The Big Idea Okay.
So youve figured out that you would like to write for magazines,newspapers, and e-zines.
Unfortunately, so have about eight gazillionother people on this planet.
Therefore, you have to stand out from thecrowd.
You have to sparkle.
How do you do this? Simple.
It all startswith The Big Idea.
The first secret you must learn in this funnybusiness is that you dont actually have to write the whole article toget a job.
In fact, only bright green novices attempt to write the whole thing before selling it.
What you do need, however, is the IDEA for the great story.
You will use this great idea to convince editors to payyou exorbitant amounts of money via a proposal letter (called a queryletter.
But youll learn about that in a minute).
So, where will you find this Big Idea? Well, youve heard that wise adage write what you know.
Thats a wonderful mantra for finding your jumping-off point.
You dont need to stick to what you know for the specific focusof your story, but tap into your already huge vat of knowledge to findthe storys basis.
This is how you will become an expert.
Experts are indemand.
People with stories arent.
What you have to do is sneak yourstories into your areas of expertise.
Example: lets say your hobbies and interests include fishing, watching talk shows, and traveling.
Good!You are a potential expert in those areas.
Jot these things down.
Nowcomes the fun part: brainstorming.
The biggest mistake you can make in pitching your story is being toogeneral.
Never, ever send a letter to the editor suggesting an articleabout fishing.
Not even an article about fishing in Florida.
Thisvagueness is not appropriate for short writing.
In general, you will beexpected to write somewhere between 800 and 2000 words on your topic.
You couldnt possibly tell us all about fishing in 2000 words.
What youcould do, however, is give us a comparison of twelve different luresused to catch sailfish.
Or the pros and cons of joining a fishing club.
Or even how the moon can tell you if itll be a good fishing day.
So heres your first assignment.
Get out your trusty notebook.
(If youdont have one, stop reading and get one.
Right now.
) On the first page,write down a list of any and all topics that interest you.
Its okay tobe general here.
Need some ideas to get you started? Think through your whole day.
Dont neglect anything.
What do you do from the moment you wake up until the moment you fall asleep? You turn offyour alarm clock.
(An article about alarm clocks disrupting valuablesleep stages! Or waking up to music versus waking up to that annoyingbeeping sound.
Or the optimal number of times to press the snooze button.
) You brush your teeth.
(Article: What all those toutedingredientsfluoride, peroxide, baking sodareally do for your teeth.
) You take a shower.
Maybe with your significant other.
Lucky you.
(Romanticshowers for two.
) Moving on.
You go to work.
This is the most obvious area of expertise.
Lets say youre a secretary.
How ergonomic office equipment can save youfrom Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, an achy back, and a stiff neck.
How toavoid screaming at your boss when hes a total idiot.
Five couples (or ex-couples) share their wisdom about dating in the office.
Think about what coverstory would entice you to pay three dollars for a magazine.
You donthave to have the knowledge to actually write the article yet.
You justhave to know you can get this information later.
Next, you come home.
What happens? Do you have kids? Great! A wealth ofarticle ideas.
You could write about childcare agencies, potty training, decoding teenage slang, teaching table manners youre getting the ideanow, right? Run with it! Write at least one page of general topics that interest you, then weedout the most interesting ones.
Narrow it down to three or four.
Thenwrite those three or four topics on top of brand new pages.
Now fill upthose pages with specific article angles.
Just write.
Dont edit yourself.
Dont judge.
Just write whatever pops into your head.
If you needmotivation, play it like a game of Scattergories.
Set a timer for tenminutes.
See how many ideas you can jot down before the timer sounds.
Keep in mind that there are markets for almost any conceivable topic.
Dont limit yourself to the headlines youd read in Vogue and GoodHousekeeping.
Between newspapers, consumer magazines, trade magazines, e-zines, tabloids, literary journals, and more, youre bound to find anappropriate publication for your Big Idea.
You want to know more about these markets? Read on! Researching the Markets First, youll need a few definitions: Consumer Magazines: These typically pay the best.
These are the types of magazines you might find in a grocery store check-out line, convenience store, in your airplane seat pocket, or your doctors office.
Types ofconsumer mags: mens, womens, special interest, inflight, teens, school/career, travel, health, ethnic/minority, political, entertainment, romance,religious, etc.
This is the area most writers try to break into.
Literary Magazines: These dont pay much, if at all.
However, what theylack in moolah, they make up for in prestige.
If youre looking to jump-start your career as a fiction writer or poet, your best chance atrecognition may come in the form of one of these small publications.
Often published by colleges and universities, their circulation isusually regional and low.
They generally seek scholarly essays,intellectually challenging prose, poetry, and book reviews.
Publisherswill be impressed if you succeed in placing your work in one of the more prominent journals (Cimarron Review, Ploughshares, and Story, forexample).
Trade Journals: Pay varies greatly.
Any publication that focuses on aparticular occupation/industry falls into this category.
This is whereyour expertise can shine.
There are trade journals for almost every line of work, from art dealers to truck drivers.
In general, your writteneloquence is not as important as your research and timely knowledge forthese publications.
E-Zines: Pay varies greatly.
Simply put, e-zines are simply magazines on the Internet.
The only major difference is that articles for e-zinescan usually run longer than print magazines.
(No printing costs, sospace isn't as important an issue for e-zine editors.
) Most e-zines dontpay (except by means of a byline) but this trend is changing.
The mostpopular sites (Lifetimetv.
com and Wired, for example) pay quite well.
Topics stretch as wide as your imagination.
Now that you know, learn how to contact them! There are tons of ways to find markets that are open to freelancers.
