{"id":4753,"date":"2020-05-26T18:04:15","date_gmt":"2020-05-26T22:04:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fm.hunter.cuny.edu\/journalism\/?p=4753"},"modified":"2021-10-14T09:40:45","modified_gmt":"2021-10-14T13:40:45","slug":"alumni-news-great-freelancing-expectations-and-realities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fm.hunter.cuny.edu\/journalism\/index.php\/2020\/05\/26\/alumni-news-great-freelancing-expectations-and-realities\/","title":{"rendered":"Alumni News: Great (Freelancing) Expectations &#8230; And Realities"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/fm.hunter.cuny.edu\/journalism\/wp-content\/uploads\/maxresdefault-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4754\" srcset=\"https:\/\/fm.hunter.cuny.edu\/journalism\/wp-content\/uploads\/maxresdefault-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/fm.hunter.cuny.edu\/journalism\/wp-content\/uploads\/maxresdefault-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/fm.hunter.cuny.edu\/journalism\/wp-content\/uploads\/maxresdefault-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/fm.hunter.cuny.edu\/journalism\/wp-content\/uploads\/maxresdefault-760x428.jpg 760w, https:\/\/fm.hunter.cuny.edu\/journalism\/wp-content\/uploads\/maxresdefault-380x214.jpg 380w, https:\/\/fm.hunter.cuny.edu\/journalism\/wp-content\/uploads\/maxresdefault-576x324.jpg 576w, https:\/\/fm.hunter.cuny.edu\/journalism\/wp-content\/uploads\/maxresdefault-1152x648.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/fm.hunter.cuny.edu\/journalism\/wp-content\/uploads\/maxresdefault-800x450.jpg 800w, https:\/\/fm.hunter.cuny.edu\/journalism\/wp-content\/uploads\/maxresdefault-1156x650.jpg 1156w, https:\/\/fm.hunter.cuny.edu\/journalism\/wp-content\/uploads\/maxresdefault-165x93.jpg 165w, https:\/\/fm.hunter.cuny.edu\/journalism\/wp-content\/uploads\/maxresdefault-372x209.jpg 372w, https:\/\/fm.hunter.cuny.edu\/journalism\/wp-content\/uploads\/maxresdefault-744x419.jpg 744w, https:\/\/fm.hunter.cuny.edu\/journalism\/wp-content\/uploads\/maxresdefault.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>Angely Mercado (above), <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=1LO5x35LsoY\">featured on Now This<\/a>, speaking to her experience as a freelancing Latinx writer.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Hunter Journalism alum Angely Mercado is paying it forward by writing about her experience freelancing, getting work published in the New York Times \u2014 and how it <em>didn\u2019t<\/em> change her life.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mercado, an undergraduate student journalism Aronson Award winner who graduated in 2015, then went on to the CUNY Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, has been posting regularly on <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/medium.com\/@AngelyMercado\" target=\"_blank\">Medium<\/a> in recent months, offering advice on how to freelance post-grad and about her experience writing for her dream publication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the article \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/medium.com\/the-post-grad-survival-guide\/how-to-freelance-after-graduating-without-losing-your-damn-mind-aa69fb434f0c\">How to freelance after gr<\/a><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/medium.com\/the-post-grad-survival-guide\/how-to-freelance-after-graduating-without-losing-your-damn-mind-aa69fb434f0c\" target=\"_blank\">a<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/medium.com\/the-post-grad-survival-guide\/how-to-freelance-after-graduating-without-losing-your-damn-mind-aa69fb434f0c\">duating without losing your damn mind<\/a>,\u201d Mercado breaks down the freelancing lifestyle into three parts:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Set realistic goals for yourself.<\/li><li>Join a network of like-minded individuals and journalists.<\/li><li>Have more than one hustle.&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>In order to set yourself up for success when freelancing, having manageable goals and expectations will help. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cA week after I finished my undergrad, I sat down in front of my then-new Macbook and told myself I was going to make a ton of money writing,\u201d wrote Mercado. \u201cBut at the time I had no idea how to even do that.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote has-text-align-center is-style-large is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\u201c[E]very writer starts somewhere, even if it means getting paid only $20 or $30 for a blog post.&#8221;<\/p><cite>\u2014 Angely Mercado<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Mercado suggests that it may take a while to get a pitch accepted from a major publication, \u201cBut every writer starts somewhere, even if it means getting paid only $20 or $30 for a blog post,\u201d she said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Staying in touch with classmates or other networks of journalists can also keep you motivated while searching for that byline. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cConnecting with other writers, especially those who can give some advice on how to get out of a rut, is an invaluable resource during that first year of post-grad life,\u201d said Mercado.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Freelancing pre-coronavirus could already be a lonely experience while working from home and feeling pressure to optimize every moment for writing. But Mercado suggests finding writers groups online to share the \u201chighs and lows\u201d of the business with.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, having more than one part-time job can take away the financial pressure of freelancing as your sole gig. She added that having a side hustle could even provide excellent material one day for a story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>On writing for the New York Times<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Growing up in Queens, Mercado wrote about how she always felt a connection to The New York Times. The publication was in the background of everything she did; steps away from her studies at the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism, and one of its auditoriums the site of her graduation ceremony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Landing an assignment with the Times didn\u2019t happen right away. Mercado wrote how networking with a series of editors led her to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2020\/04\/16\/parenting\/community-child-raising.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">write a personal essay<\/a> on how her community in Ridgewood helped with neighbors&#8217; child care.