Freelancer Pro Interview: Fuel Your Freelancing with Past Connections

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Not everyone dreams of freelancing. Christine Hofmann-Bourque, a freelance writer from Boston, was just hoping to work at a national magazine — and she did for some time. But when her spouse decided on a career that would require him to relocate, Christine put her creative talents to work as a freelancer. She also decided to leverage connections from her full-time days to help her thrive as a freelancer.

You are now working as a freelance journalist contributing to many premier publications — a career many aspiring and existing writers covet. What was the key to getting where you are? Did putting time in as a full-time employee help to open doors?

When I first set my sights on a career in journalism, my end goal wasn’t to be a freelance writer — it was to work on staff at a national magazine. I got a great job at Meredith Corporation, a big publisher based in Iowa, and eventually moved into the features editor position at Country Home, a fantastic interior design magazine. I loved the staff, I loved the magazine, and I loved the whole creative process of putting a magazine together from start to finish. To this day, few things make me happier than seeing a new magazine in my mailbox! But after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, my husband felt a call to serve in our military. So when he signed away his life to Uncle Sam, I decided to become a freelancer so I could continue to work no matter where he is stationed.

I’ve been a full-time freelancer for almost eight years now and — without doubt — having been on staff at a publishing company was a big part of my initial success. I had already established personal and professional relationships with many magazine and book editors who had nice budgets and were making regular assignments.

Even though I didn’t set out to be a freelancer, it is one of the best things I’ve ever done. Don’t get me wrong: Freelancing is tough, especially in this economic climate. But it has made me into a much, much better writer and editor. Freelancing forces you to be creative. Because you have to prove yourself on every job, it forces you to always be your best.

Did you always know you wanted to write?

I always loved to write, but honestly it didn’t occur to me until after I graduated from college that perhaps I could make a living doing it. I went the route of many young people who don’t know what they want to do in college: I got a liberal arts degree (political science), then worked at a traditional corporate job (at an insurance company) for five years. It was while I was working at a job I knew wasn’t right for me that I finally figured out that what I really wanted to do was create magazines.

Oh, how I understand! So, many writers struggle to get high-profile pieces without having worked at a magazine like you did. How can they overcome that and forge connections as if they were an in-house writer? Did having a Master’s help?

I don’t think having a master’s in journalism necessarily helps. Of course, it doesn’t hurt either. But I got my master’s at Northwestern University because I was making a radical career change after college from a corporate insurance gig into writing and editing at a publishing company. I’d already been in the workforce for five years and didn’t want to necessarily start “at the bottom” again. The master’s degree helped me make a career switch without moving backward.

What is your biggest challenge as a freelance writer?

The biggest challenge of freelancing is that you don’t have one boss, you have dozens of bosses. Every single editor who hires you thinks her or his job is your number one priority. And when deadlines collide and sources don’t return your calls and your brain isn’t coming up with a clever lede, it’s up to you to figure out how to get things done. There’s no calling in sick or asking a coworker to cover for you.

Another huge challenge? I no longer have an IT department to call when the printer goes down or a crazy warning flashes across my laptop’s screen. I have to troubleshoot all problems, which seem to have a knack for showing up when I’m on deadline. I’ll admit I’ve had many a meltdown over technology.

I don’t think you’re alone there. You seem to have a niche writing about home decorating/renovation/design style. How did you get into that? How can other writers create thriving careers writing about the topics they enjoy?

Meredith Corporation, where I used to work on staff, publishes a lot of magazines centered around home and family, so it was natural that those are topics I write a lot about. But I also write about topics such as real estate, the military, personal finance, and food. I’ve learned the hard way that if you don’t enjoy a certain topic, it’s very difficult to write smart leads or do good research. For example, I simply don’t enjoy writing about medical issues. If I even type the word “blood,” I’ll get queasy. (See? I’m getting lightheaded right now.) I know I can’t produce good copy about serious medical topics, so I stick with other topics I can do well.

What was your worst professional experience? How did you learn from it?

Any time a mistake creeps into a publication I’ve worked on, that’s a bad day. But mistakes are inevitable. I just figure out how it happened, and how to prevent it from happening again.

Tell us about how you landed some of your book credits. Did you already know people from your days at Country Home, or did you make more connections?

During the last eight years, most of the freelance work I’ve gotten has been through people I’ve worked with in the past, or people they’ve given my name to. I put my best into every job because I never know what little job could lead to a big one months or even years down the road.

Absolutely. So what else do you want to achieve in your career? What’s next for you?

I have an idea for a book. We’ll see! I continue to work on growing my website called “The Strength Behind the Strong,” which is for people who have friends and family in the military. That continues to be an inspiring project for me, but it is a lot of work! I give bloggers who post daily a lot of credit. But magazines are still my first love, and right now I’m editing and writing most of the articles for the Fall 2011 issue of “Flea Market Style” magazine. I’m also blogging about the making of the Flea Market Style magazine.

What advice do you have for writers that are looking to freelance for leading publications? Should they start with trades, study journalism or work full-time at a magazine if possible?

My best advice? Be more than *just* a writer. I’m a writer — and also an editor, copyeditor, fact checker, copyfitter, blogger, and more. I’d tell anyone who is just starting in this business to work on staff somewhere, whether it’s as an intern or as a paid staffer, whether it’s at a trade or consumer publication. What matters isn’t necessarily where you start but that you learn the ins and outs of publishing. (Now, some people may say print magazines are a dying breed. I disagree. Especially decorating and design magazines, where the photographs are as important as the words. But that’s a whole other discussion …) Being an on-staff editor made me a better writer too because I spent so much time working with terrific writers who knew how to put together a great story. (OK, so I also worked with some not-so-great writers, but that’s a learning experience as well!)

The great news for today’s freelancers is that technology makes it easier than ever to work on cool projects without necessarily living in New York City. The new Spring/Summer 2011 print magazine I just finished working on for Harris Publications — Flea Market Style — was put together by basically four freelancers in four states: Iowa, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and California. Thanks to email and my iDisk, which acts as a server, we share everything from scouting shots and page layouts to manuscripts with ease.

Thanks, Christine — we wish you all the best!