Freelance question

I'm an intern at my local paper and recently finished writing a pretty lengthy article about a group of women coming to my city to race in this weekend's triathlon.

The feature story is basically about different things the women have overcome to race triathlons.

The question:
What is the ethical way to handle trying to turn this into a story I could freelance? Is there a way at all? The story will be published (after losing about 20 inches to fit in the paper) tomorrow. Is it ethical or legal to try and pitch the story to a magazine?

 

I have no answer for your question, but I have a few of my own.

You lost 20 inches? What was it to begin with? 85? 120? Longer?

 

It really depends on the paper's policy. I worked with a dude who would write big articles for the newspaper, then rewrite 'em and sell 'em to trade publications. At the time, management liked it, because people in the industry would see his name in trade publications and go "Hmm, guy knows his shit. And he works for The Springfield Shopper. Impressive." There was a metro editor I worked with who wrote all sorts of stuff for outsdoors magazines...but the deal was he couldn't write for magazines that circulated in the area. The key is to make sure that your paper publishes it first and you try to put it in magazines or newspapers outside the circulation area. I would ask your editor if you could try to sell it. Give him/her a sob story about being a poor intern. If he/she shoots you down, forget about it.

 

It was 88 to start with. A hell of an effort.

 

you could have saved about 40 inches and pitched a totally different angle to the magazines.

 

every paper I've worked for (all four of them) own every inch that is published. so depending on the policy of yours, there is your answer. you cant sell what you dont own, legally that is.

88 inches. good gawd. sounds like a three-part series.

 

That's what she said.

(sorry, the joke was just sitting there, begging to be made)

 

Recycling stories for freelance can be an easy way to make a few extra bucks. In my experience, there's always stuff you don't use in a 20-inch newspaper feature; if you're doing enough reporting, there always should be. You can rework it and flesh it out by adding details and quotes you didn't use for the paper. An extra hour's work can put a good chunk of change in your pocket.