Andrew Martins
on the record.
Reporter, editor, freelancer, manager. Spanning more than 15 years, my journalism career has gone from municipal meetings to the mosh pit and everywhere in between. I’m currently seeking a full-time role and am open to freelance assignments.
Get in touchThe Newspaper Years
Reporter and editor. Where I learned the job: deadlines, sources, and the inverted pyramid.
After graduating from Ramapo College in 2009, I got my start in 2010 as a stringer for The Jackson Times. The following year, I joined Greater Media Newspapers as a reporter, where I cut my teeth covering everything from town councils, school boards and municipal budgets to crime and human interest stories. I also shot and edited photo and video for the company’s papers. In 2016, I became managing editor of Newspaper Media Group’s Hillsborough Beacon and Hopewell Valley News. Eventually, I ran all six of the company’s weeklies, including the Princeton Packet. Together, they reached nearly 50,000 homes. In that role, I directed staff writers, photographers and freelancers across four counties and laid out the papers myself. Across both jobs, my reporting earned four New Jersey Press Association awards, including first place for Business and Economics Writing in 2015 and 2016.
The Business Years
II · Staff writer · Dec. 2018 – Jan. 2021
As a staff writer for Business.com and Business News Daily, I wrote more than 300 articles for the small business community. I filed three pieces a week, from founder profiles to news stories and explainers, while keeping existing articles current for search. Each month, I also produced an in-depth buyer’s guide to a service businesses use, calling providers as a prospective customer and scoring them against a set rubric. Much of my coverage during that time focused on how COVID-19 and the 2020 election affected small businesses. When Business.com launched The Bizzies, its yearly awards for the best small business products, I helped shape the concept, came up with the name and contributed to the first edition.
The Freelance Years.
III · 2021 – present
Since 2021, I’ve written under my own byline for Investopedia, Lifewire, LowerMyBills and a number of other publications. My work covers finance and credit cards, real estate and consumer tech, along with the business of cannabis for CannaContent. At Lifewire, I wrote how-tos and software explainers, including password manager comparisons. I also ghostwrite business leadership articles and blog posts for a recurring client, turning complex topics into plain, readable prose.
Off the Clock
When I'm not on deadline, there's a good chance I'm rolling dice. Games have followed me into my work more than once, from talking shop with Baroness over a game table to covering heavy metal's footprint at PAX Unplugged.
- Tabletop gamesBoard games and anything else that comes with a bag of dice.
- Model buildingI love Gundam models, and I'm regularly snipping, snapping and detailing pieces for the kits I enjoy.
- Tech tinkeringI've built numerous PCs for myself, friends and family. Lately I'm learning CAD software to get the most out of my 3D printer, and learning the ins and outs of Linux is next on my list.
- Video gamesFrom 2011 to 2014 I ran Pixelitis, a video game site I founded, and hosted its podcast.
- Live musicStill out at shows and festivals, horns up, whether or not I'm covering them.