You don’t have to give up on these, but are you hankering to try something different? There’s a world of unique writing opportunities out there. Finding them is the tricky part.  

I didn’t realize how diverse the freelance universe is until I was tapped by someone who had heard about my writing and editing skills and offered something I hadn’t done before: Edit copy for an international pop music album cover. Now, I enjoy music, but I’m no musician, as I explained to the young guy emailing from another continent.  

“No worries,” he replied in slightly accented English. “In fact, it’s better if you don’t know the technical side of the music industry. Read and respond like a fan so they will know what my songs are about.”  

I listened to all his songs and liked most of them! Reading his basic lyrics and descriptions, I added action verbs, stronger nouns, and shorter sentences. Voila! He loved my ideas and later sent me two more album covers to edit. I’m still no music expert, but I have a better understanding of his techno style and his fans. Last I heard, his sales were doing fine.  

My favorite writing and editing projects are those where I learn something while helping the client adjust the language and tone for the target readers. 

Soon, my mind began to open to projects I wouldn’t have considered before due either to lack of interest or lack of confidence. Before long, I was working on a variety of exciting projects that nudged me out of my comfort zone into the challenging territory of new formats and high-profile clients.  

Travel Writing 

One of the most exciting projects I accepted through a writing agency in Canada was to revise and edit a travel blog for a minor European celebrity. His blog’s premise was to travel throughout the U.S. on the platform of “kindness” to see how people responded to a low-income tourist without knowing of his popularity in Europe.  

The blog featured his responses to interesting encounters with locals and lesser-known places of interest. He invited me to L.A., which included visits to Beverly Hills and Santa Monica, and paid expenses for a couple of all-day writing sessions as his blog neared completion. I made a side trip to San Francisco to see a family member, a bonus.  

Speaking of travel, I’ve been offered paid visits to Eastern Europe, Africa, Israel, and Saudi Arabia to write an adventure novel, a conservatory documentary, a philosophical treatise, and a family history. While those projects seemed a little beyond my then-expanded wheelhouse, I may consider similar initiatives in the future. I’ve also written travel guides for beautiful U.S. cities of my choosing. 

Tip: Don’t hesitate to consider new opportunities. Contact travel agencies to offer writing assistance for their materials or website to gain experience and offer your writing and editing skills to travelers who want to summarize their experiences for loved ones or local press. 

Business Writing 

Business is another area where I had little personal experience, so I previously hadn’t looked for writing work beyond newsletters and Web content. That changed when I was approached about writing a family business history through three generations. Was I up to it? I wasn’t sure and started asking questions.  

It turned out the head of the company wanted a series of eight or 10 interviews with his descendants currently running the business along with key employees who had facilitated the transitions. Although I expected the finance industry project to be mundane, it was anything but! Snowstorms, earthquakes, and a White House invitation enlivened the family’s story to where I felt it would make a great movie—starring Robert Redford in the lead role!  

The project turned out well and boosted my confidence. I began to ghostwrite or edit business books for international travel, the mortgage industry, and gas and oil, among others. Executives often like to publish books about their company or sector to be seen as industry leaders. The publicity helps with promotions, bonuses, and title enhancements.  

Tip: Check out local companies or online businesses of interest and contact them to offer your services to write a company history, a family biography (for family-owned businesses), or the business’s contribution to the industry. 

Professional Services  

A psychologist who worked with the state prison population wrote case summaries for each of his clients. He asked my help to review the summaries and revise or edit them as needed. This was another interesting project because I learned a lot about the backgrounds of prisoners (they were anonymous in the reports) and why they were imprisoned. The psychologist also explained their goals and outlook. Later, he asked me to design a brochure for his services.  

Tip: Contact professional offices or social service agencies to offer writing services like editing reports (especially those submitted to the government) or other documents that need to be highly accurate and easy for readers to understand. 

Other Freelancers  

You may think it presumptuous to edit another freelancer’s work. But some are overloaded with projects and eager to share (for a percentage of the fee) with another freelancer. When my cousin became a freelancer on different projects than I was used to (fantasy novels and movie scripts), she asked me to edit her work, and I obliged.  

Again, I learned much from exploring other genres and exercising my editing skills to reinforce her writing abilities. She was grateful, and I got paid! Eventually, one of her clients offered me additional work, with my cousin’s full support. 

Tip: Get acquainted with writers in local or online writing groups and let people know you have experience in writing, revising, editing, and proofreading. The local chamber of commerce is another way to meet area professionals who may need writing help for their companies. 