Ifyou were paying attention, you might notice that this very website islooking for writers! Finding places to submit your work is easy if youknow where to look.
First, the most important tool in a freelancers toolbox is The WritersMarket.
Available at any major bookstore, this is an annual compilationof more than 2,000 magazines, 1,000 book publishers, and evenspecialized markets like greeting cards, script writing, and syndicates.
The next best tools are online.
Lucky you! Theyre free.
Absolute Markets is a weekly e-zine filled with market guidelines, contest listings, and marketing tips.
Freelancing4Money puts out a jam-packed e-zine filledwith freelance opportunities.
Writer's Digest has a great, searchabledatabase of markets.
Writing For Dollars has a biweekly newsletter withmarket guidelines, and a searchable database on the website.
And Writers Weekly lists calls for writers and market guidelines each week.
You can even run a search for freelance writers on any major searchengine, and youre likely to come up with tons of listings.
Tryspecifying if possible; add words that fit your needs.
(Example: payingmarkets, romance, teen magazines.
) So, your next assignment is this: go back to your trusty notebook andpick out your very favorite idea.
That will now be known as your BigIdea.
Pick the markets that best fit your idea.
Choose several.
Find out if you can get a free or discounted sample copy.
(Writers often can, if you specify that you would like to query them in the future.
) Requestwriters guidelines if available.
Its considered poor form to querypublications that youve never read, or know nothing about.
Do your bestto read at least one copy of whatever magazine or journal you plan toquery.
Check your library for copies if you prefer not to go brokeresearching.
Got it now? You have your idea, and youve found places to submit it?Great! Then you'll need to learn proper protocol for writing andsubmitting the Killer Query.
The Killer Query The job of the query letter is to entice an editor to say, Hey! Id beinterested in learning more about that.
Therefore, you dont want tospill all your secrets and research yet.
You want to tease and tantalize.
Now that youve got your fabulous Big Idea, your job is to condense (orexpand) that idea into two to three paragraphs.
To illustrate the components of a killer query, here is an example ofone of mine (using fictitious contact infosorry!) that landed me theassignment: Jenna Glatzer (Always use proper formal letter format) 123 My Address My City, State, Zip Code (555) 555-5555 Mr.
Joe Shmoe (Make SURE to get a name of the appropriate department College Life 101 editor.
Never address a letter to editor or submissions.
) 123 Their Address Their City, State, Zip Code Todays Date, 2003 Dear Mr.
Shmoe: (Colons are used in formal letters.
Commas are used in friendly letters.
) Think company cars, expense accounts, and a spacious office with baywindows.
Who do you picture running a business this successful? (Start the letter with a zinger that captures the essence of yourproposed article/story.
Raise a question that will cause the reader tothink, or give a visual image anything that will make him/her want toread on and find out what youre talking about.
) Think again.
This company was the brainchild of three Boston Universitysophomores whose ambitions led them to thriving careers before they haddiplomas to hang on the wall.
(The rest of the first paragraph should give a concise description ofthe focus of your proposed article.
Remember to tell why its appropriate to the publication youre querying.
In this case, I was targeting acollege magazine, so I made sure to emphasize the relevance to theirsubject matter early in the letter.
) Charles Strader, Richard Skelton, and Pablo Mondal run Net One, anInternet Service Provider.
The three met in the freshmen dorms, thenmoved into an apartment together.
Opportunity knocked when Strader, whoworked for the universitys computer center, took a phone call from theowner of a hair salon.
She sought help designing a website; Stradervolunteered, and Net One was born.
(Again, concisely, get a little deeper into the content of the article.
What is special about your story? In this case, I wanted to emphasizethat these guys were college buddies who started a booming business bybranching out from their humble beginning.
) Working closely with friends to build something we believe in is Mondals favorite perk.
Skelton agrees.
We have great trust in each other, andfeel that were all in this together.
(Quotations arent necessary in a query, but its nice to give somethingspecific to show that you have done some research into your topic, andthat you have access to resources that will enable you to write thearticle well.
I wanted to show that I had already spoken to theseguysthey happen to be friends of mineand that they would be upbeat andinspirational people to interview.
You can accomplish the same effect by including a few quirky facts or survey results youve found out aboutyour topic.
) Considering that their only capital was a computer and a small loan from Straders father, the guys feel very successful.
Were not millionaires,but we have goals, and were following them, says Skelton.
I think thatstrue success.
By any definition, Net Ones roster of more than 50 clients ranging from colleges to Fortune 500 companies attests to their hardwork and talent.
(Look, editor.
These guys are big up-and-comers! Notice I mentionedFortune 500 companies.
This lets the editor know quickly that thesecollege guys arent small potatoes.
It neatly ties up the openingsentence, which promised an article about guys who have a spaciousoffice, expense accounts, and company car.
Now the editor has a reasonto believe that these guys actually are that successful.
) I propose a 1,000 word profile for your Students At Work section.
(Shows Ive researched their magazine.
I know which section this shouldfit, and Ive read their guidelines to determine an appropriate wordcount.
) I am a full-time freelance writer, and my works have been recentlyfeatured in such publications as 201 Magazine, College Bound (Notice I mention the most relevant magazines first.
Anything youve hadpublished that might relate to the content, tone, or audience of theproposed publication belongs here.
) Bliss!, Working Women, and Video Librarian.
Clips are enclosed.
(If youve never had anything published, dont distress.
Just shut upabout it.
Do NOT tell anyone, Though Ive never been published yet, Im areal go-getter.
Less is more.
If you keep quiet, they may not even think about the fact that you didnt mention your credits.
Also, do not getinto a diatribe describing how you edited your high school newspaper.
