Dateline: Dec. 16, 2005
How to Get Started as a Freelance Writer
How do I become an official freelance writer? What do I do to get paying jobs? How do I promote myself? How do I know what to charge or what to expect to get paid?
A friend who needs to learn how to use her writing skills to earn a living from home recently asked me these questions, and it occurred to me that there are lots of other folks who would be interested in the answers as well.
When you’re just getting started, the most important thing is to get published whether you get paid or not. This helps you gain experience and get some clips of your published writing, which will help you land other more profitable assignments.
I've recently begun reading The ASJA Guide to Freelance Writing
: A Professional Guide to the Business, for Nonfiction Writers of All Experience Levels. It covers topics like planning a writing business, successful magazine queries, selling a book, writing for the web, literary agents, research, working with editors, self-publishing, networking, contracts, legal issues, and promoting your work. I've learned a lot from the chapters I've read so far, and I'm bumping it to the top of my bedside table reading stack after reviewing the table of contents to tell you about it!
I highly recommend Writer’s Digest magazine. I’ve been a subscriber for years, and I learn something new and useful from every issue. It routinely addresses all of the questions listed above. Their website is currently offering two free issues. Visit http://www.WritersDigest.com for details. You can probably find recent back issues at your local library.
One of the best places to find paying markets for your work is to consult the latest edition of Writer's Market, which provides information about thousands of editors, including how to contact them, what they want, how much they buy, and even what they pay. It’s usually located in the library’s reference department, but it’s much handier to have a copy available at home.
Also available is Writer's Market Deluxe Edition, which includes a discounted one-year subscription to www.WritersMarket.com, providing access to an additional 1,500+ markets online.
This should help you get started. I’d love to hear about other writers’ favorite resources as well, so please leave comments!
Mary Jo Tate
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Jan. 3, 2006 - Writing
Posted by Lisa B.
Are you taking apprentices? Thanks for the tips and Freedman's book recommendation (and the reminders of Writer's Digest and Writer's Market). Do you have any favorite titles on the craft of writing? I pop into an online writer's discussion group from time to time, and several of them were adamant about On Writing by Stephen King. I enjoyed it very much, but all customary disclaimers apply.
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