Your Self-Supporting Hobby: Some Resources for Freelance Writing

Last post I talked about why you might want to think about freelancing (to support that writing habit of yours financially and to fill up that one sheet for starters) and gave some ideas for discovering what topics YOU specifically can share with others. 

Today, I want to focus on some specific resources that will help you get started in freelancing.

First, take out that list of topics you could write about.

Plenty of these markets are also for poetry and short stories. Keep posted!

You probably already know about The Writer's Market. Published by Writer's Digest this book has been available for a number of years and is now online. Have you ever considered investing in the online version?

The fee is $39.99 per year, in many cases selling a single article would recoup that cost. The online edition can be searched with the touch of a button. I remember spending hours flipping page by page in the written edition. You can also create personalized folders to organize the markets you are most interested in. As the opportunities float in, keep an online calendar and have reminders sent with due dates. There's also a guide with suggestions for how much to charge for an article.

Another major advantage of using the online Writer's Market is the constant changeability of the writing world. It is a major faux pas to address a letter to a past editor. Or why waste your time sending a poem out to a literary magazine that is no longer accepting submissions? 

Funds for Writers has "tips and tools for serious writers to advance their careers." Author Hope Clark discovered it was difficult to pay for all the expenses of writing. She has a background in finance and this opened up the doors to giving money advice to other writers. They have several free newsletters for adults and one for children who like to write. All of the markets they include in the newsletters are paying. They also offer a newsletter with a $1 a month charge behind it that lists over 150 new markets per month. Grants, contests, freelance markets, and contract jobs are all listed in Clark's publications. Its easy to see why this site is one of Writer's Digest's 101 Best Sites for Writers.

Linda Formichelli has an excellent blog for freelancers called The Renegade Writer. Subtitled "living and loving the freelance life on your own terms," it offers prime resources for anyone trying to break into magazines. There are many great freebies here, including help for creating query letters. Some are focused on the financial aspect. Cold calling, knowing what an editor wants, and how to tweak an article fora  particular publication are some recent topics. Another top 101 site I recommend.

Are you interested in poetry or short story markets? Duotrope is a gigantic database specially focused in online markets for your work. Organize and track submissions on this site where hundreds of listings are added and revised weekly. If you are hoping for publication in a literary magazine you will find 4,706 markets and more added daily. The databases comparing various magazines and journals aid in finding the perfect market for your piece.

Short on ideas? One of my favorite features of Duotrope is a writing calendar. Upcoming themes for magazines/journals are included on the calendar. You can also add to the calendar your own submissions. Many magazine editors also use Duotrope to find authors. You can add your writing qualifications and your webistes to your tagline.

Another great megasite for freelance writing is freelancewriting.com. Contest databases are arranged by deadline. There are video tutorials, samples of query letters, and a blogtalk radio audio archive with freelance-related shows. The forums are active with many other writers offering help on a variety of topics.

These are some of my favorite sites for freelancing. Don't forget your own favorite magazines and online publications. Before too long with a bit of guidance you can add to your one sheet and your paycheck.


Do you have a favorite website that has helped your writing career?

Julia enjoys writing women's fiction whenever she can find a chair free of smushed peanut butter sandwiches and lego blocks. She is a wife and homeschooling mama of two littles. She also enjoys reading and reviewing books for Library Journal, The Title Trakk, and Christian Library Journal.

Supporting Your Writing Hobby: Why and How to Get Started in Freelancing

"If I had a million dollars..."

For those of us who aren't published, writing novels is not exactly a lucrative profession. (Let's face it, even for many who are multi-published).

Conferences
writing clubs
coffee to keep us up during the long nights of writing when everyone else is in bed
Godiva chocolate to salve us after those rejections
pens that your dogs chew up and your children hide
reams of printer paper
and the list goes on....

While you dream about becoming the next Ted Dekker, bills have to be paid.

That's where another hobby can come in handy: freelancing.

Build your one-sheet up step-by-step. This is the advice one agent gave on an email loop and reiterated in a conversation with me at the conference last Fall.

Writing articles is a great way to do just that. You may even find, like me, that fiction isn't the only type of writing you love. I've discovered I also love writing devotionals, reviews, and articles to encourage.

So how do I get started?

First, look at your career and any degrees you might have. What areas do you have expertise in? What certifications or special skills do you have?

This is a quick and natural fit for writing articles. You already have the credentials necessary to market yourself. Maybe its an area you obtained a bachelors in, but don't use on a daily basis for your job. You still may have some expert knowledge that others may be interested in.

My degree is in Secondary Education with a Master's in Elementary Education. I didn't work in these areas, but instead worked as an assistant librarian for a small Christian college, a job that I enjoyed. For instance, my library position has helped me in the book reviewing realm, where I review for a publication primarily subscribed to by librarians.

Next look at any other proficiencies, especially related to your hobbies.

Aside from writing, what do you do in your spare time? Maybe you've taken all the cooking classes available from your local Wegmans culinary center. Do others drive from miles around to look at your garden each spring? What do your friends ask you about? Do you have a secret skill, perhaps even an unusual one?

What do you research in your spare time? What facebook pages do you "like"? Do you ever look at blogs (not writing related)? If so, what type? What sections do you gravitate to in your local library?

A look at your facebook pages, blog feeds and google search records may be good indicators of topics you can write on. Perhaps you have watched every Star Trek episode ever made. There's a market for that.

Now make a list of specific topics based on your general interests and talents.

For instance, I have a master's degree in elementary education and now use this as a homeschool mom and teacher to two elementary students. A natural area of interest for me is homeschooling.

So let's start here. As a former assistant librarian, I can combine the two areas for some ideas that might work for me:

Since my daughter is currently interested in horses, I could write about using literature to teach a unit study about horses for the elementary level.

Here are some other topics I could write about:

teaching students library research skills
using writing circles in the classroom
how to create rubrics for grading your students' writing
using the Dewey decimal system to organize your own library

Be general and then work your way down to the most specific skills. Think about what you do from day-to-day. If you are the mother of eight children, others may value your advice on toddler temper tantrums or where to find the best deals on cloth diapers. Do you coupon? Share your advice on where to find organic produce at the best prices in your city.

Location, location, location.

Where do you live? First of all there are unique markets to your area. Think of those magazines you see in the supermarket, your local newspapers, locally-based websites. What is unique about your area? What special attractions do you have in your state? If you are a hiker, what are the best places to hike in your area? Think specifically of your interests and how they relate to where you live. What is great about being a spelunker in Kansas?

What are some specific topics you can write about?

Now that you have your list, stay tuned for the next episode where I will share some sources for freelance markets.

Julia enjoys writing women's fiction whenever she can find a chair free of smushed peanut butter sandwiches and lego blocks. She is a wife and homeschooling mama of two littles. She also enjoys reading and reviewing books for Library Journal, The Title Trakk, and Christian Library Journal.