Hello! I'm new to this site so I am not sure if this has been asked yet, but I am wondering the best way to start freelancing. Is there a specific site? Do you write articles/short stories/poems and send them in to places? Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
Hi Amanda
Freelance writing is one of those things where, the more subjects you are happy to write about, the more work you will find. I've written about everything from Botox to heavy lifting machinery to wedding trends - the key is to find your voice and have the ability to create an angle for each piece you submit.
There is a huge market out there for freelancers, from SEO work and blog content to articles in magazines. However, there's also a huge amount of competition for this type of work. I would recommend approaching some local publications and pitching ideas for articles - local interest pieces, interviews with local business owners, that kind of thing. You may find you have to work for free or a very low rate at first (which is awful, I know) - however, the more work you have published, the better position you will be in. Most magazines don't take unsolicited work, but they may be open to considering pitch ideas - a simple email detailing your idea, a few short lines of the article and why you feel it would be a good fit for their magazine is the best way to go. You also need to consider lead time, especially if your proposed work is time sensitive - if you're pitching an article about Remembrance Day, for example, you need to have approached the publication and have it ready to go several months before.
If you do have a special area of interest or expertise (law, local history, finance, fashion), then target those publications. A quick Google search will provide you with a whole list of options. And finally, just keep writing! If you go on holiday and have a great time, write an article about it. Doesn't matter if you ever submit it (although I hear inflight travel magazines are often looking for content) - the important thing is that you are honing your style. Writing magazine content is quite different from writing fiction, so it's important to have a good handle on both.
Good luck with it all!
Hi Amanda,
What do you write? Some publications do take unsolicited work, but many prefer you to send a letter first, outlining your idea and asking if they'd be interested.
There are many sites for freelancers to find work:
www.freedomwithwriting.com and www.authorspublish.com are American, but have many suggestions for publishers actively looking for article and fiction writers, and you can subscribe for free to their email service.
A lot of womags don't take work from anyone other than their stable of writers. You could ask, but don't be surprised if they say no.
Try googling 'freelance writing markets' or similar in the country of choice, and see what comes up. Then check out anything that looks interesting before you submit.