SiteRW Makeover #1: Update and a Market Tip
by Jennifer Applin
Wow, is it really July already!?! I think I’ll probably just get a good summer schedule worked out as far as juggling my kids and writing and then it’ll be time for school to start again. It really isn’t the extra hours that my kids are home, but instead all of the extra activities that are throwing my work schedule off. Regardless, I am still getting work done and my family and I are enjoying the summer. Since this is one of the benefits of a freelance lifestyle I plan on taking full advantage of it!
As far as my writing goals, I’m happy to report that I’m making progress. I’ve picked up some steady clients (web articles and copywriting) and some editors have been approaching me with article requests (getting your name out there and having a website really helps). I haven’t been doing a lot of querying, but with those I have sent I think I’m “getting closer.” I’m now getting replies to my queries and a “no” response is always better than no response at all (especially when the reason is that they already have something similar in the works-at least it’s not “no, you suck, don’t bother!”). I still hope to crack some of the big national markets before the year is up and I feel pretty good about meeting that goal. My main goal this year is to reach the point where I’m consistently making what I consider a full-time living (keep in mind I’m in Ohio). I’m more than half-way there now and if a few more opportunities currently in the works pan out, then I should be in good shape.
Now, here is a little market tip I’d like to share with you. Finding paying markets can be difficult at times, especially when you’re starting out. Of course I’m familiar with all of the popular titles, but I have a hard time finding the smaller publications that would be easier to break into at this point in my career. More times than I’d like to count I’d hear about a publication and after spending some time poking around their website for the guidelines I’d find some small sentence in the middle of a paragraph stating that they don’t pay for articles. Since I have a family to feed, I’m only looking for paying markets at this point.
Then it occurred to me to check out the websites of other writers. Some writers only list a handful of the top publications they’ve written for, but others list every publication. When I check out their websites I often find the names of publications I’ve never heard. Although there is no guarantee, it’s pretty safe to assume these publications are paying markets. If you are wondering where to find the websites of other writers, just do a quick search of the names on your favorite writing forums, blogs, or the bylines of your favorite magazines. Another bonus is if you have a question about a particular publication you already have the name of someone who has written for them 
2 Responses to “RW Makeover #1: Update and a Market Tip”
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LindaFormichelli
Said this on July 12th, 2007 at 12:46pm:Love the idea of checking writers’ sites for potential markets! But keep in mind that some do list nonpaying markets in their credits.
Also, if you find a trade magazine that you like and that pays well, check out the publisher’s website to find a list of the other trades they print. If your editor loves you, you can even ask her to pass your name along to some of the other editors!
Writer Mama
Said this on July 13th, 2007 at 2:43am:This is totally a tip I heard and used when I was starting out that can save valuable time.
In my experience, writers use their best clips in their bios, so even if this isn’t a completely fool-proof strategy (but what is???), it’s a great short-cut.
I’m always impressed with how quickly you learn and apply what you learn, sifting out what works for you, sharing it with others and chugging right along!
You’ve got a gift, that’s for sure.