The Stuff E-mail Query Letters

Your mother always told you how first impressions were extremely important. That’s why whenever you go to meet an editor, you dress impeccably, walk confidently and talk as if you just got out of training with Oprah Winfrey.

But as you sit down to write that email query, you forget everything your mother told you and send editors a query that couldn’t have lacked any more even if you wanted it to. The subject line reads “Query” or something in close proximity with the language spammers use—“Become Debt Free Today”. You write your email address and Web address, but leave out other information such as your address and phone number. And of course, since it’s an email query, you don’t include clips. After all, the editor explicitly mentioned no attachments, right?

After sending out a dozen queries of this sort, you sit in front of your computer, reading rejections and crib about the state of the publishing world.

But you know what, there’s a better way. You don’t have to be rejected all the time. You can write queries that can melt the toughest of editors and have them begging you to write for them.

For starters, get the subject line right. You’re a writer—so be creative. Instead of writing query or submission or even the name of the magazine, how about using the title of your article? And I don’t have to tell you that the title you choose should be informative, witty and creative. It doesn’t always have to be funny, but it has to be interesting. Here’s the format I usually follow for my subject lines:

Query: Creative Article Title

Try to avoid titles that read like spam. “Lose Weight Easily” can be rephrased as “10 Ways to Keep Fit”. Similarly, “Discover Singles in Your Area” is a line spammers love to use, so you could use something more attention-grabbing and less spam-seeming such as “The Top 10 Places to Find your Soul Mate.” Notice the difference?

Write your email query as if you were writing a normal query. Induce in it, the same passion, the same commitment and the same confidence that you would like to project in a query sent by snail mail. Forget the mantra that editors will delete long queries. Not a chance. If you’ve sparked the interest of an editor, do you think she’s going to stop reading simply because it’s too long? Nope.

Like in a mailed query, take the time and space you need to get the editor’s attention. But refrain from rambling. Generally, your query (email or otherwise) should fit into two pages or less. More than that, and you’re giving away too much. One page queries are even better. They’re succinct, to-the-point, and if you’ve done your job well, you’ll have the editor asking for more. Always include your address and phone number should the editor feel like calling and giving you the assignment.

Remember how editors are busy people? That’s why, instead of sending them hyperlinks of all the articles you’ve ever written, send in three or four relevant clips of your best work. And yes, attachments are strictly prohibited. Instead, include your article as text in your email. But what about the pretty pictures and the beautiful fonts, you wail. Well, that’s why, above the article, include the link to the article. If the editor has the time or the inclination, she can go online and view it in its full glory. If not, you’re sending the material in the email so she doesn’t have to wander around cyberspace looking for your great creations.

Email queries aren’t much different from snail mail ones. If your query is professional, presented in an original style and makes the editor sit on the edge of her seat, you’ve got a winner. And always remember what mom preached—first impressions do count.

About The Author

Mridu Khullar is the editor-in-chief of www.WritersCrossing.com, a free online magazine for writers. Sign up for the free weekly newsletter to get a complimentary e-book with 400+ paying markets. Also check out her e-book, "Knock Their Socks Off! A Freelance Writer's Guide to Query Letters That Sell," available at http://www.writerscrossing.com/queries.html

Writing Is Fun!

When I was establishing my consultants practice in 1990 I set about creating a book. The book was aimed at helping people to progress in their careers and shows how to assess yourself, prepare an interview winning resume’, market yourself and win the job at interviews, plus other real life tips.

Anyway I enjoyed the writing process, thought the book was good and sold a few copies. The effort of writing the book was not rewarded by the number of copies sold. I did not really have a low cost route to market.

In building my web site and writing a weekly newsletter I have realised that I do enjoy writing and drawing on my experiences. So recently I have been thinking of writing another book for sale on the internet.

Guess what? I got my original book out, re-read it and I am editing it as my next internet publication. The point of this article is to tell you what I realised when I read my ‘masterpiece’.

I had been living in the corporate world and the book was written in corporate style. Formal, the grammar was convoluted, too many long words. It was not easy to read and I did not like the style. The content is excellent but I did not like how the book was written.

Bearing in mind when I originally wrote it 15 years ago I read and re-read it in an effort to do a good job. That I now do not like the writing style came as a shock. Which shows that our skills and perceptions are changing all of the time and no matter how good we think we are at any one thing we can always do better.

If you’ve got anything that you created a while back it may be worth having another look at it. Your style may have changed and you may be able to improve it.

