One of my favorite Dolly Parton sayings is: “Find out who you are and do it on purpose.”
I can’t think of a better mantra for this new chapter of the IIJ, which we’re unveiling today: a multitiered membership program that allows us to expand our programming to meet the needs of independent journalists and creators navigating our volatile media landscape.
In fact, we created this membership program because you let us know that you wanted more from us: more frequent events, more chances to build community, and more opportunities to engage in peer learning and to connect directly with editors.
Some content will remain available to everyone at no cost: the Freelance Journalism Podcast, the IIJ Freelance Quick-Start Guide, and access to our Slack community.
But if you choose one of our four affordable membership tiers, you can access anywhere from $900 to $2,500 worth of training, programming, exclusive content, and discounts for less than $8 to $17 per month.
The bundle includes a library of more than 70 pitch guides and more than 100 hours of video featuring interviews with editors, skill-building sessions, and professional guidance on insurance, negotiation, and more. Members can also participate in monthly informal strategy sessions, enjoy free access to our seven yearly webinars, and receive discounts on our annual conference, the Business of Freelancing Course, and other IIJ events.
Learn more below, or visit our membership page.
What I love most about the next chapter of the IIJ is the strong emphasis on community. It makes not just emotional sense but financial sense, too; in a world of AI, human connection is more important than ever for editors in need of writers, writers in need of stories, and audiences who want transparency and truth.
There’s no better time to invest not only in your career but also the future of independent journalism with an IIJ membership.
We can’t wait for you to join us.
~ Sara
🎉 Become a member of the IIJ TODAY!
Since 2022, the IIJ has provided low- and no-cost support for independent journalists through webinars, our annual conferences, the Freelance Journalism podcast, and our popular Business of Freelancing course.
Now, we’re entering a new stage by launching the IIJ membership program. Choose from four tiers to get limited or full access to the IIJ content library, which includes 70+ guides to pitching top outlets, like the New York Times, USA Today, the Washington Post, and many more! Members also get exclusive access to monthly drop-in strategy sessions led by IIJ founder Katherine Reynolds Lewis, as well as discounts and early access to certain IIJ events, including:
The Business of Freelancing Course
Our flagship eight-week course designed to provide journalists with a strong foundation in sustainable small business practices. Capped at 30 seats, this course has sold out every time we’ve offered it! Anyone can register for $199 until Sept. 15, but members receive an additional 15-30% off! Registration will remain open until classes start on Oct. 1 or the class fills. Cohorts meet every Thursday at 3-4 p.m. ET until Nov. 19, and leave the course with a toolbox of resources including model contracts and budgets.
Pitch the Editors
Schedule one-on-one meetings with commissioning editors from outlets like Undark, Remezcla, and High Country News during the IIJ's Pitch the Editors event on Feb. 4-5, 2027! Registration is now open at the early bird price of $49, but IIJ members get first dibs on scheduling time slots with editors, in addition to their member discount.
Monthly webinars
This season, the IIJ is offering more of the monthly webinars you’ve come to love at an affordable price, but here’s the kicker: Members at every level get free access to the webinars. Are you a regular at IIJ webinars? For the cost of just three, you can have access to all seven — and receive additional membership perks. Gold members and higher can grab pitch guides after the September, November, and December webinars. Here’s this fall’s lineup, with two more coming in early 2027:
🍽️ Pull up a seat to our Sept. 25 session all about food journalism, with editors from Ravenous, COYOTE Media Collective, the Guardian, and the Food Section.
🌍 Get a crash course in the digital nomad life on Oct. 16 with a panel of accomplished freelance journalists and writers living abroad: Tiara Darnell, Russell Nichols, Saul O., and Zerline Hughes Spruill, moderated by travel writer Meena Thiruvengadam.
💸 Join us on Nov. 20 to get face time with directors of fellowship and grant programs at the Education Writers Association, Freelance Investigative Reporters and Editors, the Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Journalism, and Trans Journalists Association.
✈️ On Dec. 11, meet editors from Aeon Magazine, Condé Nast Traveler, and Travel + Leisure in this session on pitching culture and travel stories! Ask them your burning questions, and learn what they look for in a pitch.
📱In the new year, we’re excited to welcome a crew of accomplished creator journalists who will share their revenue strategies on Jan. 22: Garnet Henderson, co-founder of Autonomy News; Monique Madan, publisher of Two Can Be True; Yashica Dutt, author and publisher of Featuring Dalits; and Serena Maria Daniels, the writer behind Midwest Mexican.
