Freelance writers can decide between submitting a finished article or a query letter to an editor. These days most editors prefer a one-page query letter, usually emailed. But before you pitch any article, you must know what magazines publish your topic.
Copywriting
How to Generate More, High Quality, Referrals for Your Writing Business
There’s a truth in business and in life – If you don’t ask, you don’t get. It’s no different when it comes to client referrals. But, that asking requires some careful thought and preparation. Learn how to get client referrals in this article.
Why Outsource Your Business’s Content Creation? The 6 Benefits of Outsourcing
Businesses outsource a wide range of tasks to qualified professionals who can help them get more done in a shorter amount of time. According to SBA, some of the most commonly outsourced business functions include sales, human resources, accounting, customer service, and marketing, which can include content creation. If you haven’t considered outsourcing your business’s… Read more →
Why Hire a Freelance Writer?
They say that “content is king” because consumers are always in search of information, as well as tips and tricks, that can help them make smarter decisions. But with so many businesses creating plans for releasing exciting and relevant content that will attract buyers, how can you be sure your brand will stand out and… Read more →
The 8 Best Content Writing Services for Both Clients and Writers
Content is still king. Seven out of 10 marketers invest in content marketing, and 78% of companies have between one and three content specialists. Each one of those marketers wants to get more attention than their competitors, so it’s no surprise that the content service market is booming. There are so many platforms out there,… Read more →
Freelance Writing 101: What Exactly Do Freelance Writers Do?
Between 2014 and 2019, the number of working freelancers increased by 64.9 percent. In fact, freelancers now represent approximately 35 percent of the world’s workforce, and 75 percent of them say that they wouldn’t do anything else for a living. Those new to the idea might be wondering: what’s a freelance writer, and why has… Read more →
3 Reasons You’re not Making Money as a Copywriter… and How to Turn it Around
Before you started your copywriting business, you dreamt of typing away on a veranda somewhere in the sun with a mojito at your side. You’d step away every few hours for a quick dip in the pool and a refresh. But it didn’t quite turn out like that. If your business is causing you pain… Read more →
Meet the Freelance Writer: Bree Brouwer
Ever want to know what the life of a full-time freelance writer is really like? Freelance writer Bree Brouwer shares insights, tips, and realities about the job.
Meet the Freelance Writer: Samar Owais
Ever want to know what the life of a full-time freelance writer is really like? Freelance writer Samar Owais shares insights, tips, and realities about the job.
Meet the Freelance Writer: Kaitlin Madden
Welcome to our new series, Meet the Freelance Writer! Here, you’ll meet a diverse range of individuals who have carved out a place in the world of full-time freelance writing. In this interview, you’ll find out all about Kaitlin Madden.
Meet the Freelance Writer: Elna Cain
Welcome to our new series, Meet the Freelance Writer! Here, you’ll meet a diverse range of individuals who have carved out a place in the world of full-time freelance writing. In this interview, you’ll find out all about Elsa Cain.
Editorial Calendars: Perspectives from Industry Experts
Whether you’re a writer, editor, blogger, or marketer, here’s what the experts say about using editorial calendars. PLUS download a free Editorial Calendar today!
How to Start a Telecommute Copywriting Career
A telecommuting copywriter, with a strong background in sales and marketing, may be any business owner’s secret weapon to survive in tough financial times.
Top 10 Tips to Convince Businesses to Outsource Freelance Work to You
Businesses will outsource work to you if you can prove that you can produce exceptional work; you meet deadlines; you can achieve what the client wants; you have existing skills and knowledge matching the project.
Top 10 Tips to Freelance as a Copywriter for an Ad Agency
Learn about the top 10 tips to freelance as a copywriter for ad agencies. Copywriting jobs from ad agencies pay high rates and offer plenty of work.
Becoming a Freelance or Telecommute Copy Editor
The key skills to required to succeed as a copy editor are an acute awareness to awkward terminology and wording, sentence structure, and the author’s voice
You Can Provide Ghostwriting Services Online
A ghostwriter is a person who writes for someone else for money and always stays in the background. When you are hired for a ghostwriting gig, you give up ownership of the work the very minute you are paid – whether it is a blog, an article or an entire book.
Top 10 Hot Topics to Pitch to Editors at Arts & Crafts Magazines
The industry of arts and crafts is enormous, raking in 14 billion dollars annually for the United States economy. This also means arts, crafts, and hobby magazines are widely read by enthusiasts. The popular arts and crafts magazines distribute between 150,000 and 175,000 copies per new issue.
