Today we’d like to introduce you to Krissy Eliot.
Can you briefly walk us through your story–how you started and how you got to where you are today. You can include as little or as much detail as you’d like.
Five years ago, I left my home state of Maryland and traveled to the San Francisco Bay Area to become a sex journalist. Why? Because sex is fucking interesting! That, and it bothered my mother endlessly. (BONUS.)
With barely any journalistic experience, I sent an email to Steve Jones, the editor in chief of the now tragically defunct San Francisco Bay Guardian, asking if they needed any freelance writers to cover the sex beat. As proof of my writing abilities, I submitted the only journalistic piece I’d ever written—one longform, first-person story about a three-day-weekend I spent with OneTaste, the orgasmic meditation group sometimes referred to as a cult by its former members. Turns out, my writing wasn’t half bad, and Jones said, “Do you want your own column?” That day, my career was born: naked, confused, kicking and screaming—which, as it happens, works well for a column about kink.
I threw myself into that column, aptly titled “Head First,” and freelanced for a couple of years before becoming a staff reporter and editor at California magazine, where I’ve covered myriad topics from Slender Man to Bigfoot. The latter subject became particularly interesting to me—so much so that I’ve produced multiple investigative stories on Sasquatch, and have continued to obsess over mythical creatures, the paranormal, and subjects otherwise strange.
So the next step in my writing pilgrimage is to go into business for myself as a weird blogger and author—which is why I’ve launched Hot Alien, a blog featuring serious journalism on seriously weird shit. As I explain in the blog’s intro post, I’ll be writing about everything from the legendary Bigfoot to aliens to my increasingly weird life—with an aim of being informative, fun, and fantastically freaky.
That said, I’m not a faithful “Bigfoot believer” by any means—I do like to approach all subjects with a rational, open mind. Do I want Sasquatch to exist? Totally. How cool would that be?! But I don’t let that affect my writing or reporting. The truth is what most interests me.
Has it been a smooth road? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way? Any advice for other women, particularly young women who are just starting their journey?
Has it been easy? Short answer: No.
As a woman, I’ve experienced my fair share of mistreatment in journalism—with many men tossing sexist comments at me the way rock stars toss out guitar picks at concerts.
But money (or lack thereof) is probably the hardest part about being a journalist. It’s not exactly the most lucrative profession, even if you manage to nab a position on a magazine’s staff. That being said, I’m extremely grateful to be able to support myself doing what I love. I got to where I am with a lot of luck, a genuine love of writing, and a tendency to bust my mother-fucking ass.
In terms of advice for women just getting into the game…
The thing about journalism is that, like any other form of writing, it’s a craft—an art—and when you’re expected to crank out a certain amount of stories a week, it can be easy to forget that. Tip: If you want to keep your head above water in this industry, and do well, you can’t afford to forget.
If you want to be a professional journalist, know there aren’t a ton of writing jobs out there, so you have to be good. Damn good. Writing has to be your passion, and it has to show. You have to write pieces that make editors salivate over your talent; you want to make them remember you, and tell their friends about you, and their friends’ friends. Not just so you can get paid, but so you can boost your ever-wilting writer’s ego, which by nature would flagellate itself to death if it weren’t rescued by the occasional compliment.
If you want to be an editor, know that you’re fallible, and that your instincts aren’t always perfect. If a writer pushes back against one of your edits and it’s important to her, listen. In compromise, gems are found. In unyielding dissension, you find a turd. Also, it’s crucial for you to remember that you’re working with creatives. Encourage the journalists you work with to be imaginative because that’s how you’ll get the most compelling stories from them. It can be easy to fall into the trap of being formulaic in story construction, and that’s where articles get boring. Don’t be boring. This industry is already struggling to stay afloat, and if you rob stories of personality for the sake of churning out pieces, you’re just another hand pushing our heads under water.
We’d love to learn more about your work. What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of as a brand, organization or service provider? What sets you apart from others?
What sets me apart from others is that lately, in addition to being a general interest reporter and editor, I’ve become a Bigfoot journalist.
Yes, you read that right.
I’m not entirely sure how it came to be. Perhaps it all started at the beginning of 2018 when I saw the “BIGFOOT BONANZA” film festival advertised on the marquee of the Balboa Theater in San Francisco, and just couldn’t resist the chance to melt my ass into a seat and watch movies for hours. Maybe it happened because the love of my life wants to believe in everything from ghosts to aliens, and being a naturally rational person, I’ve become the Dana Scully to his Fox Mulder. Or, more likely, I got called weird too much on the playground and now thrive off of writing stories that uptight, intellectual fuddy-duddys think are better left unseen.
