As a freelance writer you probably have many goals. For many, one of the most common goals is to break into a national publication. These are the popular magazines that have a large circulation, and are always found at the doctor’s office. For example, I am a huge sports fan and doing a piece for Sports Illustrated would be a thrill. Not only are national publications a great way to get your name in front of a lot of people, but you can make quite a bit of money at the same time.
The question is: how are you going to turn this dream into a reality? Although my work has yet to be accepted by national publications, I have gotten close a couple of times. As of late querying these magazines has taken a backseat to my other work, but I plan on picking this back up in the near future. When it comes down to it, you have no chance of working with national publications unless you show them that you are interested. Obviously, the best way to do this is through a well written query letter.
Personally, I believe strongly in the power of Writer’s Market. For a small fee you can become a member of the online version which grants you access to information on hundreds of publications. A couple weeks back I queried a sports publication and was promptly rewarded with a 1,500 word feature article at a rate of $.15/word. This is not a huge project, but $225 is much more than I spent to become a member of Writer’s Market. Additionally, it is my hopes that this one article will turn into a monthly gig.
There is no easy way to break into national publications. You have to send out plenty of queries, and hope that an editor thinks enough of your idea to give you a chance. When this finally happens, you will have reached a goal that many freelance writers strive for.
Do you rely heavily on freelance writing contracts? This is a question that I am asked time after time. Generally speaking, this is a difficult question to answer because there are many different situations that I deal with on a day to day basis. In some cases I will have a contract in place, but other times this is the furthest thing from my mind.
Here are four details that can and will affect whether or not you use a contract for a particular freelance writing job.
1. In many cases, the size of the project has a lot to do with whether or not there is a contract in place. For example, is it necessary to write up and sign a contract for one 500 word keyword article? In my opinion the answer is no. Of course, if I am going to be working on a 1,000 article project I will definitely want to have a contract in place.
2. Do you trust the company or person that you are doing business with? If the answer is yes, you may not need to use a contract. But remember that trust can often times be misleading. You must be 100 percent sure that the other party is genuine and good for the money. If you have any doubt, and the project is of a decent size, make sure that you have a contract.
3. How much money are you getting paid to complete the project? This should not have a lot to do with signing a contract, but it usually does. Larger freelance writing jobs often times requires a contract more so than smaller ones. This goes along with the size of the project; bigger jobs usually pay more.
4. If the client wants you to sign a contract before starting, good for you. This will show you from the get-go that they know what they are doing, and that they are serious about working with you. No matter what, if you are asked to sign a contract, and you agree to the terms, you should comply.
As you can see, a freelance writing contract is not always necessary. Use the four details above to determine if you need to have a contract in place, or if you can do without.Â
There are always things that you can do to make your job as a freelance writer a bit easier. One of the best is to make sure that you always have the right supplies on hand. No, office supplies are not going to make you a better writer, but they will allow you to work more comfortably and efficiently everyday of the week.
One of the nice things about being a freelance writer is that you do not need tons of supplies to do things right. From day one, if you purchase the correct items you will be on your way as far as this part of your business is concerned.
Perhaps the most important item in your office is your computer with internet connection. Even if you do not have the money for a new computer, as long as you have one that is reliable with a word processing program you will be fine. Many new freelance writers think that they need a brand new computer to succeed. Sure, this would be nice, but the beauty of freelance writing is that you do not absolutely need a high line computer.
Less expensive, miscellaneous office supplies are also very important. This includes stamps, envelopes, sticky notes, rubber bands, paper clips, printer paper, and notebooks. In my opinion, it is best to purchase all of the items you need at once so that you have them for months to come. For instance, I purchased a 10 pack of sticky notes on day one of my freelance writing career and I remember thinking after a year that I was finally running out. It is always nice to have the supplies you need on hand so that you can concentrate 100 percent on writing related duties.
With the right supplies, you will find that your job as a freelance writer is easier and hopefully more productive.Â