Just a quick list of relevant writing background.
See below for infoabout clips.
) I can provide documentation and interview notes for easy fact-checking,and could submit the completed article within two weeks.
(Optional.
Some people like to suggest a time frame, others let theeditor do it.
In general, the editor will tell you when the article isdue, regardless of your preferences.
Its a nice touch to mention how you will research your article.
Mine was primarily dependent on interviews, but you may wish to include the names of journals/experts you plan toquote or use for information.
) I look forward to your response.
(Obligatory polite ending.
Use any variation you wish.
No pleading.
Ifyou dare type, I promise to write a reallllly, realllly good article!Please hire me!, you will incur my wrath.
I will hunt you down and yellat you.
A lot.
Just a simple, dignified ending requesting a response.
) Regards, Jenna Glatzer (Oh.
Substitute your name and preferred signature ending.
Unless youfeel like sending your paycheck to me, in which case, you can feel freeto use my name.
Grin.
) Finally, clips! If youve had anything publishedor even if you havent,but you have a few good writing samples appropriate for this type ofmarketinclude them.
These samples are called clips, and they are used to show the editor that you are an intelligent, insightful, funny, clever, and/or excellent writer.
Photocopy your articles straight from thepublication.
Just 2-3 clips.
When you're sending queries by e-mail, you can paste the text of yourclips into the body of the e-mail (never as an attachment!), or you candirect the editor to one or two website URLs where she can view yourarticles.
Interviews and Profiles I know, you feel weird about this one, right? Youre uncomfortablecalling someone or visiting a business to ask a professional to takeprecious time out of their day to help you research your article.
Well, buck up, little camper, because most professionals absolutely love to be interviewed.
They jump at the chance, for a few reasons.
Theseare the reasons to keep in mind when you feel small and silly for asking:
What exactly do you need to know from this person? What could thisperson tell you that no one else can? Avoid yes or no questions.
Askopen-ended questions that could lead to lengthy responses chock full ofgreat quotes.
Also, have a synopsis of your planned article ready, soyou can tell your expert what youre writing and how they can supplementyour knowledge.
How to approach experts: Get on the phone.
Have your idea condensed into 2-3 sentences, so youcan quickly explain yourself to whomever answers the phone.
Hello.
My name is Jenna, and Im writing an article about the rise invegetarianism among young women in Nevada for Youth In Nevada Magazine.
I know Dr.
Spuds is a well-respected nutritionist, and Im hoping shewould be willing to answer a few questions on this subject.
At this point, the secretary will say, Hold, and make you listen toelevator musak while she summons the boss.
Or shell take down yournumber and have Dr.
Spuds call you back.
Or it will be Dr.
Spuds herself, and shell say, What do you want to know? Your options at this point are (1) Ask questions over the phone, rightthen and there.
Make sure you check to make sure your expert is notpressed for time before you begin.
(2) Set up a phone date to conductthe interview.
(3) Ask if you can meet in person.
This is goodalmostnecessaryif the person will be the focus of your article.
If the personis being used just to add a few quotes, you dont have to meet in person, because its unlikely youll ever need to write, Dr.
Spuds wrinkled herbrow and stared into her pea soup as she explained that young women arebecoming more health-conscious.
(4) Trade e-mail addresses and send over a list of questions.
This approach isn't usually the best, because itdoesn't allow you to react to, and build from, information you gain inanswers to previous questions.
However, if the publication will notreimburse you for long distance phone calls, and you have to conduct alengthy interview, e-mail exchanges are acceptable.
Just make ! sure you specify a due date for the responses.
Be reasonabletry to givethe expert a week to answer all your questions.
The Sales Okay, you sent out your killer query, and you got a phone call from aneditor with the big news: you got the assignment! Congratulations, you!Go on and do a little dance of joy, then crash back to reality with your new mantra: GET IT IN WRITING.
Make sure the editor tells you that awritten contract is forthcoming in the near future.
If youve researched your market, you probably already have an idea ofthe pay rate, but be sure to cover this ground in that initial phonecall if the editor fails to mention it.
Important things to remember: On Publication vs.
On Acceptance You not only need to know how much youll be paid, but also, when youllbe paid.
Many markets want to pay you on publication.
This can be aproblem, because many magazines and journals have long lead times.
(Translation: a long time between when they assign you the article and when itactually ends up in print.
) If you write an article in January, and itdoesn't get published until November, you probably wont see a check until December.
Do you want to wait a year to get paid? Can you wait thatlong? This is a point you absolutely can negotiate.
Ask for payment onacceptance.
If this is refused, it gives you a little leverage to workwith on the other issues, which are Kill Fees If you get the assignment, and, for whatever reason, an editor decidesnot to print your article, you can negotiate for a kill fee.
This is apercentage of the sale price.
If you are offered $200 to write anarticle, you may get a $50 kill fee.
Its a well known fact that bigpublications kill articles all the time.
Some editors admit to assigning 10-20% more than they could ever fit in the magazine.
They do this sothey can pick and choose from the final products, or so they can see how things fit once the layout is complete.
Some articles will be pushedback to other issues, and some will just be trashed.
Bios We like them.
Those are the little blurbs that often follow an article,giving short biographical information about the writer, and sometimes an e-mail address or phone number.
Ask for one if you can.
Sidebars and Photos Those are the little factoids or columns that rest next to the mainarticle.
For example, in an article about exercise, youll often see alittle chart on the side that tells how many calories are burned bydoing specific exercises (riding a bike, climbing a hill, etc.
).
If youcan suggest sidebars, you can often get extra pay.
