Mslexia

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Guidelines

THE JOY OF

MOTORING JOURNALISM

I worked in press and PR…

for charities. Then I was an aid worker in Romania, and after that I wanted to stop saving the world for a bit. So I moved to Devon and took on a variety of casual jobs including working as a gardener and artist’s model.

I wasn’t making much money...

so I started writing health and fitness pieces. I did that for about eight years for magazines like Health and Fitness, Top Sante, Prima and Company. That work paid about £350 per 1,000 words.

I really struggled to learn to drive...

I finally passed my test at 40 – three years ago now – and became increasingly aware that other people really struggled to pass too. I’d always thought it would be quite nice to write a book; I thought, ‘There’s a book for everything else – how to get a man and how to lose weight – why not write a self-help book about learning to drive?’ So I put together the first three chapters and a synopsis and sent it off to an agent, who got me a publisher.

In the course of writing my book...

I became interested in motoring-related issues – not whether it’s better to have a Lamborghini or a Ferrari, but things like how do you get your clapped-out Nissan Micra through its MOT? How do you cope on the school run? I thought there was potential for a fresher, more female-friendly voice in motoring journalism, and I wanted to provide that voice.

A lot of women in this area...

are the spirit of Jeremy Clarkson channelled through Suzi Quatro: they’re petrol heads, people who are interested primarily in cars. I’m not knocking them, but most women don’t really relate to that. I’m more interested in addressing the sorts of issues that women might actually find useful, like how to find a garage where you won’t get ripped off.

The feedback on my first book...

has been brilliant – so many people said that The Girls’ Guide to Losing Your L-Plates had been like a friend to them. I’m on my second book now, The Girls’ Car Handbook.

Some people...

have been quite dismissive of me being a woman. There aren’t that many women in the field and people didn’t really know what to make of me because I’m a beginner, and not a young beginner either. But broadly speaking, people have been welcoming and I think being a woman does make me stand out.

I’m turning over...

about £25,000 a year, including my book deal and motoring features for publications like the Sunday Express, Peugeot and Vauxhall magazines and the MSN website, all of which pay £300 to £500 per 1,000 words.

My advice to wannabes is...

join the Guild of Motoring Writers, read relevant magazines and newspaper supplements – and start pitching! I began from a beginner’s perspective, but half of it isn’t as mysterious as it seems – once you know the lingo, it’s all fine. It’s like any other form of journalism: you’ve got to be persistent. If you’re willing to work at it, you can demystify this world for others.

by Maria McCarthy

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