Top 10 Hot Topics to Pitch to Editors at Automotive Magazines
Simply put, you already have a large potential audience; the sheer number of auto magazines in the U.S. and loyal readership in the millions make auto-related articles in-demand by editors. But you can also target car shoppers, auto hobbyists, and motorsports fans. The average age varies among magazines, but is between 20 and 50 years old.
Top 10 Hot Topics to Pitch to Editors at Health Magazines
Health magazines focus on human health and fitness with an emphasis on living a healthy lifestyle. These magazines usually target individuals who want to prevent lifestyle diseases and medical conditions or who already have them but want to live a healthier lifestyle.
Top 10 Hot Topics to Pitch to Editors at Home Improvement Magazines
Freelancing for home improvement magazines requires you to tap into readers’ desire to improve the appearance and luxuries of their personal living spaces.
Get Help Writing Policies and Procedures Fast
Writing policies and procedures can be an arduous task. Discover the most efficient ways to write your policies and procedures assignment by the deadline.
Why SEO Copywriting is the Perfect High-Paying, Work-from-Home Job With Huge Growth Potential
If you’ve ever considered starting a freelance writing career, or want to find an ideal work-from-home job that pays well, then consider SEO copywriting.
The Secret To Grant Proposal Writing Success
In my position working in programming for one of the country�s major foundations, I reviewed many many grant proposals.
What Do Great Headlines Have In Common With Lingerie?
Since the age of 9, I’ve been a writer. I wrote secret stories, secret newsletters, and secret novels about solving mysteries with Nancy Drew during my first year of writing.
The Basics of Technical Writing
Technical writing is purposeful and usually intended to solve a problem for a specific audience.Learn about the seven principles of technical writing.
Why Web Copywriting Is Like Plastering
Like plastering, there are a few tricks of the trade when it comes to copywriting. Here are five reasons why you should hire a professional web copywriter.
5 Easy Steps to Become Your Own Best Editor
For many writers, getting that first draft down can give them a rush of excitement. The words flow freely, the ideas come at lightning speed, the book seems to be coming together just as they had in their head.
Technical Writing Exercises to Help You Sell it
A product has two basic qualities. It has features, and it has benefits. As Elmer so rightly realized, a consumer buys a benefit, not a feature. It doesn’t matter that the shoes you’re selling are made of genuine wombat leather.
7 Low-Tech Technical Writing Jobs That Pay Well
There are a lot of non-profit organizations out there looking for writers to prepare and submit a grant proposal on their behalf. The same goes for for-profit corporations
Technical Writing for Non-Technical Readers
When you write for your peers, you can use as many technical and esoteric terms as you like. Why? You know they will understand what you’re saying; you don’t need to explain what, to you, are everyday concepts.
9-Point Checklist: Is a Technical Writing Job For You?
If you are just starting out on your professional career or thinking to make a career change, you might want to use the below check list to see if technical writing would be a correct choice for you.
10 Words to Avoid When Writing
Writing is a combination of art and craft. The art comes from lots of reading, talking, thinking, dreaming, and writing. The craft is primarily technique.
The Art of Writing a Business Report
Can you imagine life without the printed word? Regardless of your profession, you frequently use documents and reports to base important business decisions
10 Essential Qualities For Success in PR
The world of public relations is a lot like the world of advertising — the more creative you are, the more successful you will be. Of course, more often than not you will be using fairly standard techniques such as press releases to promote your client. However, if you can inject some of your own personal creativity into these tried-and-tested methods
Report Writing Made Easy
Without enough planning, a report can seem unclear and uninformed, and it shows little understanding of the client’s needs.
SEO Article Writing 101
SEO writing is very different from content writing, article writing, story writing and news writing.
SEO Writing Can Make You Rich as a Freelance Writer
SEO writing involves writing keyword-rich articles to rank the client’s website higher in search engines and generate more website traffic.
Magnetic Marketing Copy: Writing From a Position of Partnership
Do you ever feel sleazy or inauthentic when you write marketing or sales copy? Like you’re pushing people, rather than pulling them in? I know I have.