Invent a Niche 

One of my earlier vocations was teaching. Based on experience, I felt parents could benefit knowing more about classroom expectations and student experiences. I offered a local newspaper a weekly column of about 500 words each: “From the Teacher’s Desk.” It was readily accepted and published. I felt good knowing I was helping families and students understand classroom learning from a teacher’s perspective.  

Tip: Reach out to sectors or industries where your expertise can help. If you have experience with a loved one in a nursing facility or hospice care, offer an article to a facility’s newsletter, blog, or website about family expectations or concerns for a loved one in that situation. You can think of numerous topics to suggest that can bridge the gap between care providers, an aging patient, and the family. 

Individual Projects 

A friend of a friend asked me to write his memoir about a terrible accident that left him a paraplegic. It was a sad story, but it was heartwarming to see him triumph over adversity. He was making plans to start a business with a girlfriend who was helping him. However, he was so busy that the book plans were put on hold. He later developed a serious illness and passed away.  

Other friends have asked me to help them write their life story or novel, and I’m waiting for their plan to develop. Many people have great ideas for a book, but they’re not sure how to organize it. I’ll make suggestions, but the ultimate decision is up to them.  

A basketball coach at my son’s Christian middle school did an excellent job of teaching the students how to play the game well and to show respect for the other teams along with additional life skills. That age can be difficult, right? I was so impressed with his work that I authored an article, with his permission, which was published in a youth group leadership magazine.  

Tip: When you discover someone or something that impresses you, consider ways of sharing your admiration through publication. If you have a byline, someone may contact you about writing a similar topic.  

***  

Ready to leave your wheelhouse? Pack up your laptop and head for the great unknown! A world of freelance opportunity awaits your inventive and creative capabilities!

The post Ready to Leave Your Wheelhouse and Stretch Your Writing Skills and Expand Freelance Opportunities? appeared first on Writer's Digest.

(5 Tips for Writing Better and Faster.)

Here are five ways you can use LinkedIn for prospecting—to build your freelance copywriting business and get new clients.

LinkedIn Client Outreach.

“Client outreach” means that you find and reach out to potential new clients online, rather than them coming to you. The people you should reach out to can include current clients—past clients—inactive clients—prospects—people in your network—former employers—former coworkers—vendors—and people with marketing roles in companies within industries you serve.

When I find these potential clients, I click the Connect button and request a connection. LinkedIn lets me personalize my request. So I send a message telling them I have experience writing in their industry, and offer them a free information kit on my copywriting services.

LinkedIn Newsletter.

I post a monthly newsletter about copywriting on LinkedIn. That is in addition to my regular subscribers-only online newsletter The Direct Response Letter, which you can sign up for at no cost at www.bly.com/reports

The benefit of doing a LinkedIn newsletter is twofold. First, it expands my presence on LinkedIn and reaches prospects who may be on LinkedIn but are not on my own list. Second, the content helps establish me as an expert in my subject, which is copywriting, within the LinkedIn community.

LinkedIn Posts.

Between monthly issues, you can make as many additional posts as you want. The more, the better.

The newsletter focuses on useful how-to content, which is based on whatever experience and expertise I have acquired in my 4+ decades as a copywriter. I use the posts to share and curate other content that I stumble upon—and deem as timely, useful, and valuable—even if the ideas are not my own. 

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LinkedIn Posts Responses.

Start conversations with the people who comment on your LinkedIn newsletters and posts. Many of these result in short exchanges build engagement. But some move the person through your funnel from stranger to friend to prospect to client.

LinkedIn Groups.

Join and participate in LinkedIn Groups where your potential clients hang out. There are groups specifically on copywriting and marketing; here are a few to get you started: https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/linkedin-group-marketers-list

One more thing…

These five LinkedIn prospecting methods work best when used in tandem. Don’t just pick one or two. Do them all. And do them often.

Of course, don’t overdo it to the point where you are spending all your time on LinkedIn prospecting. Keep track of your ROTI—return on time invested. Follow the 25-50-25 rule of freelancing:

• Spend at least 50% of your time on paid client copywriting assignments.
• Spend no more than 25% on marketing and promoting your freelance copywriting business on LinkedIn and elsewhere.
• Spend about 25% on “administrivia” which includes both self-education (e.g., taking courses) and running your business (e.g., bookkeeping, paperwork).

The post 5 Ways to Get New Copywriting Clients on LinkedIn appeared first on Writer's Digest.

(How to Become a Full-Time Writer.)