Annual conference
The IIJ conference – taking place in fall 2027 – is already the best deal around. This two-day online event connects you with experts in entrepreneurship, book publishing, and marketing, as well as commissioning editors. Attendees learn how to find journalism-adjacent work, option their reporting into film, protect their intellectual property, and much more. Not to mention daily opportunities for intentional networking with your fellow freelancers. Members will be able to take advantage of additional discounts and early registration for the 2027 conference!
In short: This membership is an excellent investment in your freelance career! Sustainable entrepreneurship has never been more important for independent journalists, who now make up more than a third of the journalism workforce. Our members fuel our work and enable us to expand the support we offer for freelancers during this critical time.
🚨 NEXT WEEK: Join the IIJ at #NLGJA26!
IIJ founder Katherine Reynolds Lewis will present a panel and co-host a meetup in San Francisco next week at the 2026 Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists conference! On Thursday, Sept. 10, join Katherine, COYOTE Media’s Soleil Ho, and Kae Petrin, co-founder of the Trans Journalists Association for a 11 a.m. PT panel on how to weather the reality of freelance life today.
Then, join Katherine at 6 p.m. PT that evening at a free meetup co-hosted by the Association of Independents in Radio, the Fund for Investigative Journalism, and the International Women’s Media Foundation! Eric Ferrero of the FIJ and Tat Bellamy-Walker of the IWMF will also be there.
Pitch calls and other opportunities
👥 Meet fellow freelancers in the free IIJ Slack
Join more than 1,000 independent journalists and creators in the IIJ’s Slack community! Share your work, find out what others are reading, tap the hivemind for real-time advice and assistance, and more! If you think there are some good opportunities in this newsletter, there are even more in the Slack. 👀 Click here to join.
🧑🧑🧒🧒 New America grant supports family policy stories
New America’s Better Life Lab invites independent journalists and newsrooms to apply for grants to support stories on ballot initiatives and race-conscious policies that help families thrive. 💰$1,500 for independent journalists. To learn more about the application process, email either Brigid Schulte at [email protected] or Haley Swenson at [email protected].
🧠 Apply for Poynter fellowship for brain health beat
Journalists interested in reporting on brain health are invited to apply for the Poynter Institute’s Brain Health Reporting Fellowship, a yearlong program for 30 journalists that includes two in-person gatherings, monthly check-ins, and individualized mentorship. 💰$3,000. Learn more and apply here. Deadline: Tuesday, Sept. 22.
🚑 Find emergency funds for freelancers
Kaitlyn Arford of the Freelance Opportunities! newsletter has put together a list of emergency grants and funds for journalists and creators in dire financial straits. Opportunities are available not just for journalists in the U.S. but also Canada and the United Kingdom. Check it out here.
🧑💻 Apply for tech in democracy reporting fellowship
Tech Policy Press invites journalists interested in the intersection of democracy and technology to apply for its 2027 fellowship cohort. Fellows will report at least monthly on top of attending monthly meetings and check-ins throughout the yearlong, part-time program. 💰$10,000. Learn more and apply here. Deadline: Thursday, Sept. 24.
Interesting Reads
📖 What happens when a legacy publication relies on independent reporting and doesn’t assign credit? Usually nothing. But after a story independent journalist Kayti Burt wrote for Fansplaining was plumbed for information without attribution, editor Elizabeth Minkel decided to shed light on this systemic issue that hurts independent journalists and publications alike. “This incident isn’t a one-off — it’s part of a longstanding pattern of legacy publications with massive financial resources and reach taking what they can from smaller, often niche outlets and independent reporters, knowing the latter will be left with little recourse to push back,” Minkel writes.
📖 Lex Roman of Revenue Rulebreaker interviewed Michelle Jackson of Creators Getting Paid about the unique challenges Black creators face and how they can counteract the racial pay gap. Much of the advice is universal, however, like the need to have multiple — but not too many! — revenue streams and the importance of building a strong, steady list of subscribers.
As Roman writes, “Black creators can't wait for the eradication of systemic racism to earn a living. The rest of us can't afford to miss out on their work.”
📖 IIJ conference keynote speaker Karen Attiah has won her legal battle against the Washington Post, which has been ordered to rehire her and provide back pay after firing her last summer. Attiah spoke to Nermeen Shaikh of Democracy Now! about the victory and her hopes for the future. “My Substack I’m going to keep writing, until I find out more about what’s going to happen with the Washington Post,” she said. “But as of now, all my options are still on the table.” In a Newsone piece, Dr. Stacey Patton points out that Black journalists are woefully underrepresented at the Post and elsewhere, citing the IIJ layoffs survey and Pew Research Center data.
