Adventures In Freelancing

While surfing the net, I came across a link that led me to WritersWeekly. a very informative site with much to offer writers. There's a forum and articles on all aspects of writing. There are also warnings about markets to be wary of and lists of paying markets. I was extremely impressed with their search feature, in which you can enter specific terms to find markets in your niche.

I honestly don't remember how I was led to this site, but whatever the case may be, I found that by entering the search phrase, "welcomes new writers" I was able to generate a particularly extensive list of markets from their database that accept material from new writers. What a useful find for us newbies! This takes away some of the anxiety of approaching markets, I think.

How about you? Would you be more willing to query a market that openly says they are welcoming to new writers? Does it matter to you? I do intend to pitch all kinds of markets, even the national women's magazines, as I know what's most important is having a good, solid, well-researched idea and being able to articulate it. But it's nice to be aware of this method for getting my feet wet.

I just learned this trick for using Google to find writing markets from fellow writer, Linda Hutchison, and I can't believe I never thought to do this before. Sure, I've Googled "women's websites" or "college magazines" when looking for publications in my areas of interest, but this method is rather ineffective. Instead, try Linda's way.

Go to Google. Put your topic in quotation marks. Type the words "submissions" or "writers guidelines" in quotes. Then put the word "and" between them. You'll get a list of links to writers guidelines you can explore for paying markets. For example, if you type "women" and "writers guidelines" into Google, or your search engine of choice, you'll find links to lots of online and print publications for women. Probably a bunch you've never heard of before.

The thing to do now is o go through the list and read the guidelines to determine if it's a paying market and if it looks like one that would interest you. You may need to try several versions of your search. I've searched on both "adult students" and "non-traditional students", looking for markets that cater to adults going back to school. You can also substitute "subission guidelines" or "submissions" for "writers guidelines", though I had better luck with the latter.

Take some time to play around with this method and see what you find. I found a number of new markets I'd like t check into further, ones that seem to be a good fit for my writing and experience. Let me know what you learn from your search. You may want to set a goal of querying one or two of the markets you find within the next week. That's what I'm doing. Good luck!

I'm not sure where I first read about customer publishers. I think it may have been from Linda and Diana of The Renegade Writer.  From what I understand, a custom publisher puts together and distributes magazines or newsletters for corporations, businesses, or organizations. It can be an in-house publication, an industry specific journal, or a companion magazine for a store or business. I came across information about custom publcations while doing some research on letters of introduction for freelancers. So I decided to revisit this market venue to determine if this would be a good option for me to pursue.

From what I've learned, custom publications are definitely worth looking into. Here's why.

Less Competititon

From what I've read, there is less competition from other freelancers when it comes to custom publishers. Most publications put out by these publishers are specific to a particular industry or consumer group. They may not be as widely read as the glossy national magazines. It's this low profile that allows freelancers to approach customer publishers with a letter of introduction, rather than a full-fledged query.

Targeted To Your Interest

I love the idea of writing for custom pubs because you can choose ones that fit your area of expertise and interest.  You'll find some links to custom publishers in this Writer's Weekly article on letters of introduction. I plan to target pubs that cover topics I'm interested in like beauty, fashion, parenting, and education. I've just started researching various publishers, but I've found a number that seem like a good fit. In fact, I've even sent out a few letters of introduction.

Good Pay

It looks like custom publishers offer a fairly decent rate of pay. Some can even compete with the national magazines. There are large corporations like Walmart and Curves behind some of these magazines, so there's a budget to pay writers. So often, new freelancers settle for low paying gigs because we feel that we have to work our way to the top. Any established freelancer will tell you not to simply settle for low pay. There are a lot of good paying markets out there for talented newbies. I think custom publications are definitely a good place to form relationships and obtain high paying writing jobs.

So what do you think? Will you try breaking into the custom pub market? For more information, you'll want to read this article on how to get into writing for custom publishers. Good luck!

Yesterday I renewed my online subscription to Writer's Market. This is something I hadn't intended to do because I had made the decision to focus my writing efforts on blogging, rather than articles for print or the Web. However, I changed my mind after thinking about things some more recently. A wise idea may be to diversify my writing a bit for better economic stability. I'll still pursue blogging positions that appear to be worth my time and effort, as well as focusing on my own blogs and a project that I have in the works, but I know that writing for magazines and trade journals can pay quite well. It just seems to make sense to give it a shot as a way of adding to my worth as a writer.