News Writing Bloopers: 4 Common Journalism Mistakes
News writing is supposed to be the embodiment of perfectly produced prose. However, the reality is that it is the source of more grammatical, contextual and typographical mistakes
Pick a Writing Niche, Any Writing Niche
Unless you’ve been working in a small town, doing bits and pieces of different types of legal work for everyone, it’s quite likely you’ve become a specialist of some sort
How to Write and Publish a Book About Your Historic Neighborhood
What better way to preserve your neighborhood’s history than with a book? It’s a permanent document that can be passed down through the generations.
7 Important Tips in Business Writing
Letter writing is a form of communication. Thoughts, feelings, opinions and intentions are written clearly so that the reader will fully understand what exactly you wish to say
12 Job Application Tips for Copywriters
This article is for any writer – experienced or not – who plans to apply for a copywriting job. It presents 12 tips (in order of importance) on how to apply in such a way that you stand a chance of making the shortlist.
5 Tips For Launching a Successful Freelance Copywriting Career
When I quit my day job, freelance failure was not an option.From the moment I made the decision to start my business, I expected to succeed. Here’s why.
How to Start a Career As a Freelance Copywriter
If you have always wanted to be a Freelance Copywriter and don’t know how to break into the industry, read the following article for need-to-know tips!
Copywriting – How Copywriters Use Weasel Words to Bend the Truth
Copywriters use weasel words to plant an idea in readers’ minds that is bigger than the actual claim being made. Here is how they do it.
How I Became a Syndicated Columnist, And You Can Too!
When people ask me how I became a syndicated columnist, I usually say, it just snowballed. And basically that’s what happened. Here’s how you can do it too.
How Much Does a Copywriter Make?
How much money you make as a freelance writer depends on your skills and experience. Here’s a rough guide to follow as to how much you can charge clients.
Freelance Copywriters Should Be Concerned About Economics of Niche Marketing Vs Box Store Approach
It’s been of concern for many years that the independents are disappearing. They simply cannot compete with volume discounts possible for larger organizations who source
Freelance Copywriting Career – What Does A Typical Day Looks Like?
This article will look at 7 daily rituals involved with operating a freelance or advertising copywriting business and address some of the pitfalls involved.
Freelance Copywriting – How To Get Writing Jobs
Establish the focus or purpose of the article. Determine the message that you want to get across to the reader. Be aware of the audience and write in a style that will interest your readers.
Freelance Writing and Copywriting – Every Writer Needs a Bio
You’re a writer: do you have a bio? Every freelance writer and copywriter needs a bio, because people need to know who you are before they’ll hire you. Discover how to write a killer bio today.
Five Quick Tips for Aspiring Copywriters
So, as long as copywriters are going to keep popping up like breakfast treats, it seems appropriate for us white-haired communicators to share what we know with those who will carry our torches when we’re gone.
How to Write Riveting Book Reviews
It’s not always easy to know how to approach a book review writing task because you might not be a literature expert. Even if you are, writing a positive or negative review sometimes boils down to your personal preferences, making your task a little stickier.
Writing Interesting Copy on Boring Subjects
Rambling prose can pose problems for the reader. Freelance writer Mark James helps you write more interesting copy on dull subjects.
How to Write Better Copy by Observing Amazon’s Marketplace
When I need help structuring a piece of copy, I’ll visit Amazon to observe the social habits of people–what they buy, sell, and discuss. Let me show you how.
5 Proofreading Tips in a Digital Age
I’m trained as a newspaper reporter, so double checking information is second nature to me. Over the years as I wrote copy in other arenas – from college alumni information to business brochures – I’ve slowly adopted a more calculated approach to proofreading my work in the final stages
How to Write Authority Content for You and Your Clients
Your article’s purpose may be to inform, educate, convince, or simply entertain. Crafting authority content helps you, your clients, and your audience.
How to Write Web Copy that Sells!
You want to write web copy that grabs the reader’s attention and sells something, whether that is a product or an idea, right? To achieve this, it could be a good idea to see how web content differs from articles that appear in print, especially if you are accustomed to writing for print media.
How to Write ‘About Us’ Pages that Engage Readers
About Us pages can be a wonderful opportunity to make a company or organization shine but most of them are too often wasted words on a page that no one reads. It doesn’t have to be this way and I’m going to offer a simpler way to help you write a better page.
How to Write a Marketable Article Based on Timely Events
The first requirement of writing marketable articles is that you must choose a timely topic that creates a lot of interest. No matter how well you write the article, its subject must zero in on the publication’s readership. That is the primary basis on which editors judge quality newsworthy non-fiction content.
