Its time for the next once daily chic inspirational interview! This week I'm talking with writer & editor Jodie Mcleod. Jodie and i met a little while back and i worked with her on the page i styled for Complete Wedding magazine. I found her answers so interesting as its a field i don't have much insight into. She also shares some of the trials & tribulations of working solo, which i can totally relate to! if your self employed you should check out the website she edits 'Flying solo'. Hope you enjoy our chat as much as i did.
Name:
Jodie Mcleod
Age:
30
Job
description/ Role:
Freelance writer and editor; currently
editor of the website Flying Solo, Complete Wedding Sydney magazine, Cheap Eats Sydney 2011-12, and the
soon-to-be published bookazine, Shop Like
a Chef.
Educational
background:
I went to high school in Wagga Wagga (Kooringal
High) and uni at University of Wollongong, Bachelor (Hons) Creative Arts
(Creative Writing).
Does
what you studied at university relate to what you currently do?
Kind of but not really… I always wanted to
write, which is why I did my degree, but quickly realised that writing fiction
for a living wasn’t going to happen straight away. I needed a bit of money
behind me first, and so I got into the kind of writing that makes money (well, some
at least!) – which is journalism. My degree didn’t really relate exactly. I
wrote short stories for four years – fiction, not journalistic articles – although
I did do two subjects in journalism and editing during the degree. That was my
only insight into the world of magazines and feature writing, and I liked it. I
liked telling stories. University basically taught me how to tell a good yarn.
If
not, how did you learn the skills required to do what you do?!
I learnt how to write features by reading
them in newspapers and magazines. I read a lot – and when I liked something, I
worked out what the writer had done to make it good, and I tried to emulate
that. Even now, when I read the paper, I often focus on the writing techniques
and who the journalist is more so than the subject of the article! I also learnt by getting a job in the
industry and slowly, very slowly, learning the ropes.
What
was your first job out of uni? and/or did you work in the industry during
your degree?
After my degree I went on a work-experience
binge – one week at one magazine, the next week at another. All were magazines
that I ideally wanted to work for (arty, music-related magazines). I think I
did work experience at four magazines before applying for my first job as a
writer for a B2B magazine for the human resources industry. (I had to look up
“human resources” in the dictionary before writing my application – that’s how
little I knew about it!)
I didn’t work in the industry during my
degree, so I was fairly lucky to land a job straight out of uni. The reason I
got that first job was because they asked me to write a feature article as part
of the application process – and it must have been okay.
What
advice would you give others wanting to get into the writing or magazine industry?
Wow, there’s so much advice I could give!
Work experience is really the key. Focus on the publishing company or magazine
you want to write for, and try to land a work-experience gig there. Not only
will you make connections and have the chance to make an impression on future
employers – you’ll get to see what the office is really like, and what the
people are like. It’s such a massive transition moving into full-time work, and
if the environment is not supportive, you have to question if it’s really
something you want to get yourself into long term. I know “beggars can’t be
choosers” when you desperately want a job after uni – but make sure it’s the
right fit for you in more respects than just the magazine content.
Essentially, you need to offer to do work
for a magazine for free first (note: this industry is very tight!), just until
they know you and trust you; and if you’re good, they will come back to you
with a position or with freelance work. It’s in an employer’s best interests to
hire someone who already knows the way the office works and who gets along with
the team than risk employing someone who might not fit.
The other entry point is to freelance for a
magazine first – but it’s so much harder to get on an editor’s side early in your
career when a) they haven’t met you in person, and b) you haven’t got a
portfolio of published work yet. An editor is more likely to choose freelancers
they or their work colleagues know than to take on a fresh-out-of-uni
freelancer. Again – with freelancing – a possibly entry
point is to offer to write something for free first (especially if the magazine
is on an insanely tight budget), or at least on spec, so the editor can gauge
your passion and skill. And if they like you, they’ll come back to you.
Did
you start off doing freelance writing while you worked full time?
Yes. No matter what job I’ve had, I’ve
always freelanced on the side, which can make for very long working days! I
pitched a lot, and got rejected a lot, but the key is not to take rejections
personally. There are so many reasons why an editor might not take on your idea
– maybe they’ve got all the writers they need, maybe their budget is too small
and they’re embarrassed to say, or maybe your idea wasn’t the right fit for the
magazine. Try to find out, in any case, but otherwise – take rejections on the
chin.