Writer's Market is a must for anyone looking to write for print or online publications. You can purchase it in book form and can even buy a deluxe version of the book that allows you a year of internet access. I chose to skip right to the internet subscription because I used the online version far more than I even opened my hard copy.

For $39.99 a year, you'll receive access to "the most comprehensive database of listings available - updated daily." You can also track your submissions through the Writer's Market website, which I find to be a lifesaver. Another feature that I like is the ability to set up customizable folders to keep track of markets that interest you. I'm in favor of anything that improves my organization and makes my life easier!

When I signed up, I was surprised and delighted to learn that I also received a download of The Writer's Ultimate Resource Guide 2008 presented by Writer's Digest. I recently saw this CD advertised in my WD magazine for $14.95. This is a fantastic resource to have because it includes articles like "101 Websites Every Writer Should Visit", "100 Best-Bet Markets for Magazine and Book Writers", and "22 Agents Who Want Your Work...Now!". Can't beat that..

So if you're considering writing for print or online publications, it's well worth the money to invest in a subscription to Writer's Market. Just checking out the listings will get you inspired to send out those query letters, and the detailed information onf where to find writer's guidelines and editor contacts is essential to freelancing success.

Let me know if you decide to subscribe. I want to hear about your writing journey!

I took an online class last year on finding your writing niche, and I really learned a lot. The course was taught by Lorna Doone Brewer and Tamara Berry of BerryBrewer Freelancing Agency. Lorna and Tamara are amazing. They're freelance writers who use their strengths and their professional backgrounds to target their writing projects. Something I learned from these ladies is that you need to be innovative as a freelancer in order to consistently find work that fits you.

I wanted to point you to an article they wrote at their Freelance Parent blog at Sparkplugging. In the post, Lorna lists 67 freelance niche writing markets that you probably weren't aware of. If Lorna can think of this many viable markets, I'm sure we all can sit down and use this list as a springboard to do a little brainstorming and come up with our own list of markets that might be perfect for us.

My favorites from her list include:

• Press Kits - I've been thinking of putting together my own press kit and have started researching the subject. My favorite part about helping students with their resumes when I was a college adviser was coming up with all the ways to highlight their talents and skills. This is the fun part about writing press kits.
• Slogans - What a novel idea. I actually love thinking up creative slogans, headers, and taglines. I wrote the tagline for the online magazine, Blissfully Domestic and think I would have fun with this kind of project.
• Speeches - I took a Master's level course on speech writing and loved it! I didn't realize before taking the class just what went into writing a speech and how in demand this niche could be.
• Abstracts - This type of work appeals to me because I enjoy reading so much. I like the idea of taking a piece down to its main points in a succinct manner.

Take some time to look over the list. Which ideas appeal to you? Now consider your professional and academic background as well as your strengths, hobbies, interests, and experience. In what ways could you use your unique skills to profit from writing?

Here's my list:

• Higher Educational Publications - I've begun this process already by targeting various journals, websites, and magazines for high school and college students. I've accumulated writer's guidelines and know I can take that route to sell my writing. I'm also tossing around the idea of starting my own college blog. I've narrowed down a target population and feel there is a real need for this kind of a service. I'll let you know as my idea comes to fruition.
• Blogging for local businesses - I've already got a project in the works with the local radio station, and I'm considering approaching other businesses that might be interested in setting up a blog. What local contacts do you have? Think about joining your city's chamber of commerce. It's a great way to network for any freelancer.

This is a starting point for me. I've talked about the importance of focus, and I know I don't want to get in over my head with ideas I'll never be able to actively pursue. Did Freelance Parent's list of niche writing markets spark any ideas for you? What would you add to the list? I want to hear all about it!

Not too long ago, Susan Heim, parenting author and Chicken Soup for the Soul editor, told me about a great writing opportunity. She knew it would be of interest to the readers of Adventures in Freelancing, so I'm passing it on to you. This installment of the ever-popular series promises to be of interest to all. Chicken Soup for the Soul: All in the Family will be a compilation of stories  about the most eccentric and memorable family members around.

We all have one. At least one. I'm sure I can think of a family member to write about. What about you? Is there a member of your family you'd love to write about? Your submission can be humorous or serious. Essays and poems will be considred, as long as the subject matter is true. The editors want to show readers the quirky side of families and that everyone has interesting relatives.

