You're thinking about moving abroad to freelance and you've got questions. Lots of them.

How will you find stories? Who should you talk to? What should you bring? Where should you stay? How will you communicate?

RELATED RESOURCES

Useful links: Committee to Protect Journalists International Center for Journalists National Writers Union Freedom Forum CDC: Travelers' Health CIA World Factbook Today's Front Pages, provided by the Newseum David Shedden's World Press Bibliography & Journalism Organization Links Freelance journalism articles from Suite101 Related reading: "Surviving Is Also Part of the Job," by John Burns, The New York Times (TimesSelect required) "Letter from Baghdad: Not That Independent," by Jill Carroll, American Journalism Review "Letter from Baghdad: What a Way to Make a Living," by Jill Carroll, American Journalism Review "Coverage Diary: A Reporter's Account of Tsunami Crisis," by Vanessa Gezari, Poynter.org "Safety and Story: A Balancing Act," Poynter.org "Keeping Journalists Safer: What Can Be Done," by Sahm Venter, Poynter.org "Freelance Frustrations," by Kelly McBride, Poynter.org "Making the Case for International News," by Bruce Swaffield, Poynter.org

There are many things to consider before you decide to embed yourself in a new country and culture by freelancing overseas. Insight from someone who has been there is helpful. You can read about one reporter's experiences and suggestions in "Casting Off the Parachute." And, while the article is useful for journalists thinking of heading abroad, much of the advice offered there is applicable to any journalist working just about anywhere, on any beat -- domestically or internationally, in print or broadcast media, for writers or visual journalists.

If you are considering a move abroad, here are some more tips to take with you as you make the leap, from the St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times' Vanessa Gezari and online sources:

• Pay attention to the work of other journalists who are working internationally. Columbia University's Kurt Schork Awards are a good place to find out who's doing what from where -- and for which news organizations. Follow their work and try to understand what makes it so compelling.
  

• Become well-versed in foreign news. Read the international pages of major newspapers, Web sites, etc. The Economist is another great resource for concise, diverse international coverage.
  

• Gather the e-mail addresses and other contact information of the reporters whose work you've been reading. You might want to contact them before you leave home, or even once you land in your destination.
  

• Read the newspapers that are based in the region you want to move to. Watch the television stations your sources watch, listen to the radio stations they listen to, etc.
  

• Learn the language once you get there. The best way to do it is to immerse yourself in language training locally for the first few months after you arrive. You can often find local residents willing to teach you their language for very little money.
  

• Connect with the network of journalists, fixers and translators who work in the region you'll be covering. You'll probably have to wait until you get there to start meeting people, but it's a valuable resources and a good support system.
  

• Meet members of the local-language media who speak English. They'll be able to offer you helpful insights, and you might even end up running into them as you report your stories.
  

• Don't try to figure out too much before you get there. Retain a degree of openness. Be elastic.

Have you worked as a freelance journalist overseas? Are you working as one now? Do you have any other suggestions for a journalists who is contemplating a move to become a freelancer abroad? Add your thoughts here, or click "Add/View Comments on This Article" to weigh in with your own advice.