“Don’t be afraid to piss people off, question a decision or challenge editors.”
+ 31 new paid pitch calls & freelance writing gigs!
✍️31 Paid Pitch Calls and Freelance Writing Jobs
We just shared a new update of 31 paid pitch calls and freelance writing jobs! That’s 218 paid writing opportunities across four daily updates, plus a roundup of lit mags accepting submissions in March 2026!
To check out all of this week’s opportunities, just hit this link and browse the full archive — many gigs from previous days are still live, but every moment you wait is a moment a potential paid opportunity slips away!
Today’s Writer’s Insight: Adam Turner
For today’s edition of writer’s insight, I had the pleasure of speaking with Adam Turner, a travel and features writer from the industrial heartland of Middlesbrough, England.
Adam has built a career telling stories far from where he started. From Seville to Stockholm, Bangkok to Koh Lanta, he’s written about hotels, food culture, mental health and the realities of travel for the likes of The Guardian, Condé Nast Traveller, The Telegraph, Men’s Health and the BBC, all while carrying the perspective of someone who never saw journalism as “for people like him.”
In this Freelance Writing Network Q&A, we get into how he went from scraping through a journalism degree and filing “absolutely dreadful” free reviews to landing a Seville city guide for The Guardian and a life spent on press trips, city guides and wild assignments (think tuk-tuks in Sri Lanka and helicopters over Chicago). Along the way, Adam talks candidly about class, nepotism, underrepresentation in travel media, why the idea of meritocracy is “bollocks,” and what it really takes for working-class writers to carve out space in an industry still obsessed with who you know.
You can read more about Adam and find more of his work on his website.
How did you first break into writing, and what role did your background play in shaping that journey?
I studied journalism at university, but I was a terrible student. I signed up for the course without setting foot on campus, which I wouldn’t recommend. Turns out, Leeds Trinity University is not only the city’s third-best uni (of three), but it’s bloody miles away in a little sleepy village called Horsforth. My attendance suffered severely, as I had to get a train and a bus just to get there.
After scraping through uni, I wrote for free for two publications. One of them went under quickly, but the other did pretty well. I used to write absolutely dreadful film reviews for them because I got free tickets to screenings in Soho, where they gave us free booze.
Then, one day, I was invited on a press trip to Czechia to review a musical festival. I found out when I was there that people got paid to go on these trips and write about hotels, destinations and holidays, so I started trying to figure out how I could do the same. It wasn’t until 2018 - a year or so later - when I moved to Seville that I got my first travel commission. It was a city guide to Seville for The Guardian. I don’t know how I managed to wangle it, but things went from there.
My background didn’t play a part in shaping my journey, really. I didn’t know anyone in the industry and never believed I could become a journalist, let alone a travel writer - it was too far removed from my upbringing and what was expected of me. That said, I guess living in an eternally grey industrial town, where I felt very out of place, shaped my ambition to travel. I wanted to leave Middlesbrough as soon as I could. I have learnt to appreciate it now, but it wasn’t the easiest place to grow up.
So much of the industry seems to depend on who you know. Can you share examples of where this has helped or hindered you in your career?
I benefited from nepotism to get my first job (my aunt’s husband’s cousin had a small PR firm in London), which was in PR. It was a great experience, but I didn’t love working in the PR industry - I hated the jazz hands and bullshit. Although I learnt about the media landscape and became decent at pitching, it wasn’t all bad. I was grateful to get a shot.
In journalism, I didn’t know anyone. Even when I did, I didn’t want to approach them, as it felt like a cop-out. There was a part of me that wanted to prove myself by doing it on my own, which I wouldn’t recommend either. I still don’t lean on friends or acquaintances very often, but I should. There is something within me that feels like I have to figure it out alone to be successful, otherwise I’m just like the others.
From your perspective, how much of the industry still runs on nepotism?
