How to Bring A Killed Story Back To Life

My heart sank as I read the email. An article I had spent around 30 hours on, commissioned by a major outlet, was getting killed. My editor’s note was very kind, offering feedback as to why the story– a piece about a dubious medical procedure –wouldn’t work out for them. To make it work, I’d likely have to do a full on investigation, something the publication doesn’t usually allow for freelancers to undertake for liability and legal reasons. 

She offered me a 50% kill fee of $750 for all my hard work–a rarity for the outlet she said– and even hopped on the phone with me to discuss potential other stories. It was the first time it happened to me and I couldn’t help but feel like I had failed myself and even worse, my sources. 

For the past few months, I’ve been passively working on the story, hoping to bring it back to life.  But I wish there was more of a resource for what to do in this situation. 

Speaking to other freelance journalists who have had similar experiences, it’s clear that a killed story is something of a rite of passage. 

But if this happens to you, there is no reason to succumb to doom and gloom, there are ways to forge ahead––and land another commission.