Now
you are freelance, who are you clients & how do you find them?
My days are taken up editing Flying Solo and Complete Wedding, and I am only just
beginning to find a bit of time for some more freelance writing. For me, the
way it works is: I have an idea, I think about what magazine might publish that
idea, then I pitch that idea to the editor or deputy – whoever the
decision-maker is. Sometimes you have to find out through a few emails and
phone calls who is the best person to pitch to.
In the past I’ve developed relationships with some
editors who then would give me a constant stream of work – which is fabulous if
freelancing is your full time job. This is what you aim for in that situation –
to build those reliable contacts and relationships that will ensure a steady
flow of work.
How
have you marketed yourself & your work?
I have some wonderful friends (Tim Lucas and Carla
Hackett) who have helped me build a website (www.byjodiemcleod.com), which shows sample of my work, and also who helped me design business
cards. These have come in handy.
I attempted to start a blog, which is an excellent
tool for writers nowadays to promote themselves, but I have found it difficult
to keep it running since I work so much! The best promotion for me has been
getting my name into bylines and magazines as much as possible, and being able
to recognise where those bylines/magazines can take me – “If I get that byline
then it might make me more attractive to that editor, and if I get in that
magazine I’ll get a foot in over there,” and so on. You can keep side stepping
up the ladder (or to wherever you want to get) by doing that. I used to try and promote myself as an arts writer,
but there are so many more interesting things to write about – I didn’t want to
constrict my expertise in the end.
What
is your favorite part about running your own business?
I have always been a very solo worker, which is not
to say I can’t work in a team, but I’ve always thrived when working on my own.
I’m my own boss, which I like, but I have very high expectations of myself, so
if I don’t perform – the boss gets angry! I find I have a greater desire to
meet my own expectations than those imposed on me by someone else. And I love working from my beautiful home!
With spots like this to sit & gain inspiration from, its no wonder jodie likes working from home!
What
is the hardest part?
There have been times freelancing when the
work hasn’t flowed in, and that can make you feel a bit panicky. Then there
have been other times when the workload is so big and deadlines so tight that
you wish you had a no-surprises, nine-to-five job. It’s learning how to deal
with those peaks and troughs that can be hard.
What
does your schedule on a typical day look like?
I’m a morning person, so I’ll get up early and sit
at my desk at 7am, have a half hour lunch break, then knock off around 3.30pm.
But sometimes I’ll break up my day with a bit of exercise or odd jobs. Some days I have to commute to Sydney (from the
Blue Mountains), so my weeks have a lot of variety.
Do
you ever get writer’s block? Any tips on conquering it?
I haven’t really had writer’s block when writing
features, because there’s always a story to tell. There’s always a place to
start. Certainly I’ve had it with fiction writing, though – and it’s all to do
with confidence. You just have to accept that you’re going to write pages of
shite before you get to the good stuff, and in accepting that, you can usually
break past the writer’s block barrier.
Who
or what inspires you?
Without wanting to sound soppy, my husband, Pete,
inspires me – his enthusiasm for life, his work ethic, his creativity and
humour are pretty incredible. I get inspiration from reading writers I love (non-fiction
and fiction), or by listening to interesting interviews with fascinating
people. The other way I get inspiration is by running – I love running on
tracks and trails in the Blue Mountains. I find it clears the mind, and you can
really nut out an idea just by putting one foot in front of the other, getting
your heart rate up and getting out into nature.
Any
favorite websites/blogs/magazines?
I religiously read the Good Weekend and Spectrum
sections of The Sydney Morning Herald every
Saturday. I like a big, meaty features. I’m also really into podcasts at the
moment – Richard Fidler’s interviews on Radio National are fabulous.
What
would be your dream writing job?
Any job that allows me to talk with and tell the
stories of interesting people.
Where
would you like to see yourself in 10 years?
In a similar position to where I am now, but with
more feature writing.
And
outside of work what do you love to do in your downtime?
So many things… Running, spending time with family and friends, eating good food, drinking good wine,
writing music, yoga, travelling…
and climbing cliff faces by the looks of it!
Drink
of choice?
It’s winter, so I’m really into red wine at the
moment. In summer, it’s sparkling and good quality chardonnay.
