Last week I attended a freelance writer’s panel hosted by Feministing’s Courtney Martin. I’m a little late in posting on it, but I promised on my Feminist code of honor. I have always considered myself a writer, but in the two years since I graduated with a (expensive) BA in English, my decisions have led me into a totally unrelated field. And I’m miserable (my boss is also a totally bigoted, misogynistic, racist tool, but that’s another post). My job is a special kind of torture, so when I saw Courtney’s post I knew it was the perfect time to do something physical with my Feministing-addiction rather than let my work-life continue to send me into fits of nervous prostration.

So my partner and a friend of ours- all of us self-described writers- filed into the 92Y in Tribeca, an awesome new community center that offers a ton of workshops and artsy events that immediately spoke to my soul. The panelists featured were several young NY writers, Kimmi Auerback , Kate Torgovnick , Theo Ganji , Joie Jager-Hyman , and of course, Courtney Martin. They are all part of a writers group that meets every other week for 3 hours of wine, food, and critique- my kind of party. Job-woes had me desperate for answers, and the panel provided. It was like waking up. My pen couldn’t keep up with my ears. When Courtney listed feminist publications that pay, I was inviting some serious carpal tunnel. The information provided, in between laughs and useful anecdotes, was both supplementary and eye-opening.

Let me sum up:

• Freelancing is a lot of work. Its highs and lows require a special kind of fortitude. Kate Torgovnick expressed that some weeks she works so much that she cancels going out socially, while several months can go by without any serious money projects presenting themselves.


• If you want to write, you better write more than one genre, and you better have another gig or twenty: teaching, public speaking, consulting (non-profit feminist orgs, anyone?), blogging, editing, ghost writing. Props to all the Feministing ladies. This part made me appreciate you all so much more.


• When starting out it helps to have a cushion- unless you go into it without knowing the benefits of previous job security, i.e. it’s you’re first career move (FYI, Courtney, cube-culture is nothing to be jealous of!).


• Don’t be afraid to be bad. This one came from the phenomenal Kimmi Auerback, who described the rejection of her memoir’s first draft as both one of the most crushing and fortifying moments in her writing career. This is one I’ve heard a lot, but still can’t seem to shake the image of an editor sending my work back speared by a red pen. I’m resolving to be brave (although even writing this post makes me nervous).


• Learning to write a pitch is important. I don’t know how to do this yet. Ha. I’m all over it, though: there are classes you can take on Mediabistro , which the panel recommended. When it comes to whom to pitch your stuff to- Kate Torgovnick recommended the style and features editors of an applicable publication. Thinking up the ideas and being in touch with current media is a must. Always try to find a new stat or study to reference.

I left the meeting elated, got my copy of Perfect Girls, Starving Daughters signed by Courtney, and drank some Kosher wine as I vetted out my skimpy portfolio with my companions. Rather than drag this on waxing poetic about my passion for language, I’ll just say that I have a lot of writing to do.