The Girl's Guide
Issue 108: This Just In! Freelancing Tips & More (feat. Ally Félise)
Hello and welcome back to The Girl’s Guide! If you missed the most recent issue, find it here.
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My Tips for Freelance Writing, Part II
In the last edition of The Girl’s Guide, I shared my advice for freelance article pitching. Today’s tips will be more wide-ranging. If you’ve ever dreamed of seeing your name in print (or, in this day and age, in pixels), it could be more attainable than you think. Here are three more tips to help you get published.
Timeliness Is Everything
There’s nothing worse for a journalist than realizing you thought of a great article idea — three days too late. Of course, there are plenty of topics you can write about that are evergreen, but the news is mostly about just that – what’s new. You could have the absolute best analysis of a presidential candidate’s speech, but if you’re sending your pitch a week after it happened, you’re probably going to be hearing crickets from editors.
That’s one of the biggest things you learn in the news business: it’s not about being best, it’s about being first. That can sound really intimidating to someone who’s not keeping up with the news 24/7, but it just means that if you have an idea, you shouldn’t overthink it. Keep a running list in your head of publications you’d like to write for. When you get an idea, write up a few bullet points to describe your article and send them to the publication that you think is the best fit. Believe me, there’s nothing worse than seeing that someone has already written the article you want to pitch.
Timeliness works in the opposite direction, too. If you have a personal story or niche topic you want to dive into, but there isn’t a new angle to catch reader’s attention, it’s best to wait. Personally, I think some things are interesting just because they’re interesting, but in the digital age, so-called news hooks are everything. An example of this could be education – let’s say you want to write an article about your experience in the public school system in your area. However, the article mainly hinges on your past experience – it’s the same story you could tell today or in five years. Instead of hurrying to pitch it, you’ll actually want to wait until there’s a “hot” education story you can tie into your article, like a school choice bill, teacher scandal, or annual report on district test scores. Then you can reach out to your local newspaper and share why your story offers insight into what’s happening right now.
Clean Copy Will Set You Apart
You MUST proofread both your pitch and the article you submit. Better yet, have a grammar Nazi friend proofread them for you. This is where services like Grammarly can come in handy. You don’t have to take every suggestion the service offers, but it’s nice to have something a little stronger than autocorrect to catch potential mistakes. A typo is the last thing you want, especially in your first pitch to an editor. Another pro tip I recommend: Google every idiom and colloquial phrase you want to use before you include it. You wouldn’t believe how many times I’ve looked something up and realized my memory was just a little off (or maybe I can blame my dad for enjoying malapropisms as humor for my entire childhood). It’s a little neurotic, but that’s just how I am.
If you turn in an article draft that’s clean (meaning no grammatical mistakes), logical, and contains hyperlinks to the sources you reference, then you’re automatically an editor’s dream. You may still receive edits to work on, but you’ll be on the right track. And that editor will think of you when similar assignments come along because they know you do good work.
Use All Available Resources to Connect with Sources
In many cases, you’ll want expert voices in your article. I highly recommend including the names of the experts you want to interview in your pitch. Social media makes it easier than ever to connect with people who are subject matter experts, but there are a few things you can do to make sure you have access to as many interesting interview subjects as possible. First, I highly recommend the platform Qwoted – it’s free for journalists and connects you with experts and publicists you may otherwise never encounter. Second, if you are hoping to dig deep into a topic, join several related Facebook groups. In order to find interview subjects for my recent home birth article, I posted in a private Facebook group for North Carolina home birth moms. I got more messages from women who wanted to share their stories than I could respond to. Don’t be afraid to share online about the topics you’re focusing on and ask anyone who can speak to those topics to get in touch with you! It will almost always be fruitful. Third, use a professional-seeming email address or social media account to send your interview requests. Now, I straddle the line on this one — I use the same personal email account I’ve had since high school for all my freelancing work. I have updated my avatar with a professional headshot, though! It’s not a particularly professional sounding email (it’s just my nickname and a bunch of numbers), but somehow that’s worked for me. Do as I say and not as I do on this one, because I still can’t believe I get responses to my cold emails. You don’t have to go out and buy a domain name, but creating a new email address that includes your full name and a keyword like writer or media could be useful (e.g., I should probably be using an email address like eviesolheimwrites[at]gmail.com).
So there you have it, three more tips for the aspiring freelance writer! Got questions about getting published? Send them to me by replying to this email.
Interview with Ally Félise
If you’ve ever dreamed of moving to New York City, then Ally Félise is the girl you need to know! In fact, she and her bestie Sydney share all about what they’ve learned living in the Big Apple on their podcast, This Just In. Check out the most recent episode on apartment hunting on Spotify! You can follow Ally on Instagram and TikTok, and keep up with This Just In on Instagram.
What does your life look like right now?
After graduating college, I started a full time job right away in New York City, but not your typical nine to five. I currently work on a morning news show, so my work schedule is usually from 3 am to 11am! It was definitely an adjustment to be on an alternate schedule compared to most of my friends and learn how to overcome the fear of missing out on a usual social life at night (since I have to go to bed so early). But I have loved the freedom and flexibility of being done with work much earlier in the day! In my afternoon time, I like to go on runs, create content for Instagram and TikTok, spend time with my church community, go to museums, explore the city, nanny, plan coffee dates with friends and mentors that I can learn from, and I even started a podcast with my best friend and roommate!
What inspired you and cohost Sydney to start This Just In podcast?
Sydney and I met in fourth grade and I am so thankful that we not only got to grow up together, but that we both ended up in New York City as well! We met at dance and have both always had very creative and entrepreneurial spirits, so this podcast was another fun way to collaborate on something together. All throughout elementary, middle school and even high school, we were always creating videos, coming up with new business ideas, planning photoshoots and being creative on social media. In college, we branched out to TikTok as well, and had so much fun sharing our lives in New York and capturing all of our college memories.
