A Freelancer’s Roundtable: BUST’s Erika W. Smith on Getting Bylines As A Student
When I started freelancing, pitching was a topic so foreign to me. I was sending out 5+ pitches weekly, all to rejection or, even worse, radio silence. Thankfully, soon enough, a few editors took a chance on me and took on my ideas. One of them was Erika W. Smith, Digital Editorial Director/Contributing Print Editor of BUST Magazine.
I’ve written for BUST a few times now and always love working with Erika. She was kind enough to take some time to answer my questions and her answers are top-notch.
1. How can college students begin to network in the industry if they do not live in NYC?
Read a lot, follow writers you like on Twitter, and let them know you like them. Also, start pitching or writing! There are many websites that are open to publishing pieces by students (BUST.com is one!), and you can also start publishing your own work on a personal blog, Medium, etc.
2. What is the basic breakdown of a killer pitch?
As an editor, I prefer pitches that are short yet specific: a paragraph or two describing what you want to write about and how you want to write it, and another paragraph sharing a little bit about yourself, including links to previously published work (if you have it). And be specific! I get a lot of pitches that say something like “I want to write about feminism” or even “I want to write about Jane the Virgin,” and those are both way too broad for me to accept. Say, “I want to write a personal essay about the book that made me a feminist” or “I want to write an opinion piece about why Alba is the best character on Jane the Virgin.” Also, do your research ahead of time — I get a lot of pitches for pieces that are way longer than anything BUST has ever published or are very similar to something we’ve already published.
3. If you’re pitching a publication new to you, how often and when should you follow up?
People following up really quickly is one of my biggest pet peeves. I am the only digital editor at BUST; I’m part-time; I run the entire website, Facebook, and Twitter; I manage BUST’s interns; and I’m also a contributing print editor, which is another set of responsibilities. I can’t promise same-day responses, yet alone same-hour responses (though I can almost always manage same-week responses). It’s not uncommon for me to get follow-up emails just an hour, or a few hours, after an initial pitch. There are times when I’ve gotten three or four follow-up emails between the end of my workday and the start of my next workday.
Remember that most editors get dozens (if not more) pitches each day and that their job responsibilities include a lot more than just answering pitches. Generally, for digital media, I would say you should wait at least one week — preferably two — before following up (the exception is for a very time-sensitive piece, but I’d advise against pitching a very time-sensitive piece to a publication that’s new to you). I wouldn’t follow up more than once or twice if you don’t get a response; instead, start pitching elsewhere. Also, keep in mind that some publications, especially print magazines and literary journals, take longer to consider pitches than most digital media does (that’s true for BUST’s print magazine). Check their guidelines to see how often they publish, give them longer before pitching elsewhere, and follow up less frequently.
4. What tips do you have for negotiating rates?
Negotiation is something I am still working on myself! My main advice would be to check out resources like Who Pays Writers and ask around so you can get an idea of what the publication generally pays.
5. What tips do you have for invoicing?
This is something I have a lot of experience with! Keep very organized records and mark when you’re supposed to be paid in your calendar. If your editor doesn’t tell you when you can expect to receive payment, ask. I have a Google Doc where I keep track of how much money I’m owed by each publication and when I’m supposed to receive it by. Once that date passes, I follow up weekly until I get paid — and I set reminders to myself to do so.
6. What is one mistake or hiccup you’ve made in your career that you wish you could go back and change?
I wish I’d started pitching earlier! I didn’t pitch or publish outside of college publications until I after I graduated college, and I wish I had.
7. What is one thing you wish you knew before you started freelancing?
The one thing I wish I knew before I went full-time freelance is that very few publications pay when they say they will. If you’re able to (like if you’re quitting a full-time job to go full-time freelance), make sure that you have a lot of savings before you go full-time freelance, and that you also have a way to make money quickly for the times when you have $5,000 owed you but your rent check is due tomorrow. I babysit, pet-sit and apartment-sit when I need to because I know that I will get paid immediately instead of waiting one or three or six months.
Make sure to follow Erika on Twitter and Instagram. And make sure to pitch her your ideas for BUST!
Spread the love and give this publication a follow. To read my work in Teen Vogue, INSIDER, Brit+Co, Bust Magazine, Romper, Paste Magazine, The Financial Diet and more, visit GianlucaRusso.webs.com and connect with me on social media @G_Russo1.
