Freelancer Spotlight: Julie Martens

I started freelancing in January 2001—with a new century came a new adventure in writing. Through the close of 2000, I had been working for Garden.com as a garden editor for both the Web site and the print magazine. When the dot.com bubble burst, I found myself without work. In many regards, that scenario parallels today’s economy and the downsizing in the publishing industry that’s been blaring in the headlines for months now. For me, losing my job truly opened a wonderful window of opportunity, although I will admit that at the time it felt like I was being thrust out of that window! There were more than a few breathless moments as I found my way.

How did you start writing about gardening? Was it always an interest of yours? Or how did that evolve?

I’ve had two interests since I was a child: plants and writing. At the college I attended, the head of the English department was a gracious man who genuinely cared about seeing students develop their potential. As a freshman, I found myself in his office, at his request. I remember I was trembling with a mix of excitement and fear, wondering why in the world he had called me to meet. What I didn’t know was that he had been given an essay I had written. He sat me down, looked at me squarely, and said, “Julie, you have a talent—a gift. You can write. You need a specialty.” Then he asked me what topics interested me, encouraged me to pick one and pursue it, and gave me carte blanche in his department. He invited me to take any and all literature and writing courses that caught my eye, whether or not I was qualified according to course prerequisites. That meeting in his office was the start of my writing career.

For a specialty, I studied general biology with a strong focus in botany, following that with a master’s in horticulture. Scientists aren’t known for their electrifying prose, so I figured I could parlay my love of plants into a writing career. I first dug into garden writing in the realm of trade publications, working for GrowerTalks, a magazine that circulates to greenhouse growers in North America. From there, I hopscotched into consumer garden magazines such as Better Homes and Gardens and Southern Living.

What qualifies you to be a garden writer?

Gardening is my profession by training. I’m actually a horticulturist, well-versed in commercial greenhouse growing techniques, scientific processes behind plant growth, basic botanical Latin, and general gardening practices. I also garden for fun, so I do write from experience. When I write about lawn care, it’s written from the standpoint of someone who’s pushed a mower, wrestled 40-pound bags of fertilizer, and mismeasured Weed-B-Gon to the degree that I wiped out not only the creeping Charlie, but also an entire three-foot section of turf. I’ve battled powdery mildew, digging rodents, and the dreaded squash vine borer. I’ve transplanted, divided, eradicated, and rearranged—those are the basics of perennial gardening.

While scouting and shooting gardens, I’ve been attacked by biting flies, dogs, and deer. One photographer I worked with swallowed a bee, and and we had to find an E.R. in a strange city. I have a scar on my leg from a dog bite. Garden writing isn’t for the faint of heart! My voice of experience definitely comes with scars, skinned knees and dirty fingernails.

Do you write solely about gardening? Or do you also tackle other topics?

A few years ago an editor called me because she needed someone with a fun writing voice. She said, “I thought to myself and said, ‘There’s no voice more fun than yours, Julie!’” That editor welcomed me into the realm of writing for corporate publications, magazines that are published for patrons of a particular business or product, such as Nestlé, Wal-Mart, or Verizon. From that single phone call, doors opened for me to write on all kinds of subjects. I frequently write stories related to family, child-related topics (e.g., fun lunch ideas for kids, 10 ways to celebrate an ecofriendly birthday), health, cooking, and faith-based features.

You’ve mentioned that you (as well as friends and family) can’t believe you’re able to make a living as a writer. What do you enjoy the most, and why do you think you’re successful?

I have an editor friend who, upon giving me an assignment, always remarks, “It is amazing you can make a living as a writer.” There’s nothing like a vote of confidence from your client!

For me, the unbelievable aspect is that it represents a dream come true. When I’m walking through an airport and I see my byline in a national magazine, it still makes me smile—and giggle. Sometimes I even pinch myself, just for effect. So many people hate their work. It’s very humbling to be doing what I love. I’m grateful beyond words.

The most rewarding part of writing is taking the words of everyday life and adapting them to a new use, whether in a story about gardening, cooking or health. As writers, we strive to convey facts in a way that captures the imagination. If writing were a pot of soup, words would be those wonderful ingredients we handpick and prepare to present a sensory experience, a dish that will delight and nourish while evoking memories and touching hearts.

