Go to any newsstand, bookstore or drugstore and you’ll see rows of magazines lined up with enticing titles and intriguing articles. After standing there for a few minutes, you’ll feel yourself drawn to one or two that capture your attention. You browse through them and land on a few interesting articles – maybe you quickly read through them.
The power of magazine articles is what brings in the bacon for major publishers, and all magazines thrive on getting people to buy a copy in order to read the articles. This means that each publication must find talented writers who can create articles for their particular theme.
Freelance article writing for magazines has been the staple of independent writers for decades, and it’s still going strong. The upside for writers is that there are hundreds of magazines to submit articles to. The downside is that there is fierce competition from thousands of quality writers who also want to see their names featured in these glossies.
If you are lucky enough to have your article accepted by a magazine then you will be in privileged company. The magazine will send you a nice check and, after a few months, you’ll get to see your article in all of its full, graphic glory. Great!
Now what?
Well, you’ve got to do it all over again. Research magazines and topics, work on your article for hours on end to get it just right. Submit it to the magazine and hope it gets a serious look.
Can you make money writing articles for magazines?
Absolutely.
Can you make enough each month to pay your rent, food expenses and bills?
Hmmm. Maybe not. For many people, writing for magazines is more like a nice hobby. The pay can be really good, when you get an article accepted, but it sure isn’t going to be enough steady work to keep you afloat.
Okay. Does that mean you have to give up your dream of pursuing magazine freelance writing positions?
No, but you do need to adjust your thinking about freelance writing in order to make a realistic income from this type of career. Open yourself up to doing other types of writing jobs like: online article writing, website content writing, blog writing and even ghostwriting books. There’s a world of writing for pay opportunities that exists in addition to magazines.
If you just limit yourself to magazines, you may find yourself slaving away in a cubicle or other work type situation where you don’t get to spend the majority of your time doing what you love.
If you are willing to become a real professional freelance writer and establish a business around your writing, then you can build up a clientele that will pay you again and again for doing something that comes natural to you. Oh yeah, and you can still get your work published in magazines, which will only serve to build up your reputation as an excellent writer worth your weight in gold.
