Everything
you want to know about franchisingHigh
Frequency Marketing
PR & Media Relations in Spanish - Website positioning
WRITING FOR DOLLARS--A FREELANCERS GUIDE
Your novel sits unfinished, waiting for a burst of inspiration to
send it out to be typewriter and right to the top of the best
seller lists, right? You are not alone. Thousands of would-be
writers are waiting as well. But a few successes under your belt
will make the possibility of seeing your picture on the dust
jacket in the bookstore window seem less remote. Freelance
writing can replace self-doubt with self-confidence and put money
in your pocket at the same time.
Just as all doctors are not neurosurgeons, all writers are not
novelists. A look into the field yields categories you might
never have imagined. Magazine articles, greeting cards, business
writing, newspaper reporting-these are areas in which freelance
can add do make money. Writing provides an opportunity to earn
with very little expenditure. A typewriter with accompanying
supplies, a flair for writing and the discipline to stick with a
schedule and meet deadlines can start you on your way.
STRINGING
Many local and regional newspapers, unable to maintain enough
full-time staff to adequately cover ever meeting or event of
importance to the populace, will assign certain stories to
stringers, or freelance reporters. Assignments may vary as widely
as covering a church circle meeting for the weekly religion page
to reporting on a town council meeting in a neighboring village.
The editorial staff will tell you what they want, when they want
it and what you can expect to be paid. Stringers are paid by the
word, by the line or by the column inch, and while rate varies
from one newspaper to another, it is a set fee which cannot be
negotiated.
Building a good relationship with your editor through good
writing, dependability and strict adherence to deadlines may
enable you to successfully put forth your own ideas for feature
stories and articles. You may be able to negotiate a higher rate
of pay for these pieces. Don't forget to ask for a by-line. Part
of the thrill of freelance writing is seeing your name in print.
GREETING CARDS
Visit your local card shop. There are hundreds of cards, many
expressing the same sentiments. Each one is different, and
somebody earned money for each of them. The greeting card
industry relies heavily on freelance submissions. Each company
has its own style; it is futile to fire off ideas randomly hoping
to hit pay dirt. Companies will send writer guidelines to those
who accompany the request with a self-addressed, stamped envelope
(SASE). This basic checklist will tell you the subject matter of
preference (some companies may deal solely with inspirational
messages while others want only adult humor studio cards), the
correct method of presentation, length of time should wait for a
response and the pay range for accepted ideas. You don't have to
be an artist. Greeting card companies want your ideas and
captions, although suggestions for accompanying artwork will be
appreciated. remember, what may be unsuited to one company's
needs could be deemed irresistible by another. Don't throw away
any ideas in discouragement after one rejection. Submit, submit
and resubmit should be your credo.
MAGAZINE ARTICLES
Thousands of special interest and trade publications are sold
every year. Each is filled with articles, many of them written by
freelancers. The trick is to find the right magazine for your
article, and tailor your article for that magazine.. If you're a
whiz at coupon redeeming, refunding and rebating, consider
sharing your expertise with others in an article in Supermarket
Shopper. No matter what your area of interest, there's a
publication waiting to let you tell it all.
Like greeting card companies, magazine publishers will send you
guidelines including style and subject matter as well as pay
scales. Don't waste your time sending an article on the joys of a
New England vacation to a publication specializing in recreation
opportunities in the Ozarks. Guidelines firmly in mind, come up
with an idea suitable for the particular publication and follow
up with a query letter.
Many publications will not accept unsolicited manuscripts. even
those that would rather read a well-written, creative letter
outlining a proposed article than wade through a 2,000 word piece
to find it acceptable. Your query letter can be open the door
that might have been slammed in the face of your unreviewed
work-especially if it is an example of proficient writing and
piques the editor's interest in your subject and the angle you're
planning to use.
While many magazines will not accept manuscripts currently being
considered by another publication, you may wish to send query
letters to several at the same time. If you are fortunate enough
to have more than one acceptance, you can always write two
articles with different slants from the same research.
The time it takes for your manuscript to be considered seems
interminable. One way to avoid hovering over the mailbox with
hope, dread and anxiety fighting for dominance is to keep the
mailbox working for you. Don't send off one article and wait for
the verdict. Send query letters, greeting card ideas, filler
items and articles out constantly, never waiting to hear from one
before sending the next. If you receive a rejection, move along
to the next prospective publisher for that item, dash off a new
cover letter and shoot it out again. You can't sell what's
sitting in a reject pile--only what's making the rounds on the
market.
Publishers guidelines will give you specific instructions for
manuscript preparation. Regardless of the differences from one
company to the next, remember that neatness counts. Use typing
correction paper or fluid to repair typographical errors.