For a pot of soup, I choose between a sweet onion and a leek, steamed carrots or pan-roasted sweet potatoes, jasmine rice or (heaven forbid!) Uncle Ben’s. Each choice affects the final flavor and texture. Each choice possesses the potential to stir some aspect of memory. In that stirring, relatability is born—the reader sighs, remembering a distant moment, while at the same time grasping the present concept I’m attempting to explain. Nothing compares to having the world of words as a playground.

And yet, in the midst of wordsmithing, I always offer every person I interview the option of previewing the story that contains their quotes and suggesting changes (without dramatically affecting word count, of course). My goal in each story is not to showcase my ability or preserve the text I so carefully pen. My goal is to give someone a story they can be proud to share with their family, friends and business associates. Whether I’m writing about a gardener who’s tending a fourth-generation family garden, a supermarket dietitian who’s coaching middle-aged couples toward healthier eating, an internationally recognized actor who’s passionately pursuing a cause, or a young mother who’s raising the child she was told she could never conceive, my goal remains the same: to tell the story with dignity, professionalism and kindness.

I guess you could say I apply the golden rule, treating others the way I would want to be treated. The result has been astounding. Editors often give me individuals to interview who are “on their last straw” with that particular publication, due to previously poor interactions with staff personnel or freelancers. I cannot count the number of individuals who have told me that they have appreciated reading what I write before it’s published because they have been misquoted or misrepresented in past stories. I’ve learned never to underestimate the profound power of that simple courtesy.

Your career has included work in both print and Web mediums. In fact, you were a Web editor long before that was a popular career avenue. What got you interested in working on the Internet, and how did you make the transition from print?

I had been working in print for nine years when Garden.com approached me about working on the Web. What intrigued me was the Web’s potential for information integration, and honestly, it seemed like a next logical step in terms of publishing. I had handled the various aspects of print publication, from managing, to writing, to editing. The Web gleamed with all the possibilities of a new penny—and the irresistible allure of something new and untried

How is writing for the Web different from writing for print?

When I work on a Web-based story, I think in multiple dimensions. Print confines a concept to a layout, a page count, a word count. That offers a writer a chance to shine—there’s nothing like constraints to pull out the spit and polish on words! But the possibilities offered by hyperlinking Web text to subsequent and archived pages—what compares to that? It’s like having a library at your fingertips as you read an article. As a writer, I try to think of stories in layers, finding interesting ways to integrate related information into a story as hyperlinks. That’s pure fun!

Web writing demands a punchy, tighter style. It’s easy (and doesn’t require immense skill) to blather on for pages, but the average Web reader is seeking information that’s easy to ingest, digest, and process. Tip boxes, subheads and bullet points earn rave reviews (i.e., readership) in Web-based writing. Conversely, because Web-based writing is so tight, a great temptation looms to coin words and acronyms and to shortcut good writing.

Are you finding that you are getting more work in print or Web nowadays? Have you experienced any changes in this balance?

I continue to work in both media. After the Garden.com experience, I find I have insight to offer clients who are looking for Web-based material. I haven’t seen a real transition toward either print- or Web-based presentation in my client base. Despite the economy, despite depressed ad sales, despite the twice-pinched pennies of discretionary income, print remains a viable mode of communication. People love magazines. A magazine embodies a sabbath moment—it’s a chance to unplug. It’s the pause button on the incessant stream of electronic media that assaults and upholds modern life on a daily basis. Curling up on the couch with a softly glowing screen just isn’t the same as poring over the pages of a favorite periodical.

Given the current economic climate, how is your workflow? Are you busier than ever or are you also experiencing a business downturn?

I have not seen a downturn in my workflow. For that, I remain grateful daily. Because I have a scientific background and know botanical Latin, I do take on assignments that draw on those specialties, such as identifying plant photos or editing publications that present scientific concepts to consumers. Writing isn’t my sole activity, but it is my primary source of income. I appreciate and take on the other projects to keep my scientific and botanical skills sharp.

Are you doing anything differently to market yourself, to get and keep clients these days?

