Advanced Freelance Journalism Course
Advanced Freelance Journalism Course
Build your writing portfolio with three well-crafted, saleable feature articles
Launch yourself into a freelance writing career
The Advanced Freelance Journalism Course is for graduates of our Freelance Journalism Course or published journalists who wish to polish their writing skills and build their article portfolio.
Work closely with a team of award-winning, professional journalists who will provide support as well as detailed feedback on your written assignments. This course is designed to help you stick to deadlines, refine your writing technique and boost your writing confidence.
Write three full-length feature articles of publishable quality and gain the know-how to work as a journalist in the New Zealand/Australian writing industry.
The Advanced Journalism Course Gives You...
No Automated Marking
We use traditional methods of assessing work, as editors at publishing houses would. No generic feedback!
A Flexible Schedule
Work wherever and whenever you want. You can easily fit our courses around work and other commitments.
Relevant, Usable Content
Easy-to-digest course notes that capture a lifetime of writing experience, ready for you to apply to your own writing.
Ongoing Assessment
Your writing is assessed continuously as your course progresses.
Expert, Individual Feedback
Get prompt, honest, detailed feedback on every assignment from an award-winning writer. We focus on your unique writing strengths.
No Peer Reviews!
You will only be assessed by your tutor, a leader in their field. No more guessing and wondering how to write; you'll be guided line by line.
Master Advanced Journalism Skills
A practical, immersive,
real-life experience of journalism
This course has been designed to replicate the procedure that a freelance magazine journalist follows from start to finish: generating a saleable idea, pitching a story to a suitable magazine, writing an article to a deadline, and invoicing and being paid for the piece.
You will be encouraged to sell work of publishable quality, all within a supportive environment.
You can specialise in writing particular types of articles, including:
- humour columns
- topical features
- celebrity profiles
- inspirational human profiles
- Q&A interviews
- feel-good human interest stories
- travel stories
Master Advanced Journalism Skills
A practical, immersive, real-life experience of journalism
This course has been designed to replicate the procedure that a freelance magazine journalist follows from start to finish: generating a saleable idea, pitching a story to a suitable magazine, writing an article to a deadline, and invoicing and being paid for the piece.
You will be encouraged to sell work of publishable quality, all within a supportive environment.
You can specialise in writing particular types of articles, including:
- humour columns
- topical features
- celebrity profiles
- inspirational human profiles
- Q&A interviews
- feel-good human interest stories
- travel stories
'Positive, educational and very worthwhile. All of my tutors were honest and constructive in their approach and they really made the effort to ensure I got the most out of the course. The course provided the essential tools and guidance to enable me to further develop my skills and feel confident about exploring new avenues for my writing.'
Sophie Wong, Advanced Freelance Journalism Course
Course Overview
COURSE FEE
$ 1 595
Price includes GST
NUMBER OF ASSIGNMENTS
10
The assignments vary in length.
NUMBER OF MODULES
3
These modules include around 30 pages of course notes.
COURSE DURATION
12
Work at your own pace – up to a maximum of 12 months.
START DATE: ANYTIME
Working with an individual tutor means you can start the course at any time.
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
- Must have completed the Freelance Journalism Course or have sold a minimum of three articles to mainstream publications.
- Computer skills, e-mail and Internet access required.
- No previous tertiary qualification required.
Our Graduate Students' Successes
We are proud of our graduates who have achieved success. Here are a few among dozens of other journalism
success stories.
Tutors for this Course
You may choose a tutor that you would like to work with.
Sarah Lang
An award-winning feature writer, Sarah Lang worked at North & South magazine for four years, and since then has freelanced for North & South and around 15 other magazines (stand-alone and insert). She was lead writer for the Herald On Sunday’s View magazine for several years, and she was Capital magazine’s books’ and culture writer/editor for 10 years. Now she works part-time for Capsule (capsulenz.com) each week, and also writes some features for other magazines including Kia Ora, the NZ Listener, and international magazine Monocle. Sarah has interviewed everyone from Dame Helen Mirren to sick children and science boffins, and has written hundreds of stories including many profiles and arts features through to science and business writing. She also organised Next magazine’s Next Woman of the Year Awards. Originally from Whanganui, Sarah is a booklover with a BA in English Literature from Victoria University of Wellington and a Bachelor of Communication Studies (journalism major) from AUT University. She is in charge of Theo, nine, and the 10-year-old Wellington Classic Literature Meetup group.
Read our interview with Sarah here.
Ewan McDonald
Ewan McDonald is a multi-award-winning editor, journalist and critic. As features editor of the NZ Herald, editor of The Aucklander, and as a travel and food & wine writer, he and his teams have won more than 50 national and international awards.