Same goes for photos.
If youve got a decent camera and a good eye, offer photos for a fewextra bucks.
To Spec or Not To Spec Especially as a novice writer, youll sometimes get asked to write anarticle on speculation.
This means that youll have to write the wholearticle and submit it without a contract, or any promise of payment.
Its a bone of contention among professional writers, because almost noother field works this way.
Its never do the job, and then Ill decide if I feel like paying you.
Only in this crazy business.
Harrumph.
That said, I advise you to take spec assignments in the beginning.
Onceyoure established, you shouldn't need to do this, but in order to buildup your resume and your clips, you need to get published.
So go aheadand submit on spec, and go ahead and do a few free/nearly free piecesfor the experience.
Before submitting anything, though, make sure you know in advance whatthe terms will be if the editor does use your piece.
How much will yoube paid? What rights will they buy? Even many of the big markets have adopted the practice of requestingpieces on spec.
They do this because they can get away with it.
Becausethere are thousands of wannabe writers out there who will beg, borrow,and steal for the chance to be published.
So, if you want to compete,sometimes youll have to suck it up and accept this.
Once the publication accepts one of your spec pieces, youll be a much more likely candidatefor an outright assignment next time.
Rights to Write There are several kinds of rights a publication may buy: First North American Serial RightsThe newspaper or magazine has theright to publish this piece for the first time in any periodical.
Allother rights belong to the writer.
One-Time RightsThe publication buys the nonexclusive right to publishthe piece once.
The writer can sell the same article to otherpublications simultaneously.
Second Serial Rights (or Reprint Rights)Also nonexclusive.
Gives thepublication the right to reprint an article that has appeared elsewhere.
Electronic RightsCovers CD-ROMs, e-zines, website content, games, etc.
Get in writing which electronic rights are specified-- First ElectronicRights, archiving rights, etc.
Most publications ask for the right toarchive "indefinitely.
"You can try to negotiate for a fixed term (i.
e.
, archiving rights for six months).
All RightsPretty self-explanatory.
You can never sell this piece toanyone else again.
Try to avoid this one.
Most publications ask forFirst Serial Rights.
Work-For-Hire Rights-- The publication has come up with the idea andassigned it to you, and they will own it, lock, stock, and barrel.
They own the copyright and don't even have to give you credit.
It may besliced, diced, repackaged, re-sold, etc.
, and you won't have any claimto it beyond what you were originally paid.
TV/Motion Picture RightsAlso self-explanatory.
Almost always exclusive.
Recycling Your Big Ideas This is the bread and butter of freelance writing.
Its also called re-slanting.
Once youve got the Big Idea, dont waste it by only using it once.
Usethe information youve gathered and come up with off-shoot ideas.
Slantit to appeal to different markets.
Youre afraid because of the issue of rights that we just discussed,right? (No pun intended.
) Well, you have nothing to fear, provided thenew article is sufficiently different in content and intended audience.
If youve managed to sell your article to a major national magazine, itis considered poor form to try to sell a re-slanted version to anothernational magazine.
However, if youre dealing with regional, specialized, or smallpublications, there should be very little overlap of intended audience.
Therefore, an editor from Alabama Aristocrats would probably never knowif you sold a re-slanted version of your piece to Guitarists Today.
Even if they did know, they almost certainly would not care.
It is standard and accepted practice, for the simple reason that it isdarn difficult to make a living as a writer.
If you have the choicebetween making $100 for selling your piece to one small publication, ormaking $1000 by selling altered versions to eight different smallpublications, which would you choose? Re-slanting an article is easy, since youve already done the bulk of the research.
Scrounge up a few new quotes, and use the information youleft out of the first article.
Focus it on the new desired market.
For example, I could sell an article about the health benefits ofmeditation to a fitness magazine.
A few alterations, and that samearticle becomes Religions Encouraging Meditation for my local newspapers Society pages.
Then it becomes Meditation Makes You Smarter for thecollege market.
Then, Meditate Your Stress Away for a working womansmagazine.
And I didnt even mention all those new age/holisticpublications.
What a field day! With just a few more questions posed to your trusted experts, youve gota whole new article.
And, look! Youre becoming an expert yourself.
Thisis how you begin to find your nichea few specific subjects that you feel comfortable writing about.
Ah, soon those journalists will be coming to YOU with their questions.
"The Extras" Once youve gotten a few assignments, and feel that youve really embarked on this as a potential career (or just a part-time income-booster),youll want to think about the little extras.
A nice touch: get yourself some nice letterhead.
Splurge a little withyour second or third paycheck and invest in professionally printedletterhead.
Presentation does count when submitting your correspondenceto an editor.
Avoid cutesy clip art of quill pens and inkwells.
Also, an invoice.
You should always include an invoice with yourcompleted article.
Often, the person you submit the story to is not thesame person in charge of sending you a paycheck.
By including an invoice, you can be reasonably assured that the billing department will have arecord of what terms were agreed upon, and when they are supposed to pay you.
Receipts: Hold onto your postage receipts and your writing-relatedsupplies.
If writing is your profession, then these can be tax write-offs.
Also, if you are able to negotiate it, editors will often reimburse you for any expenses you incur while on assignment once you are anestablished writer.
Submit your phone bill (with the reimbursable call/s circled), your book receipts, your travel expense receipts, etc.
alongwith your invoice.
Make sure these terms are specified in your contract.
Youre ready? Good! Get out there and get 'em, slugger.
Good luck!
So youve figured out that you would like to write for magazines,newspapers, and e-zines.
Unfortunately, so have about eight gazillionother people on this planet.
Therefore, you have to stand out from thecrowd.
