A Key to Getting BIG Sports Interviews

From the outset, I'd like to say my idea of a big interview is somewhat smaller than what Rich Eisen would call a big interview. But, by using ProfNet, which I acess via PRNewswire.com, I have been able to get a number of quality interviews.


As a media user of ProfNet, you simply place a query requesting information on whatever your topic may be, and, in my experience, you will soon be inundated with top-quality lead on interviews. As I'm a freelance golf fitness writer (as well as many other facets of the golf world), I have been able to gain interviews from professional golfers, leading physicians, instructors, and fitness experts.

There's no charge for media access to ProfNet. If you're serious about writing, it's an indespensible tool.

Eschew Obfuscation in Sports Writing

In virtually all writing for public consumption, for that matter.

There are only a few things worse than trying to read the sports page or a sports-related magazine and discovering the sports writer thinks he's below quota on ten-dollar words. I want the sports. I may even want your opinion. I do not want to know the extent of your vocabulary. I think most readers are like me.

There are scholarly journals where "big words" are completely at home, but not in a column about how fans shouldn't boo Joe College after he's thrown his third interception in one game. I believe it's a fatal mistake for a writer, particularly a freelancer who doesn't have the security of a full-time position with the publication.

Just as you would take care to be grammatically correct, also know your audience and what they want or don't want.

Just one man's opinion.

The Most Common Writing Mistake

According to freelance writer extraordinaire, Bob Bly, the most common writing mistake you can make is not possessing a wide knowledge and deep understanding of your subject. He says, "...if you lack mastery of your topic, your writing willl be vague, unfocused and have little value, credibility, and authority."

To combat this, Bly says, among other things, you should simply educate yourself. If you're writing about something, anything, it generally means you have an interest in the subject, particularly if you are a freelancer. That being the case, it shouldn't be too difficult to deepen your knowledge.

After gaining the requisite knowledge of your subject, according to Bly, organize your content for maximum impact, make your subject clear to the reader, and polish your prose.

PoeWar.com

If you're looking for freelance, or full- or part-time writing work, have a look at the job search feature on PoeWar.com. The site has been around since 1999 and the job search engine appears to pull postings from all around the web. A simple search for "sports" turned up a huge amount of results.

There's also a section heading for "Sports Writing Jobs." This may very well be a go-to site for your freelance or other sports writing job hunt. It's free, which is always good.

From what I've seen, I'll give it a five-star recommendation. There's a reason it's been around for almost a decade.

Podcasting as Sportswriting?

If you're a regular user of Sportswriter HQ, you probably spend a considerable amount of time thinking of new and innovative ways to break into sportswriting, or at least to make some money from writing.

Consider podcasting. If not your own podcast, possibly writing for another sports-related podcast. It will take some research time to find some podcasts (which will be partially done for you in our next post here). Then, you'll need to contact the creator/publisher of the podcast to make your pitch to submit material.

It may be long shot, but it is at least worth a try, since podcasting, like blogging, isn't going away; only getting stronger and more widespread. In fact, it may be more to your benefit to create and publish your own podcast. A simple search for golf related podcasts has revealed a few, but not many, out there. I'm sure the same goes for many other sports.

Great Career Resource for Sports Writers

If you're looking for full- or part-time sportswriting employment, JobsInSports.com is a great place to look. It has a wide variety of job postings and, from the number of postings, is widely accepted and used by all forms of sports-related franchises, publications, organizations and businesses as a "go-to" place to post jobs.

It is a pay site, but from the look of it, it is well worth the money. A one-week trial (with some free bonuses included) is available for $9.95. A full membership, month-to-month, is $29.95; six months membership is $79; and a year can be had for $99.

Give it a look. By the way, this blog has no connection to JobsinSports.com. It just looks like a great site.

New E-book for Freelance Sportswriters

For those of you who may want to break into writing about sports, I have written an e-book about the process. The One Minute Golf Writer is a guide for starting a rewarding career as a freelance sportswriter. Although it is directed at people looking to write about golf, it is also perfect for any sports discipline, or any profession, for that matter.

It takes you from the beginning stages, answering such questions as "Who can become a freelance writer?," to "Can I write well enough?," to "How long will it take to begin making money?," plus many others.

The One Minute Golf Writer shows readers (and listeners; there's an audio CD, too) how to find work, the types of writing they can do, case studies, interviews with other writers, how much they might earn for different projects, and so on.

Have a look for yourself at www.oneminutegolfwriter.com.

Freelance Sports Writing Jobs, Week of May 19

1. Grant Writer for Sports Apparatus Invention
2. Sportswriters and Bloggers, several open positions
3. Fox Sports Writer/Preeditor
4. Sports Content Manager (NBC; New York)
5. Sports Writer
6. Fanatasy Sports site needs writers for various sports.
7. Fitness Website seeking writers.
8. Magazine Seeking Freelancers
9. Web-based, sports content writer
10. Sports history writer

Freelance Writer Not Afraid to Go Against the Grain

Here's a great example of a writer not being afraid to write something that flies in the face of conventional thought. WorldGolf.com writer Brandon Tucker has placed a somewhat new twist, certainly a forceful one, on why Tiger Woods is so successful. A well-written and well-supported article. Have a look at "It's the golf courses - not the lack of competition - that makes Tiger Woods unstoppable on the PGA Tour."

Don't be afraid to put forth your own opinion. Just do like Tucker has done, make sure to support your claims.

Finding Sportswriting Assignments

If you're a beginning freelancer, one of your first questions may be, "Where do I find sportswriting jobs/assignments?" There are several ways.

One way is to find a site like Suite101.com (discussed in an earlier post). Suite101.com is a large, general interest website with several sections, one of which is the Sports section. With Suite 101, and others like it, you can apply to become a writer. Pay for your work depends on revenue sharing from ads placed on your articles. The more traffic to your articles, the more money you should make. If you go this route, most of your income will come after you have built up a portfolio and traffic to your articles. There are sites that pay per article rather than the revenue share model. There are advantages to both. With Suite101.com, your main benefit, at least initially, is the legitimacy that writing for them will provide. That legitimacy will lead to other, higher paying jobs, with persistence, of course.

Another route you can take is with sites that let you bid on job postings. The website typically accepted as the best of these is Elance.com. On Elance, you join, post a profile and examples of your work (optional) and bid on writing or other projects that fit your interest and ability. As with anything, being selected for projects come more readily once you've established a good rating and a few completed projects. Most anytime, you can find sports-related projects that need good writers on Elance.

Whatever road you decide to take in beginning your freelance writing career, beware of avenues. For example, there are other job posting sites that aren't as respected as Elance. At Elance, you can join free of charge or pay for premium placement when bidding, and several other perks, which has the effect of weeding out low bidders (someone who offers to write full articles for $2 or $3 each, often possibly using programs that re-write the work of others quickly). Some other sites are more conducive to such people.

Most online writing will pay less than print publications, but it is financially worthwhile and your portfolio is growing all the while.

Here's a link to the articles I've written on Suite101.com, just to give you an idea of what can be done in a year - Golf Feature Writer Articles. I published nearly 100 articles last year, and that wasn't even near the top on Suite 101.