"a treasure trove for writers"
rediscover Saturdays.

If you cannot see the buttons above, try the footer links below

Buy the book. Visit the park. Book a talk. here

Make Money Writing

You can make money as a writer.

To do so, you need to have a writing plan that concentrates on finding a market for your work and getting the job done well and on-time so that editors will be happy to see your name pop up on your next query call and contact you once more.

To begin, you need to find a market for your work rather than the other way round.

Many beginner writers, and a few experienced writers as well, write first and then wonder where they will send it for possible publication. Some succeed with this method, but unsurprisingly, most do not.

To be more focussed, you need to subscribe to publications that serve your genre or area of interest. The editors of such publications know very well what their readers want. It is the editor’s job to know this and to supply that need; otherwise they soon become the former editor and might even become your competitor.

It is best to read a few issues to get a sense of the readerships’ requirements before you submit anything to an editor who may be reading other submissions as well on that day.

Editors are people too, not uncaring machines. Most editors will give a reading to a new writer in case they may discover new and exciting talent. But they will soon recognise the name of a would–be contributor who submits ideas that show no sign of the writer having even read beyond the title on the masthead.

Unsurprisingly once more, some writers send off rejected articles to the next magazine on their list without checking the suitability of the piece for the market.

It’s like offering cheap Christmas trees in July. They might sell somewhere at some time; but not today and not here.

A serious writer will read current issues to see what is and more importantly what is not there. That is, they, and you, seek a niche that you can fill in the magazine for the editor. You research it, compile a few sample ideas, and pitch your list to the editor. Once in with some speculative work, you may very well corner a market for yourself that will lead to steady commissions.

For many editors are quite happy to allocate a set space in each issue to a writer that will fill the space as they would like. Which is what you want to hear: a regular market for your work that pays.

Many writers offer local content to local titles. You could offer to supply knowledgeable content to a paper on sale in your area to localise its bought-in syndication pieces on which many editors rely for the fashion, food, gardening and motoring pages.

Local can also mean a specialist publication with wide distribution where the readers have a common bond. If you know that subject, you could be a writer local to the readers. Make it part of your writing plan. And start making money, today.

© Brendan Nolan 2009
more features here
-------------

Write your own book today with the help of an Askaboutwriting Academy writing course.
here

---------------------------------------------