GAINING WRITING EXPERIENCE
Some Catch-22, huh? In the writing business, you can't get published until you have some experience. If you can't get published until you have experience, how do you get experience? How do you get publishing clips to show all those publishers who want to see "previously published clips"? It's almost as if Lily Tomlin's telephone operator character came up with this: "Is this the party to whom I'm speaking? Are you the unpublished writer who has published clips I can look at? (Snort, snort!)"
What's an unpublished writer to do? Get published, of course! I'm not being flippant; I'm serious. Think about your life. There are a number of things you can write about right now (essays and travel articles about that great place you stumbled upon last summer). There is a lot more you can write about if you do a little research (an article regarding something that has been on your mind-your mother's illness? The stringent standards of learning being enforced upon elementary school students?). How about doing an article about the writer's conference you attended?
Now you have your ideas, but where do you get them published? You might start with your local newspaper. If they're like most newspapers, they're in need of fillers from time to time. They might even be in need of freelance reporters during the summer and the holiday seasons. Talk with your newspaper's editor. Be frank. Tell him/her that you need some publishing experience in order build your portfolio. In addition to putting some published clips in your "clip file," you'll also gain valuable experience and hone your craft. Then when you write that novel starring the investigative reporter, you'll know the lingo?and the editor can say, "I knew that author when?."
Op-ed pieces are another way to go; and if you query the right market, you could make some good money while acquiring these published clips. We all have opinions. If you can write about a hot subject and express your opinion on it succinctly and objectively, you're in the position to write an op-ed piece. Let's go back to the standards of learning issue. While you realize little Johnny needs to get a good education, you also realize the importance of playtime and "down time." You don't want Johnny to be a prime candidate for a stress-induced heart attack at age 32. Many other parents feel this way. Some don't. Some would say, "Standards of learning?" Talk with other parents to get conflicting views and write the article.
Though some shudder at the very words "non-paying market," if you're an unpublished writer seeking clips, it's a good alternative. After you get those clips, it's not so great to work for free; but at this point, you need the exposure and experience, and they need the articles. I think it's a fair trade as long as you work for a web site, e-zine, print magazine, newsletter, or even charitable organization that you would be proud to have worked for. It won't do you any good to have clips with grammatical errors (either yours or theirs) or content that isn't credible.
Entering contests is another way to get clips, though this is more of a writing sample. Still, if you win or even place in the contest, this will lend some weight to your writing. This is especially true if you're a genre writer. Romance Writers of America even has a contest called the Golden Heart Contest wherein the winner has the "best unpublished manuscript." Malice Domestic is a contest for mystery writers. While these "biggie" contests are great, small contests are a boon to the unpublished writer as well. One caveat: There are a lot of bogus contests out there. Before you pay any sort of fee, check out the contest.
So where do I find all these places to get published or get noticed or gain some recognition as a writer? Well, you can find some by clicking on the links below:
NEWSPAPERS:
This link gives you information about newspapers in all fifty states and provides links to many of the newspapers' web sites.
OP-ED PIECES:
Adbusters (paying market)
Guidelines:http://www.50states.com/news/
Home & Family (paying market)
Guidelines: http://www.50states.com/news/
Woman Abroad (offers both paying and non-paying opportunities)
Guidelines: http://www.50states.com/news/
The Sacramento Bee
Guidelines: http://www.50states.com/news/
Additional Op-Ed Markets include:
Chicago Reader, Daily News of Los Angeles, Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, San Francisco Chronicle Forum, The Star Ledger, Star Tribune, The Chronicle of Higher Education and Washington Free Press.
NON-PAYING MARKETS:
There are 285 listings for non-paying markets at http://www.50states.com/news/.
CONTESTS:
Freelance Writing.com
Writing-World.com
Gayle Trent is the author of the e-book SELF-PROMOTION FOR THE EMERGING WRITER, available for $5 US at http://www.50states.com/news/ Gayle's most recent novel is a comedic mystery titled BETWEEN A CLUTCH AND A HARD PLACE, available from Grace Abraham Publishing.
Culver prom limo ..Readers often send me interesting and exciting e-mails about the... Read More
Have you ever considered writing a book? If so, maybe... Read More
You are far more likely to successfully write and publish... Read More
Building a new website can be extremely exciting. Seeing your... Read More
Writing papers and book reports has long been the bane... Read More
Creative Writing Tips ?Our plotting stage is our testing area.Everything... Read More
In his book, "Achieving Financial Independence as a Freelance Writer,"... Read More
Characters in a good novel really carry the story along... Read More
Making Money from Freelance WritingIt's the question that every aspiring... Read More
Authors need to write their book according to their target... Read More
The tiniest things can be so useful when you come... Read More
For several years before I left teaching to write full... Read More
The freelance writing market is a growing market to be... Read More
Do you know what a query letter is? If so,... Read More
Persisting With Bulldog Determination [Book excerpt from Successercising} by Rick... Read More
1. Remember publication is a business; writing is an art.... Read More
All your publishing options are as follows:--Conventional publishing--Vanity or subsidy... Read More
Connectors -- conjunctions, punctuation, and transitional phrases -- allow readers... Read More
The greatest gift you have to give to yourself and... Read More
Story Structure Templates are the fastest way to write screenplays.... Read More
You can learn a lot about what it takes to... Read More
11 Secrets from an Experienced InterviewerOne of the unwritten rules... Read More
It's clich?, but true-a picture does paint a thousand words.... Read More
Today I took the dog for a walk and realized... Read More
Have you ever had a student write to tell you... Read More
Wood Dale limo ..Freelance writer STANLEY BURKHARDT has a passion for animals. He... Read More
Questions and answers on writing life experiences for ourselves and... Read More
Readers often send me interesting and exciting e-mails about the... Read More
I asked several writers how long it took them to... Read More
This article is to help identify which style, technique or... Read More
Is your book nearly finished, finished, published, or even in... Read More
As a previous article ("Making Better Word Choices ? 4... Read More
Recently, I was hunting for a book that would simply... Read More
I'm in the process of moving from one computer to... Read More
How many times have you forced yourself to sit in... Read More
Les Edgerton writes in his book, Finding Your Voice, that... Read More
Hands up all those who'd like to have a successful... Read More
This article contains a short guide on how to edit... Read More
When my first book "Starting Your Own Business" was published... Read More
Most people can easily identify with the dreaded "writer's block".... Read More
The first five pages of a novel are critical.Editors make... Read More
Creative Writing Tips ?I have said above that if a... Read More
There's nothing that kills a scene like hackneyed dialogue. Just... Read More
Verb and SubjectIncorrect:"I bet you two had a fine time,"... Read More
When a writer is working on their next literary masterpiece... Read More
All writers should use a plan whether written or reflected.... Read More
On the first day of a bright and shiny new... Read More
We all know people who ramble. They include every boring... Read More
Not all writers write good grammar. That's a fact. It's... Read More
If you either want to write a book to help... Read More
Writing |