At the March Lunch and Learn, we did something different. There was no set topic, and attendees were able to trade tips and ask for advice about any aspect of freelancing.
Some of the topics discussed included:
Favorite tools and apps
- We talked about how to use Stickies, an app that is available for both Windows and Mac. They work much like paper Sticky Notes except they are digital. Some people use them to keep track of assignments, while others use them for to-do lists.
- One lunch and learn participant raved about her Rocketbook Fusion, an erasable smart notepad, which she uses mostly for making lists. The notepad, which is available in different sizes, comes bundled with an app that allows you to scan its pages and send them to your electronic devices.
- Someone else talked about the much more expensive reMarkable, another smart notebook that has the feel of paper and can convert your handwriting to type. The contents can be dropped into Word or Evernote or other apps.
- There was discussion about the best way to use Otter.ai to record and transcribe phone interviews. Some people put their cell phone on speaker, set it next to their computer and record directly into Otter. The app records and transcribes at once. Both the audio and the transcription can be exported.
The state of pitching
- Several participants talked about the state of pitching at the lunch and learn. One person said that editors who usually would answer his pitch emails in the past have stopped responding and that most of his work now comes from assignments.
- Other lunch and learn attendees have had similar experiences with some editors. One person who loves to pitch noted that the number of markets is shrinking but that it is still possible to find reliable anchor clients.
- Everyone agreed that with budget cuts everywhere, editors are now doing the jobs of three people. They may no longer respond to pitches they reject, and some are no longer opening pitch emails from people they don’t know.
- One piece of advice was to use your network to find a reporter who has a relationship with an editor you want to pitch. With the reporter’s permission, you can then put her name in the subject line of your email to the editor.
Other topics
- We discussed how to keep track of deadlines at this lunch and learn by using reminders on cell phones, alarms, calendar and spreadsheets.
- We also discussed how to deal with editors who ask tons of follow-up questions during editing but won’t pay for the extra word count that results. One reporter said she ignores questions she considers tangential if the publication won’t pay more when the published article exceeds the length initially set in the contract.