Yes, it can be a tedious, even dull existence. Just ask my social life. To break the monotony sometimes I cut loose, write whatever I want, and look for a market later. It’s counter-intuitive in a way, because if I fail to sell the piece it would be a huge waste of my time and resources. Or so I used to tell myself. But over the years I’ve discovered where the real pleasure lies.

It’s about celebrating the little wins.

Let’s be real, the check is the ultimate reward. Or, more likely, the PayPal payment or bank transfer. It legitimatizes your work, brings credibility, and hey, you’re published! There’s nothing better than seeing your name in print and it never gets old. I still get the same thrill now as I did as a hungry 23-year-old. But what I have come to appreciate more are the other points along the way where you can derive some level of pleasure or satisfaction.

First comes the idea, the Eureka moment when a concept presents itself. That initial thrill is so full of hope and optimism. And it applies across the board, whether you’re a novice writer or a seasoned pro, whether you write fiction, nonfiction, or poetry.

I ponder the idea for a while to see how viable it is, and whether it’s worth pursuing or not. If I decide in the affirmative, I’ll do some preliminary research. I might send out a few tentative emails, do an internet search, or read some articles, and little by little I learn more about this project I’ve become invested in. Slowly, the puzzle starts coming together and—when I feel confident enough—I start writing.

This is the part I find most exhilarating. I’ve done the prep. The research. I know what I’m going to do. It’s go time. I sometimes fall into a zone where the words are flowing and it feels like I am riding the crest of a wave. The words appear almost unbidden, and all I have to do is write them down. I’d wager most writers know that feeling. I only wish I could bottle it and sell it.  

Then follows a roller-coaster ride. There will be setbacks and disappointments, but there’ll also be moments of pride and extreme satisfaction as the story, or article, takes shape. Finally, when it is finished, you get a little extra rush of endorphins. You feel accomplished, like you have achieved something. And you have. You created something from nothing. I imagine it’s a similar feeling to what a gardener may have when picking vegetables they’ve grown from seedlings. And you may be able to milk that feeling twice; once when you write ‘the end’ on your first draft, and again when you type those same words on your shiny, polished, submission-standard draft, confident and safe in the knowledge that your baby is ready to enter the world.

Click to continue.

When the piece is finished, I might have a think about who might be interested and send out a pitch or two. Looking at it in this context, maybe all my decisions leading to this point have been influenced to some degree by how sellable the feature or story might be. It definitely plays a part in the initial weighing-up process. If I don’t get any hits, all is not lost. I either use the piece as content for my blog, or I file it away. I might not be able to sell it that moment in time, but I might be able to further down the line.

You can always tweak it to fit certain markets or submission calls that emerge. A word of advice, though. It’s better not to do both. If you post a short story, for example, in a Facebook group for feedback, which many do, it has technically been published. So if you submit it to a market in the future you would only be able to offer secondary publication (reprint) rights, which generally pay less. There’s nothing stopping you posting progress reports, extracts, and teasers on your social media to build interest, though.

Earlier in my career, if I couldn’t get the sale after doing all that hard work, I would be disappointed. But being a little further down the road, I have come to realize that enjoying the process is a lot more important than making a few extra dollars. I am still fundamentally opposed to ‘for the love’ markets. As the popular internet meme says; I can’t pay my rent with exposure. My rule is, if the publisher is making money from my work, then I should, too.

Depending on who you believe, either Mark Twain or Confucius said that if you find a job you like, you’ll never have to work a day in your life. And whoever said it was right. Those little wins along the way make it all worth while, and—if we play it right—it can all be topped off with that acceptance and pay check, which is very much the icing on the cake.

The post Celebrating the Little Wins as a Writer and Freelancer appeared first on Writer's Digest.

(Paying Video Game Markets for Freelance Article Submissions.)

So, I decided to try out Medium to discover what its Partner Program is like. Now, I can give you an honest review of whether Medium is worth your time.

What Is Medium?

Although its founders might say otherwise, Medium is one big content site with a blogging angle. It is an open-to-all website where you can freely submit formatted articles about pretty much anything. Like blog posts, readers can reply to content on Medium.com with comments. Medium article pages include additional audience engagement options for clapping, following, and sharing content.

You can start freely submitting articles to Medium by signing into it with a Google, Facebook, or Apple account. Click the Sign in option on this Medium.com homepage and select a Google, Apple, or Facebook option to input the required login details. Then, you can access and utilize the story editor to submit articles.

Thus, getting started on Medium is straightforward. Medium can at least be a good place to add some sample articles if nothing else. All articles submitted to Medium outside of its paywalled Partner Program will be accessible for all. So, you can show article samples on Medium to anybody.