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote has-text-align-center is-style-large is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>\u201cOne good byline does not usually make or break a writer\u2019s entire career. So many of our favorite writers and artists have a list of failures behind them.\u201d<\/p><cite>\u2014 Angely Mercado<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Being able to pitch what you know, and putting yourself out there are some of the most important things, added Mercado. Demystifying popular publications can also help you stay on track. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt takes time and learning well-known publications, but that doesn\u2019t mean you shouldn\u2019t try to aim for them,\u201d she said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While accumulating clips (in school or otherwise), apply for internships as soon as you can, she suggests. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTry to get an internship at a publication and if that isn\u2019t possible for you (you can\u2019t find a paid opportunity, don\u2019t have enough experience yet, or are unsure about how to find one yet), try to send work to a school publication,\u201d wrote Mercado in <a href=\"https:\/\/medium.com\/publishous\/how-my-writing-was-finally-published-in-the-new-york-times-8270e841433d\">her piece<\/a> \u201cHow My Writing Was Finally Published in the New York Times.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/fm.hunter.cuny.edu\/journalism\/wp-content\/uploads\/Webp.net-resizeimage-15.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-4756\" width=\"581\" height=\"286\" srcset=\"https:\/\/fm.hunter.cuny.edu\/journalism\/wp-content\/uploads\/Webp.net-resizeimage-15.png 494w, https:\/\/fm.hunter.cuny.edu\/journalism\/wp-content\/uploads\/Webp.net-resizeimage-15-300x148.png 300w, https:\/\/fm.hunter.cuny.edu\/journalism\/wp-content\/uploads\/Webp.net-resizeimage-15-380x187.png 380w, https:\/\/fm.hunter.cuny.edu\/journalism\/wp-content\/uploads\/Webp.net-resizeimage-15-165x81.png 165w, https:\/\/fm.hunter.cuny.edu\/journalism\/wp-content\/uploads\/Webp.net-resizeimage-15-372x183.png 372w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 581px) 100vw, 581px\" \/><figcaption>A photograph taken by Mercado from inside the New York Times building, after she graduated from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY in 2016.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>There is life after writing for Times<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>In <a href=\"https:\/\/medium.com\/swlh\/writing-for-the-new-york-times-was-amazing-but-it-didnt-change-my-life-1eadc2bc8030\">her essay<\/a>, \u201cWriting for the New York Times was Amazing, But it Didn\u2019t Change My Life,\u201d Mercado keeps an optimistic tone on how freelancers move from one job to the next. In the end, Mercado confesses that publishing work in The New York Times is just another part of the job. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI had finally reached a somewhat life-long goal,\u201d she said. &#8220;And I felt the same.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mercado added that \u201cone good byline does not usually make or break a writer\u2019s entire career. So many of our favorite writers and artists have a list of failures behind them.\u201d&nbsp; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She also mentioned that some writers may never achieve their career milestone and that\u2019s ok. \u201cHaving a tangible byline is one way to get your next byline,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSo before I completely give up on my other career milestones, I think I\u2019ll send out another pitch,\u201d wrote Mercado. \u201cIt might get rejected. The editor might accept it. But that\u2019s ok. I\u2019ll send it anyway.\u201d&nbsp;<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For more writing tips and tricks from Mercado, sign up for her<strong> <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/mediamercado.substack.com\/\">newsletter<\/a><strong> <\/strong>or <a href=\"https:\/\/medium.com\/@AngelyMercado\">read through<\/a> her long list of other helpful Medium articles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>[Editor&#8217;s Note: For tips and advice on freelance, see our recent report, &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/fm.hunter.cuny.edu\/journalism\/index.php\/2020\/05\/26\/grabbing-a-virtual-coffee-how-to-freelance-during-covid-19\/\">Grabbing a Virtual Coffee: How to Freelance During COVID-19<\/a><\/em>.&#8221;<em>]<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hunter Journalism alum Angely Mercado is paying it forward by writing about her experience freelancing, getting work published in the New York Times \u2014 and how it didn\u2019t change her life. Learn how she views the freelancing lifestyle.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":4754,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[86,1,18],"tags":[168,169,124],"class_list":["post-4753","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-career-opportunities","category-homepage_news","category-journalism-program-news","tag-freelancing","tag-new-york-times","tag-newmark-graduate-school-of-journalism"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fm.hunter.cuny.edu\/journalism\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4753","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fm.hunter.cuny.edu\/journalism\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fm.hunter.cuny.edu\/journalism\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fm.hunter.cuny.edu\/journalism\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fm.hunter.cuny.edu\/journalism\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4753"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/fm.hunter.cuny.edu\/journalism\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4753\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5266,"href":"https:\/\/fm.hunter.cuny.edu\/journalism\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4753\/revisions\/5266"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fm.hunter.cuny.edu\/journalism\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4754"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fm.hunter.cuny.edu\/journalism\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4753"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fm.hunter.cuny.edu\/journalism\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4753"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fm.hunter.cuny.edu\/journalism\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4753"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}