As someone who’s been fully sustaining myself as a freelancer for over two years, I’m all too familiar with the struggle of finding the right publications to submit to. Over the years, I’ve pitched and submitted to over 100 publications. A small portion of my submissions have been accepted, and many have been flatly rejected. But the vast majority have been completely ignored.They’re currently seeking pitches from freelancers regarding recent scientific studies that address sexual wellness, sex education, and relationships. They also welcome advice articles and personal essays. Some examples of recent articles include “How the Menstrual Cycle Affects Libido” and “4 Types of Intimacy to Get Close to a Partner.”After losing 11 pounds and lots of cries and screaming (job hunting is stressful and it is okay to admit that), I finally got 4 offers within 2 months of being laid off. 3 of those offers were from companies that I have never dreamed of joining: Twitter, Lyft, and Airbnb (where I ultimately joined) and another offer from a healthcare startup. By the end of two frenzied months, I had received a total of 10 interviews, 4 onsite interviews, and 4 job offers, giving me a 40% TPS-to-onsite rate and 100% onsite-to-offer rate.
I wrote this blog because I know how overwhelmed I was. There is so much to prepare for interviews. I hope this post has made things clearer for other data specialists out there in need of work, and if you want more advice feel free to contact me here. I am grateful to now be working in a great job, and I would be happy to help you get there too!
It took me too long to realize that often when they were ignored, it wasn’t because of low quality, but because the publication simply wasn’t seeking freelance submissions at the time.
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/a-v-j1.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/a-v-j2.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/a-v-j3.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/a-v-j4.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/a-v-j5.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/a-v-j6.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/a-v-j7.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/a-v-j8.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/a-v-j9.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/a-v-k1.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/a-v-k2.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/a-v-k3.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/a-v-k4.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/a-v-k5.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/a-v-k6.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/a-v-k7.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/n-v-o1.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/n-v-o2.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/n-v-o3.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/n-v-o4.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/n-v-o5.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/n-v-o6.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/n-v-o7.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/n-v-o8.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/n-v-o9.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/n-v-p1.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/n-v-p2.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/n-v-p3.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/n-v-p4.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/n-v-p5.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/n-v-p6.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/n-v-p7.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/n-v-p8.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/n-v-a1.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/n-v-a2.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/n-v-a3.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/n-v-a4.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/n-v-a5.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/n-v-a6.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/n-v-s1.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/n-v-s2.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/n-v-s3.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/n-v-s4.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/m-v-fr.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/m-v-fr1.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/m-v-fr2.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/m-v-fr3.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/m-v-fr4.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/m-v-fr5.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/m-v-fr6.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/m-v-fr7.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/m-v-fr8.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/m-v-fr9.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/m-v-us1.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/m-v-us2.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/m-v-us3.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/m-v-us4.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/m-v-us5.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/mugbytv-v-i01.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/mugbytv-v-i02.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/mugbytv-v-i03.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/mugbytv-v-i04.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/mugbytv-v-i05.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/s-v-z1.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/s-v-z2.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/s-v-z3.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/s-v-z4.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/s-v-z5.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/s-v-z6.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/s-v-z7.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/s-v-z8.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/s-v-z9.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/s-v-z10.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/s-v-z11.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/s-v-z12.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/s-v-z13.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/s-v-z14.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/s-v-z15.html
https://www.un.org/sites/www.iamladp.org/files/webform/s-v-z16.html
would’ve saved me a ton of time would have been a list of publications that actually want freelance pitches. So, to help you avoid the mistakes I made, I’ve compiled a list of six publications that are actively seeking freelance pitches and that pay at least reasonably well.Here’s what their website says: “We cover the health and wellness stuff that matters — plus anything else that’s cool, important, or maybe even life-changing. Whether we’re talking about breakfast, breathing, sex, brain health, or how not to get the flu, you can trust that all Greatist content is evidence-based, science-backed, and expert-approved.”What they publish: This publication focuses on topics related to sexuality, sexual health, and relationships. They aim to provide sex-related information in an accessible format and to create an inclusive and safe online space that’s free from shaming or judgment. Their sex and health advice is applicable to diverse identities — including trans, non-binary, pansexual, asexual folks, as well as the broader LGBTQ+ community.
I was so lucky that I got lots of support and help from family and friends after being laid off, which was critical to landing a job at my dream company. It was difficult. Ironically looking for a job is also a lot of work, but everything was worth it.
Since I published this post three weeks ago, I got hundreds of questions on data science interviews. So I decided to make a series of videos to help you land your dream data science job. Check my YouTube channel if you are interested!
Pitching process: Email pitches to gina@o.school. Include a brief description of the proposed article, a potential headline for the article, and a few links to examples of your previous writing. They accept a decent portion of pitches — around 40% — so don’t lose hope if you don’t get in the first time.
What they publish: Greatist seeks pitches related to health, fitness, wellness, lifestyle, and food. Their mission is to set themselves apart from other health publications by avoiding any form of body-shaming. They also strive to avoid publishing unrealistic weight loss tips. Given that they’ve garnered over 10 million monthly unique visitors, they’ve clearly been successful in appealing to a large audience.Since I published this post three weeks ago, I got hundreds of questions on data science interviews. So I decided to make a series of videos to help you land your dream data science job. Check my YouTube channel if you are interested!Pitching process: Greatist’s editors advise that pitches should be very brief, consisting of only a few sentences that succinctly convey the angle and hook of your proposed article. Pitches should be directed.