You have to sparkle.
How do you do this? Simple.
It all startswith The Big Idea.
The first secret you must learn in this funnybusiness is that you dont actually have to write the whole article toget a job.
In fact, only bright green novices attempt to write the whole thing before selling it.
What you do need, however, is the IDEA for the great story.
You will use this great idea to convince editors to payyou exorbitant amounts of money via a proposal letter (called a queryletter.
But youll learn about that in a minute).
So, where will you find this Big Idea? Well, youve heard that wise adage write what you know.
Thats a wonderful mantra for finding your jumping-off point.
You dont need to stick to what you know for the specific focusof your story, but tap into your already huge vat of knowledge to findthe storys basis.
This is how you will become an expert.
Experts are indemand.
People with stories arent.
What you have to do is sneak yourstories into your areas of expertise.
Example: lets say your hobbies and interests include fishing, watching talk shows, and traveling.
Good!You are a potential expert in those areas.
Jot these things down.
Nowcomes the fun part: brainstorming.
The biggest mistake you can make in pitching your story is being toogeneral.
Never, ever send a letter to the editor suggesting an articleabout fishing.
Not even an article about fishing in Florida.
Thisvagueness is not appropriate for short writing.
In general, you will beexpected to write somewhere between 800 and 2000 words on your topic.
You couldnt possibly tell us all about fishing in 2000 words.
What youcould do, however, is give us a comparison of twelve different luresused to catch sailfish.
Or the pros and cons of joining a fishing club.
Or even how the moon can tell you if itll be a good fishing day.
So heres your first assignment.
Get out your trusty notebook.
(If youdont have one, stop reading and get one.
Right now.
) On the first page,write down a list of any and all topics that interest you.
Its okay tobe general here.
Need some ideas to get you started? Think through your whole day.
Dont neglect anything.
What do you do from the moment you wake up until the moment you fall asleep? You turn offyour alarm clock.
(An article about alarm clocks disrupting valuablesleep stages! Or waking up to music versus waking up to that annoyingbeeping sound.
Or the optimal number of times to press the snooze button.
) You brush your teeth.
(Article: What all those toutedingredientsfluoride, peroxide, baking sodareally do for your teeth.
) You take a shower.
Maybe with your significant other.
Lucky you.
(Romanticshowers for two.
) Moving on.
You go to work.
This is the most obvious area of expertise.
Lets say youre a secretary.
How ergonomic office equipment can save youfrom Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, an achy back, and a stiff neck.
How toavoid screaming at your boss when hes a total idiot.
Five couples (or ex-couples) share their wisdom about dating in the office.
Think about what coverstory would entice you to pay three dollars for a magazine.
You donthave to have the knowledge to actually write the article yet.
You justhave to know you can get this information later.
Next, you come home.
What happens? Do you have kids? Great! A wealth ofarticle ideas.
You could write about childcare agencies, potty training, decoding teenage slang, teaching table manners youre getting the ideanow, right? Run with it! Write at least one page of general topics that interest you, then weedout the most interesting ones.
Narrow it down to three or four.
Thenwrite those three or four topics on top of brand new pages.
Now fill upthose pages with specific article angles.
Just write.
Dont edit yourself.
Dont judge.
Just write whatever pops into your head.
If you needmotivation, play it like a game of Scattergories.
Set a timer for tenminutes.
See how many ideas you can jot down before the timer sounds.
Keep in mind that there are markets for almost any conceivable topic.
Dont limit yourself to the headlines youd read in Vogue and GoodHousekeeping.
Between newspapers, consumer magazines, trade magazines, e-zines, tabloids, literary journals, and more, youre bound to find anappropriate publication for your Big Idea.
You want to know more about these markets? Read on! Researching the Markets First, youll need a few definitions: Consumer Magazines: These typically pay the best.
These are the types of magazines you might find in a grocery store check-out line, convenience store, in your airplane seat pocket, or your doctors office.
Types ofconsumer mags: mens, womens, special interest, inflight, teens, school/career, travel, health, ethnic/minority, political, entertainment, romance,religious, etc.
This is the area most writers try to break into.
Literary Magazines: These dont pay much, if at all.
However, what theylack in moolah, they make up for in prestige.
If youre looking to jump-start your career as a fiction writer or poet, your best chance atrecognition may come in the form of one of these small publications.
Often published by colleges and universities, their circulation isusually regional and low.
They generally seek scholarly essays,intellectually challenging prose, poetry, and book reviews.
Publisherswill be impressed if you succeed in placing your work in one of the more prominent journals (Cimarron Review, Ploughshares, and Story, forexample).
Trade Journals: Pay varies greatly.
Any publication that focuses on aparticular occupation/industry falls into this category.
This is whereyour expertise can shine.
There are trade journals for almost every line of work, from art dealers to truck drivers.
In general, your writteneloquence is not as important as your research and timely knowledge forthese publications.
E-Zines: Pay varies greatly.
Simply put, e-zines are simply magazines on the Internet.
The only major difference is that articles for e-zinescan usually run longer than print magazines.
(No printing costs, sospace isn't as important an issue for e-zine editors.
) Most e-zines dontpay (except by means of a byline) but this trend is changing.
The mostpopular sites (Lifetimetv.
com and Wired, for example) pay quite well.
Topics stretch as wide as your imagination.
Now that you know, learn how to contact them! There are tons of ways to find markets that are open to freelancers.
Ifyou were paying attention, you might notice that this very website islooking for writers! Finding places to submit your work is easy if youknow where to look.
First, the most important tool in a freelancers toolbox is The WritersMarket.