Whatever the case may be, this year, I wrote a series of articles on Sasquatch that changed my career focus from general interest reporter to bona fide Bigfoot writer, and damn, has it been sa-weet.
First, there was the two-part profile on Grover Krantz, the first scientist to ever publicly come out in support of the search for Sasquatch (part one here, part two here). And then there were two other pieces: one covering why people believe in Bigfoot and another discussing how some academics say science may actually benefit from Bigfoot research. The articles got a lot of hits, and I started getting an ass-load of fan-mail from readers, many of them urging me to write a book.
I was stunned, but couldn’t ignore the giant, hairy opportunity loping at me. Some people spend their lives searching for Sasquatch, but with zero shits given on my part, he found me! Metaphorically, at least.
So in response to the call of the wild, I started Hot Alien, where I intend to chronicle my investigations of Bigfoot, and other things outré.
So much of the media coverage is focused on the challenges facing women today, but what about the opportunities? Do you feel there are any opportunities that women are particularly well positioned for?
Women in media are looking to hire more women, and the power dynamic is shifting, however slowly, in our favor. If you’re a woman who loves to write, and you’re willing to work hard, then I’d say you’re well-positioned to be a journalist.
Women-only writers groups are rampantly growing online, providing opportunities to those in the sisterhood. The Binders Facebook groups, in particular, are very helpful to women looking to break into journalism, blogging and copywriting. “The Binders” is of course a satiric response to Mitt Romney’s 2012 comment that he had “binders full of women” submitting resumes to him while he was Governor of Massachusetts. The name is a clever way to take the power back from a offensive statement, and the community allows female editors to advertise jobs directly to other women. I frequent the groups often and have discovered great writers there.
Even though women are still tragically underrepresented in newsrooms, I can say that the female journalists lucky enough to get hired are no longer willing to sit back and take shit from the sexists in charge. I’ve been in multiple situations where my female colleagues and I have banded together to stand up for each other’s ideas in the face of misogyny. As women, we still have to raise hell and bang on doors to get respect at work, but at least now, the doors are opening because we have the collective strength to push.
Do you have any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general? What has worked well for you?
My advice for finding a mentor is to get into situations where you can trap someone into helping you—and then make them fall in love with you! Just kidding, but also… not kidding.
All of my mentors were my bosses, editors or professors at first, so they were put into professional situations where they were forced to offer me sage advice. I managed to trick them into adoring me and my writing, and now quite a few of them are confidants willing to offer me input on anything I send their way. One of my mentors even said she likes me more than her own daughter! (So sad, I know. Terrible… but… great for me!)
The trick to choosing a mentor is selecting someone who gets you. If they don’t absolutely adore your writing style, if they can’t see your potential, if they discourage you or make you feel bad about yourself—kick ‘em to the curb. If the human you’ve chosen as your mentor has never publicly pointed to you and said proudly, “That’s my protégé,” to a group of his or her peers, then that person don’t deserve to guide you. All of my mentors are also my friends. Some crotchety folks may make the argument that friends don’t make good mentors or editors because they’ll be afraid to tell you when your story sucks. Chances are, those people don’t have any friends, because if they did, they’d know that true friends won’t hesitate to tell you that they fell asleep reading your story by paragraph three.
As for networking, I’ve got very little advice for you.
I’m pretty shitty about putting myself out there and meeting other writers in person.
That old adage about it being all about “who you know” is true, but it’s also very much about whether or not you’re good at what you do. For me, “knowing people” didn’t get me jack shit. My portfolio and my ability to walk the walk is what got me to where I am. When I pitch stories or apply for jobs, I let my writing speak for itself. Has every pitch or submission I’ve sent been accepted? Hell no! But if you’re a master of your craft, chances are, some people are going to want to work with you based on your talent alone, and you’re not going to need be a professional schmoozer. (And I didn’t spend four years in college to get a degree in schmoozing, did I?! Of course, I didn’t get a degree in English or journalism either, but that’s neither here nor there.)
Basically, when given a choice between networking or writing, I’d rather be writing. But I do love when my writing somehow leads me to spectacular people, and that does happen often. Fingers crossed that it never ever stops.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.krissyeliot.com www.hotalien.com
- Email: thekrissyeliot@gmail.com
- Instagram: @krissyeliot
- Twitter: @krissyeliot
Image Credit:
Li Chen, Keliot-1: Alexa Herasimchuk, Keliot-2: Giffen Clark Ott, Keliot-3: Jessica Buckner-Knai, Keliot-4: Jordan Cerminara
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