How journalist types can survive a recession.

Last night, I got a call from someone calling themselves "Phil". After a few minutes, I worked out it was "Phil the Decorator", last seen 14 months ago when I asked him to quote for repainting my house. He came round, wrote things in his notebook and promptly disappeared, never to be seen again - until now. Like rats on a sinking ship, it's when you see the tradesmen coming out of the woodwork that you know the recession has truly kicked in.

With that in mind, I thought I'd put together some of my top tips on surviving a recession if you're a journalist. I've freelanced through a recession in the high-tech sector back in 99/01, when the dot-com bubble collapsed, so I figure I can offer some tips to those of you who haven't been there before:

1. Write about something boring. If a commissioning editor wants an in-depth report on spa resorts in Thailand, chances are they're not going to struggle to find the right person. Same goes for all those sex/relationships/parenting features. But if an editor wants to commission an article about measuring the return on investment from a corporate technology project, the options are slightly fewer. Having a niche gives you the opportunity to be one of a small number of people editors think of when they're covering a particular topic, rather than being one of literally hundreds of writers competing for the same job.

2. Write about more than one boring thing. Relying on one sector or industry for all your work is fine when times are good, but in a recession? It's dumb. Try to cultivate three or four niches that you know pretty well - for me, it's HR, the public sector, technology and charities. That way, when ads dry up and pagination falls, you haven't put all your eggs in one basket.

3. Don't get a job. It might seem safer, but it's a major way to put all your eggs in one basket, especially if you're taking a journalism job. And those good redundancy packages don't kick in until you've worked somewhere for a year or two.

4. Become CEO of the Brand That is You: Yeah, it sounds like bullsh*t, I know, but in a slow economy, very few journalists can rely on work finding them.  Make sure you're listed in the usual directories (Gorkana, Cision, Journalism.co.uk) but also put yourself about on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Make a point of going to industry events, using online email lists and forums. Make sure people know who you are, what you do, and you're more likely to get recommended when someone is asked, "Hey, do you know anyone who could write about X?"

5. Make Friends with The Man: When magazines and newspapers are small and shrinking, that doesn't mean there's no writing to be done. Major corporations still need websites, brochures, customer magazines, business newsletters and the like written. If you're new to copywriting, try approaching web design agencies to see if they're looking for copywriters on websites they might be building. If it's a small agency, rates will probably be low, but it's a chance to build up a good portfolio.

6. Diversify: As a journalist, you can write and that means you can produce news stories or features. But consider what other skills you might have, and how you can use them to make money. Could you do reporting or subbing shifts on a newspaper or newswire (you can always do an NUJ course to brush up your subbing skills if necessary)? Could you offer media training to companies within a specific sector? Charities and small businesses often hire journalists as part-time press officers, while universities often use journalists to deliver training courses to media and PR students.

Did I miss anything?

Comments

[David Lawrenson]

I would add, never, never work for nowt.
If you are good, you are worth it.
Editors may try to say that there is no budget. Ignore this nonsense.
If you have another line to your bow. e.g. say you are a consultant then insist on a link to your website with key text linking features.

[Linda]

Hi Sally - excellent advice as ever - and if you can do numbers 4, 5 and 6, like all the time then you could be made for life.

Sorry if that sounds flippant, it doesn't mean to, but it does surprise me when a freelance journalist almost shrieks with disgust that a) they need to market themselves and b) they may have to sully their reputation by accepting money from someone or something than a low-paying liberal newspaper.

[Andrea Wren]

Hi Sally - good tips! I especially like 'Don't get a job' - now that would just be awful! I don't even think I'm 'employable' anymore - too stroppy and used to doing things my own way.

Does diversify include setting up a new travel agency business?! Probably not the safest of industries to head into right now but the horse has already bolted...!

[Arneson Stidgeley]

Another tip: stalk pregnant women. By that I mean...

...maternity cover can be a real pain for companies. "Yeah, I can do that for three days a week for the next six months" is a line that a hard-pressed marketing manager would love to hear as s/he realises the need to cover the department's writing work.

[Bertan Budak]

I agree. Some journalists I've met tend to just dwell in the music and film industry rather than branching out and building contacts. There is nothing wrong with stepping out of your comfort zone for a while, especially since the economy is struggling to get back on its feet.

Since the credit crunch took its first bite, I've started to do more online stuff. I used to write for a load of monthlies but trouble is, they would only commission me a feature or two once a month, where as with a website, they practically need a feature everyday.

[Wordsmith_for_Hire]

I've run a portfolio career ever since I turned freelance 4 years ago. As well as hacking, I do a lot of copy-editing - mainly for businesses but I also edit books for publishers - and I do corporate copywriting, which can be quite lucrative. I'm now writing my first book as well as contributing to another one which is a massive multi-author factual tome. Getting yourself out and about is vital to bring in work and stay diversified (it's never good to only ever rely on one income stream) as is broadening skills and capabilities.