How to Make Your Article SEO-Friendly Before Selling It to an Editor
Tired of getting your magazine submissions rejected, or worse, ignored, with no response? Learn to make every article SEO-friendly and well-researched with quotations and statistics that would pass the scrutiny of even the toughest fact checkers and you are likely to see more of your articles published.
Freelance Writing: How to Handle Clients Who Hate Your Work
Most clients are willing to work with you to remedy problems or inconsistencies, while some clients expect too much and become irate. So how do you handle different clients with different attitudes, moods, and tolerances? Here are a few tips to make clients work with you instead of against you.
Freelance Writing: How to Generate ‘Reader-Interest’ in Any Story or Article
What interests all people, all the time? It’s seeing themselves in a story or piece of news. Use this to generate reader interest in your writing.
How to Get a Hardship Grant When You’re a Freelance Writer
There is one thing writers can do when they have sudden changes in their life circumstances, whether it’s a magazine shutting down or you loose your main income and your writing income will not support you or your family, you can apply for a grant.
How to Approach Book Publishers with Your Copywriting Services
You’ve established yourself with a few authors writing back cover copy, and you’re ready to approach publishers with your writing portfolio. Maybe you’d like to get your foot in the door with a few of the smaller presses so you can work your way up to the big leagues.
How to Avoid Sexist Language in Article Writing
A responsible writer wants to steer clear from sexist language, particularly in non-fiction and business writing, because it is deemed inappropriate. It can alienate one’s readership. When I write I want to gain readers’ trust so I can build credibility and respect.
5 Home Office Productivity Tips for Freelance Writers
Working out of the home sounds like a dream come true to many people – and to be honest, I wouldn’t trade it for the world. Read these tips on how best to work from home.
How I Broke into Freelance Writing Based on One Idea
Everyone has a story about how they began their freelance writing career. Learn how to do the same from the experiences of one successful writer.
How to Get Your Work Published in Reputable Magazines
Breaking into reputable magazines doesn’t require a secret power or any sort of special list. What it does require is planning, executing and being aware of what your targeted magazine needs are, outside of their printed guidelines. Learn how to break into magazine writing with this article.
Getting the Most Mileage Out of Your Articles
As freelance writers we all know that the more mileage we can get out of an article or story, the better off we will be. It takes time to write an article or story and you want to be able to get the most for the time you’ve spent.
Grow Your Writing Business and Increase Your Income with Subcontractors
If your freelancing workload is too heavy, it may be time to hire some subcontractors to help you out. Learn about effectively hiring subcontractors here.
Disgusted and Rejected: A Freelance Writer’s Point of View on Unfair Publishing and Payment Practices
Not all editors acknowledge the receipt of a manuscript or query letter. If the writer, after waiting beyond the response time, inquires about his submission, then he risks incurring editorial wrath and his submission is returned, unread. This is an opinion piece on the unfair publishing and payment practices freelance writers often encounter in their efforts to get their work published.
Freelance Writing for the Christian Market
Do you write only for secular publications but are looking for new markets to tap into? The more markets you have to write the better your income can be. Writing for the Christian market may be just what you are looking for.
Freelance Writing for Pet Magazines
Writing for a pet publication can a way to add to your portfolio and your pay packet. Learn all about the different publications and how to write for them.
Freelance Writing for Pregnancy and Baby Magazines
The parenting writing niche is ripe with opportunity. Here are some useful tips to successfully approach pregnancy, baby, and parenting publications.
8 Tips to Maximize Your Freelance Writing Earnings
Want to earn more as a freelancer? Learn about eight proven ways to maximize your freelance writing earnings without sacrificing more time or quality.
A Writer’s Viewpoint about Freelance Writing at Elance.com (and where to make more money elsewhere)
In a nutshell, Elance connects freelance writers with employers from all around the world. As a writer, you can bid on different projects. After you’ve submitted your work, your payment is released through a secure payment system called Escrow. Sounds good enough? It’s not.
Freelance Writing Clients: The Good vs. the Bad
I think most freelancers have some conception of what a bad client looks like – those of you who aren’t yet freelancers, imagine one. It probably exists. But what about the good ones?
To My Editor: “Messing Up My Manuscript May Make Me Mad!”
