From Freelancer to Editor: How the Writing Fellows Program Kickstarted My Career

I highly recommend America’s Future Foundation’s Writing Fellows Program — not just for aspiring journalists, but for anyone hoping to advance in a writing-intensive career.

When I began AF’s program, I was working in media but hoped to branch out into traditional journalism. The fellowship provided access to several working writers and reporters who shared their career trajectories and gave insight into the inner workings of the industry. Classes provided tips and tricks for sharpening writing proficiencies, from the broad (fleshing out an argument) to the narrow (pitching to editors).

Kick start your writing career and apply for the Spring 2020 session of the Writing Fellows Program. Applications are due Friday, January 3. 

A month after finishing, I pitched an article to Reason magazine, where I now work full-time as an assistant editor.

The program also offers quite a bit for those working outside of the journalism sphere. Over the course of several weeks, you’ll have the chance to strengthen your portfolio by workshopping pieces alongside a group of your peers. You’ll hear from a range of professionals across an array of different specialties — from media professionals to think tank fellows to political comms directors — who will help refine your prose with their tailored list of dos and don’ts. For budding freelancers, you’ll increase your chances of getting published in various professional outlets, as the program walks you through the proper protocol for successfully pitching a piece. And you’ll have the opportunity to expand your network with other like-minded writers, several of whom I still keep in touch with.

Everyone’s experience in the program is bound to be different, but I see that as a net positive. Whether you’re a news junkie, a Hill staffer, or a corporate guru, the AF fellowship program will help you gain a better sense of who you are as a writer — a transferable skill, to say the least.