More Tips for Building Your Career as an Outdoor Writer

In the nearly two decades that I’ve been getting paid to write about (mostly) little green fish, I’ve had lots of great mentors and confidantes. Collectively, they’ve imparted tons of lessons that have often prevented me from making a complete ass of myself or otherwise making career-ending mistakes. I’ve tried to pay that forward when possible, but this website gives me an opportunity to spread the word to a wider audience.

I’ve already outlined some of the big-ticket, non-negotiable rules that’ll help you get more work and complete it more efficiently, along with some ways to make the drudgery less awful, but here are seven more that have really helped me build my career. They’re not exactly secrets, but ignore them at your own peril.

Have a Business Card

This one is so simple that I almost didn’t include it, but I cannot tell you how many people I’ve met from the fishing industry who don’t provide a way of contacting them. Yes, with social media and the internet it’s easier, but old school paper still has a valuable role. They only cost a few cents apiece, so keep a few in your wallet and give one to everyone you meet who is even tangentially related to the industry. You’ll be surprised at how much fruit it bears (even several years down the road). You can self-design on any one of a number of websites and have them within a week.

Sub-Tip 1: If you really want to get fancy, go to Fiverr and get a distinctive logo made.

Sub-Tip 2: Unless you work exclusively for a single publication or client, keep their logo or name off of your card, because they will inevitably go belly up or you’ll part ways for some other reason and then you’re left with a thousand out-of-date cards.

Expect to Lose Clients

You’re going to get “fired.” Unless they express a deep disdain for your work, your personality, or your body odor, don’t take it personally. Maybe a new editor wants to put “his guy” in your place, or the budget’s been cut, or there’s some other reason for the move. Hell, I was fired by the now-defunct Professional Anglers Association (PAA) three times in three years. They kept hiring full-time employees, which made my freelance gig obsolete. When that person would quit or get fired, they’d bring me back. The best thing you can do is diversify so you’re never dependent on that one source of work.

Sub-Tip: If they do fire you because of your output, and you get along with the editor, ask them for some constructive feedback on your style so you don’t suffer this same fate again.

Take on “More Than You Can Handle” and then Handle It

I typically don’t say “no” to a potential assignment unless there’s an inherent conflict of interest or I just don’t think the effort is worth what they’re willing to pay. That latter category is pretty small. As stated above, I know I’m going to lose some clients in the course of a year for various reasons, so I constantly need to obtain new options to make sure that my workload and income doesn’t fall below given subjective goals.

Sub-Tip 1: Never be late with an assignment where that is within your control.

Sub-Tip 2: If it looks like you might come close to the deadline, or miss it for reasons outside of your control (for example, you’re assigned “Angler X’s Three Favorite Jig Colors” and you can’t get Angler X to reply to a call/text/email) get in touch with your editor sooner rather than later. Maybe they can get the person to respond, or maybe you can reframe the topic to use a different angler or a different subject-matter altogether.

Develop a Shorthand

When interviewing, the best possible scenario is to record your subject and then transcribe that interview for future use. That’s not always possible for a variety of reasons, so if you want to remain as faithful to the actual statements as possible, develop your own shorthand that lets you write at warp speed. For me, “tournament” is “T”; “crankbait” is “ckbt”; and so on.

Sub-Tip 1: If you can’t read your writing or you’re not sure what the quotation was, don’t use it unless you can confirm with your subject.

Sub-Tip 2: When spiral notebooks (or whatever sort of paper) you use go on sale, stock up. They often hit 10 cents at Wal-Mart and when I see that I pounce.

Sub-Tip 3: Place multiple pens in every vehicle, backpack and suitcase you own so you’ll always have one that works. Put the cap on them so they don’t leak all over your other stuff.

Find Three Go-To Guys

As I hinted above, there are certain anglers who are less than diligent about returning writers’ phone calls and texts. It’s a phenomenon that has plagued and irritated me throughout my career – for people whose income typically depends more on sponsorship/media than on tournament winnings, you’d think they’d want all of the exposure they could get, yet the issue persists. Accordingly, find a handful or anglers who are highly likely to answer the phone, have solid credibility and can provide a quality interview on just about any topic.

Sub-Tip 1: It’s fine to have more than three.

Sub-Tip 2: Try to add one to the list every year. When the Elite Series competitors list comes out, I try to get in on the ground floor with a promising rookie to develop what could become a long-term professional relationship.

Talk to the Guy Who Knows the Guy

In a recent article I read, sportswriter Jeff Pearlman floored me when he revealed that he typically interviews over 600 people for each of his books. Even if I were not an introvert, that would be daunting. Fortunately, for much of outdoor writing that’s not strictly necessary. In fact, you may be perfectly justified interviewing a single person if your topic is, for example, “Angler X’s Three Favorite Jig Colors.” Nevertheless, you’re articles will often be more complete, and you may get a money quote or bit of critical information if you talk to someone who has special insight to the main speaker in your piece – their wife, team partner, sponsor, etc. At the 2018 Classic, I was assigned a short piece about Matt Lee’s solid season leading up to his qualification. I got good info from Matt himself, but some of the real juice came from Davy Hite, Jesse Wiggins, Gerald Swindle, and Matt’s brother Jordan. Even if you don’t use their quotes directly, they’ll often inform the tone of your piece.

Visit the Local Tackle Store

Whether you’re onsite covering an event, or at a dream destination, if there’s a local tackle shop (or gathering place) go there and ask the locals for their opinions. Again, they may have biases or blind spots, but they’ll often give you the real skinny. Hell, even if the locals are grouchy as hell, you can often get good information by seeing which pegs are empty.

Sub-Tip: While you’re in the shop be sure to buy something. It’s good manners and keeps the mom and pops going.

*******************************************************************************************************

If after reading this article you have additional questions or concerns about your budding or potential career as an outdoor writer, shoot me an email any time and let’s get your portfolio growing.