Abigail Boatwright moderated a session for freelancers at the 2018 American Horse Publications Equine Media Conference in Hunt Valley, Maryland. Abigail and veteran freelancers Tracy Gantz and Jennifer Bryant talked about ways to get your freelance career starting off on the right foot, and ways to develop yourself into a hirable freelancer long-term. We also spent a lot of time discussing questions amongst the group. This is Part 1 (of two) of the session.

Patty Tiberg is a cornerstone in the niche publication industry. Rising through the ranks at Cowboy Publishing and on through Morris Media Network, Patty is the vice president of the company’s Equine Enthusiast Group, which houses such publications as Barrel Horse News, Quarter Horse News, Reined Cow Horse News and Western Horseman.

A fellow graduate of Texas A&M University, as well as a founding member of TAMU’s Equestrian Team, Patty is a wealth of knowledge and has become a trusted resource for both of us as we have worked with her over the years. We’re excited to share what she has to say about contract work in equine media, and how freelancers like yourself can score such a gig.

Show Notes: http://www.freelanceremuda.com

Where can listeners learn more about Cowboy Publishing?

Western Horseman

Quarter Horse News 

Barrel Horse News

Equine Journal

Western Lifestyle Retailer 

Ranch Horse News 

Cutting Horse Chatter

Reined Cow Horse News

Horsecity 

The Freelance Remuda Podcast launched in January, and since then, we have produced two episodes each month that focused on the equine media industry. We interviewed guests including established editors and young up-and-coming media entrepreneurs, inviting them to share their expertise with you and hopefully, helping to educate and inspire you. Now, we are jumping off into a new venture with The Freelance Remuda, but don’t worry. We aren’t abandoning you. This episode, we’re going to reflect on 2017, set goals for 2018 and forecast our next step.

Arizona author Carly Kade’s first book, “In the Reins,” has been an Amazon best seller for more than 10 weeks, is an EQUUS Film Festival Literary Award Winner for Best Western Fiction and earned her a loyal group of followers. Married with a full-time job as Manager of Strategic Talent for a Fortune 200 Energy Company, shows her Paint horse, and mom to two adopted dogs, Carly still finds time to write. In fact, Cowboy Away, the sequel to her first book will be out this year. She juggles a successful career and pursues her dream as a freelance author, and today, Carly is going to tell us how she does it!

This episode of The Freelance Remuda Podcast features Jennifer Paulson, the editor-in-chief of Horse & Rider magazine, one of the leading Western training magazines on newsstands today. The magazine provides practical training tips from professional trainers, horsekeeping advice and insight into living the Western horse life. A horse enthusiast herself based in Colorado, Jennifer has worked at Horse & Rider since 2010. Horse & Rider is such a respected publication, and we know you'll enjoy hearing from Jen about how the magazine has evolved, what she looks for in freelancers, and what it takes to produce the right content. 

John Harrer and his wife Ranae host the Whoa Podcast about Horses and Horsemanship. Podcasts about horses are few and far between, and the Whoa Podcast was an early entry into the medium. Over the last five years and more than 120 episodes in, the Harrers have carved a place in the podcast space. They interview horse people from all walks of life and equine disciplines, introducing listeners to interesting horsemen and women. The weekly show is practical and entertaining. Both hosts are avid horse enthusiasts themselves, so listeners follow along with their adventures in training, trail rides and travel. 

Kirstie Jones, of Kirstie Marie Photography, started out taking photos of her horses as a hobby. A lifelong horse lover, she competed at breed shows growing up and on TCU’s equestrian team. After college, she started her photography business as a side gig and quickly gained a loyal client base. This year, Dallas-based Kirstie quit her finance job and went full-time as an equine photographer—an exciting development for those of us who love her work! You’ve seen her photos grace magazine covers, editorial spreads and ad after ad in equine publications.

We’ve wanted to have Kirstie on the show since before we began production, but somehow it turns out that recording three days before she’s scheduled to have a baby is, of course, the perfect time. Remuda, we think you’ll love hearing what Kirstie has to say. She’s got razor-sharp business sense and one of the most distinctive styles in equine photography today. 

Since 2009, Ryan T. Bell has made a living as a freelancer travelling to Russia, South America, Canada and around the U.S. gathering stories and photographs about the Western way of life. He has been published in Western Horseman, and also in magazines like Outside, Town & Country and National Geographic. Ryan is a Fulbright-National Geographic Storytelling Fellow, has a bachelor of arts in history from the University of Colorado and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative NonFiction from the University of Montana. From Montana, Ryan and his family—wife Madeline, daughters Octavia and Esme and dog Bandito—now reside in Washington state. Ryan is pretty much a badass and in this episode, we picked his brain on his process, favorite projects and his philosophy on journalism. Worth the listen!

Shelley Paulson is an accomplished equine photographer based in Minnesota. A horse lover herself, Shelley’s unconventional background includes studying to be an opera singer, an Apple support technician, a web designer and now a photographer and filmmaker. Today, she captures beautiful images for portraits and commercial use—and she’s begun using a drone for innovative film and photography. Shelley has 13 years of experience as a professional photographer, and we’re so excited to have her on The Freelance Remuda Podcast today.

This is the second part of our business tax and legal series. Today, we’ll be talking to James Decker, a lawyer based in the West Texas town of Stamford. James provides advice to clients about business and property ownership, including agriculture, estate planning and probate, real estate, oil and gas, business and entrepreneurship.