Today we’d like to introduce you to Leena Tailor
Leena, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Growing up in New Zealand, I was always into pop culture. I bought every imported American teen magazine I could find and even mocked up my own music publication for a project in middle school. However, a career in entertainment media, especially in the U.S., seemed far-fetched so I started thinking about getting into travel and tourism.
My interest in the media stuck with me though, so when I heard about a local Communications degree that covered everything from TV and radio production to public relations and journalism, I went for it. Although I majored in journalism, it wasn’t until I landed a junior role editing a TV supplement for a weekly magazine that I discovered feature writing. I used to read the features that senior writers would pen and wonder how they wrote such captivating stories, thinking there was no way I could ever be that good. Luckily, I had amazing editors who recognized my talent and pushed me to apply for feature writing roles. I kept refusing, to the point where they created a hybrid writing/editing role for me, but once I got into it, it became clear that writing was what I was meant to be doing.
I worked at the magazine for nearly seven years, covering everything from celebrity interviews and red carpet events to news, health, fashion and human interest features, before moving to L.A. in 2010. It was the tail-end of the recession so finding a job was a lot harder than I expected. After a couple of gigs at photo agencies, I started freelancing while job-hunting, but have been doing it since. I primarily began writing for publications back in New Zealand and it helped that at the time I was one of the few Kiwi journalists in L.A. who could cover press junkets for them. As that fizzled out, I started writing for more American and Canadian outlets, by pitching stories and ideas to as many editors as I could – which I continue to do today.
It’s a dream job which has allowed me to interview my favorite artists, travel the world, raise awareness for causes I’m passionate about and attend incredible events and adventures. It’s also full of constant challenges like story and pitch rejections, financial instability and the increasingly-dire state of the media. Every day there’s another outlet shutting down or another great editor losing their job. I’m constantly questioning whether it’s time to give it up and get a “real job” that won’t always have me worrying about how I’m going to pay next month’s rent, but my perseverance, passion for entertainment writing (and perhaps stubbornness!) usually wins. I think perseverance, having a thick skin, being disciplined and knowing that freelancing is always going to have its lows are the key qualities which have helped me get to this point.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Never! Every time I feel like I’m getting into a comfortable groove of steady work, a massive hurdle hits. I remember being completely devastated and in tears when I lost most of my press junket access – where the majority of my work was generated from – because another writer relocated to the U.S. and gained access to cover for my home region. I had worked so hard to build up my contacts and story commissions, and it felt like it was all ripped away from under my feet overnight. The silver lining was that it pushed me to pursue writing for more American outlets, which had always been a major goal. It also taught me that no matter how comfortable or secure you become in freelancing, it’s ultimately an unstable profession where things can change at the drop of a hat, so if I wanted to keep doing it, I had to be prepared for that and ride out the hard times when they hit.
Covid was another major struggle. While I somehow managed to stay afloat and even break into new outlets through the early stages of the pandemic, I eventually lost the part-time writing job which I relied on to pay my bills. I’ve been freelancing full-time since which is a whole other level of constant financial stress.
Finding work and placing stories also remains a struggle, especially as publications continue to shut down, slash freelance budgets and use AI.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m a freelance entertainment, travel and lifestyle writer for publications across the U.S., New Zealand and Canada. My features vary from celebrity profiles and event coverage to travel, health and real-life features. Music is my biggest passion, so I’m proud that some of the features I’ve brought to life more for fun than work have become some of my best writing and won awards. I think what sets me apart from others is my work ethic, my writing style and the passion and enthusiasm I have for some of the fun niches I’ve become known for covering – like boy bands and tequila!
How do you think about luck?
I think my success comes from hard work, resilience, passion and determination rather than luck.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.LeenaTailor.com
- Facebook: https://www.instagram.com/leenatailor/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leena-tailor-38338a21/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/leenatailor
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@leenatailor197/videos
