Four Strategies for Finding Freelance Article Topics
By: Christine Seifert
Tags: Creativity, Writing Tips, Freelance Writing, Getting Article Ideas, Research

Four Strategies for Finding Freelance Article Topics

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

One of the biggest challenges for freelance magazine writers is finding interesting stories. Even if you do find a great one, chances are often slim that you can get access to the sources. If the sources are easy to find, that probably means that story has been told a hundred times already.

If you don’t have a lot of contacts and hate networking (like me), you may think you’ll never find good freelance story ideas. Guess what? You can. Here are four ways to find compelling story ideas. You don’t even have to leave the house. (Frankly, you don’t even have to put on pants to try these methods!)

1. Mine academic articles

After you left school, you may have decided you’ll never read an academic journal article again. Think again. Journal articles are goldmines.

Don’t worry if you don’t have enough expertise to read scholarly articles. Sure, you may not be an expert — and you may lack specialized knowledge in research methods — but you can still get the key points. And that’s often all you need to get started.

Begin by identifying a list of journals in fields that interest you. Then hit your local library. Most public libraries have database subscriptions that will allow you to access articles behind paywalls. If you live near a college or university library, find out how much it costs to get a library card. It’s usually a small amount and with that card, you can access a wide range of journals at that library.

Once you have access to journals, start browsing. Don’t use search terms, just browse issues from the last year or so. When you find something interesting, read the abstract. If it sounds like a promising lead, read the article. Make some notes. Keep a list of questions about things you would need clarified if you were to write about this topic.

Once you find a good topic, do a Google search. Has anyone written about this yet in a popular publication? Is there an angle on this topic a journalist hasn’t yet covered? Could you interview the researchers to clarify aspects of the research you don’t understand?

You’ll probably start to gravitate toward interrelated topics. Keep taking notes. At some point, you’ll have a light bulb moment and you’ll find a cohesive story.

2. Read local newspapers (and not just your own)

Local newspapers are great sources for finding story ideas. True, they’ve already been reported, but what you are looking for is a new angle on them.

Identify a handful of small, local papers from cities other than the one you live in. (I’m going to assume you are already reading your local papers. If you aren’t, put that on your to-do list.) Then take notes on interesting stories. You may not find your great idea immediately, but eventually you’ll start to make some connections.

For example, I recently read an article in my local newspaper about how difficult it is for recovering drug addicts to expunge their criminal records. A misdemeanor record can make it almost impossible to find an apartment or a job. I remembered reading something else about expungement in a local paper from Illinois. A lawmaker was trying to block laws that would make expungement easier. Those two pieces helped form a burgeoning idea: What states have expungement processes? If they don’t, why not? How does that affect recovering addicts?

3. Browse historical magazines and historical society archives

State historical magazines make for fascinating reading material, but most people never even glance at them. Those articles can provide a jumping-off point for your next story.

For instance, a few years ago, I was reading Minnesota History Magazine, which I’d stumbled upon online, and I found a brilliantly researched article about an unusual true crime case in St. Paul, Minnesota. I set it aside until I ran across some additional research. It was then that I realized I had a story.

Archives are an even better place to dig for ideas. When I was writing my historical story, I contacted a state historical society and they sent me a trial transcript from 1859. It was so old and dusty that it gave me hives! But it was a treasure chest of information that helped make my article better. Many states have archival material digitized and available online.

4. Listen to podcasts

Podcasters are doing some wonderful research and storytelling these days. Pay attention to the stories that really capture your attention. It’s possible that the story hasn’t been told yet in writing. Keep in mind that I’m not suggesting plagiarizing a podcast. Instead, use your favorite podcasts to come up with different angles on a topic.

For example, I was recently listening to a crime podcast and heard a harrowing story about a woman falsely accused of a crime. I reached out to that woman and asked her if I could interview her. That interview provided an angle on a story that is wholly separate from the podcast and that hasn’t been written yet. The podcast was impetus for my story idea.