With developments in print and communications technology and the vast diversification of media outlets, the question often asked is: can working freelance assure a supplementary income on a regular basis? How does one break into the freelance club when the competition becomes fiercer day by day?

It is extremely difficult, perhaps impossible, to start up as a media freelancer unless you are on good terms professionally with a number of people who commission the kind of work you do. This is normally achieved in two ways. First, by working full time in a media organization for a few years. For successful freelance, work experience of at least five years is absolutely necessary for the simple reason that you make your contact with the outside world just as it makes contact with you. It is a two-way street where establishing your identity is the first qualification for entry.

Many intelligent and literate people, with no journalistic background, trying to contribute to newspapers invariably fail, leading to frustration and loss of confidence. Every profession has its own rules of the game and it is important to understand them and the people who make them.

Apart from contacts or knowing whom to approach, the freelance writer must be identified with a specialized subject. In newspaper offices, stories and ideas proliferate in editorial conferences. The freelancer working alone has to better them in order to be published. And the chances are higher if the topic is of contemporary interest. Freelancers must know that journalism by its very nature is ephemeral. Therefore, stick to ideas and issues of immediate interest to the readers. Many freelance writers come up with ideas that may be excellent for academic seminars but of no use to newspapers or magazines.

What are the chances of a relatively little-known freelance writer who turns up with a well-written and researched story of contemporary interest to be accepted for publication? Assuming there are no competing stories by well-established columnists — a rare situation because the editorial desk would have commissioned the regulars to do a similar story — the chances are just about even if the story is well-written. With the proliferation of television channels, it no longer matters who lands the story first; what does is the quality of reporting and of the research.

Seen from the point of view of the editor, the reluctance to take unknown freelance writers is understandable. What if the report is a tissue of lies or plagiarized from a source that is not immediately traceable? Both are occupational hazards that occur often, so editors like to play it safe, choosing those they can trust with the contents of the copy.

Freelance writers must understand that their work is sold in a buyer’s market and no concessions are made for inexperience. They have to build confidence over time and turn up with their copy before the deadline. This means that freelance work requires greater discipline than the routine office stint.