My son writes for his living and he has experienced the same with some of his early writing.

By writing for the web my style has changed, hopefully to a more readable form because I still like writing.

Tip: learn from the mistakes of others, you can’t live long enough to make them all yourself.

About The Author

Michael Harrison is an author, publisher and business consultant specialising in helping business owners and individuals to realise and release the full potential of their situation. He has helped many people to improve their business situations and advised and supported individuals to embark on new directions in their careers.

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The Beginner's Guide to Freelance Writing

Okay. So youve figured out that you would like to write for magazines, newspapers, and e-zines. Unfortunately, so have about eight gazillion other people on this planet. Therefore, you have to stand out from the crowd. You have to sparkle. How do you do this? Simple. It all starts with The Big Idea. The first secret you must learn in this funny business is that you dont actually have to write the whole article to get 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 pay you exorbitant amounts of money via a proposal letter (called a query letter. 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 focus of your story, but tap into your already huge vat of knowledge to find the storys basis. This is how you will become an expert. Experts are in demand. People with stories arent. What you have to do is sneak your stories 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. Now comes the fun part: brainstorming.

The biggest mistake you can make in pitching your story is being too general. Never, ever send a letter to the editor suggesting an article about fishing. Not even an article about fishing in Florida. This vagueness is not appropriate for short writing. In general, you will be expected to write somewhere between 800 and 2000 words on your topic. You couldnt possibly tell us all about fishing in 2000 words. What you could do, however, is give us a comparison of twelve different lures used 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 you dont 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 to be 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 off your alarm clock. (An article about alarm clocks disrupting valuable sleep stages! Or waking up to music versus waking up to that annoying beeping sound. Or the optimal number of times to press the snooze button.) You brush your teeth. (Article: What all those touted ingredientsfluoride, peroxide, baking sodareally do for your teeth.) You take a shower. Maybe with your significant other. Lucky you. (Romantic showers 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 you from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, an achy back, and a stiff neck. How to avoid 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 cover story would entice you to pay three dollars for a magazine. You dont have to have the knowledge to actually write the article yet. You just have to know you can get this information later.

Next, you come home. What happens? Do you have kids? Great! A wealth of article ideas. You could write about childcare agencies, potty training, decoding teenage slang, teaching table manners youre getting the idea now, right? Run with it!

Write at least one page of general topics that interest you, then weed out the most interesting ones. Narrow it down to three or four. Then write those three or four topics on top of brand new pages. Now fill up those pages with specific article angles. Just write. Dont edit yourself. Dont judge. Just write whatever pops into your head. If you need motivation, play it like a game of Scattergories. Set a timer for ten minutes. 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 Good Housekeeping. Between newspapers, consumer magazines, trade magazines, e-zines, tabloids, literary journals, and more, youre bound to find an appropriate 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 of consumer 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 they lack 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 at recognition may come in the form of one of these small publications. Often published by colleges and universities, their circulation is usually regional and low. They generally seek scholarly essays, intellectually challenging prose, poetry, and book reviews. Publishers will be impressed if you succeed in placing your work in one of the more prominent journals (Cimarron Review, Ploughshares, and Story, for example).

Trade Journals: Pay varies greatly. Any publication that focuses on a particular occupation/industry falls into this category. This is where your expertise can shine. There are trade journals for almost every line of work, from art dealers to truck drivers. In general, your written eloquence is not as important as your research and timely knowledge for these 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-zines can usually run longer than print magazines. (No printing costs, so space isnt as important an issue for e-zine editors.) Most e-zines dont pay (except by means of a byline) but this trend is changing. The most popular 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. If you were paying attention, you might notice that this very website is looking for writers! Finding places to submit your work is easy if you know where to look.

First, the most important tool in a freelancers toolbox is The Writers Market. Available at any major bookstore, this is an annual compilation of more than 2,000 magazines, 1,000 book publishers, and even specialized 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 filled with freelance opportunities. Writer's Digest has a great, searchable database of markets. Writing For Dollars has a biweekly newsletter with market 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 search engine, and youre likely to come up with tons of listings. Try specifying if possible; add words that fit your needs. (Example: paying markets, romance, teen magazines.)

So, your next assignment is this: go back to your trusty notebook and pick out your very favorite idea. That will now be known as your Big Idea. 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.) Request writers guidelines if available. Its considered poor form to query publications that youve never read, or know nothing about. Do your best to read at least one copy of whatever magazine or journal you plan to query. Check your library for copies if you prefer not to go broke researching.

