A Writer's Dream Job, Part 4
Joe Sills on flunking college, archaeology, and becoming a writer
Today we have another installment of the dream job series, in which I pester successful writers who love their jobs to tell us how they got there.
Joe Sills dreamt of seeing the world and writing about it. But after failing out of college, he found himself delivering pizzas, instead. Today, Joe writes for Lonely Planet and National Geographic; he hosts the award-winning Get Lost Podcast, through which he interviews explorers and adventurers; and he’s frequently globe-trotting in search of stories.
So today we’re going to hear about how he flipped things around and became exactly the kind of writer he wanted to be.
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“I was a below average graphic designer, and I knew it. I was a below average student, as well. But, I knew for a fact that I could write well enough to get myself back on track.”
What did you once imagine your dream job to be?
As a teenager, I wanted to be Indiana Jones. Although I became a published writer at 14, I had no idea that traveling the world and writing about those experiences was actually a job. Instead, I thought becoming an archaeologist was the logical route to something resembling that life; and Dr. Jones was the only archaeologist I knew. That passion extended into college, where I swapped journalism school for the Egyptian Art program at The University of Memphis—and subsequently flunked out in less than a year.
Was there ever a time when you almost gave up on your dream? Why didn't you?
I wasn’t prepared for college, and flunking out hit me hard. I went into a downward spiral, forsaking writing and journalism while spending the next five years delivering pizzas, working in a chocolate factory and becoming a graphic designer. Honestly, I had completely given up on my dreams of seeing the world, of contributing to science or documenting my experiences.
Then, one day the wall of the graphic design studio I was working at exploded with gunfire. A botched robbery in the room next door had resulted in a shoot out that nearly took my life. I wasn’t hit, but bullet holes surrounded my desk.
That was a wakeup call.
I was a below average graphic designer, and I knew it. I was a below average student, as well. But, I knew for a fact that I could write well enough to get myself back on track. I just needed to have a cold, hard forecast of my future before I became dedicated enough to put in the work.
What is your current job and how does it align or differ from what you once imagined it would be like?
Today, I’m a freelance contributor for Discovery Networks, National Geographic, Forbes and Lonely Planet. That path started with a reporting gig at a local radio station and a travel blog.
I’m still not an archaeologist, but I interview them regularly on my show, The Get Lost Podcast. I get to shine a spotlight on thrilling discoveries like the haunting tomb of the Egyptian god Osiris or the gruesome, but fascinating, Scythian burial mounds of Siberia. When I’m not recording, I am usually globetrotting around the planet with a camera, documenting my experiences and sharing them with people I hope to inspire.
Honestly, it’s a better fit for me than archaeology would have been. What I didn’t realize as a teenager, is that scientists and researchers are excellent at discovering things, but usually they aren’t as adept at telling people what they’ve seen in a compelling way. There is a definite place in science and journalism for storytellers who can inspire the next generation of explorers.
After landing your first byline in a major publication, what's one thing you did to build on that success and start getting enough writing work to make it your career?
I was really fortunate to land an anchor client at Travel Channel as soon as my first major outlet article was published. The success of my travel blog was a catalyst for that, and I had time to cut my teeth and refine my skills before branching out to other outlets.
I did ultimately use the connection as a reference for other outlets and work that ultimately helped me become more capable of handling adversity when Travel Channel decided to stop covering travel and go in a completely different direction a few years later.
What is one piece of advice you can offer to writers who feel like their dream job is out of reach?
My old office was literally behind barred windows. At 23, I felt like the world had passed me by. I was a washed up high school sports reporter that had flunked out of college and had no direction at all. Though I was grateful to have a job that paid the rent, I think I was only bringing in about $11 an hour. In my mind, I was going nowhere.
At 33, I’m proud to work with some of the most well-known companies in exploration and journalism. I’m not just documenting the experiences of others, either. I started my own exploration company that seeks to better understand forgotten people in far-flung corners of the world. If there is a mountaintop for travel writers and photographers, I am probably close to the peak. The view is wonderful. The colleagues I’ve met on the trail are world-class human beings. And for every freezing night spent in a tent, there’s probably another evening in a luxury hotel to balance it out.
But it’s not all roses at altitude. There are real, deeply rooted problems in the way freelance journalists are paid and the way most staff writers are worked. Across the board, today’s rates are drastically lower than they were decades ago. Editors, writers and ad departments are all stressed.
You have to love this job to make it work for you. You will also probably have to build your own brand while you’re at it, because editors come and go at the snap of a finger.
I have seen major outlets take my pitches and assign them to staff writers. I have been chastised for turning in assignments ahead of deadline. I have had my work exploited for zero pay. And I have had countless drinks with other writers who have had the same experiences happen to them. My best piece of advice? It’s exactly what I tell them, and it comes from an infamous former mayor of Memphis: “Shake the haters off."
That’s all for today, friends. Thanks for reading! To learn more about Joe and his work, go follow him on Twitter.
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Stay inspired,
Britany