Much of this industry is built on who you know. If you went to private school, that’ll help. I don’t want to sound bitter, but you see the same faces writing for the same publications over and over again. Not much has changed since I started in 2018, really, which is a shame. Working-class writers are massively underrepresented in journalism, especially travel. If you’re non-white, female, working-class and/ or suffer from disabilities, you’re starting off at the bottom of the ladder. It’s a joke, really, because these are often the people with the most original voices - they’ve experienced real life, and all the trials and tribulations with it.
It’s annoying, but I guess you just have to accept that you’re starting the race way behind most other runners. The idea of meritocracy is bollocks. Unfortunately, it’s a case of putting the hours in, grinding and brown-nosing the right people - something I’ve never been able to do. People tell me they get work by being visible, going to industry events and having a strong online presence. But I’m naff at all that.
If you don’t come from that world, what’s the best way to build connections and get a fair shot?
I’d say being authentic and knowing your value. Focus on writing about things you genuinely care about because otherwise it gets dull pretty fast, but also because it’ll be obvious in your work that it’s something you’re passionate about. My best work is often about mental health and travel - two things I’m very experienced in. But there are limitations. Passion doesn’t open doors.
Don’t be afraid to piss people off, question a decision or challenge editors. And one last thing, if you find a good editor who is supportive, respectful and responds quickly: cherish them. It’s easy to get carried away chasing bylines in big titles, but that consistency is more important, especially if you’re a freelancer. Smaller publications pay the bills.
You have said that some brilliant editors took a risk on you. What do you think they saw, and what can other editors learn from that?
Andy at The Guardian commissioned me without hesitation. I’m not sure why, but I’m forever grateful to him for that. He gave me the confidence to believe I could do this for a living - something I mentioned to him when we met recently. I don’t think he saw anything specific in me, but he was willing to take a risk on an unknown writer with hardly any bylines. That’s brave and rare.
I wish more editors would be open to commissioning new writers. People from diverse backgrounds who see the world differently from stale, pale males who grew up going on lavish ski trips and safari holidays. We need journalism and culture to reflect everyone’s lived experiences and worldviews - except maybe Piers Morgan or any GBBIES presenters.
I don’t think it’s freelancers, so much as editors. There are a lot of tough conversations - rightly - about levelling the playing field in writing, publishing and journalism happening right now. We’re making some progress, which is positive. Still, without sounding like a gammon, class is often overlooked in these discussions. Perhaps as the level of oppression isn’t as significant or obvious, and there are bigger issues at play. That said, it would be refreshing to see more working-class writers given chances - whether they’re from Tottenham or Teesside, it really doesn’t matter.
Do you think the industry is changing? Are there initiatives or shifts that give you hope, or do you feel progress is too slow?
Maybe, but at a glacial rate. Publishers and editors often do a bit of virtue signalling when it’s popular - sending out callouts for people from underrepresented groups. Then you look at the outlet’s content a few months later and it’s often the same faces on the roster. The Bee looks pretty cool. They’re supposed to be the home for working-class writing. I haven’t looked into it too much, but on paper, it sounds great.
I do always worry about the definitions of working-class and how wide a net is cast. There’s a lot of working-class pretenders kicking about - and maybe I’m one of them? It’s a hard thing to define, but you do get a lot of working-class chin strokers who’ve lived in posh areas of run-down towns acting like they know poverty. I didn’t have a Dickensian upbringing. I had a loving family, and we got by, but it was bloody tough at times - bailiffs at the door, separations, barneys, the works.
What advice would you give a writer starting out today from a similar background to yours?
Don’t take any shit. You’re more original and worthy than 99% of the silver spoon brigade. When imposter syndrome rears its head, remember that you have a more interesting view of the world than most - one shaped by hardship and injustice. Maybe stuff you’ve never even thought about. Use it to spur you on. Rest too; life isn’t about constantly grinding and hustling. And look back on your work to see how far you’ve come every now and then. Oh yeah, and keep your accent. Don’t start talking like Alex Turner after two weeks in London or LA.