Football Media

It’s the dream job, isn’t it? Getting paid to watch football, free tickets to games and the chance to hob nob with the stars. Who wouldn’t want to be a full-time football writer?

Starting the career

So how exactly do you go about translating your passion for the game and encyclopedic knowledge of all things football into a career?

The first step is getting some experience. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve been to university, left school at 16 or taken a journalism course, experience is king and the likelihood is you’re going to have to put in the hours at the start for very little or no money.

That means contacting the editors of local newspapers, football websites, magazines and fanzines and offering your services for free. You’ll get plenty of knock-backs but the more people you approach, the better. Persistence is a virtue and if they ask to cover a reserve team game on a cold Tuesday night in January for nothing, bite their hands off.

Not everyone can afford to do six months, unpaid work experience but your chances of getting your first break are going to dramatically improve if you can work for nothing.

Start a blog. You won’t earn anything but a regular blog is a good opportunity to polish your writing style and you never know who might be reading it.

Dealing with Editors

So let’s assume you’ve got your foot in the door. What next?

Never forget editors are always busy. They don’t want to hear about your lifelong love affair with football, they don’t care if your words rival Shakespeare and they definitely aren’t interested in your thoughts on whether Premier League players are overpaid.

Editors just want you to make their life easier.

They want writers who are reliable and hardworking. They want reporters who regularly come up with ideas and interviews, even if they don’t print them. They want to know you’ll produce exactly what they ask for on time, if not before.

In short, you’ve got to be both workmanlike and proactive.

Efficiency

The nuts and bolts of the job is filing your copy on deadline. It’s got to be accurate and it’s got to be error free. Writers who file pieces with spelling mistakes or errors are the bane of an editor’s life and if you commit this cardinal sin, you will quickly be sidelined. Read over everything you submit at least three times. Spell checking is not the same as diligently re-reading.

But you’ve also got to be imaginative and the only way you’ll get noticed is by regularly coming up with ideas and quotes. Editors love writers who give them options and never be afraid to pester them. Just turning up and waiting to be told what to cover, what to write or who to interview is not going to forge you a reputation.

Stay ahead of the competition

The most important thing to remember is football journalism is fiercely competitive. It’s an attractive job with plenty of perks and that inevitably means there’s a lot of people out there who aspire to earn a living writing about the beautiful game. It’s a crowded market and you have to stand out.

Get noticed, big time!

So, you’ve now got a year or two under your belt. You’ve paid your dues covering the less-than-glamorous games, you’re not earning a fortune and you’re looking for a transfer.

The question now is, exactly what kind of football journalist do you want to be? Do you aspire to work for one of the national newspapers? Do you fancy the life of a freelancer or do you want to report exclusively on your beloved local team?

Again, it’s all about getting noticed. Simply writing an imploring letter or email to a newspaper or magazine editor is not going to cut it. Editors are swamped by CV’s and if you don’t have a USP, yours is probably heading straight to the filing cabinet. Or the bin.

Sending examples of your best work is essential but what editors really want is content. Send an interview or a feature and even if they don’t find space for it, you will have forged ahead in the queue. It may not land you a job but you’re far more likely to be remembered if you send something they can print.

Specializing is another option. Football is a big beast but if you decide to focus on one particular area of the game, it could be your path to success. Covering the Premier League for example is the glamor gig but turning yourself into a Championship or La Liga expert has worked for many writers.

Socialize

And finally, make as many contacts as possible. The more phone numbers you can amass, the better. Football journalism is as much about who you know as how well you write and a bulging contacts book is what impresses editors.

Get Started Now

If you’re starting out fresh, cut your teeth on Football Media’s 30+ strong publishing network. We’re looking for writers, so go ahead and apply.

Written by Iain Spragg, published author, respected sports writer and co-founder of Sports Media Solutions.

Also See: 8 Tips for aspiring football journalists

Posted by: Guest Authors Posted under: Football Blogging, Football Journalism, Social Media