The Freelance Remuda: Navigating the Equine Media Frontier

Episode 14: Branding and Re-Branding As freelancers, it has become more and more important to have a presence online. Gone are the days of simply bringing a portfolio of your work and a resume to a potential client meeting. Today, many freelancers employ social media and a website to market themselves to editors and companies. We will talk about social media in another episode, but today we are go...

In this episode, Abigail talks to veteran freelancer Jennifer O. Bryant.  She has a range of experience in publishing—particularly in the horse industry. With a background in hunt-seat, eventing and dressage riding, Jennifer brings solid horse knowledge to her writing. She has a degree in English and she's written for a variety of platforms: non-fiction books, magazine articles, event coverage—inc...

Ben Masters (on the gray horse) riding the trail for the film, book and multi-content feature Unbranded.  Note from Kate: Ben Masters is an enigma. In 2010, as a college student, he and two friends took a multi-month pack trip, and Western Horseman and I did an article about that trip. When Ben came to us with a hair-brained idea for a 5-month, more than 3,000-mile border-to-border pack trip that...

Even if you're a one-person freelance biz, there are a lot of moving parts to get the job done. Our success depends on being able to meet deadlines and take care of loose ends. If you're just starting out, your business has expanded or you've gone through a change like a move or having a new baby, it's easy to get overwhelmed. In this episode, we'll be talking about ways to get organized in your f...

In this episode, we talked to Kelsey Sullivan and Kaitlyn Zaleski, the founders of Equine Career Network , a website that connects job seekers, employers and entrepreneurs in the equine industry. The site focuses on careers with horse-related companies and organizations, rather than "at the barn" jobs such as training, breeding or barn management. Both Kelsey and Kaitlyn have backgrounds with hors...

Western Horseman editor Chris Hamilton and freelancers Kate, Katie Navarra and Abigail at the American Horse Publications Seminar. Photo credit: Darrell Dodds   Freelancing can be a solitary job. Instead of working in a cubicle or office with other professionals, you may find yourself at home most days. If you're like us, you may get a little bored without social stimulation. Worse, if you don't m...

Welcome to Episode 8, where we catch up with fellow freelancer Megan Arszman! A native Hoosier with a Southern heart, Megan Arszman started freelancing in 2005, cutting her teeth covering reining futurities for the Quarter Horse News. She had just graduated with a degree in journalism and a minor in equine science from Murray State University, where she was captain of the Equestrian Team and photo...

For journalism and photography, there are a lot of choices when it comes to equipment. Kate and I have found a couple of items that are really essential to doing our jobs well. We wanted to take a minute and talk about them and explain how they help us. This post contains some affiliate links.  Essentials – The Gathering Interviews Process 1.     Recorder a. Brand vs Function – Kate's Must Have It...

Photo by Walter Workman   Welcome to episode 6 where we discuss pitching stories that involve international travel with Western Horseman Senior Editor Jennifer Denison. Jennifer started with Western Horseman in March of 2002 and handles their culture themed articles, like the monthly column with cowboy chef Kent Rollins, as well as tackling features with the Great Basin Buckaroo area's best horsem...

Have you ever wondered how writers come up with all their story ideas? Some are assigned by an editor, some come from our own experience and some ideas are sent in by a source. There are many ways we create interesting story ideas, but without a great pitch to an editor, a stellar story may not see the light of day. In this episode we talked about how we come up with story ideas and discuss how to...

The equine industry extends further than most imagine, even impacting the ever-growing market of ice coolers and outdoor gear. This episode discusses how YETI brand gear works with freelancers to create their uniquely branded advertising campaigns. We speak to Ranch and Rodeo Brand Manager Cory Wiese, who grew up in a ranching and rodeo savvy family. The episode is geared toward enlightening those...

  As writers and photographers, we work closely with sources. They could be expert trainers, models for photos, championship competitors—or a myriad of other personalities. Handling interactions with sources properly can make or break your freelance career. In this episode, Abigail and Kate sat down to talk about how they work with sources: how and when to contact them, how to build rapport, how t...

You just can't say no to Larri Jo! Abigail and Kate interviewed Larri Jo Starkey, Senior Editor of the American Quarter Horse Association's flagship publication – The American Quarter Horse Journal. In this episode, Larri Jo shares what she looks for in a freelancer, her thoughts on the importance of a story's quality before edits, the difference between a single-story gig and a regular contributo...

The first Freelance Remuda podcast recording session.  Welcome to The Freelance Remuda—a podcast about navigating the equine media frontier. In the first episode, Abigail Boatwright and Kate Bradley Byars introduce themselves, talk about how they got into equine media, and how they became freelancers. They also discuss some common questions about breaking into freelance, such as necessary skills,...