Strike-overs and hand done corrections appear messy and
unprofessional. Each page of your manuscript should have the
title of the article and your name, as well as consecutive page
numbers for all but the first page.
INDEPENDENT PROJECTS
Newspaper stringing, greeting cards and magazine articles are
established fields for freelance writers. Your public library
will have books and magazine listing companies seeking
freelancers for everything from crossword puzzles to innovative
messages for telephone answering machines. But you may wish to
explore some areas on your own. Whether you live in a small town
or a metropolitan area local organizations and businesses can
provide fodder for an impressive client list.
Perhaps the local historical society would be interested in your
offer to research and write a history of the area. for a fee. The
high school alumni association may be looking for a class gift to
the old alma mater. A school history, researched and written by a
professional freelance writer, would be an handsome addition to
the school library, and purchases by class members of yore would
add a fund-raising feature. Is you local hospital preparing to
celebrate a founding anniversary? a prepared history of the
institution, from one-room dispensary/infirmary to today's
200-bed unit would be a wonderful public relations tool for them
an a terrific writing job for you.
Local businesses and organizations have varied writing needs.
Grant proposals can be written for a flat fee or on a percentage
basis. Customer relations pieces such as new service or product
introductions and collection letters, annual reports, in house or
consumer-aimed newsletters all provide grist for the enterprising
freelancer's mill. Even organizations with public relations or
customer relations staffs sometimes farm out work on a periodic
basis.
Unlike established fields, where prices are determined in
advance, independent projects such as these require you to charge
by the word, by the page, by the hour or on a completed project
basis. No matter how you quote your fee, estimate your time as
accurately as possible. Time spent in research, talking to and
interviewing people and organizing material for writing is as
important as time spent at the typewriter. remember to charge
enough to cover expenses in addition to time. Typewriter ribbons,
paper, postage and envelopes cost money-so does the gasoline
you'll use when research involves travel.
Serious freelancers also have to consider the cost of overhead
(heat, water, electricity and a portion of rent or mortgage
payments to maintain an in-home office), equipment depreciation
and normal employee fringe benefits such as insurance and social
security payments when pricing their services. After all, the
boss is expected to pick up the tab for these extras. As a
freelance writer, you are the boss. And that's a fringe benefit
nobody else can give you.
Tips, Tricks, and Tools for Promoting Your Business
Online
High
Frequency Marketing
PR & Media Relations in Spanish - Website positioning
WRITING FOR DOLLARS--A FREELANCERS GUIDE
Your novel sits unfinished, waiting for a burst of inspiration to
send it out to be typewriter and right to the top of the best
seller lists, right? You are not alone. Thousands of would-be
writers are waiting as well. But a few successes under your belt
will make the possibility of seeing your picture on the dust
jacket in the bookstore window seem less remote. Freelance
writing can replace self-doubt with self-confidence and put money
in your pocket at the same time.
Just as all doctors are not neurosurgeons, all writers are not
novelists. A look into the field yields categories you might
never have imagined. Magazine articles, greeting cards, business
writing, newspaper reporting-these are areas in which freelance
can add do make money. Writing provides an opportunity to earn
with very little expenditure. A typewriter with accompanying
supplies, a flair for writing and the discipline to stick with a
schedule and meet deadlines can start you on your way.
STRINGING
Many local and regional newspapers, unable to maintain enough
full-time staff to adequately cover ever meeting or event of
importance to the populace, will assign certain stories to
stringers, or freelance reporters. Assignments may vary as widely
as covering a church circle meeting for the weekly religion page
to reporting on a town council meeting in a neighboring village.
The editorial staff will tell you what they want, when they want
it and what you can expect to be paid. Stringers are paid by the
word, by the line or by the column inch, and while rate varies
from one newspaper to another, it is a set fee which cannot be
negotiated.
Building a good relationship with your editor through good
writing, dependability and strict adherence to deadlines may
enable you to successfully put forth your own ideas for feature
stories and articles. You may be able to negotiate a higher rate
of pay for these pieces. Don't forget to ask for a by-line. Part
of the thrill of freelance writing is seeing your name in print.
GREETING CARDS
Visit your local card shop. There are hundreds of cards, many
expressing the same sentiments. Each one is different, and
somebody earned money for each of them. The greeting card
industry relies heavily on freelance submissions. Each company
has its own style; it is futile to fire off ideas randomly hoping
to hit pay dirt. Companies will send writer guidelines to those
who accompany the request with a self-addressed, stamped envelope
(SASE). This basic checklist will tell you the subject matter of
preference (some companies may deal solely with inspirational
messages while others want only adult humor studio cards), the
correct method of presentation, length of time should wait for a
response and the pay range for accepted ideas. You don't have to
be an artist. Greeting card companies want your ideas and
captions, although suggestions for accompanying artwork will be
appreciated. remember, what may be unsuited to one company's
needs could be deemed irresistible by another. Don't throw away
any ideas in discouragement after one rejection. Submit, submit
and resubmit should be your credo.
