Selling Your Work
Pitching, editors, freelancing, money
Writing is only half the work. The other half is selling. Simon's method: phone first, send second, and GET OFF THE PHONE. These pieces cover editors, pitching, rates, rights, and the uncomfortable practicalities of making a living from freelance work.
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Australian Defamation Law: A Working Journalist's Guide
This page is a plain-English working guide to Australian defamation law in 2026. It is not legal advice. If you are facing a specific...
The Freelancer's Business Guide
A freelance journalist is running a business. It is a very small business, usually a one-person business, often not incorporated, but it is...
What Should You Get Paid?
There is no fixed rate for freelance journalism in Australia. What you get paid depends on who commissioned you, how desperate they are...
Where to Pitch: Australian Publications That Commission Freelance Work
Simon's advice to freelancers started with one question: do you know who you are sending this to? Most pitches that failed, in his view...
Pitching and selling
How to Sell Your Article: Fast and Correctly
How to sell your article - fast and correctly I recommend strongly against 'query letters'. I hate them, as do all editors. You...
Where to Pitch: Australian Publications That Commission Freelance Work
Simon's advice to freelancers started with one question: do you know who you are sending this to? Most pitches that failed, in...
Which publication
Which publication should you target? Nobody can answer that question for you. If someone else picks your target and the editor...
Freelance business
Freelance Life: The Loneliness and the Money
Is freelancing lonely? Is the money bad? Yes and no. Every profession in the world - rock star, accountant, brain surgeon, actor...
What Should You Get Paid?
There is no fixed rate for freelance journalism in Australia. What you get paid depends on who commissioned you, how desperate...
The Freelancer's Business Guide
A freelance journalist is running a business. It is a very small business, usually a one-person business, often not incorporated...
Newsletters
Newsletters Newsletters are a real market for writers. Here is some useful background on the business of newsletters. Publishing...
More in Selling Your Work
Alliance union join
Alliance union join If you have joined the Alliance, you would be in the AJA section, the Australian Journalists' Association. It...
Australian Defamation Law: A Working Journalist's Guide
This page is a plain-English working guide to Australian defamation law in 2026. It is not legal advice. If you are facing a...
Broadsheets - tabloids
You ask about broadsheets and tabloids. Broadsheet newspapers are the 'big' ones like The Australian, The Sydney Morning Herald...
Chequebook Journalism
Chequebook journalism is a phrase that refers to news organisations paying for interviews. Network Nine and 60 Minutes are...
Choosing Your Target Publication
Always nominate a target publication At the top of your article, always say who this article has been written for. If you don't...
Contracts for Freelancers
You ask about the freelancer's contract. I know nothing about this so-called contract. I don't know why it's mentioned in the...
Copy-Typing
COPY-TYPING Here's a suggestion that most of my students ignore. Will you? Think carefully before you ignore this. As you know, I...
Editors, how to avoid their discouragement
Editors: how to avoid their discouragement You point out that your target publication has rules that preclude you sending-in an...
Email - contacting editors
Re contacting editors by email. Be careful. Editors receive so much junk email and spam, and so many viruses, they often delete...
Experience needed
Regarding employers say an applicant needs experience. This is a furphy. In every field of endeavour some people looking for work...
First drafts unacceptable
A 'draft' is a first or preliminary form of any writing, subject to revision and copying. If a student sends me a 'first draft'...
Freelance Pay Rates
National freelance rates Here's the information you asked for on the national freelancers' approved minimum rates recommended by...
Getting a Media Pass
Regarding your media pass. A media pass is like a badge of honor. You earned it. It's a possession you should be proud to have...
Getting a Reference
All references are nonsense but I will write you one IF . . . I am not happy to write references for those students who have not...
Ghost writer
Regarding 'ghost writers'. A ghost writer is someone who writes in another person's name. For instance, a newspaper might think...
