Freelancing question

I think "working on a story for" [Insert Publication Here] is much better than saying "with."

 

Hi, I'm Joe Blow and I'm with Lawn Darts Illustrated is how I would go about it.

Sorry, reformedhack, but I'm also a plagiarist and a thief and I couldn't resist stealing some of your wonderful thunder with this publication.

 

I freelanced a gig the other night and introduced myself to the coach as "Hello, I"m Phil and I'm stringing for the Punxsutawney Press." The coach, knowing that his local newspaper regularly used stringers for road games was more than accommodating for what I needed. I think in certain situations, you can tell them you're a stringer and it doesn't mean any less to your subject matter.

 

I think the best method depends on what you're doing. When I write features, I do the "I'm JPsT, and I'm working on a story for Horseshoes Quarterly." If you're stringing a high school game and saying hello to the coach before the game, "I'm here for the Podunk Press" to make sure they know you're the 'hometown' guy. At a news conference where you have to say your name and outlet, no need to do anything more than "JPsT, Darts Digest."

 

I usually say: "Hey, this is Lupica, you fuckin' know who I am, right? Start talking."

 

Another reason to mention that you're freelance (besides complete honesty) is that it sometimes enables you to mention other places you've written. A strong track record will sometimes compel a source to prioritize your interview request. In addition, a smart source will realize that if they talk to a freelancer, the connection might afford future opportunities to be quoted/interviewed in other publications.