How to Land Freelance Gigs as a Sports Writer

A few years ago there were very few resources out there to help beginning freelance writers get into the gig economy. Sports writing, in particular, was a hard industry to get a foot in the door. We have developed a five-step program to help beginners land their first online writing or editing jobs. Here’s what you need to know:

Follow Your Favorite Sports Writers

A great way of not feeling a sense of confusion or isolation getting freelance writing jobs in the sports market is to get to know what successful writers in this area write about. There are human interest stories, biographies, journalistic reporting and many more areas you might find interesting. Identify the writers you admire the most and start following them online. You can learn a lot by imitating their style in the process of developing your own.

Research the Sports Writing Industry

You should ask yourself the question, “What do people want to read about when they read about sports?” It might not be as clear and simple as an answer as you think. There are thousands of different perspectives and approaches when it comes to sports online writing jobs and it’s your job to carefully research what is actually getting published on a regular basis. If you want to work for a specific online site, then have a look at its past years’ worth of material to learn what it is looking for.

Keep Communicating with Your Network

If you have managed to submit questions or solicit advice from your favorite writers and editors, it’s important to stay in touch. Follow and repost their material and don’t hesitate to chime and comment on their pieces. Building a network can help you learn about writing and editing jobs opportunities that you might otherwise never have learned about without staying in constant communication with your support group. Stay active in the industry and your name will be more easily recognized.

Maintain a Portfolio of Your Best Work

Having a portfolio ready is an essential way of sharing your work in a convenient manner. But you should never leave it for months without properly updating it with your best work. Before you start building a successful sports writing jobs career you might need to submit works without pay. These can be used to develop a strong portfolio, but you need to keep updating that portfolio with your best work. Our advice is that you do so every three months and that you keep doing it after landing your first gigs.

Submit Your Work to Local Sports News

Now, it’s time to get started! There is no need to think about finding national success just yet when you have a great opportunity to start your freelance writing jobs career locally. High school games are a great source of the material you use to start writing and submitting pieces at the local level. Go to games and develop your knack for journalistic sports writing. Eventually, your fan base can grow beyond the local level, especially if your local teams start winning and getting recognized by a wider audience.

Need more advice on landing online writing jobs in the field of sports? Want to find out more about buying an essay online? Send us a message and we’ll point you to resources and hook you up with a quality writing consultant. We’re always excited about assisting developing writers to find success in the areas they like the most.

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