MAGAZINE ARTICLES
Thousands of special interest and trade publications are sold
every year. Each is filled with articles, many of them written by
freelancers. The trick is to find the right magazine for your
article, and tailor your article for that magazine.. If you're a
whiz at coupon redeeming, refunding and rebating, consider
sharing your expertise with others in an article in Supermarket
Shopper. No matter what your area of interest, there's a
publication waiting to let you tell it all.
Like greeting card companies, magazine publishers will send you
guidelines including style and subject matter as well as pay
scales. Don't waste your time sending an article on the joys of a
New England vacation to a publication specializing in recreation
opportunities in the Ozarks. Guidelines firmly in mind, come up
with an idea suitable for the particular publication and follow
up with a query letter.
Many publications will not accept unsolicited manuscripts. even
those that would rather read a well-written, creative letter
outlining a proposed article than wade through a 2,000 word piece
to find it acceptable. Your query letter can be open the door
that might have been slammed in the face of your unreviewed
work-especially if it is an example of proficient writing and
piques the editor's interest in your subject and the angle you're
planning to use.
While many magazines will not accept manuscripts currently being
considered by another publication, you may wish to send query
letters to several at the same time. If you are fortunate enough
to have more than one acceptance, you can always write two
articles with different slants from the same research.
The time it takes for your manuscript to be considered seems
interminable. One way to avoid hovering over the mailbox with
hope, dread and anxiety fighting for dominance is to keep the
mailbox working for you. Don't send off one article and wait for
the verdict. Send query letters, greeting card ideas, filler
items and articles out constantly, never waiting to hear from one
before sending the next. If you receive a rejection, move along
to the next prospective publisher for that item, dash off a new
cover letter and shoot it out again. You can't sell what's
sitting in a reject pile--only what's making the rounds on the
market.
Publishers guidelines will give you specific instructions for
manuscript preparation. Regardless of the differences from one
company to the next, remember that neatness counts. Use typing
correction paper or fluid to repair typographical errors.
Strike-overs and hand done corrections appear messy and
unprofessional. Each page of your manuscript should have the
title of the article and your name, as well as consecutive page
numbers for all but the first page.
INDEPENDENT PROJECTS
Newspaper stringing, greeting cards and magazine articles are
established fields for freelance writers. Your public library
will have books and magazine listing companies seeking
freelancers for everything from crossword puzzles to innovative
messages for telephone answering machines. But you may wish to
explore some areas on your own. Whether you live in a small town
or a metropolitan area local organizations and businesses can
provide fodder for an impressive client list.
Perhaps the local historical society would be interested in your
offer to research and write a history of the area. for a fee. The
high school alumni association may be looking for a class gift to
the old alma mater. A school history, researched and written by a
professional freelance writer, would be an handsome addition to
the school library, and purchases by class members of yore would
add a fund-raising feature. Is you local hospital preparing to
celebrate a founding anniversary? a prepared history of the
institution, from one-room dispensary/infirmary to today's
200-bed unit would be a wonderful public relations tool for them
an a terrific writing job for you.
Local businesses and organizations have varied writing needs.
Grant proposals can be written for a flat fee or on a percentage
basis. Customer relations pieces such as new service or product
introductions and collection letters, annual reports, in house or
consumer-aimed newsletters all provide grist for the enterprising
freelancer's mill. Even organizations with public relations or
customer relations staffs sometimes farm out work on a periodic
basis.
Unlike established fields, where prices are determined in
advance, independent projects such as these require you to charge
by the word, by the page, by the hour or on a completed project
basis. No matter how you quote your fee, estimate your time as
accurately as possible. Time spent in research, talking to and
interviewing people and organizing material for writing is as
important as time spent at the typewriter. remember to charge
enough to cover expenses in addition to time. Typewriter ribbons,
paper, postage and envelopes cost money-so does the gasoline
you'll use when research involves travel.
Serious freelancers also have to consider the cost of overhead
(heat, water, electricity and a portion of rent or mortgage
payments to maintain an in-home office), equipment depreciation
and normal employee fringe benefits such as insurance and social
security payments when pricing their services. After all, the
boss is expected to pick up the tab for these extras. As a
freelance writer, you are the boss. And that's a fringe benefit
nobody else can give you.
