When I started my freelance career six years ago, I knew nothing about the nuts and bolts of journalism. And I knew I wouldn’t get to learn on the job in a newsroom, where I could work side-by-side with other reporters and receive regular mentorship from editors.

Luckily, there are many resources out there to help us independent journalists build a robust set of skills on our own. A lot of organizations offer free or low-cost professional development courses and webinars—including, of course, the IIJ! Our full archive of webinars are available on our website, as are all episodes of The Freelance Journalism Podcast (new episodes monthly, including a brand new one today 👀). From pitching high-profile publications to creating social media content quickly, there’s a wealth of information for us.

Plus, many of our partner organizations, including the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and the Asian American Journalists Association, also offer excellent webinars and toolkits. Last week, for instance, the Society of Professional Journalists held SkillsFest 26, a free two-day virtual conference with training sessions on sending FOIA requests, headline writing and mastering AP Style.

If you’re looking for more sustained training, the Poynter Institute has many low-cost or free courses. Most are asynchronous, so you can complete them at your own pace—but you can receive a certificate of completion if you do the work within a specified timeframe.

While these resources are invaluable, don’t discount the power of informal professional development. I improved my pitching skills exponentially by joining an informal critique group of fellow freelancers that met weekly to give and receive feedback. I also made some great friends.

Know of other professional development opportunities I missed? Let us know!

~ Sara

Documented is a digital publication centering the voices and stories of immigrants in New York City and New Jersey, producing reporting and resource guides in four different languages. Deputy Editor Clarissa A. León helps lead Documented’s small team while also developing relationships with diverse freelancers who can deliver written stories and photojournalism. She spoke with the IIJ’s Erika Hayasaki about how freelancers can pitch her–even early career journalists or students.

Pitch Fest was such a success at our March conference that we’re taking it on the road! Conference attendees and Chicago-area freelancers are invited to submit pitches for a live session at the Society of Environmental Journalists Conference on April 18. The deadline to submit your story idea is April 6; reported stories only, and those with an environmental angle will give you an advantage. Hear from editors including Bryce Cracknell of The Margin, Jenny Splitter of Sentient Media, Michael Kodas of Inside Climate News, Michelle Rowan of the Chicago Tribune, and Peter Prengaman of the Associated Press.

Are you based in Chicago and simply want to watch the action? As a past attendee said: “It’s one thing to have editors tell you what they like in a pitch and another to see them dissect one in real time. So useful!” RSVP here to join us at SEJ!

You can hear Jenny talk about how to pitch Sentient Media in on the Freelance Journalism Podcast!

The IIJ’s Business of Freelancing course starting this Thursday, April 2 is sold out— but you can still sign up for the waitlist! We’ll let you know if someone drops out, and you’ll be the first to hear when the fall course opens. Students this spring will learn from independent journalists and creators Emma Carew Grovum and Nicki Mayo in a supportive cohort of fellow freelancers. The course covers balancing projects that pay your bills with those that feed your passions, improving your time management, and empowering yourself in contract negotiations. All for just $299.

The IIJ is grateful for support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation for this course.

If you’re lucky enough to be in Perugia, Italy for the International Journalism Festival, join the IIJ’s founder and executive director Katherine Reynolds Lewis for an April 17 meetup with our European counterparts, the Society of Freelance Journalists. The first wine, beer, or soft drink is on us for the first 40 people!

The Vilcek Foundation invites young immigrant storytellers who focus on food and drink to apply for the Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Culinary Arts. At least five years of experience is required. 💰$50,000. Learn more and apply here. Deadline: Monday, May 4.

Rest of World, a nonprofit publication that reports on regions outside North America, seeks stories for its Labor x Tech vertical. Learn more about the type of stories they’re looking for here, and send pitches to [email protected]. 💰$1,000 for 800 to 1,000 words. No deadline listed.

Rachel Courtland is seeking stories for MIT Tech Review’s next print issue on “Kids.” She encourages writers to think broadly in terms of story idea and format—essays, profiles, narrative and reported pieces—as long as there’s a clear technology angle. 💰$1 to $2 per word. Read their pitch guidelines here, and send pitches to [email protected]. Deadline: Friday, April 3.

Rachel shared inside tips on how to pitch MIT Tech Review in our webinar on pitching science and tech stories.

The Nova Institute’s 2026 Media Fellowship supports writers pursuing solutions-based stories about health and wellbeing, especially those by and about journalists from underrepresented communities. 💰$60,000, plus travel and conference stipends. Learn more and apply here. Deadline: Monday, April 20.