Available at any major bookstore, this is an annual compilationof more than 2,000 magazines, 1,000 book publishers, and evenspecialized markets like greeting cards, script writing, and syndicates.
The next best tools are online.
Lucky you! Theyre free.
Absolute Markets is a weekly e-zine filled with market guidelines, contest listings, and marketing tips.
Freelancing4Money puts out a jam-packed e-zine filledwith freelance opportunities.
Writer's Digest has a great, searchabledatabase of markets.
Writing For Dollars has a biweekly newsletter withmarket guidelines, and a searchable database on the website.
And Writers Weekly lists calls for writers and market guidelines each week.
You can even run a search for freelance writers on any major searchengine, and youre likely to come up with tons of listings.
Tryspecifying if possible; add words that fit your needs.
(Example: payingmarkets, romance, teen magazines.
) So, your next assignment is this: go back to your trusty notebook andpick out your very favorite idea.
That will now be known as your BigIdea.
Pick the markets that best fit your idea.
Choose several.
Find out if you can get a free or discounted sample copy.
(Writers often can, if you specify that you would like to query them in the future.
) Requestwriters guidelines if available.
Its considered poor form to querypublications that youve never read, or know nothing about.
Do your bestto read at least one copy of whatever magazine or journal you plan toquery.
Check your library for copies if you prefer not to go brokeresearching.
Got it now? You have your idea, and youve found places to submit it?Great! Then you'll need to learn proper protocol for writing andsubmitting the Killer Query.
The Killer Query The job of the query letter is to entice an editor to say, Hey! Id beinterested in learning more about that.
Therefore, you dont want tospill all your secrets and research yet.
You want to tease and tantalize.
Now that youve got your fabulous Big Idea, your job is to condense (orexpand) that idea into two to three paragraphs.
To illustrate the components of a killer query, here is an example ofone of mine (using fictitious contact infosorry!) that landed me theassignment: Jenna Glatzer (Always use proper formal letter format) 123 My Address My City, State, Zip Code (555) 555-5555 Mr.
Joe Shmoe (Make SURE to get a name of the appropriate department College Life 101 editor.
Never address a letter to editor or submissions.
) 123 Their Address Their City, State, Zip Code Todays Date, 2003 Dear Mr.
Shmoe: (Colons are used in formal letters.
Commas are used in friendly letters.
) Think company cars, expense accounts, and a spacious office with baywindows.
Who do you picture running a business this successful? (Start the letter with a zinger that captures the essence of yourproposed article/story.
Raise a question that will cause the reader tothink, or give a visual image anything that will make him/her want toread on and find out what youre talking about.
) Think again.
This company was the brainchild of three Boston Universitysophomores whose ambitions led them to thriving careers before they haddiplomas to hang on the wall.
(The rest of the first paragraph should give a concise description ofthe focus of your proposed article.
Remember to tell why its appropriate to the publication youre querying.
In this case, I was targeting acollege magazine, so I made sure to emphasize the relevance to theirsubject matter early in the letter.
) Charles Strader, Richard Skelton, and Pablo Mondal run Net One, anInternet Service Provider.
The three met in the freshmen dorms, thenmoved into an apartment together.
Opportunity knocked when Strader, whoworked for the universitys computer center, took a phone call from theowner of a hair salon.
She sought help designing a website; Stradervolunteered, and Net One was born.
(Again, concisely, get a little deeper into the content of the article.
What is special about your story? In this case, I wanted to emphasizethat these guys were college buddies who started a booming business bybranching out from their humble beginning.
) Working closely with friends to build something we believe in is Mondals favorite perk.
Skelton agrees.
We have great trust in each other, andfeel that were all in this together.
(Quotations arent necessary in a query, but its nice to give somethingspecific to show that you have done some research into your topic, andthat you have access to resources that will enable you to write thearticle well.
I wanted to show that I had already spoken to theseguysthey happen to be friends of mineand that they would be upbeat andinspirational people to interview.
You can accomplish the same effect by including a few quirky facts or survey results youve found out aboutyour topic.
) Considering that their only capital was a computer and a small loan from Straders father, the guys feel very successful.
Were not millionaires,but we have goals, and were following them, says Skelton.
I think thatstrue success.
By any definition, Net Ones roster of more than 50 clients ranging from colleges to Fortune 500 companies attests to their hardwork and talent.
(Look, editor.
These guys are big up-and-comers! Notice I mentionedFortune 500 companies.
This lets the editor know quickly that thesecollege guys arent small potatoes.
It neatly ties up the openingsentence, which promised an article about guys who have a spaciousoffice, expense accounts, and company car.
Now the editor has a reasonto believe that these guys actually are that successful.
) I propose a 1,000 word profile for your Students At Work section.
(Shows Ive researched their magazine.
I know which section this shouldfit, and Ive read their guidelines to determine an appropriate wordcount.
) I am a full-time freelance writer, and my works have been recentlyfeatured in such publications as 201 Magazine, College Bound (Notice I mention the most relevant magazines first.
Anything youve hadpublished that might relate to the content, tone, or audience of theproposed publication belongs here.
) Bliss!, Working Women, and Video Librarian.
Clips are enclosed.
(If youve never had anything published, dont distress.
Just shut upabout it.
Do NOT tell anyone, Though Ive never been published yet, Im areal go-getter.
Less is more.
If you keep quiet, they may not even think about the fact that you didnt mention your credits.
Also, do not getinto a diatribe describing how you edited your high school newspaper.
Just a quick list of relevant writing background.
See below for infoabout clips.
) I can provide documentation and interview notes for easy fact-checking,and could submit the completed article within two weeks.
