#138: Nicola Slawson – From Journalism to Book Deals: Pitching, Newsletters, and Building a Writing Life on Your Own Terms
Mar 29, 2025
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Nicola Slawson, a freelance journalist and the creator of The Single Supplement newsletter, shares her inspiring journey of building a writing career on her own terms. She discusses the challenges of transitioning from journalism to authoring a book, emphasizing the importance of personal storytelling and audience engagement. Nicola reveals effective strategies for growing a newsletter and the emotional complexities of the publishing process. She also highlights the vital role of community in supporting writers through their creative endeavors.
Nicola Slawson emphasizes the importance of strategic pitching tailored to editors' needs for successful freelance journalism.
Building genuine relationships in the writing community fosters mutual support and collaboration, enhancing the overall creative journey.
Her newsletter, The Single Supplement, grew by anchoring content in relatable personal experiences, attracting a dedicated audience through strategic social media engagement.
Deep dives
Nicola's Journey into Journalism
Nicola Slauson's path to journalism began in Shrewsbury, where she felt the limitations of her surroundings, as neither her family nor community expected her to pursue higher education. Despite these obstacles, she passionately aimed to become a journalist and actively engaged with student media during university, eventually becoming the editor of the student newspaper. Upon graduation, she faced financial barriers for internships but persistently sought opportunities, eventually discovering the Scott Trust bursary, which helped diversify journalism by supporting non-traditional candidates. This bursary opened doors for her at The Guardian, helping her transition into a successful journalism career despite having started with no connections.
The Art of Strategic Pitching
Nicola emphasizes the significance of strategic pitching in journalism, highlighting the need to tailor submissions to specific editors' needs rather than sending generic ideas. She advises aspiring writers to research various publications to identify sections that commonly accept freelance contributions, thereby increasing the chances of being published. Building relationships with editors and understanding their workload can be beneficial, as pressuring them with unsolicited pitches often leads to missed opportunities. Additionally, Nicola underscores the importance of cold pitching when branching out, despite it being a daunting aspect of the trade.
Building a Community Through Networking
Nicola believes that networking should be approached as an opportunity to build genuine friendships rather than a transactional experience, which significantly affects how she interacts with fellow journalists and writers. She suggests making meaningful connections by reaching out to peers for informal meetings to discuss articles, and by actively participating in writing groups, including support networks for sharing drafts and providing feedback. By fostering an atmosphere of mutual assistance, she has cultivated a supportive environment that allows writers to thrive together. This philosophy extends beyond journalism, as she enjoys building connections within the writing community to uplift one another.
Launching and Growing a Successful Newsletter
Nicola's newsletter, The Single Supplement, grew out of a perceived gap in the conversation about single life that goes beyond dating. By anchoring her writing in personal stories and relatable experiences, she attracted a growing audience following its launch in 2019. Her strategic use of social media, where she hinted at newsletter content without direct links initially, encouraged subscribers to engage directly with the inbox, fostering a sense of exclusivity. Major boosts came from increased visibility through press coverage by notable individuals and well-timed topical discussions, including her perspectives on being single during the pandemic, which in turn enhanced her brand.
Transforming Experiences into a Book
Nicola transitioned her experiences from her newsletter into a book, driven by encouragement from peers and feedback from her audience. The journey involved seeking representation by leveraging interest from publishers and crafting a proposal that mixed her insights with a heavy narrative element. Throughout the writing process, Nicola discovered the value of personal storytelling, weaving in experiences of heartbreak and resilience to connect deeply with readers. The encouragement from her community and the timely conversation surrounding singlehood allowed her to capture the nuances of her journey authentically, ultimately culminating in a successful book deal.
Nicola Slawson, creator of the award-winning newsletter The Single Supplement, shares her journey of building a creative career on her own terms. From launching her newsletter with zero subscribers to securing a book deal, Nicola offers insights into embracing your unique story, building an authentic community, and navigating the realities of freelance journalism and book writing.
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ABOUT NICOLA SLAWSON
Nicola Slawson is a freelance journalist, writer, and public speaker. She is the creator of The Single Supplement newsletter and author of Single: Living a Complete Life on Your Own Terms. Nicola is passionate about telling human stories and empowering others to embrace their own.
This episode is brought to you by our friends at Lulu. If you're interested in self-publishing, Lulu has free resources such as helpful tutorials, templates to help you layout a book, design for print, and they have a very watchable YouTube University channel. Our community anthology is in fact published using Lulu. Check them out at lulu.com.
