Lesson 15: Going It Alone.

Draw up a detailed action plan, setting out clear targets for the next 12 months with details of how you intend to attain them. Incorporate a short, honest assessment of what you feel you have gained from the course and any areas where you still feel you are lacking in confidence or experience. Explain how you propose to address these areas.

(Maximum 500 words)

Aims over the next 12 months.

This course has developed a hobby into a passion. Therefore, my aim over the next year is for my work to be published by a newspaper or sports magazine.  

I will also work towards it becoming a full-time job.

What am I doing now and must maintain?

- To continue to read a range of sports publications including weekend newspapers.

- Study my favourite sports journalists. How they write and approach topics. Listen to their podcasts.

- Maintain a database of newspaper links and course literature for reference and inspiration.

- Continue to write regular blogs and articles on www.lukerichardssportswriting.co.uk This is important for practice but will also showcase a body of work to editors.

- Refer to the lesson on law regularly.

Improvements that need to be made

The most challenging lessons on this course were about marketing my work.

This was obvious after my interview with Rowan Jennings (Lesson 5) which was rejected by the Waltham Forest echo.

In hindsight, I could have identified a martial arts or sound publication. Having produced a two-hour interview, I could have adapted my article to appeal more to those readerships.

I shouldn’t have abandoned it due to one setback.

I have also learnt that writing articles that are of interest to me isn’t enough to get published.

Lesson 13 was topical. However, I made the mistake regurgitating quotes that were already available. My ideas must be original.

How am I going to achieve my aims and what do I need to consider when I write?

- Readers – Identify what people are interested in. eg. FFP/PSR, ticket prices, England, and title race.

- Editors – Identify who reads their newspapers. Is my idea of interest to their readership? Can this be tailored so it is?

- Ideas – View local notice boards in local squares, supermarkets, social media, and local sports facilities (Olympic year) Is there a story?

- Angles and developing a story.

Sports washing – Why is it bad for football but good for boxing?

Bazball and Ange Postecoglou – Is style over substance more important now to achieve long term success?

Luke Little/Olympics – Has there been a surge of participation in sports due to British success?

Future ideas and opportunities.

-        Olympic year. There will be more column inches available to write about sports that get very little coverage.

-        To develop a podcast by identifying a market for it to thrive within a competitive space.

-        Develop an independent Spurs fanzine/newspaper. Identify what Spurs fans want to read that would separate it from other publications.

Final thoughts / What have I learned from this course?

This course has greatly improved my research and writing skills. I found the lessons surrounding reporting, law and features the most engaging.

I have also developed a sympathy for match reporters who often have their drafts destroyed by a late minute goal!

I appreciate the craft it takes to become a journalist. Not just in writing but in identifying the markets and interviews I need to make my work profitable.

I have enjoyed working with Nick Alatti, who has guided through the world of journalism for the past two years.

I am sad that there isn’t another assignment to read or write but I must now put what I have learned to use.

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