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 and submitting the Killer Query.

The Killer Query

The job of the query letter is to entice an editor to say, Hey! Id be interested in learning more about that. Therefore, you dont want to spill 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 (or expand) that idea into two to three paragraphs.

To illustrate the components of a killer query, here is an example of one of mine (using fictitious contact infosorry!) that landed me the assignment:

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 bay windows. Who do you picture running a business this successful?

(Start the letter with a zinger that captures the essence of your proposed article/story. Raise a question that will cause the reader to think, or give a visual image anything that will make him/her want to read on and find out what youre talking about.)

Think again. This company was the brainchild of three Boston University sophomores whose ambitions led them to thriving careers before they had diplomas to hang on the wall.

(The rest of the first paragraph should give a concise description of the focus of your proposed article. Remember to tell why its appropriate to the publication youre querying. In this case, I was targeting a college magazine, so I made sure to emphasize the relevance to their subject matter early in the letter.)

Charles Strader, Richard Skelton, and Pablo Mondal run Net One, an Internet Service Provider. The three met in the freshmen dorms, then moved into an apartment together. Opportunity knocked when Strader, who worked for the universitys computer center, took a phone call from the owner of a hair salon. She sought help designing a website; Strader volunteered, 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 emphasize that these guys were college buddies who started a booming business by branching 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, and feel that were all in this together.

(Quotations arent necessary in a query, but its nice to give something specific to show that you have done some research into your topic, and that you have access to resources that will enable you to write the article well. I wanted to show that I had already spoken to these guysthey happen to be friends of mineand that they would be upbeat and inspirational people to interview. You can accomplish the same effect by including a few quirky facts or survey results youve found out about your 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 thats true success. By any definition, Net Ones roster of more than 50 clients ranging from colleges to Fortune 500 companies attests to their hard work and talent.

(Look, editor. These guys are big up-and-comers! Notice I mentioned Fortune 500 companies. This lets the editor know quickly that these college guys arent small potatoes. It neatly ties up the opening sentence, which promised an article about guys who have a spacious office, expense accounts, and company car. Now the editor has a reason to 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 should fit, and Ive read their guidelines to determine an appropriate word count.)

I am a full-time freelance writer, and my works have been recently featured in such publications as 201 Magazine, College Bound

(Notice I mention the most relevant magazines first. Anything youve had published that might relate to the content, tone, or audience of the proposed publication belongs here.)

Bliss!, Working Women, and Video Librarian. Clips are enclosed.

(If youve never had anything published, dont distress. Just shut up about it. Do NOT tell anyone, Though Ive never been published yet, Im a real 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 get into a diatribe describing how you edited your high school newspaper. Just a quick list of relevant writing background. See below for info about 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 the editor do it. In general, the editor will tell you when the article is due, 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 to quote or use for information.)

I look forward to your response.

(Obligatory polite ending. Use any variation you wish. No pleading. If you 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 yell at you. A lot. Just a simple, dignified ending requesting a response.)

Regards,

Jenna Glatzer

(Oh. Substitute your name and preferred signature ending. Unless you feel like sending your paycheck to me, in which case, you can feel free to 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 of marketinclude 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 the publication. Just 2-3 clips.

When you're sending queries by e-mail, you can paste the text of your clips into the body of the e-mail (never as an attachment!), or you can direct the editor to one or two website URLs where she can view your articles.

Interviews and Profiles

I know, you feel weird about this one, right? Youre uncomfortable calling someone or visiting a business to ask a professional to take precious 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. These are 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.

Before you approach experts:

Make sure you already have your questions mapped out, at least briefly. What exactly do you need to know from this person? What could this person tell you that no one else can? Avoid yes or no questions. Ask open-ended questions that could lead to lengthy responses chock full of great quotes. Also, have a synopsis of your planned article ready, so you can tell your expert what youre writing and how they can supplement your knowledge.

How to approach experts:

Get on the phone. Have your idea condensed into 2-3 sentences, so you can quickly explain yourself to whomever answers the phone.

Hello. My name is Jenna, and Im writing an article about the rise in vegetarianism among young women in Nevada for Youth In Nevada Magazine. I know Dr. Spuds is a well-respected nutritionist, and Im hoping she would be willing to answer a few questions on this subject.

