Rhiannon makes some interesting points about freelance writing. The freelance writing world is probably competitive so it is good to always be looking for just the right angle on a story to make it interesting and let the editor know that you have the greatest story. Writers do have a great amount of freedom on the topics they choose. In contrast to the journalist, who is generally assigned topics, a freelance writer gets to pick any story that they find interesting. This doesn’t always mean that anyone else thinks the topic is remarkable. A freelance writing must be able to persuade the editor that their readers will want the information they have. I think freelance writing may be as much about rhetoric as it is about good writing. Even a good story can be passed up if the writer’s pitch is boring and unconvincing. Or, if the pitch is persuasive enough they may sell a story that has already been covered by convincing the editor that the story is great and will sell more copies than ever before.
I liked what Rhiannon said about not being tied down to one publication. A freelance writing allows a writer to write for whatever publication they want.
