This is Not Theory

I’m a documentary journalist. I find a narrative that intrigues me and set out to explore the topic in as much depth as I can, whether it’s the genocide of the Rohingya in Western Myanmar, cultural responses to school shootings in Texas, or paramilitary summer camps for children in Ukraine. When I return home, people ask about my experiences, the places I’ve been and the people I’ve met, but the most common questions involve the mechanics of the industry. “How do you sell your work?” “How do you get assignments?” “How do you find access?”

This is a guide for those starting out, an overview and a roadmap. It’s for anyone hoping to find a way into documentary media, for those wanting to find profit in an evening side-hustle, or anyone wanting to transition from a nine-to-five career to the excitement of full-time freelancing.

This advice is relevant regardless of medium and topic - photo, video, writing, breaking news, environmental issues, social justice, travel, sports, or lifestyle. The methods of publishing and selling work to media outlets are uniform.

These are practical processes that I’ve used over the last decade (and still use today) to sell work to the largest national platforms. We’ll cover the paths to paid publication, self motivation, embedding, excuses, framing narratives, building contact lists, and pitching.

When I began as a photographer my aims were simple. I wanted to work on my own projects, with the freedom to explore my own ideas, travel the world as I wished, and make sure I didn’t have to sit in an office. I wanted to connect with characters, to live their experiences, and learn about the world first hand. I wanted adventure. But I needed a way of making money for my work.

Over the years I’ve been lucky enough to contribute to outlets including The Washington Post, The New York Times, Outside Magazine, NBC, PBS, The History Channel, The Guardian, Harper’s, The BBC, WIRED, Vice Magazine, Human Rights Watch, Foreign Policy, Newsweek, Bloomberg Businessweek, and The New Yorker, and have won funding and awards from The Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, The National Press Photographers Association, The International Photography Awards, The Society of Environmental Journalists, and The Associated Press.