Following the launch of her new book on real life journalism, Talk to the Press founder and director Natasha has been invited to give talks to students at a number of universities and journalism training centres.

Yesterday, Natasha was in Brighton where she talked to students at Journalist Works and the NCTJ journalism courses at Brighton College. Some of the students she spoke to have already been in touch regarding work experience placements and stories they would like to sell to the press.

Over the coming months, Natasha is booked to hold lectures at a number of different universities. Natasha says ‘It’s always great to meet students and talk to them about what we do here at Talk to the Press. A number of them are keen to get into tabloid and magazine journalism and I know I’ve given them a good feel as to what the job involves.’

To find out more about Natasha’s book, and download Chapter 1 for free, visit http://journalist-training.co.uk/free-chapter/

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Commissioning editors want case studies, contacts and real-life stories for their features. They put out requests through our system every day. You could have case studies and leads that they need, but if you’re not signed up to alerts, you’ll simply miss out on all these opportunities to earn money and see your byline. Last week, over 40 story requests have gone out from national newspapers and magazines looking for stories you might very well have or could easily write about. 

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Getting hands-on experience is critical if you want to become a journalist. Work placements offer you the chance to observe the professionals at work and learn how stories are put together. You’ll also get the chance to make valuable contacts who may be able to help you find a job or simply offer you some good advice. If you’re lucky, you may get a few bylines that will look great in your portfolio!

You can apply to the national newspapers and magazines to see if they have any placements but remember to look at the smaller publications as well. Local newspapers, regional press agencies, student magazines and community news websites may also offer great opportunities.

Once you land a placement, make sure you are polite, enthusiastic and willing to pitch in with whatever is going on. If you have a suggestion, don’t be afraid to make it but do remember to be respectful! There is a fine line between confidence and pushiness and you really don’t want to cross it. Usually, work experience placements are unpaid but some employers will cover expenses and the experience you gain will be invaluable when it comes to getting a job.

One of the best ways to hone your writing is to read. If you want to be a writer for a glossy magazine, make sure you read as many of them as possible to learn more about the kind of stories they feature and their house style. When going for interviews, make sure you know the company inside out and backwards. For example, if you are being interviewed for a job a monthly woman’s magazine, know what was in the last issue and try to think of some stories you think might work for them.

Employers are looking for journalists who understand how technology is changing journalism and who can connect with an audience. You need to show them you have those skills. You can start a blog to show off your writing and provide links to your published work, start a YouTube channel, create a Flickr account and even dazzle the world with your AudioBoo’s.

Use Twitter too. As well as keeping up with your mates, you can also keep up with the news and get a fascinating insight into the lives of professional reporters. Sign up and start following journalists working in the field you are interested in.

Finding the right commissioning editor can be a bit like finding a needle in a haystack. It’s an obvious aim – but surprisingly difficult, especially as the editorial structure can differ greatly between publications.

So play safe; with magazines check  the masthead of the publication, find a likely name, phone that person and ask “do you commission stories for the whatever section?” – making sure you’ve done your research and found out whatever they call the relevant section!

Newspapers don’t publish mastheads listing their staff. If you are phoning a paper, ask to be put through to the ‘features desk’ or the desk of whichever section you are calling, and then ask for the name of whoever commissions stories about your topic.

Generally, commissioning editors will expect you to send the pitch over email. So briefly outline it on the phone, get their email address and then get pitching.

When running a shop, you’re doing two things – promoting your business and selling to customers. And the two activities are strongly interdependent. As you become known, you develop a regular clientele, your favourite buyers. But if you’re a shrewd shopkeeper you give just as much attention to the casual one-off customer. After all, today’s passer-by might well be tomorrow’s regular.

And if your regular customer walked in but didn’t make a purchase that day, you wouldn’t shut up shop and go home would you? You’d sell your wares to the next person who walked through the door.

It’s exactly the same for you, an aspiring freelance journalist. OK, so you have to take your wares to the buyer, rather than waiting for the shop door to be opened.

You certainly want to nurture the relationships you have with publications and editors, and that may involve favouring frequent buyers with first bite at the cherry; but you can’t afford to neglect the opportunity to sell to a complete stranger either. So the simple rule is to value the contacts you have and be ready to build new ones, but don’t be shy of selling beyond your established network. It’s a free market. And unless someone is offering to put you on the staff with a huge salary, remember that you’re free to pursue a good living by selling to the best buyers in a fluid market.