Above all, I consistently aim to deliver what the client wants—on time. I cannot tell you how many editors have hired me with this comment, “You always understand what I want, and you turn it in on time.” I always strive to submit material before the deadline. That’s one of my personal goals. You’d be surprised (at least, I was) at how many writers never meet deadlines. As a former editor, I understand the reality and importance of deadlines, and the wonderful favor that ensues for writers who meet deadlines. They get more work!

I also believe my experience as an editor gives me an approach to assignments that other writers may lack. I edited magazines—as managing editor or a section content editor—for 12 years. I understand the process of putting together a publication. When I receive a story assignment, following a subject interview or background gathering, I frequently offer editors ideas for story direction or sidebars. For editors who are overworked and short-staffed (and what editor isn’t in this economy?), those suggestions can help strengthen their content, and I become a valuable asset. Editors appreciate that kind of input, and as a result, I often receive assignments that aren’t thoroughly cast in stone or that lack a clear direction, because the editors know that once I start gathering information or interview the subject I can nail the angle. That type of working relationship and trust develops over time, forging a strong relationship between a freelancer and editor—the kind of relationship that garners future assignments.

And as the economy continues on its current path, do you think that the topic of gardening will be in greater demand as more people decide to stay home more often? For example, when the gas prices spiked last year, did you see any change in your workload? Or previously during times of economic uncertainty?

Gardening is one of those golden topics Dorian Gray would have appreciated: It changes little over time. Life began in a garden, and archaeological records document that people have always gardened. There’s just something about planting a seed, watching it grow, and savoring the fruit of that labor. It’s part perspiration, to be sure, but it’s equally part magic. I’ll never forget my four-year-old niece carefully pocketing seeds from an apple because she was “going to grow an orchard.” Seeds embody the realm of possibility. So does gardening.

Two factors strongly influence the popularity of gardening: population age and economic climate. In general, as a population ages, their interest in gardening increases as nests empty, discretionary income rises, and the home becomes a renewed center of activity. When the economy yields belt-tightening, one way that many individuals save money is by gardening. It doesn’t cost much (in dollars or effort) to grow a few vegetables that can grace the family table and reduce the grocery bill. And there’s nothing quite so rewarding—or stress-defusing—as a bouquet of zinnias and love-in-a-mist that you grew from seed.

One change I have noticed is that several lifestyle-based magazines asked me to write basic pieces on gardening for their spring 2009 issues. The editors assume, and rightly so, that with the dim economic forecast, many more individuals will be donning gardening gloves, purchasing seed packets and breaking ground on their own eden.

Any other advice for freelancers?

I believe the most important thing is to play to your strengths. Don’t be afraid to do what you do best. Fine-tune your skills and play to them. When I was working on the Web full time, the heads of the company approached me about a promotion. They wanted me to tackle the managing editor aspects of the print magazine. This promotion would have meant more money, but it also meant supervising people and overseeing budgets. Strong organizational skills and previous work experience drew them to offer this position to me. I requested a weekend to consider the offer.

On the following Monday, I made a counteroffer. I told my boss that I can supervise people, and I can develop and manage budgets, but my passion is writing. My greatest skills are writing, working with freelancers, and managing workflow. I don’t want more money; let me do what I do best. Bogging me down with supervisory duties and budgets was the logical choice, because magazines need managing editors. But I pitched a proposal that played to my strengths—and I received the position I wanted (garden editor, content) and a raise. Best of all, I was able to spend time writing, which is what I love and do well.

If you have an opening in your writing schedule, don’t hesitate to contact editors that you have worked with in the past. When I was an editor, I was so frequently underwater with deadlines, planning, and producing future stories. In gardening, we produce stories a year ahead of time—you can’t shoot tulips in August—so as an editor you’re always working on several years’ issues at once. I often had assignments that needed to be written, but I hadn’t found time to assign them. Many editors experience this state of incessant juggling that leads to running behind on making assignments. When I have an opening in my writing schedule, I frequently contact the editors I work with the most with a simple e-mail, telling them I have the time if they have a need. That e-mail nearly always produces work for me. The deadlines are usually tight, but when you help an editor fill a hole in an issue you’re on your way to becoming a trusted ally—which means more work in the future.

Photo credit: Carol Hanson