been laid off from staff positions and were making the move into freelance journalism. The feedback from attendees was that it was a great success.

Mark Whitehead advises freelances on wearing both journalist and PR hats Image © Mark Thomas

Photographer and NUJ Freelance Industrial Council Chair Nick Mc-Gowan-Lowe repeated again some of the most important things a freelances needs to constantly remind themselves about: "Ask for more," and "Get it in writing, always". LFB member and NUJ Vice-President Tim Dawson gave advice on how journalists can make money from ebooks (see here), "how to be interesting but not too interesting on Twitter", what to do if a commissioning editor nicks your story, and what to do when asked to work for nothing. Tim's answer to the last one is: "Never to do it."

Janet Awe, who curates LFB's own Twitter feed @NUJ_LFB, shared with freelances practically all they'll need to know on maximising your website and social media profile. (Janet helped LFB into the Twittersphere back in 2012: see www.londonfreelance.org/fl/1204twit.html).

Mark Whitehead (pictured above) told journalists about the tricky subject of how to wear both journalist and PR hats, and attendant ethical issues. There's an excellent write-up of the event at www.nuj.org.uk/news/get-it-in-writingand-always-ask-for-more

© Matt Salusbury

• There are an awful lot of NUJ national events like this one coming up, some arranged not too long in advance - so do make sure you're on the NUJ mailing list for these. (Check with membership@nuj.org.uk if you're not getting messages). If you take time to read the many emails that come into your inbox from "National Union of Journalists", you may find details of some really excellent meetings of this type buried deep among other material.
• See also the NUJ events calendar for courses courses, and NUJ Campaigns & Communications Officer Frances Rafferty advises checking the @NUJofficial Twitter feed, which advises of such upcoming professional development events.