At this point, the secretary will say, Hold, and make you listen to elevator musak while she summons the boss. Or shell take down your number 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, right then and there. Make sure you check to make sure your expert is not pressed for time before you begin. (2) Set up a phone date to conduct the interview. (3) Ask if you can meet in person. This is goodalmost necessaryif the person will be the focus of your article. If the person is 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 her brow and stared into her pea soup as she explained that young women are becoming more health-conscious. (4) Trade e-mail addresses and send over a list of questions. This approach isnt usually the best, because it doesnt allow you to react to, and build from, information you gain in answers to previous questions. However, if the publication will not reimburse you for long distance phone calls, and you have to conduct a lengthy interview, e-mail exchanges are acceptable. Just make ! sure you specify a due date for the responses. Be reasonabletry to give the expert a week to answer all your questions.

The Sales

Okay, you sent out your killer query, and you got a phone call from an editor 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 a written contract is forthcoming in the near future.

If youve researched your market, you probably already have an idea of the pay rate, but be sure to cover this ground in that initial phone call 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 youll be paid. Many markets want to pay you on publication. This can be a problem, because many magazines and journals have long lead times. (Translation: a long time between when they assign you the article and when it actually ends up in print.) If you write an article in January, and it doesnt 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 that long? This is a point you absolutely can negotiate. Ask for payment on acceptance. If this is refused, it gives you a little leverage to work with on the other issues, which are

Kill Fees

If you get the assignment, and, for whatever reason, an editor decides not to print your article, you can negotiate for a kill fee. This is a percentage of the sale price. If you are offered $200 to write an article, you may get a $50 kill fee. Its a well known fact that big publications kill articles all the time. Some editors admit to assigning 10-20% more than they could ever fit in the magazine. They do this so they 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 pushed back 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 main article. For example, in an article about exercise, youll often see a little chart on the side that tells how many calories are burned by doing specific exercises (riding a bike, climbing a hill, etc.). If you can 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 few extra bucks.

To Spec or Not To Spec

Especially as a novice writer, youll sometimes get asked to write an article on speculation. This means that youll have to write the whole article and submit it without a contract, or any promise of payment. Its a bone of contention among professional writers, because almost no other 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. Once youre established, you shouldnt need to do this, but in order to build up your resume and your clips, you need to get published. So go ahead and submit on spec, and go ahead and do a few free/nearly free pieces for the experience.

Before submitting anything, though, make sure you know in advance what the terms will be if the editor does use your piece. How much will you be paid? What rights will they buy?

Even many of the big markets have adopted the practice of requesting pieces on spec. They do this because they can get away with it. Because there 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 candidate for 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 the right to publish this piece for the first time in any periodical. All other rights belong to the writer.

One-Time RightsThe publication buys the nonexclusive right to publish the piece once. The writer can sell the same article to other publications simultaneously.

Second Serial Rights (or Reprint Rights)Also nonexclusive. Gives the publication 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 Electronic Rights, archiving rights, etc. Most publications ask for the right to archive "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 to anyone else again. Try to avoid this one. Most publications ask for First Serial Rights.

Work-For-Hire Rights-- The publication has come up with the idea and assigned 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 be sliced, diced, repackaged, re-sold, etc., and you won't have any claim to 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. Use the information youve gathered and come up with off-shoot ideas. Slant it 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 the new article is sufficiently different in content and intended audience. If youve managed to sell your article to a major national magazine, it is considered poor form to try to sell a re-slanted version to another national magazine.

However, if youre dealing with regional, specialized, or small publications, there should be very little overlap of intended audience. Therefore, an editor from Alabama Aristocrats would probably never know if 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 is darn difficult to make a living as a writer. If you have the choice between making $100 for selling your piece to one small publication, or making $1000 by selling altered versions to eight different small publications, 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 you left out of the first article. Focus it on the new desired market.

For example, I could sell an article about the health benefits of meditation to a fitness magazine. A few alterations, and that same article becomes Religions Encouraging Meditation for my local newspapers Society pages. Then it becomes Meditation Makes You Smarter for the college market. Then, Meditate Your Stress Away for a working womans magazine. And I didnt even mention all those new age/holistic publications. What a field day!

With just a few more questions posed to your trusted experts, youve got a whole new article. And, look! Youre becoming an expert yourself. This is 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 with your second or third paycheck and invest in professionally printed letterhead. Presentation does count when submitting your correspondence to an editor. Avoid cutesy clip art of quill pens and inkwells.

