Susan Shain on writing for NYT Climate
+ finding a balance between content writing and journalism
Hi there, writer friends.
It’s Friday! Which means almost nothing. But here we are, and I hope you’re patting yourself on the back for whatever you got done this week, even if it wasn’t much at all. One thing I’ve found really helpful lately is writing a to-do list but waiting until like the middle of the day, so I can write down things I’ve already done and check them off immediately. (Eat breakfast: check // Give Jackson treats and tell him I love him: check.) Maybe that’s not the best advice—but it feels good.
Anyhoo, way back on Wednesday, I told you about Friends Who Write, and many of you responded that you’d like to email a writer. Yay! I’m so excited for you all to connect. I’ll be sending everyone the email address of a new friend on Monday, so look out for that. (No idea what I’m talking about? Check out Wednesday’s issue.)
Susan Shain on Finding a Balance Between Passion and Paychecks
“My strategy is to prioritize that foundation — and recurring clients! — so, you know, I can pay the bills, and then pitch journalistic stories when I have a good idea and some time.”
Today, I’d like you to meet Susan Shain, who regularly writes for The New York Times Climate newsletter, among a million other things. Before I started at my last job, Susan and I were in a writing group together. Five of us would meet once a month over video chat from distant corners of the world to discuss our challenges as freelance writers and help each other work through them. It was one of the best things I’ve done for my writing career as well as my sanity, just being able to voice frustrations and successes with people who totally get it. Then I started a full-time job, and I couldn’t keep up with the group. But last week they were so kind to invite me back, and it felt like only a few months had passed and definitely not THREE YEARS. Holy cow.
Susan has done so much cool stuff in that time. Until recently, Susan was a full-time traveler for years, always seeming to strike that beautiful balance between work and play. (Or at least she makes it look that way while working her ass off.) I’m sure location independence wasn’t always a dream. But she regularly inspires me with how she makes it all work, bouncing from place to place while balancing journalism, content marketing, and always being that writer who is helping other writers, which she’s done through her super handy site, Wheretopitch.com, among other resources which you’ll learn about from her.
So, let’s get to it:
What is your favorite thing you've written recently (or ever!) and why?
The first thing that comes to mind is this story on the power of snail mail. It was a thrill to write about something I love so much, and it resulted in a ton of (electronic) fan mail. Also! I got to interview David Sedaris! We even exchanged postcards afterward, which was the coolest thing that's ever happened to me as a writer.
Other than rate, what makes for the best content writing clients? Do you find them or do they find you?
Am I supposed to care about something other than the rate? Lolz. I guess I look for clients who offer regular assignments, and who don't request a ton of revisions. Since I've been doing content marketing for seven years now, I'm really lucky in that most of my clients find me -- either through referrals or past bylines. But if I see an opportunity that sounds interesting, I always apply. Long live the hustle!
What's your approximate ratio of journalism work to content writing work?
If we're talking about income, 95% of it comes from content marketing. If we're talking about sheer hours, I'd reduce that percentage a little bit -- because journalistic stories always take more time and effort.
Do the topics you cover in content writing and the ones you cover in journalism often overlap? Or do you consider that a conflict of interest?
This is such a good question! The vast majority of my content marketing writing is in personal finance. Since I write about it so much, I don't really cover it in my journalism. I prefer to write about other topics so I don't go crazy (and so I can easily avoid most conflicts of interest). On the two occasions when I thought there might be a conflict, I've simply disclosed it to my editor and it's been fine.
How did you first start writing for the New York Times?
I pitched! I saw the name of an editor in a Facebook group, wrote a timely pitch, and sent it off. I actually include the exact pitch in a free PDF called "5 Pitches That Landed Big Bylines." You'll get it if you sign up for my newsletter :) Once that story was published, I kept pitching that editor, and kept getting yeses. Eventually, I pitched a story that was a better fit for the climate section, and my editor referred me over there -- which is how I started writing for the climate newsletter. Long story short: I didn't have any connections or magical wisdom -- I just took a chance!
Can you name one success in your writing career that felt like a turning point?
#1: Becoming a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder. Before then, I'd been doing a mix of freelance social media management and writing. I'd wanted to give up the social media part for years, but never had enough writing income to do so. When I worked at The Penny Hoarder, I wrote all day, every day; not only did this make me exponentially better at it, but it gave me the confidence to finally say "I'm a writer" when people asked what I did.
#2: Landing that first NYT story. Seeing my name in that font gave me such a confidence boost, and made me feel like I could get published anywhere; all I had to do was pitch. Having that byline also gave me a lot of street cred with other publications and clients.
What advice can you offer writers who are trying to balance journalism and content writing for a sustainable and fulfilling combination?
I'm still figuring this out every day. But I'm really glad I do both; as I often say, the content marketing feeds my wallet, and the journalism feeds my soul. Without one or the other, I don't think I could've made it as a freelancer for so long. As far as advice, I recommend finding a content marketing niche that pays well, like tech or finance or science. It needs to be something that not everybody understands.
My strategy is to prioritize that foundation — and recurring clients! — so, you know, I can pay the bills, and then pitch journalistic stories when I have a good idea and some time. While I always wish I could do more journalistic writing, I'm trying to accept the fact I'll never strike a perfect balance. If you're looking for more advice and resources, check out my free guide to becoming a freelance writer!
One More Read
The graphic on this New Yorker essay about night trains makes me want to crawl inside the page and take a nap. The story is lovely as well.
That’s it for now, friends. If you enjoyed this newsletter, please consider sharing it. It would mean so much. And I’ll see you soon!