Learn the Business of Freelancing

Join a hands-on course taught by IIJ founder Katherine Reynolds Lewis!

Over 8 weeks of live, interactive classes, you’ll develop a customized business plan and path to financial and emotional sustainability. Each week’s hour-long class will teach tools, resources and strategies for setting and achieving your goals as a freelancer. In between classes, Katherine will offer personalized feedback on pitches, draft emails, your network map, and more. This is not a pitch workshop. You’ll learn road-tested frameworks for landing assignments and making smarter decisions about how you spend your time, energy, and resources.

Get the rate of $147 if you sign up before April 3 — that’s what other freelance organizations charge for a single, 1-hour workshop. Space is limited to 30 participants so you receive individual attention. You’ll receive:

  • 8 live, online hours of class time,

  • 8 weeks of hands-on feedback, and

  • A package of worksheets, freelance tools, and resources to rely on for years to come.

    This course is open to all freelancers —register now!

    The class will run every Tuesday from 1-2 pm ET from April 4 through May 16. Hold Tuesday, May 23, at 1 pm ET for a possible final cohort meeting. Questions? Email Info@TheIIJ.com.

What others have said

  • “This material is blowing my mind. Next level. I'm an experienced freelancer and I'm still learning so much.”

  • “Thank you so much for such a great class! I’m walking away with a much more comprehensive understanding of the freelance business.”

Develop your customized plan for sustainable freelancing! You’ll learn:

  • Katherine Lewis’s 3 P’s model (c) of structuring a freelance portfolio

  • How to track income and time easily and set achievable goals

  • What to negotiate for in addition to higher pay — and when to say no

  • Practical organization, time management, and mental health strategies

  • Other topics: effective networking, recruiting anchor clients, and identifying your brand and niche.

    While geared at people with a few years’ experience as entrepreneurs, even experienced journalists will pick up new ideas and tactics to take their practices to the next level — and newbies will launch freelance careers with open eyes and a wealth of resources and tools in their toolbelt.

About the Course

Course Outline

  • Week 1

    Principles for Sustainable Freelancing

  • Week 2

    Your Brand and Your Network

  • Week 3

    Inside a Freelance Business

  • Week 4

    Time and Cash Management

  • Week 5

    Setting Boundaries and Thriving

  • Week 6

    How to Handle Setbacks

  • Week 7

    Projecting Income and Setting Granular Goals

  • Week 8

    Plan for the Future

About the Instructor

Katherine Reynolds Lewis is an award-winning science journalist and author covering children, education, race, gender, disability, mental health, and social justice. Her work has appeared in the Atlantic, Bloomberg Businessweek, Elemental, Experience Life, Fortune, New York Times, Parade, Parents, Slate, USA Today, and Washington Post, among others. Her book on children’s behavioral and mental health, The Good News About Bad Behavior: Why Kids Are Less Disciplined Than Ever – And What to Do About It, grew out of the most-read story Mother Jones has ever published. Katherine is the founder of the Institute for Independent Journalists, which supports freelancers of color. Fellowships include O’Brien Public Service Journalism, Northwestern Medill-Garage Media Entrepreneur, MIT Knight Science Journalism, and Education Writers Association. 

Katherine has been an adjunct journalism professor at American University and Northwestern University, and served as a guest lecturer in journalism at AU, Marquette University, Northwestern, the University of Texas at Austin, and the University of Southern California. A Harvard physics graduate, Katherine previously worked as a national correspondent for Newhouse and Bloomberg News, covering everything from work-life balance, psychology, financial and media policy, and technology to the White House. A biracial (White and Asian American) woman, she lives in the Washington D.C. area with her partner Brian and their three children.

 FAQs

  • The course is for people at all levels of expertise in freelancing! If you haven't started freelancing yet, it will help you shape your approach and launch with a clear plan. If you've been a full-time freelancer for years, it will show you a strategic approach to landing more desirable client work and streamlining your workflow.

  • You will benefit most from attending all eight class sessions live, plus the kickoff call. However, we will record all classes, so if you have to miss one for unavoidable reasons, you can catch up with what you missed before the next week's class.

  • Absolutely! Everyone is welcome at all our public programs. We believe in building strong networks across lines of identity. If we launch a program that is limited to journalists of color, or another demographic group, we will clearly state that in the materials for the program.

  • We encourage you to only take this course when you can commit 4-8 hours a week to the class meeting, homework, and thoughtful analysis of your goals and freelance business. However, since the IIJ is new, we can’t guarantee that we will offer this course again in this form, at this low price. We will note offer it in summer 2023 but possibly will in fall 2023. We are a tiny team and have to be strategic with the projects we commit to.