This unique course stands out from other media training schemes thanks to the highly personalised, detailed individual feedback students receive on their practical assignments. You'll also have an individual, 30 minute telephone Q&A with Olivia or Johanna at the end of the course, which is a great opportunity to make the most of their knowledge and experience. In effect, you'll have not just one but two personal mentors! We also run a post-course mentoring scheme for students who want to continue to have ongoing support.
Olivia and Johanna take the tutoring and assignment feedback in weekly turns, so you’ll have the support of two tutors.
Every Monday morning by 10am you’ll be emailed course notes to study and a practical assignment to practise what you've learned, workshopping your own ideas and pitches for features.
Delegates will also be able to discuss the tools and techniques of each lesson with one another on the private students' blog.
You’ll send your completed assignment back to your tutor by 12pm each Thursday, together with any questions you may have on that week’s topic, and on Monday morning, along with your new course notes and assignment, the tutor will reply, giving you personal, practical and constructive feedback and responses to your completed ideas, pitches and queries, making sure you stay on track. (In the final week of the course, the deadline for completed assignments will be 9am on Thursday and the tutor will return them by 1pm on Friday.)
On the final Friday afternoon of the course you’ll have a one-on-one phone Q&A of up to 30 minutes with either Olivia or Johanna, in which you can ask any final questions.
Is this course for me?
Many people have asked us how many hours they will need to dedicate to the correspondence course, and whether it is only suited to absolute beginners - or experienced journalists.
The idea of the correspondence course is to make it manageable and practical; so exercises such as preparing a pitch are what a serious freelance contenders, newbies to the game, or experienced freelancers looking for additional income streams, are willing to do in their spare time. Delegates shouldn't be spending any longer than an hour or two on each exercise - and there is one exercise per week.
We also expect delegates to spend time reading the correspondence lectures, as this is crucial and valuable advice, and we also want you to spend an hour or so each week reading and researching. This shouldn't be too disruptive, whatever your circumstances, and we aim to pass on years' worth of experience in just four weeks.
The ideas and pitching course is suitable for freelancers with a little pitching experience as well as those with considerable experience who are lacking in confidence, have made the leap from staff journalist to freelance, or just want a boost. Total beginners are also welcome on the course, though a basic knowledge of journalism pre-course will help you get the most from it.
The course is designed so that you will be pitching out a fully-fledged idea at the end of it and hopefully getting a commission that (at least) refunds the money you spent on the course. This has happened with past delegates who have attended the workshops (see our testimonials page). Doing this course is about understanding the process of sourcing an idea, finding the right publication and crafting the perfect pitch - all this should become second nature with practice and the course is designed to quickly and effectively teach you that process.
The main benefit of the course is that you'll get individual tuition and feedback from experienced tutors, whose knowledge and skill can help you to make real inroads with your freelance career - and our main aim is to help you score a commission that refunds your course fee as soon as you have completed the course.
As two busy and hard working freelancers we know how precious time is, and so we haven't designed excessively administrative courses; they are tailor made for those who are working, with busy lives, and to pay serious dividends, whatever your level of experience.
Olivia and Johanna take the tutoring and assignment feedback in weekly turns, so you’ll have the support of two tutors.
Every Monday morning by 10am you’ll be emailed course notes to study and a practical assignment to practise what you've learned, workshopping your own ideas and pitches for features.
Delegates will also be able to discuss the tools and techniques of each lesson with one another on the private students' blog.
You’ll send your completed assignment back to your tutor by 12pm each Thursday, together with any questions you may have on that week’s topic, and on Monday morning, along with your new course notes and assignment, the tutor will reply, giving you personal, practical and constructive feedback and responses to your completed ideas, pitches and queries, making sure you stay on track. (In the final week of the course, the deadline for completed assignments will be 9am on Thursday and the tutor will return them by 1pm on Friday.)
On the final Friday afternoon of the course you’ll have a one-on-one phone Q&A of up to 30 minutes with either Olivia or Johanna, in which you can ask any final questions.
Is this course for me?
Many people have asked us how many hours they will need to dedicate to the correspondence course, and whether it is only suited to absolute beginners - or experienced journalists.
The idea of the correspondence course is to make it manageable and practical; so exercises such as preparing a pitch are what a serious freelance contenders, newbies to the game, or experienced freelancers looking for additional income streams, are willing to do in their spare time. Delegates shouldn't be spending any longer than an hour or two on each exercise - and there is one exercise per week.
We also expect delegates to spend time reading the correspondence lectures, as this is crucial and valuable advice, and we also want you to spend an hour or so each week reading and researching. This shouldn't be too disruptive, whatever your circumstances, and we aim to pass on years' worth of experience in just four weeks.
The ideas and pitching course is suitable for freelancers with a little pitching experience as well as those with considerable experience who are lacking in confidence, have made the leap from staff journalist to freelance, or just want a boost. Total beginners are also welcome on the course, though a basic knowledge of journalism pre-course will help you get the most from it.
The course is designed so that you will be pitching out a fully-fledged idea at the end of it and hopefully getting a commission that (at least) refunds the money you spent on the course. This has happened with past delegates who have attended the workshops (see our testimonials page). Doing this course is about understanding the process of sourcing an idea, finding the right publication and crafting the perfect pitch - all this should become second nature with practice and the course is designed to quickly and effectively teach you that process.
The main benefit of the course is that you'll get individual tuition and feedback from experienced tutors, whose knowledge and skill can help you to make real inroads with your freelance career - and our main aim is to help you score a commission that refunds your course fee as soon as you have completed the course.
As two busy and hard working freelancers we know how precious time is, and so we haven't designed excessively administrative courses; they are tailor made for those who are working, with busy lives, and to pay serious dividends, whatever your level of experience.
