[DO NOT DELETE] This sheet is for anyone in the Communications/Media industries willing to do pro bono work to help out other industry folk. If you're not a journalist, please specify what you do so there's no confusion. This is strictly career-adjacent work, not a way to advertise services for nonprofits. Any questions about this form: please get in touch via DMs @weischoice Upvote this document on Sourceful [DO NOT DELETE]
Name Pronouns Preferred Contact Method Website Willing to Help With Don't Ask Me About Currently Available (Y/N) Additional Info Instructions re: follow ups
Sonia Weiser She/Her [email protected] or DM @weischoice soniaweiser.wordpress.com resumes, portfolio critique, general advice, practice interviews, chronic mental illness and needing to vent about it etc. where to send pitches, if I can edit your pitch, how I run my newsletter, personal editor contacts, contract issues including AB5 adjacent questions For simple things yes. Best to send specific questions I promise I'll get to it. No need to nudge
Fiza Pirani She/Her [email protected] fizapirani.net resume/portfolio critique, general advice, "minority" (hate that term) experience in journalism, experience with immigrant parents and journalism/creative careers editing services, newsletter management, any commissioned services offered on website (girl gotta eat!) Yes Priority to marginalized workers, new professionals, anyone affected financially by covid-19. But will likely be able to assist anyone at all. Feel free to nudge if I don't respond after a week, though Gmail tends to do the nudging, too!
Gabriel Greschler He him [email protected] or DM @ggreschler ggreschler.com Making the jump from student journalist->professional journalist, general advice where to send pitches, if I can edit your pitch, how I run my newsletter Yes
Ashley Mateo She/her [email protected] ashleymateo.com resume/portfolio critique, general advice, pitch critique, pitching advice, first reads, story placement yes Please give me a week to respond!
Sherel Purcell she/they Leave a comment at activecitytravel.com https://activecitytravel.com/ pitch critique, general advice, first reads, travel writing where to pitch Yes priority goes to marginalized people from lower economic backgrounds, queer and trans people, people of color, black people, anyone who has a harder time getting their foot in the industry doors I put all of these kinds of emails I get into a folder that I check twice a week and respond, if it's been a week please don't follow up yet, I promise I'm getting to you. if it's been over a week, feel free to check in! IF it's time sensitive please say so in the subject line
Somdyuti Datta Ray she/her [email protected] / @hellodyuti somdyuti.contently.com resume/portfolio/pitch critique editing pitches/services Yes especially happy to help BIPOC individuals
Tim Herrera he/him @timherrera https://mailchi.mp/1a0d93c9a69e/howtopitch Pitching advice Individual pitch reviews Yes If you entered your email in the form, I've got it!
Joseph Hernandez he/him [email protected] / @joeybear85 heytherejoeybear.com resume/portfolio critique, early career advice, pitch advice Custom pitch reviews, direct contacts, assignments, editing individual pitches Yes Priority goes to marginalized people from lower economic backgrounds, queer, BIPOC individuals, early career journalists/writers having a hard time breaking in. *Please have specific questions in mind when reaching out.* Please don't follow-up within 48 hours of initial query.
Anjulie Rao she/her [email protected] / @anjulierao anjulierao.info website/public-facing collateral crit / topic dicscussions around writing about architecture/design editing specific pieces/pitches yes Love to hear from people interested in writing about architecture/design! Women/BIPOC please reach out! Please bug me if I don't follow up within five days
Erik Sherman If you spell my name correctly, we're fine [email protected] eriksherman.com contract review, pitch reviews yes You must have read the contract yourself and developed questions Give me a few days
Melissa Lewis she/her mlewis at revealnews.org / @iff_or https://www.revealnews.org/author/melissa-lewis/ data analysis and visualization, database systems, records requests, Python programming, Git and GitHub pitching Yes Priority is folks at local or non-profit newsrooms, freelancers from underrrepresented backgrounds in journalism
Britany Robinson she/her [email protected] / @britseeingstars britanyrobinson.com pitch advice/feedback Yes Send me a google doc with your pitch and I'll add feedback. Happy to suggest publications and offer editor contacts if they're publicly available.
