When referencing “editor,” I’m talking about the ones who make the decision whether to publish your editorial, essay, feature, short story, or even book. These are gatekeepers. These folks decide if they like what you submitted. So what is the criminal question you’re banned from asking? What topic do I write about? This is about […]
Don’t Be Shortsighted with Your Author Presence
/ 2020-10-09Recently, I was reading a submission from a writer who wanted to appear in the FFW newsletter. I liked the article, was going over it with some comments when someone messaged me. I keep umpteen windows open at a time, and in the back and forth, I accidentally deleted the email. It was a month […]
Becoming A Writer for A Digital Marketing Agency
/ 2020-08-07I’ve been working as a content manager, freelance writer, and editor for the Barcelona-based digital marketing agency Vime Digital for over four years. In fact, there are dozens of agencies out there and they’re all eager to recruit new writers. Read on and learn how to make your bones in the agency world. Let’s quickly define what […]
How to Get Two (or More) Assignments Out of One
/ 2020-08-01Building a career as a freelance writer takes more than talent and tenacity. While editors seek superbly written articles and essays, it’s what you do after publication that can make the most impression, leading additional assignments or acceptances. I have a strategy that has worked for me for the past year. These five easy steps […]
When You Have an Editor’s Ear
/ 2020-06-12Editors juggle a lot of balls in finding literary material for publications. They have multiple deadlines for multiple editions and all the administrative nuts and bolts that come with putting a publication together. When finally obtaining the ear of an editor, keep your moment(s) brief, because others just like you are vying for that editor’s […]
Four Important Lessons About Magazine Writing
/ 2020-06-05Having worked in the book industry my entire career, I decided that 2020 would be a great time to not only broaden my writing repertoire but also add another revenue stream by writing for magazines. So, in January, I pitched article ideas to a local magazine publisher. I felt confident about the topics and assumed […]
Easy Tracking
/ 2020-05-07Submitting queries and manuscripts nowadays is as easy (and cost-effective) as a single keyboard click. But while programs like Submittable keep a list of e-submissions sent to certain sites, not every publisher uses such a program. Without it, can you pinpoint exactly where and when you sent out every piece, query or pitch in the […]
Backing Into Large Publications
/ 2020-04-24Freelance writers have to be motivated to reach for the brass ring. To some of us, that means publishing in a major magazine or national newspaper, a difficult achievement even with a substantial number of clips. A plethora of authors vie for the top spots, and once they’re in, they hold onto them. Fortunately, there […]
How to Mine a Dozen Articles from a Single Topic
/ 2020-03-20As a content writer or freelance journalist, a little learning can go a very long way. In the course of your career, you may become quite expert in a particular topic(s), perhaps because of a job you once had, or because you once had to do a lot of research or interviews in that area, […]
10 Ways to Turn Rejection Into Acceptance
/ 2020-03-06For writers of all kinds, dealing with ideas and words that get rejected is an everyday reality. But there are sometimes ways you can turn a No into a Yes… So you get your commission, you send in your copy – but the editor or client says they’ll pass. Or you send in a bunch […]
How to Interview Someone
/ 2020-03-01Whether it’s for a post on your blog, or a conversation with an expert you need to write up for a content client, here’s how to get an interview written up with speed and impact… Don’t do an interview! We’re not talking hard-hitting news here. We’re talking about a conversation between two people with mutually […]
Nine Reasons Your Article Idea was Rejected
/ 2020-02-08Sometimes your article idea for a website or magazine might get rejected for reasons beyond your control – perhaps something similar has already been planned, or the editor has no budget left for freelances. But you can improve your chances of acceptance. Your query letter lets you down A query that isn’t written in a […]