Anyone can be a writer, anywhere! Freelance writing was one of the premiere home-based businesses of all time. From the vintage typewriter to the high-tech home computers of today, freelance writing has remained a reliable source of income for wordsmiths worldwide. Their clients include magazines, newsletters, newspapers, book publishers, greeting card firms, gaming companies, and corporate clientele. This article will show you:

How to be a freelance writer
How to find markets for your work
How to approach editors and publishers

But, Can You Write? Freelancing requires a good grasp of language skills. Has anyone every complimented you on a letter you wrote? Do you enjoy reading? Do you notice details about your surroundings that other don't? Is your favorite store a bookstore? Do you subscribe to or purchase several magazines each year? Are you professional, organized, and determined to succeed as a freelance writer? These are many of the traits found in financially independent freelancer writers.

Where to Begin A common term in the freelancing profession is, "Write what you know." Your professional knowledge, life experiences, hobbies, or interests are an excellent place to start. The best idea generator is to study market listings (see end of article).

You Have An Idea! Now What?

Order Writer's Guidelines. Writer's guidelines are issued by publishers as an easy, quick way to let writers know exactly what they want from incoming manuscripts. To receive writer's guidelines from a magazine or publisher:

• Send a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) with a short
  
• note requesting their writer's guidelines.
  
• Send an e-mail request to the editor
  
• Or check their Web site to see if their writer's guidelines are posted online.

Read An Issue of the Magazine!
Most editors complain that they receive several queries on a weekly basis that do not follow the magazine's purpose or format, or do not target the magazine's audience. Some publications will send a free sample issue on request. Others charge a nominal fee. I always visit the newsstand at my local bookstore. I sit in their coffee shop and review the magazine without buying it. (If I bought every magazine I approached, I'd be in poor financial shape.) You can also get a good idea of a magazine's editorial content by reading the articles posted at their Web site

The Query Letter
A query letter is sent to an editor or publisher to introduce the writer's article or book idea. The best query letters average three paragraphs.

1st Paragraph - the hook
The hook is the opening sentence or first paragraph of your query letter. Editors are very busy and stressed, and are always working on a deadline. If you don't astound the editor at the beginning of your query, you will receive a rejection letter. Hint: Use this paragraph as the first paragraph in your article after the editor assigns it to you.

Second Paragraph - the proposal
Propose your article. Briefly summarize the article in one paragraph. Hint: Use this paragraph to build your article outline later.

Third Paragraph - your bio
Tell the editor about yourself, including what qualifies you to write the article you are proposing. If you have any previous publishing credits, briefly note them here. Also, indicate any experts you will interview, whether or not you can provide photos, and how quickly you can complete the manuscript.

[letterhead with picture] Angling with Angie

January 1, 1999

Mr. Hebert Taylor
Editor
Galveston County Daily News
P.O. Box 628
Galveston, Texas 77553

Dear Mr. Taylor,

I reek of fish. Dried, dead shrimp are wedged under my car seats. Sunscreen is my makeup of choice. Much to my neighbors' disgust, my 20' Lamar sits proudly on my front lawn. Trophy fish photos adorn my home. My walls resemble those of a profitable bait camp and fish is served nightly here...fried, blackened, and (my personal favorite) barbecued. Unfortunately, the freezer has been bare this fall due to the absence of the Fall Flounder Run.

I am proposing an article to the Galveston Daily News entitled Flounder Run Failure. This article will focus on the rapid decline of flounder in our bay system, and the contributing factors including chemical plants and residential waste. The death of our waterways will impact our generation if we do not act now. It is already affecting my dinner.

I am a regular contributor to AnglerSport magazine and have had my work published in numerous fishing and sailing magazines across North America. My knowledge of our bay system stems from my years of angling these waters. The president of Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission has already agreed to an interview for this article.

Have a wonderful day!

