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.
Come away with three full-length feature articles of publishable quality and the know-how to work as a journalist in the writing industry.
The Advanced Freelance 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
R 9 995.00
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.
Arja Salafranca
Arja Salafranca has been a writer and journalist for over 20 years. She was the lifestyle and arts editor for The Sunday Independent from 2003 to 2016. In her role as editor she contributed travel articles, theatre, book and film reviews as well as profile interviews. She also encouraged the submission of a wide genre of work, from traditional journalism to ground-breaking personal and travel essays.
Julienne du Toit & Chris Marais
Julie and Chris have been working side-by-side as photojournalists, publishers and specialist writers for nearly 25 years.
In the past 15 years, their focus has been on the Karoo region of South Africa: road trips, human interest, history and culture, environmental, humour and profiles. Through their content-rich Karoo Space website and popular books, their aim has always been to reflect the magic of the SA Heartland to readers everywhere in the world.
They’ve worked for top-end publications at home and abroad, and are currently engaged in a series of assignments for the new-look Getaway Magazine.
Julie and Chris are also regular writers and photographers for the Rhodes University Research Office, profiling the institution’s achievers every year.
The first in their new book series, Karoo Roads, is doing very well on the reader circuit and the sequel is scheduled for release in August-September 2021.
As tutors with the SA Writers College, they both bring hard-earned experience, two different writing styles and a seasoned hand to the process of becoming a wordsmith.
Belinda Mountain
Belinda is a writer and marketing strategist who has worked with many big brands and exciting startups over the past two decades. As a freelance writer, she’s written extensively on travel, food, parenting, style and wellness, and has been published in The Sunday Times, Fairlady, Fast Company, Glamour and Entrepreneur magazines, among others. She also ran an award-winning parenting blog called Making Mountains, working with brands such as Lego, Mattel, Unilever and Converse.
She co-authored her first book ‘Small Business – Big Plans’ which was published by Kwela in 2023, a digital marketing guide aimed at entrepreneurs and small business owners in South Africa. Before co-founding content agency Black Mountain in 2012, she worked in the publishing industry for companies including Penguin Books and Harlequin. She has a Business Science degree from the University of Cape Town (Honours in Marketing), and has lived in London, Europe and South Africa over the past 20 years.
Mariëtte van Niekerk
Mariëtte van Niekerk is a freelance journalist with a passion for lifestyle news. She honed her writing skills at media titles, including Volksblad, Huisgenoot and You magazines, the Rekord Newspapers, Get It Pretoria Magazine and The South African. As part of the Rekord team, Mariëtte wrote the copy for the coveted annual Best of Pretoria Readers’ Choice Awards feature, which was awarded the runner-up title for the best major advertisement or feature at the 2016 Caxton Awards.
Mariette has tutored journalism for over a decade.
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@sawriterscollege.co.za
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).