| 1 - Regardless of where you land your first | | | | of each individual group.You will learn "on |
| writing job, chances are you will work an | | | | the job" how to identify which issues are |
| exorbitant number of hours for a less than | | | | important and what their technical terms mean |
| desirable salary.Below are the results of a | | | | in plain English.However, your editor(s) are |
| poll on freelance income published in | | | | probably going to expect you to immediately |
| Freelance WorkExchange News: Market Bulletin | | | | understand much more than you do.To keep your |
| FREELANCE SURVEY.Thanks to the hundreds of | | | | bosses happy and make your job more |
| you who took part in last week's poll on | | | | interesting, do not be afraid to ask |
| freelance income. We asked you how much you | | | | questions at these meetings.Once you |
| earned from freelancing in a year. The | | | | establish contacts within each group, you |
| results were as follows:$0-10,000 | | | | will probably find it beneficial to take the |
| 48%$10-20,000 8%$20-50,000 14%$50-100,000 | | | | time to call them before the meetings to find |
| 18%More than $100,000 12%It seems that many | | | | out what is on the agenda and/or which issues |
| of you are still freelancing part-time, or | | | | they feel will be "newsworthy."It's not a bad |
| working at building up your business. | | | | idea to stick around after the meetings |
| However, a healthy 30% of you make over | | | | (deadlines permitting) and talk to the |
| $50,000 a year, with a good percentage | | | | officials to clarify anything you did not |
| reaching six figures.So the potential in the | | | | understand and/or talk to the audience |
| market is clearly excellent. We'll be working | | | | members to get their comments on the |
| hard to move many more of you into the | | | | meeting.Remember it's better to have too much |
| $100,000 bracket in the months ahead.See the | | | | information than not enough.3 - If you pursue |
| following sites for more information about | | | | a career as a public relations writer, you |
| salary surveys and industry | | | | may be initially surprised by the lack of |
| trends:Salary.comWageweb.comAssociation of | | | | media response generated by your press |
| Research Libraries - Annual Salary | | | | releases.It can be difficult to attract |
| SurveyJobsmart.org2 - If you get hired as a | | | | attention to your cause or company's |
| reporter for almost any daily and/or many | | | | announcement.When you're starting out in PR. |
| weekly newspapers, you will probably have to | | | | Sometimes no matter how well your write a |
| cover municipal government and/or local | | | | release and/or how important - exciting - |
| school board meetings.These "official" weekly | | | | "newsworthy" - the information is, you will |
| monthly gatherings usually occur in the | | | | not get the attention of the media until they |
| evening and each session may last from an | | | | get to know you...You have to "break into" |
| hour to more than four hours.You may find | | | | your targeted markets by establishing |
| yourself bored to tears at times. You may | | | | contacts and developing relationships with |
| also feel confused by what transpires at | | | | editors/producers/reporters etc...DO NOT give |
| these meetings until you become more familiar | | | | up too quickly. Persistence usually pays off |
| with the agendas, personalities and practices | | | | in this game. |