In June of 2021, we were both home for the summer in Michigan. Because we were about to enter our junior year of college, the questions began to flood in from everyone in our hometown about what we were going to do next, and especially our plans after graduating. It’s an understandable question, but we both felt paralyzed because we had no clue what kind of careers we wanted to pursue, and we felt the pressure to come up with solid life plans that we could tell people. It seemed like everyone else our age had it figured out, which inspired this idea that we should speak on — let’s normalize not having to have it “all together” while navigating career and life decisions in your early 20s.
We saw a podcast as a cool opportunity to share things that we have experienced throughout our 20s so far and lessons we learned while navigating through college. All of this is in hopes that it can relate to others, and maybe even offer some advice to those listening. Neither of us grew up with sisters, so we have always desired to be the “older sister” to other girls, similarly to how we looked up to so many “older dancers” at our dance studio growing up. We hope that when people listen, they will be encouraged, entertained and be able to take some bits of knowledge and comfort with them as well!
What's your advice to a young woman who wants to make the most out of her college years?
Say yes to everything! Even better, seek out opportunities, even if they feel too big or out of reach, because the worst answer you can get is “no!” And even then, why not try again? I learned this from a mentor during an internship in college, and the way that this person taught me to not be afraid to ask to be a part of things has forever changed my perspective in life. I also went to a college that didn’t have a campus (we were in an office building in the Financial District), so I had to learn more than ever how to put myself out there in terms of career opportunities, and even in creating relationships with people. Although I still had an instant community when I walked into my school building, I don't think that I would have left college with the lifelong friends I have now if I hadn’t reached out to people intentionally. So to that, I would say to invest in those around you and try to pour into a community of people, whether that's church, a run club or through a job. Even if it may feel hard to do or like it is only a very temporary time in your life, creating a network around you is so important, and you never know how relationships can become fruitful even many years down the line.
How would you describe your sense of style?
If I am not going for a run or quickly grabbing groceries in my sweats, I think that I will always lean towards a business casual look. My job in college had a business professional dress code, and my school had a business casual dress code, so it was normal to be wearing heels with a business dress or a blazer just about every day, and it has definitely still stuck with me. Even if I’m leaning towards the more casual side, I still love feeling put together. For me that looks like wearing a blazer and jeans, or slacks and quickly throwing on a button down.
What's a passion or hobby you have that surprises people?
Something that I love to do in my free time is go to dance classes! I was classically trained in ballet from the ages of 3 to 18, which a lot of people are surprised to hear. Even more surprising is that I was a theater kid all growing up and did many musicals and plays in my lifetime. Although I didn't pursue a career or go to college for dance or musical theater specifically, theater and dance will always be a huge part of me, even if it is just a hobby for now. I find so much joy singing and dancing and acting, and I hope to always find ways to still exercise those creative muscles because it is so embedded in who I am.
The Haps
Was a Former DC Top Chef Spying for Russia?
This story is crazy from start to finish. Respected Russian restaurant Mari Vanna, which recently closed, employed an executive chef named Vitalii Kovalev a decade ago. He’s since been unmasked as an alleged Russian spy who may have been a key player in diplomats reporting symptoms of “Havana Syndrome,” The Washingtonian reports. Read more here.
Telling Detransitioners’ Stories
I had the absolute privilege of interviewing my friend Mary Margaret Olohan in Evie Magazine about her new book. In Detrans: True Stories of Escaping the Gender Ideology Cult, Mary Margaret reveals the common threads of evidence-blind medical professionals, early pornography exposure, and social media comparison that detransitioners say led to their confusion. Many of them have altered their bodies in ways they’ll never be able to reverse. Read my interview with Mary Margaret here.
Here are more links to what I’m reading this week:
Where Did All the Harrison Fords Go?: Just as women’s body image has been warped by Hollywood and social media, so has men’s,
writes.From Manic Pixie Dream Girl To Happy Homemaker: How Meeting My Husband Healed My Life: Freda Donnelly shares the story of a change for the better in Evie Magazine.
Cabrini and the Holy Beauty of Feminine Strength: Alina Clough reviews the newest film from Angel Studios.
Netflix’s ‘Love Is Blind’ will feature a woman military veteran: You better believe I’ll be tuning into DC’s season of Love is Blind.
Bulletin Board
ISO HOUSING/ROOMMATES STARTING MAY 1: “Hi there! My name is Hannah, I’m 29, and originally from Charleston, SC. I do digital for Senator Marco Rubio. I love all things US history, exploring the city AND neighboring states, and trying new iced coffee places! I’m a clean, organized, and respectful roommate. I love to hang out with my roommates or have a night to myself in my room. My budget is $1200 max. I prefer the Cap Hill area and Navy Yard in DC but am open to Arlington/Alexandria. I’m looking for a place to live starting May 1 but am flexible with my timeline."
Reply to this email or email Evie at girlygirlsguidetodc@gmail.com to get connected with Hannah.
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New Merch Alert
Sarah Selip at 917 Strategies has done it again with her new “Wear Pink Talk Politics” hat! Check out 917’s entire merch shop as well as the 917 Strategies x The Girl’s Guide collab. Use promo code GIRLSGUIDE15 to get 15% off your mug, tote bag, or sticker! And be sure to tag me in any photos of your merch you post online.
EVIE thank you for linking my Harrison Ford piece ♡⸜(˶˃ ᵕ ˂˶)⸝♡
Thank you for your incredible tips! I also really appreciate you linking my article. 🤍