Writing the Print Art Essay

Being that the arts are so popular, writing on them can be a rewarding career. Print markets pay more for art essays than most online publications. Where one short article will land you $10-20 online, a longer art article could land you well over $100 in print. The thesis here would be that print markets are superior; but harder to break into; and differ from what is expected in the online art essay.

Print markets usually reach more readers. Art sections in newspapers like The New York Times are very popular. The Times has a book review section where writers can submit work. The writing is always top notch in publications like these. Another example of a print market that publishes the arts is "The New Yorker." This one of the more popular art centered magazines around. Fiction is published here, but the emphasis is on art articles. The writing is some of the best we will come across, and make it incredibly hard to break into. The main point here is that print markets pay more, but often have staffs that publish most of the articles. There are freelance opportunities in other magazines like "The Sun" and "Utne" however.

The payment will always be higher. Some publications, like "The New Yorker" and "The Sun" will pay over $1,000 for a clear article on the arts. It would take close to, or more than, a hundred articles online to reach that point. Yet, because they are harder to break into, these print markets can jumpstart a career. Nothing sounds better than "I was published once in The New Yorker and twice in The Sun." The publications look good on a resume or cover letter.

The online publications allow more freedom. We can make mistakes in some cases, get help, and improve the next time. It could also take 6 months to a year to get a response on an art article submitted to a major magazine or paper. The problem is so many other writers see the high pay rates, and, of course, want it too. The chances of an online article being accepted are almost always higher. The payment is the reason many writers choose to attempt both when writing about the arts.

People will always seek out art in some form or another. It is part of what we are. The print art article has potential, and even if it is not published we still have the opportunity to publish online. The problem is time: sometimes we cannot afford to wait six months just to get a rejection. We should make the time by writing for both online and print.