Also, an invoice. You should always include an invoice with your completed article. Often, the person you submit the story to is not the same person in charge of sending you a paycheck. By including an invoice, you can be reasonably assured that the billing department will have a record of what terms were agreed upon, and when they are supposed to pay you.

Receipts: Hold onto your postage receipts and your writing-related supplies. 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 an established writer. Submit your phone bill (with the reimbursable call/s circled), your book receipts, your travel expense receipts, etc. along with your invoice. Make sure these terms are specified in your contract.

Youre ready? Good! Get out there and get 'em, slugger. Good luck!

About The Author

Jenna Glatzer is the author of MAKE A REAL LIVING AS A FREELANCE WRITER, which comes with a FREE editors' cheat sheet directory! Check it out at www.jennaglatzer.com. She's also the editor-in-chief of www.absolutewrite.com, the most popular online magazine for writers.

Freelance Writing Markets, Poetry Markets

Amazing as it may sound, there is a real shortage of good writers and poets. Try telling that to the thousands of writers and poets who get daily rejection slips.

As far as they are concerned, writing is virtually impossible to break into no matter how hard they seem to try.

There may be a number of reasons why they don't succeed:

Their writing is not up to standard - as far as the particular publishers or editors are concerned;

They don't bother polishing their writing before submission;

They knock on the wrong doors - sending materials on a random basis;

They have failed to do basic research;

The list goes on.

1000s of publishers

There are of course thousands of publishers, especially online, who are willing to publish your work without payment. Such publishers can't or won't pay writers or poets.

Professional writers on the other hand command handsome fees. They make a good living out of writing.

Anyone can become a professional writer. You just need the determination to succeed. If you don't have a natural gift, you can learn to write well. This can be by self-study, online, or at a college or school near you.

High quality professional writers demand anything from $1000 to $5000 per project - and the best earn substantially more. A project may involve just one page or a few poems.

Why do most aspiring writers and aspiring poets fail?

In a recent survey conducted on behalf of http://www.WritingHolidays.com, it became apparent that most writers and poets were not willing to invest time or effort in training or acquiring the necessary skills.

The survey revealed that most writers and poets were happy to plod along by trial and error rather than investing in a decent course. They accordingly fail to reap the rewards that are there for the taking.

They remain amateur writers and poets whilst their professional colleagues cream off the best paid writing markets.

The survey compared writers and poets to other professions. Lawyers, Accountants, Doctors, etc., are all highly paid. They all undergo training before the rewards are forthcoming. Yet, most writers and poets believe that the riches will come to them without spending $1 on training or developing skills.

One per cent. of writers or poets may get lucky. They may have been "born writers or poets" - they succeed without any training. The rest slog away - hoping that one day they may make some money from writing.

The good news

The good news is that there are 1000s of paid writing markets that are waiting to be exploited. There are more assignments than writers or poets.

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Career Advice On Freelance Writing Jobs

Sometimes the freelance writing jobs available are those that no one wants. Or, they are those that new businesses are looking to fill. You will not find postings for the best jobs and employment because many of those jobs go to individuals who already have an established career or a good working relationship with those businesses. For those looking for career advice to find the best freelance writing jobs available, they can find a few things here that will help them get the experience they need or at least get a foot in the door.

The most important aspect of getting the jobs that you want is to present a well written portfolio. Any writer can create pieces of work to show to individuals who want a sample. You do not have to be commissioned to write, you can write just for the sake of filling your portfolio. Just remember to put the best of the best work you have in there.

Secondly, there are many types of freelance writing jobs available. Yes, it is not just the book or prized article that you should look for. Look for vacancies in smaller areas as well. This will help you to develop relationships in the field.

Strive to meet the client’s needs. This will mean that you meet deadlines. It will mean that you offer the best material you can. But, it needs to meet the client's specified requirements, not necessarily what you think they should be.

Be professional, and build a website. Most businesses these days are centered around their websites. Being professional means presenting yourself in the most appropriate way.

In any case, there can be be many freelance writing jobs available to you once you are in the know. When you learn how to write to your clients needs and meet those needs properly with each and every assignment that you do, employment will be available to you. To find the assignments to start with, you may have to present yourself outright. Simply always do so in a positive, professional manner.

About The Author

Niall Cinneide

Visit http://www.FreelanceWritingResource.com for more Articles, Resources, News and Advice about Freelance Writing Jobs.

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This article was posted on August 31, 2005