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We had been all about to be let go from a tv program that was closing store, and I wished to develop my work expertise into print to flesh out my resume. A colleague and buddy had beforehand labored in print and had contacts with editors, and generously provided to collaborate with me on a narrative so I might get a print byline. We divided up the reporting and wrote the article aspect by aspect.
I typically mirror again on that have and surprise if I ought to attempt collaborating once more to deal with the isolation of freelancing and share reporting and writing on larger tales. However I haven’t been positive go about it and whether or not it’s well worth the hassle. I’m notably involved about divide up the reporting and writing and whether or not it could work out pretty. A number of different freelancers have advised me they’re additionally interested in collaborating.
In a brand new “How We Did It,” AHCJ members and freelance journalists Laura Beil, Fran Kritz and Tara Haelle talk about their experiences working with others on tales and supply ideas for fellow impartial journalists.
Laura is presently collaborating with a ProPublica workers reporter on an investigative story a few doctor that may air as a Wondery podcast in 2023 and run as a shorter ProPublica article. Fran labored with one other freelancer to write down a narrative for the Jerusalem Put up about a company that gives incapacity providers, and Tara teamed up with a freelancer and a workers author at HuffPost for a narrative about home abuse within the army.
They talk about how and why they determined to group up with different reporters, the professionals and cons of collaboration, divide charges and whether or not the charge needs to be bigger, who ought to write the pitch letter, divide up the reporting and writing and whether or not collaborators ought to have a written settlement amongst themselves.
For instance, Tara mentioned of such agreements, “I don’t know the way formal it must be, however there must be a really clear and clear dialogue of division of labor. You’re trusting that that individual goes to interview the individuals who should be interviewed on the deadlines that you just each have, so it’s a must to work with somebody you belief. One of many issues the place it will get dicey is bylines, one thing so simple as whose byline comes first. Just be sure you have that dialogue so there are not any surprises later.”
Try the full Q&A within the Pitching, Reporting & Writing section of AHCJ’s Freelance Middle. Please don’t hesitate to email me with concepts for future Q&As.