Hear Karen talk about her solo ventures and her role as a “warrior-philosopher” on the Freelance Journalism Podcast!
Calendar
🗓️ Thursday, Sept. 10 at 11 a.m. PT - Join the IIJ for a panel at the 2026 convention for NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists in San Francisco! Trans Journalists Association co-founder Kae Petrin, COYOTE Media worker-owner Soleil Ho, and the IIJ’s Katherine Reynolds Lewis will present on “The Reality of Freelance Journalism Today.”
🗓️ Thursday, Sept. 10 at 6 p.m. PT - Our freelancer meetup at NLGJA, co-hosted with AIR, the IWMF, and the FIJ, takes place in the evening. Come meet IIJ leader Katherine Reynolds Lewis, IWMF leader Tat Bellamy-Walker, and Eric Ferrero from the FIJ! Register here.
🗓️ Friday, Sept. 25 at noon ET - Webinar - Dig In: How to Succeed on the Food Beat, featuring Guardian editor Cynthia Greenlee, Ravenous co-founder Jaya Saxena, the Food Section founder Hanna Raskin, COYOTE Media co-founder Soleil Ho, and moderator Alicia Kennedy, founder of Tomato, Tomato. Learn how these journalists have created unique career paths, and learn how to pitch their publications! Free for all IIJ membership tiers, $30 for non-members. Register here!
🗓️ Thursday, Oct. 1 at 3 p.m. ET - The fall 2026 cohort of the IIJ’s Business of Freelancing course begins! Over eight weeks, IIJ leaders Shernay Williams and Emma Carew Grovum will teach you the core strategies and systems that will enable you to build a sustainable and fulfilling freelance career. Learn how to negotiate strong contracts, build a strong client network, and more. Register here for $199 early bird pricing (members get an additional discount too!), but hurry! This price only lasts until Sept. 15!
🗓️ Friday, Oct. 9 at 4 p.m. ET - IIJ leaders will present at Investigative Reporters and Editors virtual conference, AccessFest 2026! Join moderator and IIJ leader Ann Marie Awad, data journalist Silvia Canelón, and Grants for Journalists creator Monica Williams for a panel on how to master life as a freelance solopreneur. Register for the conference here.
🗓️ Friday, Oct. 16 at 11:30 a.m. ET - The IIJ’s Ann Marie Awad will participate in a panel on what to do if you’re laid off as part of the National Association of Science Writers virtual conference. She’ll be joined by freelance writers Alaina G. Levine and Elizabeth Pennisi, CNN Senior Science Reporter Kasha Patel, and Vita-Activa’s Luisa Ortiz Pérez.
🗓️ Friday, Oct. 16 at noon ET - Webinar - Global Freelancing: The Secrets of Traveling Entrepreneurs. Learn how to thrive as a freelancer abroad from seasoned digital nomads: journalists Tiara Darnell, Russell Nichols, Zerline Hughes Spruill and Saul O., founder of RemoteQueer. Free for all IIJ membership tiers, $30 for non-members. Register here.
🗓️ Friday, Nov. 20 at noon ET - Webinar - Fund your Freelancing with Fellowships and Grants. Grab your share of the money funding freelance journalism from the Education Writers Association, Freelance Investigative Reporters and Editors, the Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting, and Trans Journalists Association. Learn what application reviewers are looking for! Free for all IIJ membership tiers, $30 for non-members. Register here.
🗓️ Friday, Dec. 11 at noon ET - Webinar - Pitching Arts, Culture, and Travel Stories. Learn what it takes to land your next story in Aeon Magazine, Condé Nast Traveler, or Travel + Leisure in this session featuring editors from all three, hosted by IIJ leader Erika Hayasaki. Free for all IIJ membership tiers, $30 for non-members. Register here.
🗓️ Friday, Jan. 22 at noon ET - Webinar - Winning Revenue Strategies for Creator Journalists. Join us for an inside look at the revenue strategies of successful creator journalists like Serena Maria Daniels of Midwest Mexican, Monique Madan of Two Can Be True, Garnet Henderson of Autonomy News, and Yashica Dutt of Featuring Dalits, in this session led by URL Collective’s Kirstin Garriss. Free for all IIJ membership tiers, $30 for non-members. Register here.
