5 Ways to Jumpstart Your Freelance Writing Career While in College

A former journalism profressor and now friend recently asked me to speak to her writing for magazines and ezines class about becoming a freelance writer. I made up a hand-out for the students incase they did not remember what I said-- it was a Monday morning.

I introduced five ideas that worked for me-- here they are:

1. Become a Stringer- Cover Local Meetings
2. Other Local Daily Paper Opportunities
3. Other Local Publications: Think Alternative!
4. Go Niche, Regional or Trade- Smaller Publications = Bigger Chance in Magazines
5. Writing for the Web

Becoming a Stringer: GOOD FOR FUTURE HARD NEWS WRITERS

I got my start in daily papers by covering local municipal and school board meetings for a daily paper in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. The Greater Wilkes-Barre area is unique in that it has two local papers. What this means is that both papers want to be everywhere-they are in competition for the best coverage. This is impossible without a slew of correspondents that can be in the 70+ municipalities in Luzerne County alone. Both papers are in need of reliable people to cover meetings, which usually happen Monday-Thursday starting around 7 p.m. Meetings last anywhere from 15 minutes to three hours and stories have to be filed that same evening. Pay varies from paper to paper, meeting to meeting. Note: Meetings can be boring. But, they get you lots of clips! If you want to be in the news side of papers, this is a GREAT start. Plus, you learn a lot about local government.

Other Local Daily Paper Opps: GOOD FOR FUTURE FEATURES WRITERS

Once I had my feet wet with covering meetings for the daily paper and became a familiar name with editors, I approached the then managing editor about a local history piece, which I wrote as a part of this very class! I was paid $125 for it. This led to several other 'Look Back' features, as well as several stories I pitched for the features section. The unique thing about this is that I was never assigned an idea: I always pitched my own. If you are unique enough and have the samples to prove you can write, you have the potential to land something in the features section. Note: The features section is large, and if you ever really look, many stories are wire stories. This means there is a need for local features. Another tip is to only pitch things with a local angle.

Other Local Publications: GOOD FOR FUTURE MAGAZINE, FEATURE WRITERS

Many areas, like Wilkes-Barre, have entertainment weeklies. In Wilkes-Barre there are two. I got my start for one of them when I was working in radio. I had a story idea and I called the editor and she said yes. The rest is history. After the first story, I did lots of CD reviews, then did local band interviews and I know have about 250 clips.

Aside from those alternative weeklies, there are also community newspapers or special interest pubs that publish weekly. Most small towns, neighborhoods or rural areas have one. Try your hometown papers, or look into one near campus.

Niche Publications: GOOD FOR FUTURE MAGAZINE WRITERS

Breaking into a national magazine is extremely difficult. We're talking cut-throat. So, to get some better paying, glossy clips try niche publications, trade journals or regional magazines. My first national clip was in Games Magazine-it IS a national publication, but has a small readership compared to Reader's Digest or Cosmo. It was not even writing! (They were word games) To date, I have published seven times with them, anywhere from $25-$150. I was never turned down by them. Whenever I get an idea, I churn it out and send it. Think about hobbies you have and things you are good at.

Trade association journals rely heavily on freelancers, as they generally have a small staff. The best advice I can give is to look for journals in industries you know about. The Society of Professional Journalists, which has a student membership, accepts freelancers. Are you in any groups like SADD or an honor society? Chances are they have a magazine-submit a story on chapter news. Regional Magazines are also a good place to get published.

Writing on the Web: GOOD FOR ANY FUTURE WRITER

Many print publications have online versions. But, when writing specifically for the web, pay scale often comes with keyword density (for search optimization). That said, quality of exclusively online articles is usually lower, as they want repeated keywords and phrases-sometimes things you read online do not make sense for this very reason. I write for a site called Associated Content in my free time. It allows me to submit stuff no one else will print, editorials, or just quick hits on things I know and can write off the top of my head. They pay $3-$15 on average by PayPal, but do give occasionally $50 bonuses. On the surface, it doesn't sound like much, but the money can add up.

There are lots of websites that are looking for content writers. Always check the "About Us" or "Work for Us" link on websites to see how you can contribute. Just to get your name in the search engines (for something other than your MySpace page) is a good thing. Sites like epinions.com and other consumer review sites allow you to write (usually for free, though) reviews/articles. At least it keeps the ideas rolling!

QUICK IDEAS ON WHERE TO GET IDEAS:

--Listen to NPR's All Things Considered and Fresh Air, or read/listen to their site. I found some very cool things. I heard about green funerals and a Russian massage where they beat you with oak leaves and splash you with water!
-- See what people are searching for online on Yahoo! Buzz.
-- Read the Odd News
-- Read letters to the editors to pick up on what people care about
-- Think what your friends, neighbors, family and coworkers do that is out of the ordinary?
-- Read technology magazines about new items- find a local angle
-- Just plain read anything!! Read a magazine you normally wouldn't

If anyone has any questions, I'm open to help. Message me through AC.

HAPPY WRITING!