As a general rule, editors do not and cannot print articles exactly as they are written. The chances are that the proofreader, correcting the proof, may have observed some unnoticed variation from the established publication’s house style. All manuscripts are subject to scrutiny and revision.
Freelance Copywriting: Writing the Advertorial
Whether you are a copywriter, an article writer, or a journalist, you can easily grasp the mechanics of writing advertorials for clients. Without realizing it, you might have written advertorials, in some form or to some degree, for clients. Here are some practical tips to understand the components of an advertorial and how to write one.
A Freelance Writer’s Point-of-View: Writing for Publications vs. Writing for Corporations
Because I’m always interested in building my skillset and gaining more practice, I’ve been taking on corporate writing jobs in addition to my work that gets featured in a publication. Writing for a company has various
A Writing Opportunity: Creating Custom Templates for Clients
For freelance technical writers or writers who have experience with business contracts, creating custom templates for clients could provide a lucrative source of income. Although many websites offer free templates of all kinds, they are generalized, mostly used for common tasks. More sophisticated uses need more specialized templates.
Protecting Your Work the Right Way: Copyright and Usage Rights for Freelance Writers
When you sell your article or other written piece to a publication, it’s important to understand what you’re actually selling. More often than not, you’re not selling the written piece, or manuscript, itself.
Copy Editors: Use These 4 Tips to Communicate with Clients
While client education isn’t technically part of a copy editor’s job, working with clients who have a firm grasp of the scope of work, and the value of that work, tends to translate into projects that don’t raise my blood pressure and that do blossom into repeat assignments
How to Choose the Perfect Freelance Copywriting Niche
I’ve worked with hundreds of successful freelance writers over my 16 years as Executive Director of American Writers & Artists Inc. One thing these success stories have in common is this: they decided to focus on a specific industry or niche.
A Writer’s Writing Style: What is it?
A writer’s most prized possession is his or her own unique writing style. Our purpose in writing a story (either fiction or non-fiction) is to trigger certain ideas to emerge in the readers’ minds.
What Abraham Lincoln Can Teach Us About Clear, Concise Writing
Abraham Lincoln, America’s iconic 16th President (1861-65), was never known as either a great writer or a great orator. Yet he penned one of the most highly praised and oft-quoted speeches in history.
Comedy Copywriting – Funny Or Not, Here I Come
I enjoy humor-reading it, watching it and writing it. Writing it is the hardest. But that doesn’t stop me from including it when writing copy.
Copywriting Choices – Specialist or Non-Specialist?
Property sector copywriting, for instance, is hugely different from writing for the IT or telecomms sectors, whilst financial copywriting requires a totally different grounding from, say, travel copywriting.
Creating Target Market Profiles Focuses Your Copywriting
One client sells a car-care product. They told us that their target customer was a guy in his mid-twenties who loved his car. The overall picture of who we were writing to, however, really didn’t click until we got down to the nitty-gritty and developed a complete profile.
Fill’er Up – Earn More Writing Food Fillers
Fillers can be quizzes, humorous tidbits, sweet remembrances, or announcements of new products, recipes or restaurants
Business Writing – Discover 6 Challenging Steps to Excel at Business Writing
In this type of writing, there are so many factors that you need to take into consideration just to get your message across
11 Blog Post Topics For Fitness Copywriters
Below are some general blog post ideas that you can write from. Remember to research and include facts and stats in your blog posts. Weave in your own personality and give good, plain information that adds value. A knowledgeable fitness copywriter stays on top of current trends.
Book Copy Editors – You Also Have to Be Manuscript Ghost Writers, Rewriters and Proof Readers
The book author is the person who hires you to do the book manuscript writing; sometimes they help you write, and sometimes they don’t.
7 Reasons Why New Copywriters Should Start With Catalog Copywriting
One of the fastest and easiest ways to break into freelance copywriting is with catalog copywriting.
The Bible: The Source of all Copywriting Secrets
Simply put, every copywriting strategy can be found FIRST in the Bible. Think that’s a strong statement? See the proof inside.
6 Effective Tips to Improve Copy on your Company’s Blog
This article provides tips to write effective, attention-arresting blog copy and shows how you can develop reader and customer loyalty.
Nonfiction with Passion: Four Steps to Emotionally Charge Your Article
Breathing life into a nonfiction article is tough, especially if it doesn’t include a character or an emotional storyline. Here are 4 methods to manage it.