The Association of Health Care Journalists invites mid-career journalists to apply for a 9-month fellowship to produce in-depth reporting on gun violence as a public health crisis. 💰$7,500, plus conference and travel fees. Learn more and apply here. Deadline: Friday, April 17.

Wirecutter editor Jason Chen is open to “short-form, voice-driven odes to products.” 💰Usually $500, with $100-300 extra for photos and videos. Read Wirecutter’s pitch guidelines here, and send pitches to [email protected]. Put “Freelance pitch” in the subject line.

📖 The media community lost a powerhouse journalist and all-around good person when Diana Fuentes, executive director of Investigative Reporters and Editors, died suddenly on March 20. Her friend and mentee Mc Nelly Torres honors Fuentes on her Substack, Don’t Forget My Voice. “With Dee Dee, I experienced a type of loving and caring leader that was rare in newspapers then, and now,” Torres writes. “I am mourning Dee Dee, the journalist, leader and mentor. But today I am also mourning Dee Dee, my good friend.”

📖 I am always looking for ways to improve my pitches, so I have already signed up for Pitch Club, a new free Substack by freelance writer Brendan O’Meara. Writers share their pitches—successful and not—and break down their choices. As O’Meara tells Poynter Institute’s Amaris Castillo, “The more you really peel back the layers of the onion—freelance journalism, freelance writing, it’s all about pitching.”

📖 Media professor Anita Varma talks to James Salanga of the Objective about her new book “Solidarity in Journalism: How Ethical Reporting Fights for Social Justice.” In their conversation, Varma defines solidarity, argues that journalism is always advocacy, and much more. The whole conversation is great, but I was especially struck by this comment, which sums up the book’s thesis perfectly: “Solidarity for social justice is the very best of what journalism does and has always done.”

🗓️ TODAY: Tuesday, March 31 - IIJ founder Katherine Reynolds Lewis presents at the Online News Association annual conference in Chicago from 9-11 am CT in a workshop: Getting Your New Project off the Ground. More info at ONA’s conference website.

🗓️ Thursday, April 2 - The first session of the spring Business of Freelancing course, taught by independent journalists and entrepreneurs Emma Carew Grovum and Nicki Mayo. Join the waitlist here.

🗓️ Friday, April 17 - The IIJ and the Society of Freelance Journalists are hosting a meetup at this year’s International Journalism Festival in Perugia, Italy! 🇮🇹 Join us at il Birraio at 3 pm local time for drinks with your fellow freelancers. RSVP here for updates!

🗓️ Saturday, April 18 - The IIJ is hosting a Pitch Fest at the Society of Environmental Journalists 2026 Conference! Join IIJ Editorial Director Ann Marie Awad from 3:30-5 p.m. CT to hear fellow journalists pitch stories to a panel of all-star editors including Bryce Cracknell of The Margin, Michael Kodas of Inside Climate News and Peter Prengaman of the Associated Press. RSVP to attend here or on SEJ’s Whova app, submit a pitch before April 6 here.

🗓️ Wednesday, April 22 - At the American Society of Journalists and Authors’ 2026 online conference, the IIJ is presenting a panel on “Creating Entrepreneurship Systems That Work For You” from 3-3:50 p.m. ET. Hear from IIJ leaders Ann Marie Awad and Katherine Reynolds Lewis and independent journalists Clayton Gutzmore and Olga Lucia Torres. Register for the conference here and save 15% with the code ASJA26GRP.

🗓️ June 2-5 - At the Education Writers Association National Seminar, IIJ leaders Benét Wilson, Katherine Reynolds Lewis and Shernay Williams will be presenting on Friday, June 5 at 10:30-11:30 am ET on entrepreneurship, in Baltimore, MD! Learn more and register here.

🗓️ Thursday, July 25 - The IIJ will present a panel on mastering the solo hustle at this year’s National Association of Hispanic Journalists Conference and Expo in New Orleans. Speakers include Valeria Fernández, founder of Altavoz Lab; Carolina Murriel, co-founder of Pizza Shark; independent journalist Silvia Canelón; and IIJ editorial director Ann Marie Awad. We will also be hosting a freelance meetup! Stay tuned for details.

▶️ Podcast: How to pitch unique NYC immigration stories to Documented

▶️ Podcast: Freelance journalism FAQ with Katherine Lewis and Shernay Williams

⏪ Webinar: Mobile Reporting: Tools for Making Content on The Go

▶️ Podcast: For $1/word, Science Friday wants enterprise stories that spark curiosity

⏪ Webinar: How to Pitch High Profile, National Media

▶️ Podcast: Pitch Sentient Media stories about how the sausage is made