There was going to be a story about an antique bookstore posted here the other week, but instead it ended up on the Dallas Observer website.
I’m a Fashion Media student at SMU, and while it sounds like something else, it really is a Journalism major. this is why I sometimes just tell people I’m a Journalism major. I take fashion and media classes, but it’s all centered around journalism and writing, which is why I like it.
Anyway, my favorite class this semester is News Reporting. Not only do I love the hands-on, project-based pace of the class and think my professor is the literal coolest person ever (she’s straight-up Rory Gilmore in my head), but it’s been the coolest thing to actually act like a journalist.
I got to attend an event as a journalist for the first time- the SMU Career Fair. This involved lots of sweaty awkward interviews I didn’t know how to do and then camping out at the dining hall next door to eat nachos and type out the article.
Click here to check out my first published article ever! It’s on the school paper, SMU Daily Campus.
My next event story was basically to stalk my cool fashion-designing aunt.
It was cool to actually interview my aunt and hear about her company from her words instead of just seeing her work. I know I talk about her company a lot so I won’t re-explain the awesomeness that is Filip+Inna, but you can read my article for more information if you need it!
Click here to read my article about my aunt’s trunk show! Also on SMU Daily Campus!
And then. The big leagues.
This is where that article went.
I mentioned to my News Writing professor about an article I was writing for my blog. I had discovered my favorite local antique bookshop closing in Downtown Mckinney and was writing a story about it. My professor convinced me to send it to her so she could pitch it to the Dallas Observer. Long story short, I’m published!
The DO editor is still accepting some of my stories so this isn’t over!
I can officially say I am now a freelance writer for the Dallas Observer website! It’s honestly so cool and I love it!
Things I’ve learned so far:
- Side hustles are not in vain. The only reason why I now get paid for stories is because I had some already ready. My professor saw my initiative, writing for my blog, and that’s how I was able to jump to getting published so easily. Sometimes I doubt whether this is a waste of my time or not, but I love it when I’m proved wrong.
- Connections are everything. Make friends with the professors you want to be!
- Freelance writing for news publishers isn’t as scary as I thought. I started literally submitting things I was turning in for homework anyway since my professor was friends with the editor and encouraged me to do so.
- Come up with a good headline so they don’t have to. I forgot to write up a good headline for the Mckinney bookstore one, so they wrote me one. Problem is, I prefer to use words like “dang.” Oh well.
isabel notes 