Haggling With Editors
You ask about haggling over money. Well, my strong advice is don't haggle in the early days. It's more important to get published...
Handwriting
Handwriting . . . sorry, but your handwriting is nearly as bad as mine. Please don't handwrite ANYTHING. Type everything, even...
Invoice Form: An Example
This is a rough guide for how your invoice should look. Important: you must write 'Tax Invoice' at the top if you have an ABN...
Letters to editor
Letters to the editor from journalists It's good that journalists, like any other citizens, write letters to newspapers. But I...
Libel, defamation, slander
Defamation: slander and libel If you as a journalist defame someone, you do them the wrong of injuring their reputation without...
Magazines new ones
You MUST keep visiting newsagencies to see what new publications have come onto the market. This recent excellent article by the...
Market-study yours
'Study your market' means, if you're interested in writing about food, then study all the newspapers and magazines that have...
My target publications quiz
My Main Target Publications STUDENT's NAME ????????????????????????? Send Only With Your Next Assignment, Not By Itself Name of...
Newsagent
Me and my newsagent Little newsagencies, often combined with mixed businesses, won't be much use to you. They simply don't have...
Page Numbering: What Editors Demand
Page numbering as editors demand Your pages must be numbered correctly. If not numbered at all, or, if numbered the wrong way...
Plastic
Please send only sheets of paper, not any plastic stuff. Plastic! Cardboard! Some new freelancers make the mistake of using...
Publication Websites
Be careful if contemplating writing for a website or any e-zines. Most are dodgy, never pay and present themselves...
Queries What purpose
Regarding stupid, stupid query letters. Yes, I still remain resolutely opposed to them. I find them to be often my student's...
Simultaneous multiple submissions
SMS (simultaneous multiple submissions) Regarding simultaneous multiple submissions. This is where a freelance journalist sends...
Solicited
Regarding the expressions 'solicited' and 'unsolicited'. Firstly, try to get 'the dictionary habit' and look up unfamiliar words...
Speechwriting
Speechwriting Yes, I wrote speeches for other people for years. I worked for a speakers' bureau. I also wrote pieces to be...
Staple A4 size
Zz You MUST, please, present your work neatly and impressively, Zz. Whether you're sending material to me, an experienced editor...
Stringing
Regarding 'stringing'. Stringing means acting as a casual correspondent. You might live in a small town in the middle of your...
Sub-Editing: What It Is
You ask about sub-editing. A sub-editor is NOT the editor's assistant, or SUBstitute editor. A sub-editor is a journalist who...
Syndication: Selling Your Work Twice
Syndication in Australia I'm sorry, I have only disappointing information. Say you sell an article to The Daily Telegraph in...
Tax Deductions for Journalists
Tax deductions for journalists You should consider getting an ABN (Australian Business Number). Because of GST (the Goods and...
The Do's and Don'ts of Journalism
Do Not Return This Separately: Send Only With Your Next Assignment DOs and DON'Ts This does not count towards your qualification...
Top Tens: A Selling Format
Top tens By Simon Townsend Many publications love 'lists'. If you're creative and imaginative, you can write these with a little...
Traineeship Guidelines
Reprinted with permission from The Sydney Morning Herald website Fairfax editorial traineeships John Fairfax Ltd offers graduate...
What Editors Really Want From You
Editors: what they really want from you Editors are a hard-nosed, hard-hearted lot. The only aspects they remember about us...
Where to Pitch: Australian Publications Today
A guide to Australian publications that accept freelance contributions. The media landscape has changed dramatically. Here is...
Word limit-more,less
A word limit means just that: a limit. When you are instructed by your editor (or by your journalism journey or by an experienced...
Work Experience
Work Experience I do not like so-called 'work experience'. Firstly, it isn't 'work'. Almost no one will let you 'work' since the...
Writer's Marketplace book
One reason I can't help students select a publication to write for is because there's 10,000 titles on sale in Australia. I can't...