(Optional.
Some people like to suggest a time frame, others let theeditor do it.
In general, the editor will tell you when the article isdue, regardless of your preferences.
Its a nice touch to mention how you will research your article.
Mine was primarily dependent on interviews, but you may wish to include the names of journals/experts you plan toquote or use for information.
) I look forward to your response.
(Obligatory polite ending.
Use any variation you wish.
No pleading.
Ifyou dare type, I promise to write a reallllly, realllly good article!Please hire me!, you will incur my wrath.
I will hunt you down and yellat you.
A lot.
Just a simple, dignified ending requesting a response.
) Regards, Jenna Glatzer (Oh.
Substitute your name and preferred signature ending.
Unless youfeel like sending your paycheck to me, in which case, you can feel freeto use my name.
Grin.
) Finally, clips! If youve had anything publishedor even if you havent,but you have a few good writing samples appropriate for this type ofmarketinclude them.
These samples are called clips, and they are used to show the editor that you are an intelligent, insightful, funny, clever, and/or excellent writer.
Photocopy your articles straight from thepublication.
Just 2-3 clips.
When you're sending queries by e-mail, you can paste the text of yourclips into the body of the e-mail (never as an attachment!), or you candirect the editor to one or two website URLs where she can view yourarticles.
Interviews and Profiles I know, you feel weird about this one, right? Youre uncomfortablecalling someone or visiting a business to ask a professional to takeprecious time out of their day to help you research your article.
Well, buck up, little camper, because most professionals absolutely love to be interviewed.
They jump at the chance, for a few reasons.
Theseare the reasons to keep in mind when you feel small and silly for asking:
- It shows you respect their opinion and/or job.
- It gives them opportunities for publicity of their business.
- It gives them the chance to brag to friends that they are quoted in a magazine.
- It gives them something to frame and show clients.
- Finally, someone is recognizing their genius and taking an interest in their work.
- Theyre usually wannabe writers, anyway, and they will be just as happy to pick your brain to find out how you got the job.
What exactly do you need to know from this person? What could thisperson tell you that no one else can? Avoid yes or no questions.
Askopen-ended questions that could lead to lengthy responses chock full ofgreat quotes.
Also, have a synopsis of your planned article ready, soyou can tell your expert what youre writing and how they can supplementyour knowledge.
How to approach experts: Get on the phone.
Have your idea condensed into 2-3 sentences, so youcan quickly explain yourself to whomever answers the phone.
Hello.
My name is Jenna, and Im writing an article about the rise invegetarianism among young women in Nevada for Youth In Nevada Magazine.
I know Dr.
Spuds is a well-respected nutritionist, and Im hoping shewould be willing to answer a few questions on this subject.
At this point, the secretary will say, Hold, and make you listen toelevator musak while she summons the boss.
Or shell take down yournumber and have Dr.
Spuds call you back.
Or it will be Dr.
Spuds herself, and shell say, What do you want to know? Your options at this point are (1) Ask questions over the phone, rightthen and there.
Make sure you check to make sure your expert is notpressed for time before you begin.
(2) Set up a phone date to conductthe interview.
(3) Ask if you can meet in person.
This is goodalmostnecessaryif the person will be the focus of your article.
If the personis being used just to add a few quotes, you dont have to meet in person, because its unlikely youll ever need to write, Dr.
Spuds wrinkled herbrow and stared into her pea soup as she explained that young women arebecoming more health-conscious.
(4) Trade e-mail addresses and send over a list of questions.
This approach isn't usually the best, because itdoesn't allow you to react to, and build from, information you gain inanswers to previous questions.
However, if the publication will notreimburse you for long distance phone calls, and you have to conduct alengthy interview, e-mail exchanges are acceptable.
Just make ! sure you specify a due date for the responses.
Be reasonabletry to givethe expert a week to answer all your questions.
The Sales Okay, you sent out your killer query, and you got a phone call from aneditor with the big news: you got the assignment! Congratulations, you!Go on and do a little dance of joy, then crash back to reality with your new mantra: GET IT IN WRITING.
Make sure the editor tells you that awritten contract is forthcoming in the near future.
If youve researched your market, you probably already have an idea ofthe pay rate, but be sure to cover this ground in that initial phonecall if the editor fails to mention it.
Important things to remember: On Publication vs.
On Acceptance You not only need to know how much youll be paid, but also, when youllbe paid.
Many markets want to pay you on publication.
This can be aproblem, because many magazines and journals have long lead times.
(Translation: a long time between when they assign you the article and when itactually ends up in print.
) If you write an article in January, and itdoesn't get published until November, you probably wont see a check until December.
Do you want to wait a year to get paid? Can you wait thatlong? This is a point you absolutely can negotiate.
Ask for payment onacceptance.
If this is refused, it gives you a little leverage to workwith on the other issues, which are Kill Fees If you get the assignment, and, for whatever reason, an editor decidesnot to print your article, you can negotiate for a kill fee.
This is apercentage of the sale price.
If you are offered $200 to write anarticle, you may get a $50 kill fee.
Its a well known fact that bigpublications kill articles all the time.
Some editors admit to assigning 10-20% more than they could ever fit in the magazine.
They do this sothey can pick and choose from the final products, or so they can see how things fit once the layout is complete.
Some articles will be pushedback to other issues, and some will just be trashed.
Bios We like them.
Those are the little blurbs that often follow an article,giving short biographical information about the writer, and sometimes an e-mail address or phone number.
Ask for one if you can.
Sidebars and Photos Those are the little factoids or columns that rest next to the mainarticle.
