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Work in bad times
WHEN WAS the last time your freelance rates were raised? In fact, when was the last time you asked for a rate rise? And how do you set about finding new work that pays the bills?
Freelances hungry for work, on Zoom
Possible answers to these and many similar questions were thrashed out by freelances participating in an evening panel discussion hosted over Zoom by London Freelance Branch on 24 November 2022.
Tech freelance Nika Talbot, LFB's own Social Media Officer, opened the evening. She described herself as a "portfolio worker" – a flexible freelance who can take on different roles. She gave the example of how she pivoted from writing about health towards copywriting for digital agencies in London, then expanded into areas from content marketing and B2B writing to specialising in covering "Web 3.0".
Data journalist Steven Mathieson, familiar to many participants for his NUJ-hosted training courses, outlined three simple ideas for making more money straight away. Firstly, always chase up late payments to keep your cash-flow flowing.
Secondly, register any work you have had published over the last three years with the Authors Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS) to get paid for uses such as library copying – or, if you're a photographer, join the Design and Artists' Collecting Society (DACS).
Thirdly, ask commissioning editors for more money! Steven even shared with participants an Excel file for calculating how much their rates should have risen in line with inflation.
Press photographer Andrew Wiard recounted how he was forced to seek alternative opportunities when the pandemic lockdowns cut off his usual source of work with the nationals.
He explained how he had taken on a host of not-quite-journalism photography jobs, from corporate work to awards events and even portrait photography. Such work is reliable – something that's invaluable during the economic crisis. "The work is out there," Andrew stressed, "and it's for the taking."
Story-teller David Matthews, Zooming in from Barbados, explained how he made the conscious decision to get out of weekly working and the 9-5 grind to "find out what's happening out there." He notoriously launched his freelance career by training to be a boxer and then writing up his experiences of the industry from the inside.
Video reporter and producer Owen Holdaway noted the advantage you can win by presenting yourself to commissioning editors as the go-to expert in whatever subjects you cover. "Freelances often under-value their expertise," he noted. "But they are better qualified than staffers and can ask for more money." He also advised making the most of the flexibility that freelancing affords: "We have the advantage of being able to jump."
As questions came in and everyone gave feedback about their experiences through live on-screen polls, participants soon joined in with their own tips, recommendations and anecdotes.
A transcription of the panel discussion and the economic crisis-beating tips that were shared will appear at www.londonfreelance.org/fl/2212col.html shortly.
The event was masterminded and briskly chaired on the night by Phil Sutcliffe, LFB's Membership co-Secretary.
- 6 December 2022 We amended the description of Nika Talbot's presentation at her request.
FAQs Frequently Asked Questions
Full transcript - of the event: PDF posted 27/02/23