Episode #5: Miranda Marquit, Freelance Financial Writer
“Try to make those personal connections and, most of all, try to be useful. That personal connection really does make a difference.”
- Miranda Marquit
Miranda Marquit has been a full-time freelance financial writer and money expert for almost 15 years. If you’ve ever been involved in the personal finance space, it is very likely that you have come across (and even pitched) Miranda. Since earning her M.A. in Journalism in 2005, she has worked from home as a freelance writer since 2005. She has contributed to several financial outlets including Huffington Post, The Balance, U.S. News World & Report. Needless to say, she is one of the most prolific writers in the space. Just take a look at her MuckRack profile for further proof.
If you all listened to our episode with Alan Henry, then you’ll remember how he believes freelance writers are the future of mass media and highly recommends PRs build relationships with them. To further test this theory, we asked Miranda for her opinion and a very interesting conversation plays out.
In Miranda’s case, she is assigned articles and most of the time they’re dictated by SEO. Because of this, Miranda isn’t usually able to write about story ideas that are pitched to her. In fact, she estimated that only 10% of her stories came from pitches.
But have no fear, this episode isn’t all “gloom and doom!” Miranda does share some really useful advice, especially for those pitching clients as expert sources. She also shares tips for ways to “speak to the need” and how to help freelance writers in ways that extend beyond benefitting your own client.
At the end of the day, whether they’re a contributor to one outlet or a freelancer who writes for a variety of outlets, each writer has their own preferences when it comes to collaborating with journalists. But one theme surely stands out: the importance of cultivating authentic relationships.
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Timestamps
01:59 -- Miranda talks about what she is up to, highlighting her most current project FreelanceWritersAcademy.com (if you’re a freelancer, check it out!).
03:00 -- Miranda summarizes an article she wrote for Investopedia in which she sourced an expert quote from Lauren Davis, formerly the Vice President of Gregory FCA. Article can be found here: Plain Vanilla Bonds: Why They May Be Best
04:52 -- Jackie and Miranda break down the initial outreach email from Lauren, why it worked, and what Lauren also did to help build a real relationship with Miranda.
06:35 -- Does Miranda like to be cold-called?
07:45 -- How many emails does Miranda get in a single day?
08:55 -- What should you say in your subject line to get Miranda’s attention?
10:55 -- Does Miranda organize expert sources that are being pitched to her?
12:50 -- So wait, should the subject lines be specific about the story OR the topic that the expert source specializes in?
14:10 -- In episode #3 Alan told us not to overlook pitching freelance writers because they’re the future of mass media. Jackie asks Miranda about her opinion on this statement.
17:20 -- Miranda’s tips for building relationships in-person with freelance writers.
19:30 -- Does Miranda welcome pitches that don’t involve expert sources? For example, data-driven resources like studies and guides?
21:55 -- Does Miranda ever use HARO?
23:50 -- When sending Miranda quotes, how detailed should they be?
25:25 -- Miranda explains her process for validating an expert source.
28:10 -- Jackie talks about how she believes serendipity has played a huge role in her PR career.
29:30 -- Miranda details exactly how she labels her inbox.
31:30 -- Miranda reflects on whether or not she had to rely more or less on PR people in her past as compared to today. Jackie and Britt share their thoughts on how their own relationships with journalists have changed over the last 10 years.
34:45 -- Does Miranda travel for work and does she accept offers to meet up with PRs?
Connect with Miranda
Connect with Jackie & Britt
podcast@weearnmedia.com
Conferences + events that Miranda mentions:
