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With so many new subscribers this week (hi everyone!), I thought a quick introduction of the person behind WordCount might be in order. I’m Sara, a former journalist for one of New Zealand’s largest media companies. I made the move to the “other side” - comms - two years ago when I switched careers to work in local government. I started writing for a few clients in my own time just over a year ago.
Since then, my client base has grown exponentially. I now work part-time as a digital content lead in local government and I freelance the other days. It’s definitely more like a 50 or 60-hour work-week at the moment, which includes getting this newsletter ready for you all each week. But I love it!
I’m originally from Amsterdam where I was born and raised. I did a master’s degree in journalism in London before I moved to New Zealand five years ago and got a job as a reporter at my local newspaper and Stuff.co.nz. Now, I mostly do technical writing for B2B SaaS companies, such as billion-dollar Australian tech giant Atlassian. I also write about productivity, self-development and elearning for both New Zealand based and international clients.
Thanks for subscribing to WordCount, I hope the mix of themed original articles, job opportunities and stuff worth reading is helpful to you on your own journey as an (aspiring) freelance writer. I’d love to know what you enjoy the most out of this weekly newsletter, so I’ll do a quick survey in the next couple of weeks. It would be great if you could spare a few minutes to fill it in. Many thanks in advance!
Like what you’re reading?
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This week’s great reads
I think it’s important to read widely, so you can expect to find a broad range of topics in this list every week:
The Lesson We’re Learning From TikTok? It’s All About Our Data
50+ pitching guides for NYT, NatGeo, Wired, WaPo, Bustle and more
Photo by Jan Kahánek on Unsplash
Freelance/contracting jobs opportunities
Cold pitching companies and publications you’d love to write for is a great way to grow your confidence and your network, but if you’re keen on “warmer” leads - here are a few opportunities I found.
Apply for a diversity grant from the Horror Writers Association
Help Disabled Writers out with database maintenance and community outreach
Apply for a senior tech writer position at MIT Technology Review
Note: I try to only include opportunities that are decent and well-paid. However, more often than not rates, unfortunately, aren’t discussed in the call for pitches/writers. You can check Who Pays Writers? or Contently’s freelance rates database to see if the publication or organisation is listed and what they tend to pay.
That’s it for this week’s WordCount! If you’ve enjoyed reading this edition, please feel free to share it with fellow freelance writers. Or have a look at last week’s newsletter.