A high proportion of the words that appear in print or broadcast media have been generated by freelances. Self employed writers maintain offices, generate copy, send the invoice, collect the fee, police the use of their material and, often, carry the can. In every respect they are running micro-businesses. Their clients are mainly large corporations who are dependent on them for material to publish. To survive in this asymmetry, each side needs to understand the problems faced by the other. This briefing will look at issues of pitching and negotiating, how to couch a proposal, what editors look for, how to negotiate the detail, secure terms and follow through to payment.

The speaker, Mike Harrison
Mike Harrison regards himself as a fraudulent member of the ABSW. Sure, he does write, and has done it for a living, with roles ranging from staff producer/director in BBC television to lonely freelance churning out news and features for radio, magazines and newspapers. And he does have a bit of science, with a Physics BSc and a chunk of career developing new ways of teaching the stuff. But the skeleton in his cupboard is the long periods he has spent in management, both in large corporations and in developing small, high-tech businesses – even a stint working inside that most fearsome of business organisations, a management consultancy.

Registration required:

Yes

Free:

No