For example, in an article about exercise, youll often see alittle chart on the side that tells how many calories are burned bydoing specific exercises (riding a bike, climbing a hill, etc.
).
If youcan suggest sidebars, you can often get extra pay.
Same goes for photos.
If youve got a decent camera and a good eye, offer photos for a fewextra bucks.
To Spec or Not To Spec Especially as a novice writer, youll sometimes get asked to write anarticle on speculation.
This means that youll have to write the wholearticle and submit it without a contract, or any promise of payment.
Its a bone of contention among professional writers, because almost noother field works this way.
Its never do the job, and then Ill decide if I feel like paying you.
Only in this crazy business.
Harrumph.
That said, I advise you to take spec assignments in the beginning.
Onceyoure established, you shouldn't need to do this, but in order to buildup your resume and your clips, you need to get published.
So go aheadand submit on spec, and go ahead and do a few free/nearly free piecesfor the experience.
Before submitting anything, though, make sure you know in advance whatthe terms will be if the editor does use your piece.
How much will yoube paid? What rights will they buy? Even many of the big markets have adopted the practice of requestingpieces on spec.
They do this because they can get away with it.
Becausethere are thousands of wannabe writers out there who will beg, borrow,and steal for the chance to be published.
So, if you want to compete,sometimes youll have to suck it up and accept this.
Once the publication accepts one of your spec pieces, youll be a much more likely candidatefor an outright assignment next time.
Rights to Write There are several kinds of rights a publication may buy: First North American Serial RightsThe newspaper or magazine has theright to publish this piece for the first time in any periodical.
Allother rights belong to the writer.
One-Time RightsThe publication buys the nonexclusive right to publishthe piece once.
The writer can sell the same article to otherpublications simultaneously.
Second Serial Rights (or Reprint Rights)Also nonexclusive.
Gives thepublication the right to reprint an article that has appeared elsewhere.
Electronic RightsCovers CD-ROMs, e-zines, website content, games, etc.
Get in writing which electronic rights are specified-- First ElectronicRights, archiving rights, etc.
Most publications ask for the right toarchive "indefinitely.
"You can try to negotiate for a fixed term (i.
e.
, archiving rights for six months).
All RightsPretty self-explanatory.
You can never sell this piece toanyone else again.
Try to avoid this one.
Most publications ask forFirst Serial Rights.
Work-For-Hire Rights-- The publication has come up with the idea andassigned it to you, and they will own it, lock, stock, and barrel.
They own the copyright and don't even have to give you credit.
It may besliced, diced, repackaged, re-sold, etc.
, and you won't have any claimto it beyond what you were originally paid.
TV/Motion Picture RightsAlso self-explanatory.
Almost always exclusive.
Recycling Your Big Ideas This is the bread and butter of freelance writing.
Its also called re-slanting.
Once youve got the Big Idea, dont waste it by only using it once.
Usethe information youve gathered and come up with off-shoot ideas.
Slantit to appeal to different markets.
Youre afraid because of the issue of rights that we just discussed,right? (No pun intended.
) Well, you have nothing to fear, provided thenew article is sufficiently different in content and intended audience.
If youve managed to sell your article to a major national magazine, itis considered poor form to try to sell a re-slanted version to anothernational magazine.
However, if youre dealing with regional, specialized, or smallpublications, there should be very little overlap of intended audience.
Therefore, an editor from Alabama Aristocrats would probably never knowif you sold a re-slanted version of your piece to Guitarists Today.
Even if they did know, they almost certainly would not care.
It is standard and accepted practice, for the simple reason that it isdarn difficult to make a living as a writer.
If you have the choicebetween making $100 for selling your piece to one small publication, ormaking $1000 by selling altered versions to eight different smallpublications, which would you choose? Re-slanting an article is easy, since youve already done the bulk of the research.
Scrounge up a few new quotes, and use the information youleft out of the first article.
Focus it on the new desired market.
For example, I could sell an article about the health benefits ofmeditation to a fitness magazine.
A few alterations, and that samearticle becomes Religions Encouraging Meditation for my local newspapers Society pages.
Then it becomes Meditation Makes You Smarter for thecollege market.
Then, Meditate Your Stress Away for a working womansmagazine.
And I didnt even mention all those new age/holisticpublications.
What a field day! With just a few more questions posed to your trusted experts, youve gota whole new article.
And, look! Youre becoming an expert yourself.
Thisis how you begin to find your nichea few specific subjects that you feel comfortable writing about.
Ah, soon those journalists will be coming to YOU with their questions.
"The Extras" Once youve gotten a few assignments, and feel that youve really embarked on this as a potential career (or just a part-time income-booster),youll want to think about the little extras.
A nice touch: get yourself some nice letterhead.
Splurge a little withyour second or third paycheck and invest in professionally printedletterhead.
Presentation does count when submitting your correspondenceto an editor.
Avoid cutesy clip art of quill pens and inkwells.
Also, an invoice.
You should always include an invoice with yourcompleted article.
Often, the person you submit the story to is not thesame person in charge of sending you a paycheck.
By including an invoice, you can be reasonably assured that the billing department will have arecord of what terms were agreed upon, and when they are supposed to pay you.
Receipts: Hold onto your postage receipts and your writing-relatedsupplies.
If writing is your profession, then these can be tax write-offs.
Also, if you are able to negotiate it, editors will often reimburse you for any expenses you incur while on assignment once you are anestablished writer.
Submit your phone bill (with the reimbursable call/s circled), your book receipts, your travel expense receipts, etc.
alongwith your invoice.
Make sure these terms are specified in your contract.
Youre ready? Good! Get out there and get 'em, slugger.
Good luck!