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.
after renovation cleaning Wilmette ..A great headline can be the difference between having your... Read More
1. Choose A Topic.You need to choose either a hot... Read More
What should be in your article summary? It's otherwise known... Read More
Online readers love information, but be sure your information is... Read More
Writing and leveraging articles is my most successful strategy for... Read More
SEO writing is very different from content writing, article writing,... Read More
Are you a reluctant marketer for your book? Do you... Read More
So you've decided to market your home-based copywriting business through... Read More
Did you realize that writing and publishing articles online represents... Read More
Earlier, I published part 1 of this series, which contained... Read More
Article marketing works like this. The majority of webmasters are... Read More
The Most Economical Way to Advertise online is to Submit... Read More
Write articles, be recognized as an expert, drive a surge... Read More
Advertisements are one of the biggest indicators of a magazine's... Read More
Strategically developing online content helps to ensure a small-business owner's... Read More
Are you ready to become an internet marketing expert? Are... Read More
Have ever wished that there were a formula for crafting... Read More
Most business owners are overwhelmed with the day to day... Read More
Ever read one of those web articles written by an... Read More
Yesterday I met a 13-year old boy with a devilish... Read More
Start by Being QuotableIt's tough to stand out online. With... Read More
One of the best ways to promote your website is... Read More
There is some wisdom in saying that when you are... Read More
It has become common knowledge that the smartest and most... Read More
Jim was working hard to grow his business. Long hours... Read More
interior house cleaning Wilmette ..I have seen the question asked so many times. How... Read More
Writing articles for publication on the Internet is, at the... Read More
A great headline can be the difference between having your... Read More
Earlier, I published part 1 of this series, which contained... Read More
Are you short of ideas? There are times when we... Read More
The key to selling reprints to parenting publications is the... Read More
It's no secret that writing and publishing helpful articles is... Read More
Okay, so you're getting a feel for this article marketing... Read More
Frequently when I am communicating with other webmasters and I... Read More
Being an Internet Article Author is far and away the... Read More
Submitting well planned articles on-line will increase traffic and can... Read More
Many online marketers have crowed about the value of writing... Read More
It is not my intention to give you a 5... Read More
Back when I was in college, I belonged to one... Read More
Many successful authors close their mind to learning HTML because... Read More
A Consultant could be an expert about absolutely anything.Calling yourself... Read More
Online publishers, ezine subscribers, and Web visitors want short, useful... Read More
If you are starving for traffic, can't seem to consistently... Read More
Article distribution is currently booming on the internet. Authors do... Read More
Most writers I talk with who experience "writer's block" do... Read More
Article writing can be such an intimate act as you're... Read More
Writing for websites -- content, as it is called --... Read More
Do you have problems finding ideas for articles and speeches?I... Read More
Did you realize that writing and publishing articles online represents... Read More
What is Anchor Text Optimization?Anchor text optimization consists of the... Read More
Article Writing |