Q. I’m a 37-year-old African-American woman with a journalism degree (BA) that is now 15 years old. The entire time I was in the journalism program, I wanted to escape from it. My professors -- rightly so -- put the fear of God in me regarding accuracy, the inverted pyramid, ethics, etc., and I was such a timid young thing. While I loved to write, I didn’t think I had the mettle to make it as a journalist. The fact that journalist weren’t paid very well was also a deterrent. Another thing is that I was told journalism jobs were next to impossible to find.
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So, when I graduated in 1992, I was so desperate I just got a job ANY job. In 1994, I was living in a huge metropolitan area that had a few monthly and weekly African-American papers. I remembered what my professors said about the importance of getting clips, so I approached one of the papers and wrote a few feature articles. It was a pleasant experience, but no money was involved. Around this same time I began to write short stories. Then in 1997 I quit the full-time job I had at the time, deciding that I would try to write fiction for a living. I lasted about two weeks before I ran back to that monthly paper and began to write for it in earnest. Then I took on a few more publications and wrote some breaking news, but mostly feature stories and profiles. Around this time I started my family. I now have two school-aged children.
To date, I’ve written well over 200 articles for more than 20 publications and Web sites, some for pay and some work I donated. In 2005, I self-published a novel. I’ve also written grants, and I’ve held many jobs in various industries including nonprofit, publishing, insurance, academia and day care. Currently, while writing, I’m a stay-at-home mother.
Professionally, the only constant in my life has been my freelance writing. Recognizing this, I’d like to do what I should have done, but was afraid to do, in 1992. My goal now is to land a real, full-time job as a journalist with a newspaper -- when my children are older (in three or four more years). I just wasn’t ready to enter a newsroom at 22, but I feel much more confident now. I believe that I can contribute good work to the right paper.
Sorry to go on and on, but here’s my question: Is there anything that I can do now so that I am taken seriously as a candidate for a mainstream weekly or daily in the future? I have no qualms about starting at the bottom for low pay.
Still Ripening on the VineA. I won't lie to you. This will be tough, but you're approaching this in a wise way. There are several steps you can take, but I would first broaden my focus. As many newspapers are now embracing online news, include it in your plans, as
you already have some Web experience. You can bet that three or four years from now, newspapers will be even more interested in people with Web skills than they are now. It is really happening fast, so prepare yourself for the demands of the future.
Keep freelancing, but concentrate on news and feature stories. Time spent on novels and fiction will not contribute to the career plans you describe. Use these next few years establishing relationships and doing work-- a lot of it online -- for the places where you'd like to work. Actively seek feedback that can make you a better candidate.
It is likely that you will not hit a spot three or four years from now when you want to suddenly turn on a full-time job. Look to phase it in as a freelancer, correspondent or part-time staffer. Then take it up from there.
As you think about your future, give serious consideration to other forms of non-mainstream journalism such as blogs and niche Web sites.
Coming Wednesday: A junior in college, he's eager to have a copy-editing internship for next summer. His timing couldn't be better.
