ASBPE’s “Solopreneur: Exploring the Business of Contract Journalism” is a 10-part webinar series, plus additional resources, that dives into the business side of freelance and contract journalism. During this series, we’ll cover key considerations and steps to launch, build, and sustain a successful contract journalism business. Topics will include:
- Transitioning from full-time staff to solo freelancer
- Determining your services and niche
- Creating a business plan
- Meeting federal and state business regulations and requirements
- Researching and setting rates
- Finding contract jobs, crafting contracts and negotiating rates
- Mastering project and time management
- Pitching stories to editors and working together without a hitch
- And much more!
Join this journey toward Solopreneur success, whether you’ve been a freelancer for most of your career or you’re a staffer just starting to think about this transition. This series will advance your knowledge about starting and building your freelance business, offer tools and strategies to help grow and scale your approach, and provide continuing education and improvement opportunities for our more seasoned contract journalists.
We’ll leave plenty of time for questions during each webinar, so come prepared, and keep an eye out for blogs and other resources we’ll be adding throughout the series, too.
Webinar registration and accompanying resources are free for ASBPE members, and $10 per webinar for non-members.
Solopreneur Webinar Series
Is “Freelancer” a Dirty Word? Considerations for Launching a Contract Journalism Career
Join professional contract journalists Diane Sears, Founder and President of DiVerse Media and author of Tapping Your Inner Entrepreneur: Making the Move from Employee to Business Owner, and Jen A. Miller, award-winning freelance writer and author of the Notes from a Hired Pen newsletter and ebook series, as we dive into the business of contract journalism in the first webinar of our Solopreneur Series.
In this engaging Q&A, Jen and Diane will:
- Explain who’s transitioning to contract journalism and why
- Explore the key considerations for making the transition from publication staff to solopreneur
- Examine what to research before you even begin a transition, including your new title and how to determine your services
Moderated by ASBPE Vice President and Founder/Chief Content Officer of Bantamedia, Brooke Bilyj, our speakers will lay the groundwork for our Solopreneur series and celebrate the importance of freelancers in our industry–whether you call yourself freelancers, contract journalists, indie journos, savvy solopreneurs or something else entirely. We’ll leave plenty of time for questions during the webinar, so come prepared.
Registration is free for ASBPE members, and $10 for non-members. Register by Sept. 4 to attend.
Solopreneur Workshop: A Checklist for Your Transition
Join professional contract journalists Diane Sears, Founder and President of DiVerse Media and author of Tapping Your Inner Entrepreneur: Making the Move from Employee to Business Owner, and Jen A. Miller, award-winning freelance writer and author of the Notes from a Hired Pen newsletter and ebook series, as we workshop a smooth transition from a publication staffer to independent contract journalism business. We’ll walk through a checklist that covers every step of the transition, from creating a business plan, to researching and setting rates, to addressing federal and state business regulations and requirements.
Moderated by ASBPE Vice President and Founder/Chief Content Officer of Bantamedia, Brooke Bilyj, this interactive workshop-style webinar will help aspiring freelancers navigate this transition to launch their own business. We’ll leave plenty of time for questions, so come prepared.
Registration and accompanying resources are free for ASBPE members, and $10 per webinar for non-members. Register by Sept. 18 to attend.
Stay tuned as we announce the remaining webinars.
Solopreneur Resources
Stay tuned for incredible resources built for freelance and contract journalists by fellow contract journalists, including:
- Staffer to Freelancer Transition Checklist
- One-Page, Simple Business Plan Template
- Tools for Freelancers
- A Guide to LinkedIn for Freelancers
- A Guide for Optimizing Portfolios & Websites
- Sample Contracts
- Tips for Pitching to B2B Editors
- And more!