hi, i am not sure what useful info i can contribute as i am strictly a freelancer, a puta de palabras, i usually say. you pay me, i write.

i don't deal at all with agencies or tightly knit journalist groups. i have a couple of contacts in the us that keep me very busy and now and then i do something for little magazines in detroit, new orleans, and occasionally expat rags in spain.

i don't see why this wouldn't work for you too. if you have contacts there is no reason why you shouldn't be able to continue writing for them from spain.

good luck.

Hi Candela,

Jer mentioned that you were a freelancer to me. Working for a press agency over her in Liverpool I guess I'm also a 'puta de palabras' except that at the moment i have the security of a salary.

But this i'm willing to forego for the pleasure of living in Madrid!

I did Private message you the other day but i'm not entirely sure if you got the message!

I hear payment for writing for the expat rags is pretty dire - is that true or a myth?

quote:

I did Private message you the other day but i'm not entirely sure if you got the message!

Nikki, i'm sure she did get it but it is always best to keep the advice asking for on the board for everyone to benefit from.

also, often times too many private messages are sent and the person on the receiving end has no time to write back. for example, if 4 people write Candela via a pm and ask for advice and such, she would have to write 4 times the same advice instead of just posting it once on the board.

another reason why it is best to keep it on the board unless it is very personal.

saludos,
jer...

Good Point Jer,

Guess i'm not all together down with the do's and donts of the board yet! :b:

no probs Nikki, just wanted to give you a heads up on why you may not get an answer to that private message.

you see, i personally get tons of them (as well as e-mails) and basically they go as follows...

"hi jer, been a member/lurker on your board for a long time and now i need some advice. 'insert question here'".

... and my response is a form-e-mail as follows...

"hi 'insert name here', if you have been a member/lurker of my board for a long time, you should realize that the board is where you need to ask this. i never give one to one advice via e-mail, that is what the board is for. thanks for understanding".

saludos,
jer...

Hi all!

Nikki, I did my MBA in Madrid this past year and did not find work in Madrid. Attribute this to poor market or unwillingness to fill out work visa...whatever. Unfortunately am not really familiar with the media sector. The little information/advice I can give you is similar to what's already been said.

I have a friend who works in media in NY and it is a pretty difficult industry to work your way up through as I guess you already know. Getting a job in Spain requires much more 'enchufe' or influential contacts than you might be used to in the UK. I would strongly take advantage of the contacts presented to you in this thread.

One thing that might be of use to you. I was trying to get a job as a translator/writer for my while at business school as English was my major in college, but was told that my services were not then needed. My school's translation/publication department is (do not be surprised) very inadequate as are most within Spanish companies. I was told this by the school's PR head and the school's translator. The translator got the gig for the school by way of contacts as she herself was once a freelance journalist.

The point --> I may be able to write the PR head and see if they require some extra help from time to time. If you are interested please e-mail me at mcolligan@gmail.com

Mike

Hi Nikki. I�ve worked in British newspapers for almost 17 years and moved across to Madrid at the end of January. A while back I asked the same question as you on the board and found there was very little English-language press in Madrid. Then I did some research of my own back in Britain and found that our stringer in Madrid had moved down south as he found it so hard to get work here (boy, did he have to dash on March 11). I�ve managed to file a few news stories over the last few weeks, but it�s hard. Look at the British press - the Indy, Telegraph, Guardian etc all have a journalist over here and how often do you see Spanish stories in the papers? It�s the same here - there are very few British stories in the Spanish press. Also you say:

quote:

I guess I'm also a 'puta de palabras' except that at the moment i have the security of a salary.

That is one BIG security and when you take it away, it�s a frightening world. Having a press agency tell you what to write about is different from trying to flog your own ideas. Candela also works as an English teacher (a route that I�m taking too) so that wil tell you how hard freelancing is.

I don�t mean to sound negative, and I do urge you to follow your dream. But - and being a journo you should know this phrase inside out - do your research. I echo Jer�s advice to make sure you have enough money to see you through the lean times (and the even leaner times) and have a back-up plan, at least while you begin making contacts and getting your name known.

Good luck!

:ks: :ks: :ks:

Nikki, Rebekah, and other would be journalists... this job listing will most likely be of interest to you. Even if you can't take advantage of it now, I would make sure your CV gets in the hands of this recruiting company for future possibilities...

See the listing HERE.

Suerte!