The first step to getting published is to find your market. Find a magazine you are familiar with and read the guidelines, read the magazine and as many issues as you can. Are they lacking a particular idea in that subject matter? Has there been an article written that didn't quite cover everything you thought it should? Write down your ideas.
After that, follow the directions on the submission guidelines.
1. Freelance writers must follow the directions. Most editors drop submissions into the trash pile for only one reason, the writer didn't follow directions. If the instructions say that you should not send email, why would you send an email submission? You could beat probably 80% of the rest of the slush pile by being focused on following instructions to a T.
2. Check previous issues for duplicates of your article ideas. No idea is really ever new and more than likely, your idea has already been used at one point. Make sure whatever idea you are submitting hasn't been published recently. It cuts out having to reject your idea, even if it's a good one.
3. Make sure your writing style matches the magazine. One of the biggest mistakes is to not actually have read the magazine before hand. This is why the majority of magazine editors request you at least read a couple issues, which they will happily send to you. It may be extra work but eventually you will get an idea of what sort of freelance writer they are looking for.
4. Grammar and spelling are important for any successful freelance writing career. Most editors claim that the majority of query letters would probably turn into sales, if only the freelance writer would have used proper spelling and grammar. If you can't write a good query letter, how do they expect you to write the full article? You must give your all in every query and submission you send in.
5. Clips are not so important, though they do help a freelance writer. Of all things, an editor wants a freelance writer to provide a good, fresh idea and a quality style to your writing in your initial query letter. If your idea is good and your query letter is well written, an editor can tell if you will qualify for the assignment quickly and will more than likely offer you an assignment.
6. Write articles for smaller publications. If you are still struggling as a freelance writer, sometimes offering free articles online or for smaller publications will help boost your portfolio. This is a little trick most any new writer can do. Don't feel bad about giving away free writing! It won't stay that way and your clips often say a lot about you to editors.
With all honesty, you don't have to be the best writer to be published! You only have to be able to follow directions and come up with an idea that isn't currently being used. Use rejection slips as a reason to submit again with a better idea. If you need additional help, try checking out websites of professional writers who offer advice on their website.
Calissa Leigh is a freelance writer available for copywriting, ghost writing articles and helping with query letters and submission. You can find helpful information on writing, copywriting and more by visiting her website at copywriting.
This article is offered free for reprint, provided the byline stays in tact and links are kept active. Please visit calissaleigh.com and look for her link directory for a return link and find more free content articles.
apartment cleaning near Wilmette ..Now that you know the secrets to writing great articles,... Read More
Many online marketers have crowed about the value of writing... Read More
Most all ezine publishers need fresh content. Article writing is... Read More
Writing for web content is one of the easiest ways... Read More
The traditional print media newsletter is still useful even in... Read More
The more you write, the larger your impact. If that's... Read More
I once wrote an article in which I offered the... Read More
As we prepared to move our 12,000 article database from... Read More
I am sure that there would have been a moment... Read More
Looking to build your freelance writing career but don't know... Read More
I recently became aware that promoting your web site in... Read More
Submitting articles once or twice a week can yield 15... Read More
You are running out of ideas, you sit down in... Read More
Proven and Exceptional Click-Through ResultsTesting has proven again and again... Read More
You've got to start somewhere, but once you've created your... Read More
A recent debate started me thinking about how some marketing... Read More
A "Thought Leader" is someone recognized as an authority in... Read More
This article is dedicated to those who are afraid to... Read More
You say, I can't write an article, I have no... Read More
Article Marketing Connects you Directly to Readers Even brilliantly-written articles... Read More
Ready to jump on the keyword article bandwagon? Billions of... Read More
You have decided on a great idea and researched a... Read More
Content is an important component of your web site. Learning... Read More
Your publicity dreams may include being featured in Forbes, Fortune,... Read More
We all know that online publishers earn revenue from our... Read More
reliable home cleaners Arlington Heights ..I'm betting that that 3 out of 4 of you... Read More
A Consultant could be an expert about absolutely anything.Calling yourself... Read More
Every day thousands of people join affiliate programs and yet... Read More
Writing for web content is one of the easiest ways... Read More
Who remembers the 1979 movie, The Jerk with Steve Martin?... Read More
Need traffic? Write an article.Need sales? Write an article.Need Your... Read More
Most Internet marketers worth their salt know how effective articles... Read More
Start by Being QuotableIt's tough to stand out online. With... Read More
When you have to share what you've created, where do... Read More
Writers have one basic need -- readers. We all want... Read More
Have you ever wondered why Ezine Articles have become one... Read More
When you frequently post articles on ezines, you might be... Read More
Submitting articles once or twice a week can yield 15... Read More
As an article author, sometimes you can only pull so... Read More
This author started with a clean website and wrote 5... Read More
Once you learn the benefits of article writing, you may... Read More
Writing and leveraging articles is my most successful strategy for... Read More
There is probably no easier way of earning extra money... Read More
Never before in the history of the business of writing... Read More
Most authors are wasting their time producing dozens to hundreds... Read More
You know that writing articles is the best free way... Read More
Finding something to write about can be frustrating for all... Read More
Writing articles for magazines, the Internet or the local community... Read More
"Ten Tips" articles are the easiest piece to write because... Read More
Often all the Web Surfer will see is your title,... Read More
Article Writing |