Previous roles include Managing Editor of Custom Publications for New Zealand’s largest media company, NZME, with responsibilities from travel publications to Motoring, Lifestyle, Food and Wine, Real Estate and Commercial Property, Entertainment and Sustainable Lifestyle & Business publications.
He was Founding Editor of New Zealand’s most awarded community newspaper, The Aucklander. For 12 years he was the country’s most widely read restaurant reviewer, featuring in Viva (NZ Herald) and www.nzherald.co.nz. He has written about travel for more than 20 years, mostly for the NZ Herald, associated publications and the NZ Woman’s Weekly.
Donna Dailey
Donna Dailey is a travel writer and photographer whose work is published in magazines, newspapers and travel websites worldwide. Her articles have appeared in Journeys, Essentially America, Endless Vacations, CNN Traveller and other consumer magazines; national newspapers such as The Times, Sunday Times and Daily Mail; and on travel websites for Rough Guides, RCI and more. She has won several travel writing awards from the British Guild of Travel Writers, including runner up Travel Writer of the Year, Best UK Feature and Best Overseas Feature, as well as a Visit USA Association media award for Excellence in Specialist Travel Magazine Journalism.
Donna has written or contributed to more than 40 guidebooks and inspirational travel books, covering destinations in Europe, Africa and America for such publishers as DK, Insight Guides, Berlitz, Fodor’s, Thomas Cook and AA Publishing. She co-publishes three travel websites: www.pacific-coast-highway-travel.com, www.greece-travel-secrets.com and https://thetravelpages.net.
Donna has a BA in Journalism and Radio-TV from the University of Northern Colorado. When not on the road, she divides her time between Cambridgeshire, England and southern Arizona, USA.
What Our Students Say
Get These Additional Benefits
Lifetime Course Access
Benefit from free lifetime access to future course updates and access to our writing resources.
Work at Your Own Pace
Our courses work around you. You can pace your course around your busy life.
500+ Bonus Articles on Our Blog
A superb, constantly updated resource with articles on writing and interviews with writers.
Work Opportunities
Top students are invited to join our writers and editors for hire service.
Be the First to Know About Writing Competitions
We'll help you keep up to date with the latest competition announcements
Join a Community of Writers
You will have access to our friendly Facebook community, daily writing tips and writing inspiration.
Risk-Free 100% Money-Back Guarantee
We are so confident that you will love your course that if you’re not 100% satisfied with the quality of our training, simply ask for a refund within 30 days.
Complete the Application Form to Enrol on the Advanced Freelance Journalism Course
You will receive an approval email and invoice within one working day.
Should your form not submit, please let admin know at admin@nzwriterscollege.co.nz
Questions?
We've Got Answers
The course comprises three modules, consisting of five planning tasks and five writing assignments. Once you have completed an assignment and emailed it to the tutor, you will receive an assessment and feedback, and the module will be considered complete. The next module will then be emailed to you.
You will be given reading material on writing techniques at the start of each module and are encouraged to ask questions throughout the course, either by emailing your tutor or posting a query on the student board. In addition to ten formal feedback sessions, your tutor is also available for ongoing editorial assistance for the duration of the course.
Absolutely. You have direct communication with your tutor for the duration of the course. The more questions you ask, the more you will get out of the course.
You will get lifetime access to the course. You will also benefit from future updates and improvements to the course.
For the majority of our courses, only your tutor will see your work. It will remain completely private unless you get it published. The journalism courses might see your work published in the public domain, but you do have the final say as to whether or not this happens.
You will receive a Writers College Certificate upon successful completion of the course, provided you meet the following conditions:
- All assignments must be completed (2 query letters and 3 articles).
- The course must have been completed within 12 months of registration.
- A minimum average of 60% for the course must be achieved.
You must have completed the Freelance Journalism Course.
OR
You must have been published more than once in mainstream magazines.
Because you will work with an individual tutor, you can start your course as soon as your application has been approved. There are no specific start dates as would be the case with a traditional college.
An application is usually approved within one working day. Once we receive proof of payment, your can start your course.
You could be starting your course today!
- Reading Time: 3 hours
- Writing Time: 3 hours for 2 query letters; 30 hours for 3 articles
- Research Time: 12–36 hours for research and interviews, depending on the complexity of your articles
You can easily complete the course within six to 12 months. You will get an extra 21 days if your course runs over the New Year break.
You are welcome to finish the course sooner if you want, but we wouldn’t want you to rush the process too much!
Once your application has been approved, you will receive notification of approval and an invoice via email. As soon as we receive proof of payment, the first module as well as your tutor’s email address and your login details will be sent to you. Your tutor will also be in touch to welcome you.
Any work created on our courses is owned by you. We will never make a claim to anything you produce. We follow the rule that copyright subsists with the creator (you).