Get Noticed as a Freelance Writer: Glossary and Business Savvy Will Help

Some writers write for the thrill of expressing their thoughts on paper and being creative. Some want to make money off their writing, and in order to that, you have to get published. There are plenty of career opportunities in the world of publishing, but in my opinion, freelance writing is one of the best options because of the flexibility. If you think freelance writing is for you, then you may want to figure out how editors and the world of publishing operate. This way you can "talk the talk."

What does that mean?

Editors use certain lingo that if you are going to succeed in the freelance business, you need to get to know:

By-line - Credit given to the author that wrote the article.

Filler - A short, entertaining item, that helps fill up a newspaper or magazine. It could include a joke, anecdote, a short quiz, puzzles or other short pieces.

Kill fee - Compensation for an article that was written, but canceled due to lack of space or other unexpected reasons. Varies from publication to publication.

Multiple submissions - sending more than one article idea to a publication at a time.

On spec - submitting a finished article to an editor who has expressed an interest in the piece, but hasn't committed to purchasing it yet.

Payment on acceptance - writer receives payment for a piece as soon as the editor decides to publish it.

Payment on publication - writer receives payment for a piece as soon as it is published.

Query letter - a letter written to a specific editor at the publication you'd like to get published in. It operates much like a cover letter when applying for a job.
Be sure to include a strong lead that will catch the editor's attention, an estimated word count, proposed title, and a brief outline on what you plan to cover. Be quick and to the point and specific as possible. Let the editor know who you intend on interviewing that will give your article credibility. Next, let the editor know why you are the right person to write this article. If you have experience in the workforce with your topic, let them know. They are more likely to publish the piece and pay you for. Finally, write up the letter with a cordial, "Thank you in advance for your time and consideration," and "Sincerely," and add your signature.

SASE - self-addressed, stamped envelope, required by most publications if you are interesting in receiving a hard copy response.

Sidebar - a feature that accompanies an article and includes relevant and brief pieces of information pertaining to the article.

Slush pile - a stack of unsolicited manuscripts received by an editor. The editor did not ask for them, they were just sent in hopes of being published.

Once you've brushed up on your glossary terms, it's helpful to know how successful freelance writer's submit their ideas. Here are three suggestions:

-Submit a query letter proposing your idea. Wait to back from the editor to see if they are interested in your topic before writing it. Some publications only accept query letters.

-Write the full manuscript and submitted it in hopes that the editor will like it and want to pay your for it. The problem with this approach is that some publications do not accept manuscripts at all, and those that do, may reject your piece, costing you the time you spent writing it.

-Review publications that interest you and contact them to see if they accept work from freelance writers. Be sure to ask for specifics on how to submit your pitches if they do accept freelance writing.

So now you are ready to write, but what types of things will you write? Don't worry, there are plenty of opportunities. Consider:
How -pieces
Humor
Fiction
Essays
Op-ed pieces (opinion)
Travel
Interviews
Inspirational
Entertainment
Local
Filler

Have plenty of ideas? Now were are you going to submit them? Again, don't worry, in today's electronic age, there are more opportunities than ever. Consider:
Columns
Blogs
Online communities
Newspapers
Magazines
Trade journals
Newsletters
International publications
Books

Throughout my education in a graduate writing program, we studied a lot of very intelligent and successful writers that set me straight on how to get involved in this freelance writing thing. Here are a few that I'd recommended "getting to know" and the books they've written that I still refer to:

-Eva Shaw "Publishing Magazine Articles and Writing the Non-Fiction Book."
-Jenna Glatzer "Make a Real Living as a Freelance Writer."
-Dan Poynter "Writing Nonfiction."
-Michael Larsen "How to Write a Book Proposal."
-Betsy Lerner "The Forest for the Trees."

As a freelance writer, you have to be keep brushing up on your skills and always learning something new. There are plenty of ways to continue to enhance your career:

-Take writing classes. local community colleges offer non-credit courses that will help you improve your writing and even teach you ways to market yourself and your work, or learn a new market. If you are too busy to leave the house for class on a regular basis, maybe online classes are right for you. Ed2go.com offers a long list writing courses (and other valuable courses) for a reasonable rate.

-Join online writing communities. Doing so will allow you an opportunity to "meet" and "talk" to other writers, learn about new resources, and read others work. Some sites even provide the opportunity to have your work critiqued. Communities like faithwriters.com are free and others like mediabistro.com charge a nominal fee to join. For what you'll get out of it, it's well worth it.

-Attend writer's conferences. Have your work critiqued, meet authors and editors, along with fellow writers.

-Get a copy of the book, Writer's Market. It offers suggestions on publications to place your work and the current contact information. Other resources include writer's associations, articles with famous authors, and more.

Look for my article on tips for writing a query letter. I'll provide an example of a poorly written query letter and a well-written query letter that got my article published.