Mariam Amini

In this week's show we chat to Mariam Amini who is a new freelancer writing about faith, travel and diaspora culture. She talks about starting out as a freelance, how she has built up her portfolio and the challenges of creating financial stability when starting out.Guest linksLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariam-amini/Instagram https://www.instagram.com/aminiarchives/TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@aminiarchives/video/7355413066328182048RecommendationTo be transgender and religious is to live a life of tension https://hyphenonline.com/2025/03/18/muslim-transgender-religion-faith-tension-parents-reaction/

We continue our series delving into the working lives of new freelance journalists finding their way in the first couple of years. In this episode we speak to James Banyard about securing bylines with the Guardian, i and Positive News and setting up his own newsletter Pitch Fail Club to help other freelance writers.Guest LinksWebsite https://jamesbanyardwriter.wordpress.com/LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-banyard-446612290/Pitch Fail Club newsletter https://pitchfailclub.substack.com/aboutResource linksFreelancing for Journalists webinars https://www.tickettailor.com/events/freelancingforjournalistsFreelancing for Journalists workshops https://payhip.com/FreelancingforJournalistsRecommendationPhones on the dance floor: where do we go from here? https://djmag.com/features/phones-dancefloor-where-do-we-go-here

In the latest series of the podcast we're digging into what life is like for newbie freelance journalists. We kick off with Emma Truscott who works permanently as a house sitter while pursuing her career as a travel journalist. She tells us about her breakthrough article and what it's like to always be on the move with no fixed abode. Guest linksSubstack https://wheresems.com/LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-truscott/Instagram https://www.instagram.com/wheres_ems/Resource linksTravel Writing Academy https://www.thetravelwritingacademy.com/masterclassTrusted Housesitters https://www.trustedhousesitters.com/Recommendation I travelled 2,160 miles from London to Lanzarote without flyinghttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/spain/canary-islands/train-travel-london-to-lanzarote/

In this special bonus episode Lily and Emma sit down to do an annual appraisal together. They discuss what went well over the past year and what their ambitions are for 2026. They also scrub out previous goals and chat about what is important to them in the short and long term going forward.Get your free portfolio today. We also have a special offer for our FFJ community. Sign up via the link above to any paid plan for 20% off for the first year!Our previous appraisal episodes:2021: https://freelancing-for-journalists.captivate.fm/episode/how-to-appraise-yourself2022: https://freelancing-for-journalists.captivate.fm/episode/how-to-appraise-yourself-part22024: https://freelancingforjournalists.substack.com/p/time-for-a-self-appraisal

Today we speak to the winner of Best Investigation at the Freelance Journalism Awards 2025. Will Coldwell's investigation into the death of an offshore worker raised important questions about industry safety and was highlighted by judges as a significance piece of freelance work. Will discussed how to win the trust of sources when reporting sensitive subjects and how to craft long reads to keep the reader engaged to the very end.Get your free portfolio today. We also have a special offer for our FFJ community. Sign up via the link above to any paid plan for 20% off for the first [email protected]://www.economist.com/1843/2021/09/22/petrol-pints-and-pasta-meet-one-of-the-lorry-drivers-plugging-britains-shortages

We are kick starting the New Year with a fascinating discussion with Harriet Grant, winner of Best Feature in the 2025 Freelance Journalism Awards. Harriet impressed judges with her deep dive into the impact of porn algorithms on men. In today's episode she explains how she tackles issues of online child abuse as a freelance journalist and the ethical and legal issues she has to grabble with.Get your free portfolio today. We also have a special offer for our FFJ community. Sign up via the link above to any paid plan for 20% off for the first year!GuestHarriet Grant https://www.linkedin.com/in/harriet-grant-5a797b25/ResourcesHarriet’s deep dive into the impact of porn algorithms on young people was praised for its research and persistenceSafer Lives https://www.saferlives.com/

Just in time for New Year's Eve we speak to freelance English wine writer Rebecca Pitcairn. A regional journalist turned wine writer, Rebecca was winner of Best Specialist at the Freelance Journalism Awards 2025. She explains how to develop a niche, within a niche and the benefit of hosting your own podcast series.Get your free portfolio today. We also have a special offer for our FFJ community. Sign up via the link above to any paid plan for 20% off for the first year!GuestRebecca Pitcairn https://www.instagram.com/theenglishwinediaries/https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-pitcairn-a0546127/ResourcesRebecca impressed judges with her passion and quality reporting on the UK’s wine industry. She also hosts “The English Wine Diaries” podcast.

Today we speak to Yvette Cook who was winner of Best Early Career Journalist at the Freelance Journalism Awards 2025. Yvette, a former civil servant, has made a successful shift into travel writing, and is loving her new career. She is brimming with enthusiasm and great advice, including how she secured her award-winning feature on tourism and women in Saudi Arabia.Get your free portfolio today. We also have a special offer for our FFJ community. Sign up via the link above to any paid plan for 20% off for the first year!GuestYvette Cook https://www.instagram.com/yvette.travels/https://www.linkedin.com/in/yvette-cook-09929b2a7/ResourcesYvette’s evocative piece on tourism and women in Saudi Arabia inspired her own career changeAdventure Travel Networking https://www.adventuretravelnetworking.com/

On the podcast today we talk to the first of our Freelance Journalism Awards winners from 2025. Hannah Fearn won Best News Story and Best Opinion Writer for her work on social affairs. In this episode she talks about how she investigated a report from inside a children's prison. She also shares her invaluable tips on how to pitch to opinion desks.Get your free portfolio today. We also have a special offer for our FFJ community. Sign up via the link above to any paid plan for 20% off for the first year!GuestHannah Fearn https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannahfearn/Bluesky @hannahfearn.bsky.socialResourcesHannah’s powerful story on lockdown in child prisons stood out for its impact and writingHannah’s columns on social affairs were called “well-researched and passionately argued”Freelance rights guide https://www.womeninjournalism.co.uk/guidelines/oldo7g1jr7say9zn95edt9agt3kviwInside Housing https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/Health Service Journal https://www.hsj.co.uk/

In this special bonus episode we chat to Martin Hickman the director of Canbury Press. The independent publisher specialises in working with journalists and publishes a range of non-fiction books. Canbury Press championed Ultra Women: The Trailblazers Defying Sexism in Sport - the book written by podcast hosts Lily Canter and Emma Wilkinson. In this episode Martin shares trade secrets on how to impress a publisher and what he is looking for from journalists.ResourcesCanbury Press Tik Took Boom! by Chris Stokel-WalkerUltra Women by Lily Canter and Emma Wilkinson