Paris Martineau she/her DM @parismartineau parismartineau.com pitching advice, reporting questions, early career advice, questions about tech journalism editing specific pitches\pieces, direct contacts, yes give me a few days. if i don't get back to you in a week, bug me again
Taylor Moore she/her [email protected] / @taylormundo taylorgmoore.co pitch advice/feedback for early-career journalists, freelancing advice, questions about Chicago media Yes freelancers and students, people transitioning from a different industry, women, POC, LGTBQ+
Iliana Limón Romero she/her [email protected] www.orlandosentinel.com/sports Résumé critique, portfolio review, career advice, interview guidance. Sports editor at the Orlando Sentinel, but I also have news experience. Unfortunately, I have no job openings and my freelance budget is frozen. I will answer questions about anything but want you to know that up front Yes, but have limited openings weekly due to other commitments I love it when you come with questions and any phone contact we have will be 30 minutes or less, so be prepared Please do follow up if you have not heard from me within a week
Jackie Mansky she/her [email protected] or DM @jasmansky pitching advice for history-specific websites, editing history-specific essays, early-career advice Yes
Mark Yarm he/him [email protected] / @markyarm inputmag.com Career advice for writers and editors, pitching advice Input's freelance budget is currently frozen, so unfortunately I can't field any of your pitches at the moment. Yes
Abby Lee Hood she/they abigailhood17@gmailcom / @abbyleehood www.abbyleehood.com A free copy of "Pitches that worked," compilation of pitches landed in MTV, Teen Vogue, and more, and a free feature writing guide Editor contact information, jobs, etc. I am but a humble freelancer. Yes Click here to get that free PDF with pitches that worked; these totaled more than $1,700 income for me: https://mailchi.mp/3e24488a294c/pitchesthatworkedv1. Click here to read my basic guide to feature writing: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1khR_Xdi40hWyKeSWa3aDfkoHbDdDTAAJgS_QTpDksdU/edit?usp=sharing
Anna Dimond she/her [email protected] https://www.annadimond.com/ feedback on/honing pitches, especially for outdoors/adventure sports contacts, resumes, job market -- I'm freelancing anew myself Yes
Paul Tullis [email protected] paultullis.net feedback on feature pitches for major magazines celebrity, entertainment Limited Review my website & or this to see if I am the right person to help you https://www.theopennotebook.com/pitches/?fwp_search=tullis
Jeff Siegel [email protected] winecurmudgeon.com Life as a freelancer Yes Happy to share 20+ years of freelancing experience
Eleanor Cummins She/her [email protected] eleanorcummins.com Contract questions, science/health/environmental journalism, pitching Yes
Matt Crossman [email protected] mattcrossman.com whatever you want to ask me about
Stu VanAirsdale he/his/him [email protected] stvanairsdale.com pitch advice/feedback for early-career journalists, resume advice, freelancing advice, media entrepreneurship Yes (limited through May 20, wide-open after that) Send emails with specific, direct questions and I can usually respond w/in 48 hours Nudge me after 72 hours; I don't like outstanding business
Zack Ruskin he/him [email protected] / @zackruskin zackruskin.com Pitching national outlets, pitching regionals, freelance advice, whatever else. Premiering your song. Yes I cover cannabis, music, books, comedy, drag, and esoteric history but happy to speak generally as well. It shouldn't be an issue but please wait at least 48 hours between emails. Thanks!
Caitlin Dewey she/her [email protected] caitlindewey.com Your existential crisis! (Or really anything else.) I work at a local paper but spent six years at a national one. So happy to talk you through unconventional career moves, freelancing, budgeting for weird life/career changes, etc. Yes Please ping me if I don't get back to you within the week.
Foram Mehta & Alina Heim she/her Website contact form bestfaceforward.co We're offering free professional profile audits (resume + online presence) Yes UPDATE: We are refocusing our efforts to help those most in need right now. Free audits are for people who are at least one of the following: 1) Unemployed due to COVID 2) Newly graduated and entering the job market 3) BIPOC We're two content + digital strategists — all the info on our site! You'll hear back from us ASAP with next steps
Waverly Colville she/her [email protected] or website contact form waverlycolville.com Any college student or early career journalist who needs insight on internships, college, first jobs, living in NYC/the NY media scene, resumes and cover letters I don't know much about freelancing or pitching to other outlets (I've only pitched stories to teams I'm already working on) or anything that would require 5+ years of work experience Yes I've covered business, international politics, sports and breaking news. I have experience in print, broadcast and podcasts on both local and national levels.
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