Freelancers often spend hours perfecting a pitch, only to land a single assignment, if any at all. But what if one strong idea could lead to two, three or even more commissions? Reframing a single concept or experience for different audiences and outlets can help you build a more sustainable and profitable career.
“It’s much more efficient,” said freelance journalist Lily Canter. “It saves time, and it also helps you build expertise.”
When Canter reported on running during pregnancy for U.K. magazine Runner’s World, she repurposed part of her research into a completely different listicle for the U.S. fitness site Well+Good. “If someone was searching for information about running during pregnancy, they might come across my articles and think, ‘Oh, she’s written quite a bit about this,’” she said. “That kind of visibility helps establish you as someone who really knows the subject.”
She’s applied the same multi-angle approach across personal finance, health and travel – where she finds it especially valuable, since freelancers often cover their own expenses and can’t afford to take time away for just one assignment.
Travel writing differs from other types of reporting, explained Lindy Alexander, a freelance travel writer and founder of The Freelancer’s Year. “You usually need to be on the road, which means you can't take on other stories at the same time. So, [you] really have to be savvy about it.”
Her rule of thumb: one commissioned story for every two days away. “If I'm away for six days, ideally, I’d want to get at least three stories from that trip.”
But before you start spinning one idea into multiple pitches, it’s important to understand what makes this strategy work. Missteps, like selling the same piece twice, can damage your reputation and burn bridges with editors.
From understanding what kinds of stories different publications run, to spotting new angles on the ground or reworking material in new formats, here’s how Alexander and Canter turn one story or destination into several bylines.
Look for hidden angles
Approach every assignment or reporting trip with the mindset that more than one article is possible. “It’s not necessarily about identifying whether a story or a destination has [multiple angles],” said Alexander, “but what are those stories or multiple angles hiding in it?”
On a six-day press trip to Canada, hosted by a rail-tour company, she arrived with one confirmed commission and left with ideas for three more, including a guide to Banff’s food scene and a piece on ways to unwind in the Rockies.
Alexander recommended staying flexible and observant: small moments or unexpected conversations can spark entire articles. Take detailed notes, snap photos, ask for interviews and collect contacts you might return to later. “I’m still pitching stories now from travels that I went on six or eight months ago,” she said.
Know what editors commission
Understanding how different media structure their content helps you match ideas to their formats and avoid overlap.
“Knowing the types of stories [and] the sections that they commission can be really helpful when you are looking at placing multiple stories from one trip,” said Alexander.
She keeps a running list of what publications look for – such as hotel reviews, 24-hour itineraries, destination guides, and traveler profiles – to pitch with precision. That’s how a guide to visiting sacred places in Japan became a listicle for one outlet, while a unique dessert she tasted in the same country inspired a short feature for another.
Let the material lead
Sometimes the potential for multiple stories only becomes clear during or after reporting. Canter said that she rarely plans to write more than one piece up front, but it often happens naturally when she has a lot of material – research, interviews, experiences.
After a trip to Bermuda, she produced four stories: one on a running event for Live for The Outdoors, a traditional sightseeing feature for the South China Morning Post, a first-person adventure for the print version of Metro, and a running-focused story for Adventure.com. Each angle came out of what she experienced and uncovered on the ground.
Keep stories distinct
Reusing research is smart. Reusing content is risky.
“I don’t work on similar stories,” Alexander said, stressing the importance of keeping stories truly original to maintain editorial credibility.
When drawing from the same trip or original reporting, Canter rewrites each article from scratch, incorporating different quotes, information and angles, and sometimes arranging additional interviews. “Don’t throw out the exact same idea to multiple editors. You can base them on the same central experience or concept, but they need to be distinct stories,” she said.
Maintain ethical transparency
When it comes to disclosing previous coverage, Canter uses discretion. “Generally, I don’t feel the need to flag it to editors unless there’s some clear crossover,” she said. “In those rare cases, I’ll make a point of explaining that, yes, I’ve written about this before, but this piece is taking a different approach, different angle, different voices.”
If an editor asks her to attend a press trip in their place, Alexander feels a responsibility to share all the story ideas that come out of it and let them decide what to commission. She waits until those stories are published before pitching elsewhere.
Use format to your advantage
One of the simplest and most overlooked ways to multiply your bylines from a single idea is by changing the format.
“I think a first-person piece and a reported feature can be quite different,” Canter said. “It’s more straightforward than people sometimes assume.”
In a newsletter, she shared how early in her freelancing career she turned the story of her father losing over $20,000 to a scam into five separate articles. One was published two years after the incident. “Editors were reaching out to me after seeing the story elsewhere,” she explained. “They wanted something similar. That was a unique case where editors were already familiar with the content.”
Whether it’s a personal essay, Q&A, how-to, listicle or profile, changing the format gives you room to explore different elements of the same material and reach different audiences.
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