Good Stuff for Writers, 5/25
pitch opps with The New Republic, Buzzfeed, i_D, Salon, and more
Last week marked ten years since I walked across a stage in Millennium Park in Chicago and accepted a piece of paper to signify a Master of Arts in Journalism. We didn’t wear graduation gowns (thank you art school), so our class was dressed in their colorful finest. Across the park, a group of people who looked more like traditional graduates, each of them dressed in white, was preparing for the rapture. Just a stone’s throw from our celebration, they waited to be saved from the fiery conclusion of life on Earth.
The rapture did not happen that day. But the cinematic foreshadowing of an impending career as a writer was a little too on point: Some really dramatic expectations that mostly result in a lot of waiting around.
It’s so easy to get caught up in the timeline of this work—the waiting, the rejections, and the markers of success that seem just out of reach. Who here has looked up the age of writers’ whose work you admire, just to admonish yourself for the extra years in which you’ve obviously done so much less? (Me. I have done this so many times.)
Realizing it’s been TEN WHOLE YEARS since I finished school bummed me out at first. I briefly agonized over all I could have and didn’t accomplished in that time: a staff writing position at a big outlet, a book deal, a collection of viral articles that make my name one that people know.
But of course, we all have things we didn’t accomplish. We’ll always have things we haven’t accomplished. And it doesn’t make much sense to focus on those—or an oft-changing date of salvation or apocalypse. I hope the people in the park enjoyed the sunshine that day. I wonder if Patti Smith’s guitar playing (she accepted an honorary degree and graced our class with an original song) floated over to their circle. I hope they reveled in each other’s company, despite the lack of their anticipated finale.
I suspect we could all benefit from focusing more on what we have done, seen, enjoyed, and lived through—instead of obsessing over what we have not. Ten years after graduating from journalism school and I don’t have a book deal or a staff job, but I have written a bunch of stories I’m really proud of. I’m a much better writer than I was ten years ago. I’ve read so many books I hadn’t read back then. And I’m still doing the thing, working as a writer and knowing it’s too big a part of me to ever go away. I’ve even allowed myself to focus on stuff other than work in that time, like travel and relationships and my dog. So that’s cool.
We can accomplish (or simply enjoy!) so much when we’re waiting for bigger things. Don’t forget to take stock of those.
Education, Funds, Inspiration, Etc.
Study Hall, an excellent resource for freelance writers, is conducting a survey on the 2021 State of Freelance. Add your input to help them push for better rates and report on the state of the industry. Deadline June 15.
The New Republic is hiring a reporter-researcher for a year-long fellowship. Applicants should be recent graduates or have up to two years of work experience.
Earth Journalism Network fishing subsidies story grants. 20 writers will be awarded around $1,000, depending on proposal and budget. Deadline is June 1.
The Knight Science Journalism School is accepting applications for the KSJ fellowship program. Fellows can choose one of three tiers of support and compensation, ranging from $5,000 to $40,000. Deadline is June 6.
Share your work! and read the work of fellow One More Question subscribers. This thread of bylines is a great source of inspiration to just… keep… pitching.
Find out why Alexandra Cardinale is giving away her pitch ideas.
What journalism actually is.
And an important reminder:
Editors Who Want Your Pitches
That’s all for today friends. I’ll be back in your inbox later this week.
And if you found this issue helpful, give the heart up top a click. It helps other writers discover One More Question.
Stay inspired,
Britany