Just one thing: sleuthing

Ulrike Lemmin-Woolfrey talks us through why sleuthing is a game-changer

Next month’s series is a deep dive into a topic we’ve covered before but warrants far more attention: AI. We’d love to find out how many travel writers are using AI in their work and how you feel about the prospect of chatbots stealing our jobs. Take this quick survey to let us know.

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It was in Qatar, some twenty-odd years ago, that I embarked on the life of a freelance writer. It was something I had often thought about, and something I could actually continue doing while my husband’s career took him — and me — around the world. But being an untrained novice, I had no idea how to get going. I eventually started by canvassing local magazines and newspapers, turning up at their offices, saying hi, and pitching my idea for a story. It worked amazingly well, and, in smaller cities or countries still works now, and I soon had proud moments of standing in newsagents and having a byline in every publication on the shelf. Then we moved.

I took the same approach, again with remarkable success, but soon thought about the next move, and how with every move I found myself having to start afresh. So, I set myself the goal of broadening my horizons, expanding my scope, and going international. But how to get commissions?

There are, of course, networking forums, job newsletters, social media callouts, and hashtags, but sometimes you have to go beyond the obvious and cold pitch, and that takes a little detective work.