Jobs for writers: article writing
Writing articles for print and online journals and newspapers can be lucrative, if you can sell enough of your work.
This is one area of writing where you really have to do your homework - both in terms of the contents of your article, and in terms of the market for the article. These are some tips for breaking into article writing.
1) Identify a topic or idea to write about.
2) Identify possible markets: either by picking a journal you know, or by looking through the writers / artists marketplace books and sites.
3) Check that they accept unsolicted articles: Many of the magazines you see in the newsagents will take articles from freelancers but many won't so check their website. Having your own copy of the writers / artists books shown on this page will help you find magazines that accept freelance submissions.
4) Take note of their submission requirements for articles - many journals want a specific layout, font size, article structure word length how to submit (email or post) etc. Ignoring these may mean instant rejection.
5) Who is the target audience for your selected markets? Are they likely to be interested in your topic? What are the interests of this audience? Ensure your topic is in line with these.
6) Study the house style, the way they use language and how the articles are written. You will need to write using the same style to be accepted.
7) Do your research, making sure you check your facts carefully. If your work contains errors, it won't be accepted, and the door is likely to be closed on future submissions too. Proofread
8) Write your article, with your target market in mind. (If they reject it, you can always tweak it for a different market, or even write about the same topic from a different angle. I once wrote about Louis Wain for Cat World from the perspective of his cat art, and for Best of British about him as a British artist, from the same research.
9) Proof read, check that you have met the submission criteria, and double check your work.
10) Write a query letter giving details of the article you are selling 'pitching', your published work, and any other information that qualifies you for this particular topic. (If you are an established writer, you can consider pitching the 'idea' so that you only write the article if the magazine is interested. In this case, you should also provide an example of your published work.)
11) Wait. If your article is rejected, know that you are in good company, then pick yourself off, and repeat the steps until you do find someone who will publish your article.
Markets for non fiction articles.
In addition to the books below, you can also use these sites to identify target markets for your work:
- All freelance Writing
- Publishing and other forms of insanity
- Write out loud
- JBWB - although it looks like this site is no longer being updated.
- Mistakes writers make
Good luck, and happy writing!