Go to the Chicken Soup for the Soup website to learn more about submitting your story. The deadline for submissions is June 30, 2009. If your entry is chosen for inclusion in the book, you'll receive $200 and 10 free copies of the book. Not to mention the exposure and addition to your resume.

So, tell me, who will you write about?

Do you write for content sites like Suite 101 or Demand Studios?  I've signed up, but I haven't gotten started because I fear spending an inordinate amouint of time just to make some pitiful sum.  So I asked around.  My online friend, Angela England, gave me this summary of some of the most popular paid content writing sites.

Suite101 is my favorite site to write for but is a long-term game just so you know. They pay their writers a percentage of the ad clicks from the google ads on the site. The thing is - this doesn't make you much money at first. You may have 10 articles up and only get 26 cents the first month. A year later when you have 100 articles you will make more than 10 times that amount though - it grows exponentially. AND you continue to get paid. forever.

The articles I wrote two years ago I continue to get paid for. I now make enough each month to cover my car payment but only contribute a handful of articles each month. SO it's easy work now on the top side - it jsut takes a little while to build it up.

Rights - you keep all rights except one year web exclusive rights. So after one year you can put elsewhere on the web. You ALWAYS maintain print rights and I recently reworked (expanded) one of my massage articles and sold it to Massage and Bodywork Magazine! I also have plans to compile a couple other articles into ebooks and offer them for sale that way as well. You can write about any topic you want. You can also apply to be a feature writer in a particular topic, which I have done for plants and bulbs. http://www.suite101.com/profile.cfm/angengland is the link to my profile.

Suite101 is pretty tough to get into and only about 20% of applicants are accepted. So the writing quality is very high and the content produced is usually very nice.

BellaOnline is set up differently. You maintain ALL rights to your content from the start but are not guarenteed any payment at all. You might not make a dime. You don't get paid for your articles persay - you get to keep 100% of affiliate links you place within your articles. For example, books I use to reference my articles I make clickeable to Amazon. Last month I made $2.46 with 24 articles up.
They also have an ebook creation course to help you bundle your content into saleable books which they will promote and sell on the BellaOnline website FOR FREE - they don't take a cut....Lisa's goal is to help promote her writers. It is a very nice feel.
On BellaOnline you can only write within your chosen topic. Conversely - no one else is writing in your topic so you have a lot of control over what is happening to your site. which is nice. BellaOnline has no true editorial oversight. Suite101 has section editors that will flag your content if it doesn't fit with house style. You can see my topic here http://pregnancy.bellaonline.com/Site.asp

Associated Content is easier to get started with. Just start writing. Articles pay best when given to them as exclusive upfront payment option. But their upfront payment sucks. Like maybe $3-10. I averaged more than most (mediocure) writers there at $9 per article abverage. They also pay a continuous payment of $1.50 for every 1000 page views on existing content. I still get about $10 per month from the 40 articles I originally wrote there (before finding out about Suite101). There is no editorial oversight and the site itself looks much more cluttered with ads put into your article after submission and lots of ads everywhere. Plus you cannot edit material after submitting. However - the upfront pay is nice to have and certainly adds up. Plus not only do you get a few bucks right away, but then you continue getting paid for good content that has lots of readers. You can join here: http://www.associatedcontent.com/join.html?refer=26212 This is the first site I joined for content writing w hen I had ZERO experience at all.

Demand Studios is another content site. Editorial oversight - articles must be written within their house style. They are very easy to write in my opinion and require litle research if you pick a topic you know fiarly well. You do not keep any rights and can't change things once it's published. They pay one-time $15 per article. Period. Once it pays it is paid. Which is nice if you need a little extra money right away. but there is no long-term pay off like with Suite101.

Hubpages is a more recent thing I am testing out. My profile is here http://hubpages.com/_24u27xop911bh/profile/AngEngland.  And you can see how easy each individual page is to create and set up. Each page stands alone but can be tied to other hubpages. Another BellaOnline editor said she completely supports her and her daughter from the BellaOnline content and the hubpages she has (over 100 now). I began creating hubpages from the year-old articles I had up on Suite101...the two lavender hubpages you can see. The other two I just created off my head very quickly and linked to other articles on Suite101 and BellaOnline. They are easy to make and fun and quick and, like the Suite101 content, you continue to earn money over a long period of time.

Angela was not only kind enough to provide us with this information, she'd also like me to pass along her Twitter handle. You can find her on Twitter at @AngEngland.  Follow her and feel free to ask her questions.  She's the best!