We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jill Robinson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Jill, appreciate you joining us today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

A hearty dose of self-motivation is essential when you’re a freelance, or independent, journalist. To be successful, you need to keep track of the editorial style of a handful of publications, so that when you encounter a story angle that fits one of them, you can pitch that story to an editor. Which editor? It also helps to know who handles what types of stories, so you’re approaching the right person.

Doing your homework and understanding the editorial voice and direction of different publications is only part of it, of course. You’re also generating story ideas, sometimes with the help of public relations professionals, and sometimes on your own. You’re constantly improving your writing, staying on top of deadlines, communicating with your editor, interviewing people, and managing your business.

It’s the best gig in the world if you’re endlessly curious, because you’re learning new things every day.

Jill, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I cover consumer travel, adventure, culture, and food & drink stories for both print and digital publications. I’ve been an independent journalist for more than 15 years. Before that, I worked in the tech industry, and before that, I worked in the performing arts. My stories range from destination coverage to deep dives into different cultures, from adventure travel to the individual foodways of a region.

In pitching ideas to my editors, I like to look for stories that haven’t been covered heavily. Instead of writing about a standard experience at a wilderness resort, I covered my stay from the perspective of an adventurous person coming back from an injury, and examining whether the resort had “dialable” adventures, rather than only badass experiences. Instead of writing about overall French Polynesia travel, I covered how the concept of mana permeates everything in the Islands of Tahiti.

But not only do I like looking at potential stories differently, I also do solid research and writing, meet my deadlines, and pay attention to the direction that my editor gives. That gives me consistent work, because my clients know that I’m reliable.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding thing is that I have the flexibility in how to tell a story that conveys something new, or different, to readers. There’s always going to be work that needs to be done and doesn’t allow a lot of creativity, but when I have the leeway with an article in setting the stage and bringing the reader along on the journey, I love being able to consider the different ways in which I can do it. Earlier on in my career, it was harder to find my individual voice in writing, because I was focused on they types of voices I thought were most successful. But as time has passed, I’ve been able to use my own voice in my stories, and have been praised for it.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Pivoting is nearly a daily concern, as publishing is a constantly evolving industry. Magazines have redesigns, and the types of stories I may have pitched last week need to change to take into account the new direction. Publications have folded in recent years, which means it’s more important than ever to keep up good relationships with the publications I currently work with, as well as establish new relationships with those publications that may be new to me. It also helps to be open to new ways of storytelling, whether that’s by including images and video with my writing, or making sure that I can cover a variety of topics and ways of reporting.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://dangerjillrobinson.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dangerjr/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dangerjillrobinson
• Linkedin: https://www.instagram.com/dangerjr/
• Twitter: I no longer use Twitter since it became X
• Other: Threads: https://www.threads.net/@dangerjr

Image Credits

Jill K. Robinson