In many cultures — including my Persian culture — the new year begins on the first day of spring. It makes sense: spring means growth and renewal, an awakening from the hibernation of winter. I find it easier to have an extra “spring” in my step when the weather’s warmer, the days longer, and the daffodils begin to peek up out of the soil.

Spring is also a great time to freshen up some of the areas of your freelance life that might be gathering dust. It’s a great time to reach out to folks in your professional network that you haven’t spoken to in a while.

I use the term “professional network” broadly here: not just clients, but fellow freelancers, former sources ,and friends. You never know where the next lead on an assignment or story idea may arise.

In last year’s spring cohort of the Business of Freelance Journalism course, we learned the value of mapping out your network and making a regular habit of contacting folks. I plan to start this spring, even though I’m busier than ever thanks to caregiving responsibilities. So why reach out now? Because cultivating your network isn’t just about getting a job; it’s about staying connected to people. I know from personal experience how warm it feels to get a message saying, “I’m thinking of you. How are you? What’s new? Can I offer any support?”

Don’t think of reaching out to your network as transactional. Lead with kindness and care, and it can be transformational.

~ Sara

Grow your business this spring with the IIJ’s Business of Freelancing course! Over eight weeks, independent journalists and creators Emma Carew Grovum and Nicki Mayo will show you how to balance passion projects with ones that pay, how to build and maintain a strong network, and more! All for just $249 if you sign up before March 28.

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

Will you be at the Society of Environmental Journalists’ annual conference in Chicago from April 15-18? Or do you live near Chicago and want to attend? The IIJ is hosting a live pitch fest at SEJ’s conference and we need your story ideas. A handful of lucky freelancers will receive feedback in real time, and may even land an assignment!

Peter Prengaman, AP’s global climate desk editor, and other editors will share what makes or breaks a winning story pitch. Unpublished, reported stories only. A pitch with an environmental angle will give you an advantage, but isn’t required. Submit your pitch here. Stay tuned for an announcement when we open the pitch fest for registration! Volunteers also welcome.

The 2026 American Society of Journalists and Authors virtual conference on April 20-22 is geared towards helping freelancers thrive at a time when AI, newsroom layoffs, and the rise of independent creators are reshaping the media landscape. On April 22, the IIJ’s Ann Marie Awad and Katherine Reynolds Lewis will present “Creating Entrepreneurship Systems That Work For You” alongside independent journalists (and IIJ members) Clayton Gutzmore and Olga Lucia Torres. Even better, IIJ members receive 15% off with the code ASJA26GRP!

The Disability Journalists Association needs five writers: four to write 300-word stories about rural climate projects led by disabled people, and one writer for a 1,200 word story on the intersection of rural accessible transit and climate justice. 💰$1 per word. Learn more here, and send pitches to [email protected].

DJA executive director Cara Reedy recently spoke at the IIJ Conference!

Online Editor Tarpley Hitt is looking for “smart funny pitches” for the prestigious literary quarterly’s website. Stories could fit columns like Home Improvements or Diaries. 💰$500 “with some wiggle room on either end.” Send pitches to [email protected].

The Society of Professional Journalists is collaborating with organizations such as Investigative Reporters and Editors and NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists for Skillfest26: two free days of virtual training on a wide range of topics. Learn how to write successful grants, create the perfect headline, navigate FOIA requests, and more! March 26-27. Register here.

The Association of Health Care Journalists offers a variety of fellowships supporting travel to their annual conference. One fellowship is specifically for freelance journalists, while others support journalists in designated states. Journalism and Women Symposium (JAWS) program participants can also apply for a special equity scholarship. 💰Conference registration, travel, hotel, and one-year membership to AHCJ. Deadline: Friday, March 27.

Have a great Chicago story? The Chicago Reader invites freelancers to pitch stories on a variety of Windy City issues, from arts and culture to politics. 💰Rates start at $200 for features, with the minimum increasing with the word count. Learn more about what they’re looking for and which editor to submit to here.

The National Press Club Awards honors work in 15 different categories, including satire, reporting on aging, and cultural criticism. This year, they’re offering a cash prize for the first time. 💰$1,000. Learn more about eligibility, categories, and how to apply here. Deadline: Monday, May 4.

📖Journalists are finding opportunities in storytelling for brands, which value our narrative skills. This piece in Astra Content, featuring the IIJ’s own Ann Marie Awad, explores the transition to brand content and why it’s hard for some. “To do journalism, you have to care very deeply,” Ann Marie says in the piece. “I’ve met very few people in my life for whom it’s just a job, the kind of thing where you’re clocking in from nine to five.” That can make it especially challenging for journalists who are struggling to find work. But there are ways to deploy your skills elsewhere without losing a sense of who you are.

📖A recent collaboration between independent creator Monique O. Madan and The Miami Herald shows how such relationships can be mutually beneficial. Madan, a former Herald reporter, explains why it’s so crucial that the Herald not only republished her first story on her new Substack, Two Can Be True, but also credited her and linked back to the original piece. “On the surface, that may seem like a small development,” she writes. “For independent journalists, it is actually a meaningful signal about where reporting is headed and how journalism is increasingly moving between platforms, audiences and newsrooms.”

📖“When we become our own boss, we gain flexibility with how we use our time, agency to say no to working with people who don’t align with our values, and more power to support the causes we care about,” writes IIJ member Leo Aquino in their newsletter Queer and Trans Wealth. But each spring, we also face the challenges of navigating Tax Day as a solopreneur. Luckily, Aquino has compiled a list of potential write offs we often overlook. From professional development to car expenses, health insurance premiums to home offices, learn which ones you may be able to deduct.

🗓️ 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. Register here before March 28 for just $249!

🗓️ 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!

🗓️ 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 as well as 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 a session on creating entrepreneurship systems that work for you, in Baltimore, MD! Learn more and register here.

▶️ 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

▶️ Podcast: How to pitch Mongabay stories on climate and Indigenous communities