[signature]

Angling Angie

[contact info centered on bottom of letterhead]
Angela Adair
1006 S. Country Club
Shoreacres, TX 77571
aadair@electrotex.com
Phone (281) 470-8397 Fax (281) 842-1275
http://www.writersmarkets.com/

Rejection
You WILL be rejected. Everyone says, "A rejection is not a rejection of you, it is a rejection of your idea." I don't care what they say. Rejection hurts, no matter what the reason. The only good part of being rejected is when an editor sends you a personal note. You can use their comments to improve your query before targeting other publications with your idea. Also, if an editor liked your query enough to send a personal note, you have a good chance of getting your foot in their door at a later time. Query them again.

The Assignment and Dealing With An Editor
If you are persistent, you will become a published writer. The editor will contact you by mail, phone, or e-mail and will tell you to proceed. They might discuss your idea and tell you how they'd like you to write the article differently than your query angle. They should also provide you with a word count and a deadline. They might send you a contract, but this doesn't always happen. Many small publications do business "on a handshake." One editor sent me an e-mail that said, "Great idea! Can you get it to us by August 15th?" My response was, "No problem. Send me a word count and I'll get right on it." That was it. I knew she was busy and didn't have time for professional or personal chatter. I had read their guidelines and knew what rights they were buying and how much they were paying me. I only needed to deliver exactly what I'd stated in my query letter. The point I'm trying to make it this: I picked up on the editor's "business etiquette" and her stress level. I did not bother her by calling for petty details, and I didn't even call to ask if she'd received my article. I sent the manuscript by express mail so I could bother the post office with a phone call instead of her. Included in my package was my manuscript, a disk of the article (so they wouldn't have to retype it), my photos with accompanying negatives, and a short note proposing another article idea. My system worked because she gave me the go-ahead on that idea, and also asked me for a list of articles I could write for them next year. I'm now a regular contributor, and I have no doubt it is because I respected the editor's busy schedule and made her job so easy.

Writing the Article
1. Pull out the query you sent to the magazine and read your second paragraph. Also review any notes you have from the editor if she has requested changes to your article angle. Use these to write your outline.

2. Do your research, if any.

3. Take and develop photos, if required. Note: If your photos feature people, you will need to obtain release forms from them prior to publication. See sample release form (below).

I hereby give_______________________________(writer), writer's publisher, successors and assigns permission to copyright and/or publish any photograph(s) of myself with or without using my name and to keep changes and/or additions to such photographs, portraits in such manner as shall seem proper to their use. I also understand that editorial matter will at times accompany these photos. I certify that I am of full age 18 and am possessed of full legal capacity to execute the foregoing authorization.

By filling out the form and signing below, I agree to the terms stated above.

Name:
Birth Date:
Street address:
City:
State:
Zip:
Signature:

4. Write the article and spell check it!

5. Let someone else read the article before you print the final draft. This is imperative. Even someone with no knowledge of your subject will be able to point out inconsistencies, grammatical errors, and typos. Ask your reviewer for criticism. Hint: Don't let a family member critique your manuscripts. Family members are afraid of hurting your feelings. Friends, colleagues, and fellow writers make better critics.

6. Prepare your manuscript in the correct format. Most writer's guidelines have specific submission requirements. Follow those if they are provided. If they are not, the typical manuscript format includes:

At the top:
Author's name
Author's Social Security Number
Word Count
Title of Article (though the magazine will probably change your
title) Body - Manuscript should be double-spaced and have a page
number on every page.

7. Send the article to the editor using the methods their guidelines require. Include a hard copy of your manuscript, a computer disk of your manuscript in text-only format (if available), photos and negatives with appropriate signed releases from photo subjects, and a short note proposing another article for the magazine. When the editor sends you a contributor's copy of the magazine featuring your article, make multiple photocopies of your published article. These are called "clips." Include a copy of your best clip(s) with future queries. This will show editors that you are a published writer, enhancing your credibility.

The information above is an excellent source to get you started on your freelance writing career. No it's time to approach markets with your ideas! You can find multiple paying markets on-line at ( http://www.writersmarkets.com/ )

Angela Adair is the publisher of The Write Markets Report. She can be reached at: aadair@writersmarkets.com.