Newsletter #6: I Trolled My Way Into Journalism
(and I’m not sorry)
Stop me if you’ve heard this one…
When I was in my early thirties, largely out of work, and disillusioned about the career I’d thought I wanted (social work), I used to go out to the bar, have not too many drinks (just one or two), come home, and email pitches to Slate editors, cold.
It wasn't only Slate, of course. I’m pretty sure I sent an unsolicited draft to the New Yorker, among other absurdities. And, while I was barely published, my days were spent quite seriously writing and submitting fiction, some literary, some sci-fi (in retrospect, mostly too much of a blend of both to be publishable without fancy connects). This would have been no earlier than 2012, a time I remember fondly as my art hermit period.
As I said, my “day job” was writing fiction (unpaid, unnoticed), but my hobby was sending pitches to editors at publications I admired. I had no sense of shame or fear, because I was just playing at it. I had ideas, I loved to write, I felt I could do as well or better than many of the people getting paid, and with a beer and a head of steam I’d toss off a pitch at somewhere fancy, like Slate or the Atlantic. Knowing me, these troll pitches would have been riddled with typos, written in a brash, completely unprofessional manner, and done not because I thought I’d have a piece assigned but because I thought… well… I just thought it was a funny bit.
One day in late 2013 an absolute saint, June Thomas, then editor of Outward (Slate’s LGBTQ+ blog) saw one of these cries for help and, improbably, responded. She said the pitch was bad and told me why, teased me for having a typo IN THE SUBJECT LINE, and then said if I sent her three more pitches maybe she’d let me write something.
One of those three became my first Slate piece, and my first attempt at any sort of journalistic writing. It did well, so I began writing for June whenever she would let me.
It wasn’t quite smooth sailing from there. I have never made real money writing. In fact, when my then-wife and I left our home state of Massachusetts for Tennessee (so she could attend grad school for entomology), I started working at a corner store so we could squeak by, barely, on that income, plus my writing, plus her stipend. Eventually, I talked my way into a gig moderating Slate’s comments in a manner that wasn’t that dissimilar from the way I’d talked myself into writing pieces for June. The moderation gig’s always been just enough money to fund my writing habit, for all these years. Really, the main thing I’ve done right, apart from being unwilling to accept that there was no place for me in writing, is not stop, never give up, and through slow times and disappointing times to just keep writing.
Is this advice? Am I styling myself as a life coach? Am I just bragging? OK YES, PROBABLY. I think the one insight I have into the journalism business though, is that if you’re willing not to make any money doing it, you can pretty much just do it, if you want.
For me, at this point, it’s more a calling than an occupation. Much like transition, if I could go back in time and start reporting earlier, I would. Since I can’t I make the best with what I have, and just keep going. It’s hard work, but it’s fun and I’m so glad to have you with me.
ICYMI
An ugly court situation involving the transgender daughter of former NBA player Dwayne Wade has become fodder for the right wing propaganda machine. We’re building one of our signature timelines, here.
I wrote about an ad campaign targeting Black and brown communities ahead of the midterms using the same transphobic lies honed by the right wing press.
We’re back in Slate, with our coverage of Elon Musk’s plans for Twitter, and how transphobia and his vulnerability to misinformation are key to understanding what those are.
Next Week
This section is fast becoming a place where I lie to you about things I want to do, but get pushed out by breaking news. Might be better after the midterms? We will see.
I have a line on some journalists who deal with data, so while that’s not happening soon, it’s still very much on my mind. I want to be able to track and quantify changes in coverage, where different stories are and are not, how and when they cross over into the mainstream, that sort of thing. I don’t have the skills yet, but give me time, I will.
I’m watching the midterm elections closely, but after Tuesday my hope is that the number of breaking stories will relent, and I’ll finally- FINALLY- get to the piece I planned on how UK trans news is covered in the US. We’ll see- don’t hold me to it, but come Wednesday I’ll try to make a start.
Your support, I will just say, means everything. I know there’s some new sign ups since last week, and I cannot say more strongly how appreciated (and, frankly, financially necessary) you all are to me, and to Assigned.
Evan
