Starting a Freelance Writing Career (or How I Sifted Through the
Muck and Found My Way)
So, the decision is final. I am a writer.
Actually, I have always been a person who writes, but I have
never applied the term to myself in a professional sense. Having
pushed aside my financial fears and gained the requisite
self-confidence, I began to surf the net in earnest for
information about how to begin a freelance writing career. The
vast amount of information was daunting enough, but when I
realized how much time and effort would go into an attempt to
get published, I almost quit.
Several thoughts are keeping me going. A lot of it has to do
with my personal history and the role that writing plays in my
life. When I was 8, I left notes around the house asking my
parents for an increase in my allowance. When I was in college,
I was the nut who took three journalism classes and three
literature classes in one semester. When I went to graduate
school as an adult with two small children, my ability to write
well saved my sanity.
I pushed on. My initial research told me that I first needed to
learn about the business of writing because I knew nothing of
queries, markets, or copyright. Once I learned what content
should be included in a query, writing them was not difficult;
however, researching the various markets has been incredibly
time consuming. At first, I hit dead ends. I started searching
the typical job sites, but most of them did not post freelance
work.
Then I came across several subscription sites that claimed to
connect freelancers with writing markets. I was concerned that
some of these sites might be scams, but after spending several
days exploring one site in particular, I had almost decided to
subscribe. Before I took the leap, I came across an article
which criticized the site. It did not appear to be a scam, but
it was enough to validate my initial skepticism. I placed this
market source on hold to explore other opportunities.
A few other market postings also begged caution. One in
particular sounded like a great opportunity for new writers to
get published. I started to complete their online application
form until I arrived at the page that asked for my social
security number. They claimed that they needed it in order to
pay me, but they had not even seen my ideas or any of my writing
samples. I cancelled the application and moved on.
Perhaps the biggest shock to my English teacher sensibilities
was the listing for "academic writers." I thought: "Great! This
I've done." I clicked the button that led to more information
and realized that these "markets" were actually students trying
to cheat their way through school. Again, I moved on.
Although my early attempts to find writing markets were clearly
filled with concern, caution, and a certain degree of paranoia,
my experiences thus far have been mainly positive. I found
several sites that posted seemingly genuine paying markets. Even
if the information does not lead to publication, many of these
listings sparked ideas which I can pitch to other markets. Even
more important, the generation of ideas has lifted my spirits by
making writing for a living seem more realistic.
My biggest morale booster is no secret to most writers. Before
purchasing Writer's Market, I knew that it contained market
listings and informative articles. I did not know that it
contained lists of contests and awards, some of which are
designed to assist writers financially while they are writing. I
may never win such an award, but somehow, knowing that such a
thing exists makes my goals seem more attainable.
Finally, I am almost ready to start submitting queries. The
queries are written and effectively target the appropriate
markets, but I am still confused about copyright. I'm beginning
to fear that my grasp of copyright law is going to become
something like my grasp of the offside rule in soccer. My oldest
son has just completed his second year playing travel soccer and
each time I think I understand offside, something happens that
makes me question my understanding. The same holds true for
copyright. I understand the concept of first rights and I
understand what it means to submit simultaneously. But when a
market indicates that it buys first rights and also accepts
simultaneous submissions, who gets first rights if two markets
opt to purchase the same manuscript? If they both print the
story, they can't both have first rights. Can they? Since I do
not have the answer, I do not plan to submit queries
simultaneously - yet.
The most important lesson I have learned during this journey is
that the faith I have in myself and in my aspirations must rise
above the confusion and chaos created by the pursuit of the
dream.
If you like this article, read Starting a Writing Career (or Thoughts About Taking the
Plunge)