Freelance Writers Can Cash in on the List Article Market

How many times have you seen headlines like "Top 100 Beauty Secrets of Celebrities" or "50 Ways to Lose a Pound Per Day" boldly glaring at you from women's magazines at the supermarket check-out aisle? Even if you don't care about celebrity beauty or weight loss, chances are that you grabbed a copy and skimmed out of morbid curiosity or boredom. Everyone loves lists. Why? We're nosy, lazy people who like instant gratification.

As a freelance writer, you could be taking advantage of this high-demand, wide-spread market. List articles aren't exclusive to women's magazines. You'll find lists like "49 Ways to Make $100/Day Freelance Writing" in websites for writers, "101 Winning Internet Marketing Techniques" in affiliate marketing magazines, and "Top 50 Home Businesses for Stay-at-Home Moms" in publications geared toward work-at-home parents. Whatever your areas of expertise, chances are there are at least a few publications you could write list articles for.

The list article market is so lucrative because your possibilities are only limited by your creativity. If you start making a list of ideas, you can probably come up with at least a hundred potential titles for list articles without much effort. Think of everything you know about or could learn more about. Consider everything you've ever been complimented on. What do you do well that other people would like to learn how to do? What do you know about that other people would like to know more about?

Think business. Tap into your freelance writing career experiences. What have you learned the hard way? What do you wish someone had taught you to do or warned you about when you first began to freelance write? Your knowledge and experience can benefit new writers trying to break into freelancing. If you have a career besides writing, or if you had a career that you gave up to write full-time, you can draw on those experiences, too.

Get personal. Have you ever gotten out of debt? Are you the star baker at your child's school bake sales? Have you potty-trained your child or taught your teenager to budget her allowance? Did you successfully overcome your sugar or caffeine addiction? Ever quit smoking?

Once you have some ideas, you can begin seeking markets for them. There is no need to write a full article for each idea before finding someone who wants to buy your article. However, be sure that you will be able to adequately cover the topic should your article pitch be successful.

Go to your local library or bookstore, or go back to that supermarket aisle. Skim some magazines related to whatever subject matter you'd like to cover. If the magazine contains list articles, check to see if the articles seem to be written by the same regular columnists or by freelance writers. Study as many back issues as possible, and keep a list of your potential markets.

After researching your markets and finding the publications' guidelines (either at the magazine's website or in publications like Writers Market), you can begin sending your queries. It's a good idea to include a sample of what your proposed article will cover. If you're pitching an article on "50 Ways to Make Money Writing Articles," giving the editor the top five or ten tips will better your chances of getting your article accepted.

If you are flexible and prepared, you will increase your opportunities. Your article on "101 Ways to Beat the Winter Blues" for Prevention Magazine might also make a great filler for Woman's World as "25 Ways to Make Winter Fun," if you are able to re-write the best of the first piece into a new piece for your new audience. If you're ready for the possibility that the editor of First Magazine may request you turn your idea for "50 Tips for Losing Weight on a Low-Carb Diet" into "Top 30 Low-Carb Diet Pitfalls," you will increase your chances of success and ultimately make more money.