Thanks to the help of two reporters at the Austin American-Statesman and an old friend of mine, I recently received my first freelance automotive journalism assignment from the editor of the Marketplace Cars section (check it out here.)
I interviewed about 5 or 6 different tuner shops around town to find out what kinds of trends there are in the aftermarket scene given the down economy. Fortunately, Austin has been in an economic bubble relative to the rest of the country. Money is still flowing toward additional horsepower and performance in the ATX.
I've learned a lot and have had a great time speaking with shop owners. They've all been very pleasant and more than happy to discuss cars and mods with a fellow gearhead.
My interviewing technique needs work (being smoother with my questions and integrating the use of my voice recorder) and I hope I learn how to attend events and do the work I need to get done, but still have fun and be myself. Afterall, I'm going into automotive journalism because I really enjoy cars.
If my editor decides to publish my article, I'll be sure to post the link on WW&W.
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