It’s probably no surprise that the question of whether a writer should write for free in order to acquire clips is the subject of intense – and often heated – debate in the freelance writing community.
I’ve found a way in to consumer and trade publications where no opening was apparent before. How did I attain clips in Art&Antiques, IEEE’s Computer magazine and McGraw-Hill’s Engineering News-Record? By writing for their news sections! In some cases, this calls for writing shorter pieces, but in two of these three examples the pay was […]
Like so many other things in my life, I came by a writing career the hard way.
The war in Iraq launched my voyage through copyright infringement. Just before the war a fellow Quaker asked me for a web link to an article I had written. Searching google.com for a link to the article that had appeared in On the Issues, a woman’s magazine that died in 1999, I found my story […]
From my window in Brooklyn, I can see Manhattan’s shiny, silver Financial District over the rooftops and through the trees. When I worked as an Assistant Editor at a national women’s magazine, I hardly ever looked out my windows-I missed the sunny part of the day anyway. But when my magazine folded and I found myself with a bit of severance pay, I decided to open the curtains.
If you only write about the latest news and the hottest trends, you may be missing out on one of the best niches for freelance writers – historical and nostalgic articles. Editors are paying top dollar for writers who can put a fresh spin on old topics, and I’m not just talking about Civil War […]
I have to confess that when I come across a situation that I don’t know how to handle, my first instinct is to run to the bookshop or the library to find a book on the subject. My husband jokingly claims that I don’t take a ‘pill for every ill’ but read a ‘book for every situation’. And if there isn’t one…well there is a market staring you straight in the face.
I like to find good homes for things. Every couple of years, I organize a garage sale. I sell things I no longer need or want for a dollar or two, or even for loose change. Of course, I also go to garage sales from time to time, often bringing home a treasure that someone else didn¹t want or need.
When I began my freelance writing career, I was sure that my first article was my ticket to the big time. I sent it off to a women’s magazine.
Attending my first Christian writers’ conference five years ago, I heard all sorts of rules: Always send an SASE. Write what you know. Study several issues of a magazine before querying. Query the little publications first. Write for free to get clips. Nurture your contacts. Anyone willing to work hard can be a writer.
