Freelance Journalist – 5 Tips For Hiring A Good Freelance Journalist

As an editor or publisher looking to hire a good freelance journalist, you need to get involved in the hiring process if you want to ensure your chosen professional will add to your publication’s value.
To hire a good freelance journalist – the kind of writer who can deliver original, well researched articles to boost readership, draw in more advertising revenue and bump up sales for your publication with creative word play – read these 5 tips for hiring a freelance journalist.
5 Essential Qualities Of A Good Journalist – Does Your Chosen Freelance Fit The Bill? Check Here!
1. Good Work Ethics: it is important to hire an experienced journalist who is honest and can work with integrity because you don’t want your clients cheated or your publication value going down – the two factors responsible for dipping subscriptions and readership statistics. So, determine if your chosen freelance journalist practises good work ethics by a person by assigning him or her a trial assignment as a stringer before entering into a long-term contract for regular article writing. The freelance writer’s output in this mutually decided trial assignment period, based on quality, originality and strong communication skills, are usually good indicators of his or her professional commitment.
2. Affordable, Accessible and Knowledgeable: a good freelance journalist must deliver on all 3 aspects of quality content, which are affordability, accessibility and in-depth knowledge of subject area, or the beat assigned to him or her. Since the journalist will be handling a particular genre or industry if you are looking to hire a writer for regular assignments, it is advisable to hire a scribe who fits your budget, can be contacted easily for news stories or features with tight deadlines and is current with the latest developments in the field.
It is an asset if your chosen freelance journalist is also aware of recent amendments in journalism standards, can exercise journalistic freedom in presenting content that educates and builds public opinion but abides by the law so your publication is successful in its pricing model, editorials are organized and articles are current to the times!
3. Deadline oriented writer: in order to run a publication business well, financial, advertising, marketing and sales departments all need to be managed well. However, having the right editorial team in place, dependent chiefly on the quality of staff writers and freelance journalists on board, editors and publishers are free to ensure competent administration of other publication divisions, which improves a publication’s success ratio. One of the best ways to ensure this success is to hire freelance journalists that are deadline oriented, so choose a writer who has delivered quality articles on time during your trial assignment. Alternately, you can also request freelance journalists with strong portfolios or regular columnists to give references of Editors they have worked with so you can determine their level of commitment in sticking to editorial schedules (and guidelines!)
4. Handle Editorial review and criticism: a good freelance journalist needs to have an open mind-set in order to improve writing output, which means developing personal worth by building writing credentials and appreciating both negative and positive feedback on their writing. A writer who does not take rejections personally and can draw out the intrinsic value from editorial review or responds honestly but politely to reader or peer criticism is worth hiring because it is professional composure that helps a journalist file quality stories and take ownership of the printed copy – be it good, bad or ugly!
5. Pleasant personality: it is important to hire a freelance journalist who leads a well rounded life with a good balance of time given to personal health, cultivating an awareness of global issues besides being a person who actively nurtures hobbies and passions that boost his or her writing ability. A freelance writer with a pleasant personality and the above 4 essential qualities of a good journalist is a value addition to any publication seeking to hire staff writers – because a sense of personal achievement spurs professional success, ensuring quality output at work!
Make a smart hiring decision today!