1. Basics of Freelance Journalism & Working from Home. So, you want to be a freelance journalist? The concept explained. Debunking the myths and facing day-to-day realities. Hobby vs career. How one can lead to the other. Freelance vs full-time. What’s the difference? The advantages and disadvantages of working for yourself.

Ten reasons why you should be a freelance journalist. Setting up the office. What tools and equipment will you need? How to minimise your overheads. Maintaining discipline. The importance of setting goals. Everything you need to know about writing travel. Assignment – your first step towards being published.

2. The Market Place & the Article. Knowing the newsstands and identifying markets. How to get story ideas that editors will buy. Identifying the format of a publication. Breaking News vs Stories and Features. What are the different styles of articles? The feature, the profile, the ‘How To’, reviews, first person reportage. The column. Articles that suit ideas and magazines. What do Editors like? How to write a sports article. Assignment – Deciding on your first article.

3. Understanding Grammar & Sub-editing. Parts of speech (verbs, nouns etc). The importance of punctuation – examples of improper/proper usage. Modern language: rules that can and can’t be broken. Examples of common errors/omissions. The importance of sub-editing your own stories. The necessity of re-reads, and the ‘cooling off’ period. Basic sub-editing rules and mistakes to look out for in your own work. Enough is enough – how to know when your article is finished. The dreaded re-write. When an editor asks you to ‘have another go’. Understand the revisions asked for and learn from the extra work. How to write a review. Assignment of choice.

4. Knowing your Clients & Building a CV. The Editor. Who is he/she? What do they do? Commissioning editors - Establishing your point of contact. Understanding the chain of command and how this will help you sell the story. How to satisfy any editor. Developing relationships with sub-editors and picture editors. The basics of a magazine/newspaper production schedule. Making stories come to you through good working relationships. What is a portfolio? Why will it help you? The importance of being published for the first time. Developing your by-line. Your name is everything. Everything you need to know about writing for lifestyle magazines.

5. How to Get Freelance Article Ideas. The idea and where to find it. How can I keep coming up with ideas? Making a good idea into a great story. The importance of reading around the subject. Evergreen stories – spotting a formula. Seasonal story ideas. The media release and how to use it. Getting on mailing lists. The importance (and often over-importance) of the publicist in modern journalism. Talking to experts/listening to your friends and peers. How to write for music press. Assignment – submitting your first material.

6. What Makes a Good Freelance Article. (Turning a Good Idea into a Great Story). Is the article new, and is it different? The angle. Picking the right angle. Who is the piece aimed at? What is the purpose of the piece? The importance of timeliness. Identifying trends – giving the story ‘a hook’. Will the article have an impact? Research and why it’s crucial. The importance of multiple viewpoints. How research sparks more ideas. Live research – the importance of talking to people. Internet research, reference books, contact and libraries. Spotting bad information. When too much information becomes a hindrance. Clippings files - how to recycle information. Everything you need to know about writing for women’s magazines.

7. How to Sell an Article. The pitch. What is it? How to pitch – why timing is everything. The approach – email, phone, fax or even snail mail? How to ensure your story idea is accepted. Getting to the decision-makers. The art of writing a pitch. How to follow up. When the “hard sell” becomes detrimental. Multiple submissions – maximizing your ideas. Dealing with rejection. The Contract: Do I need one? How to reach an agreement. Word rates. How much you should expect to be paid. Industry standards and how they vary. Retaining copyright and the ‘rights’ you sell. Non-conflicting circulation markets. How to sell the same article to different publications. Selling material overseas and the possibility of syndication agencies. Everything you need to know about writing for men’s magazines. Photography and the freelance journalist. Photo-journalism. Assignment of choice.

8. Taking a Brief & the Basic Rules of Journalism. What is a brief? What you need to know about following a brief. The importance of the brief. Writing a piece on spec – why it’s not a good idea. The deadline and why it is so important. An overview of ethics. A brief discussion of defamation. Developing and respecting sources. The importance of contacts. More on travel writing. How to write a fishing article. How to write computer and IT articles.

9. How to Write an Article – Part One: The Basics. Who is your client, and who is your audience? The rules of reporting – who, what, where, when and why. Structure made simple – the pyramid. The importance of the lead, and what the lead should contain. Using quotes – direct and indirect. When to note references, attribute quotes and paraphrase. Paragraphs. The importance of checking facts and spelling – consistency. How to end a story. How to file a story. Guide to media markets (part one). What you need to know about profitable media markets. Mass market, niche magazines, newspapers. How to write for regional press. Assignment of choice.

10. How to Write an Article – Part Two: Writing Style. Writing in the active voice (examples). The importance of setting a tone and sticking to it (examples). Tenses and how to use them (examples). Involving the reader (examples). Letting a story flow – the importance of logic. How to progress. How to ‘build’ a story - you don’t have to start at the beginning or end at the end. Avoiding circumlocution, redundant words, platitudes and clichés (examples). Less is more – adhering to a word count. Competent writing is good writing. Guide to media markets (part two). More profitable media markets. How to write for interior design magazines.

11. The Interview. Establishing your aim. How to set up an interview. Getting your foot in the door. The professional interview – how to conduct yourself, breaking down the barriers, extracting as much information as possible in the shortest amount of time. Questions – how to write them and the importance of being prepared. The tape recorder and transcribing – why it’s necessary to keep tapes. Phone interviews (how to record it – the legalities) vs face-to-face interviews (when and why you should meet someone in person). Good interview techniques and learning how to be flexible. The email interview – when it’s acceptable and when it won’t work. How to handle a ‘difficult’ interview/interviewee. How to make technology work for you as a freelance writer. How to work as a roving reporter. Assignment of choice.

12. Freelance Assignments that Pay. Why niche publishing is so important to a freelancer. How to write for and sell to niche markets. Examples of various titles: travel, sport, business and finance, women’s market, men’s market, fashion, music, celebrities, motoring, technology and computer games, local papers. Writing for the internet, on-line magazine articles, e-books and web content. Potential markets that are often overlooked. To specialise or not. Profits in public relations for the freelance writer. Checklist for running your freelance business. What you need to know about taxation and accountancy. Valuable contacts, associations and freelance resources. Final assignment.

Course contents will vary from time to time at the discretion
of the British College of Journalism.