What Is the Medium Partner Program?

The Medium Partner Program enables member users to submit articles for its paywall content. Paywall articles on Medium, which non-members cannot read, can generate variable revenue for authors. To join the Partner Program, you must first become a Medium member by paying a regular $5-a-month subscription fee ($60 annually). Then, you can read all articles on Medium and satisfy the primary requirement for Partner Program enrollment.

However, there are also a few additional Partner Program requirements. You’ll need to have submitted one article to Medium within the last six months. You must be 18 or older and live in one of the many eligible countries (listed on this Medium page), which includes the USA, UK, Australia, and Canada. Bank and Stripe accounts are needed to receive article remuneration from Medium, for which there’s a $10 payment threshold.

The Medium Partner Program remuneration is entirely variable and residual. The revenue articles generate primarily depends on the number of member reads (not basic pageviews) they amass. Medium defines a read to be an article page open for 30 seconds or longer. Additional audience engagement from members, like claps and comments, also generates revenue for your articles. This Medium help page provides further details about the Partner Program earnings algorithm.

Partner Program members have no idea what remuneration they’ll receive for their Medium articles. Articles that are widely read on Medium can potentially generate high revenue. However, articles won’t generate any revenue if Medium members don’t read them. Plus, the membership requirement for joining the Partner Program means you must pay $5 a month to paywall stories, amounting to a $60 annual cost. Thus, your articles will need to generate more than $5 a month to make a profit on the membership charge.

Click to continue.

Why I Joined Medium

I decided to join Medium primarily because of this online publishing platform’s flexibility. It is, after all, a website where you can submit articles about pretty much any topic you like. Nor are there any minimum length, stylistic, or formatting editorial requirements for articles to abide by. All articles you submit to Medium go straight onto the site without any editorial checks. Thus, Medium gives you complete freedom to write and format articles as you wish.

I also joined the Medium Partner Program because I have many old articles saved on my hard drive previously submitted to a Helium content site that closed down in 2014. These were old articles going to waste I could easily reuse on Medium. Thus, Medium gave me a chance to revive my hundreds of old articles previously on a former content website that no longer exists.

At first, I submitted articles without being a Medium member to see how many pageviews and reads they amassed. I was not impressed by the few pageviews my articles amassed but had little to lose by submitting more. Furthermore, my early Medium articles weren’t even indexed on Google. However, I decided to try the Medium Partner Program when my monthly stats for pageviews and reads increased to 294 and 88, and more of my articles appeared in Google searches.

Submitting Articles With the Medium Text Editor

I found the Medium story (text) editor for submitting articles quite user-friendly after getting to grips with it. However, it is somewhat different from the WordPress text editor I and many other bloggers are probably more familiar with. Unlike WordPress, the Medium story editor doesn’t have a toolbar from which users can select formatting options.

Medium users can apply text formatting by selecting passages and clicking the + menu button to add visual elements. The story editor enables you to apply italic, bold, hyperlink, subheading, and quotation text formatting. You can add saved images, Unsplash pictures, and videos to articles with the story editor to enhance their visual appeal.

The story editor includes additional content menu options on an ellipses (…) menu beside the Save and publish button. You can select the Manage paywall setting on that menu when you’ve joined the Medium Partner Program. Selecting the Paywall your story checkbox enables the article to generate Partner Program revenue.

Medium Publications

Article visibility is important for increasing readership statistics on Medium. You can enhance the visibility of your articles by joining Medium publications. Medium publications are shared spaces for articles that typically focus on more specific topic categories. For example, there are many history, sport, science, and gaming-related Medium publications with articles that fit those topic categories.

Some Medium publications invite members to join them and have more specific editorial requirements for articles. This Medium page includes a big list of publications open to submissions for those who join them. Those publications provide instructions for how you can join them. You can submit articles to publications you’ve joined by clicking the three-dot menu button in the story editor and selecting Add to publication on the menu.

I joined the Day in History, Press Box, and Readfy Medium publications. Submitting articles to those publications slightly increased their readership statistics and revenue generated. However, submitting articles to the bigger Medium publications with the most followers could make a more significant difference.

My Medium Article Revenue Total for Two Months

I submitted many articles to Medium during my first Partner Program month. Those articles amassed 549 views and 88 reads. They generated a revenue total of $1.95.

I continued submitting many more articles to Medium for another month, about 300 in total. My page views and reads statistics for those hundreds of articles increased to 733 and 148. However, that amounted to a relatively slight earnings increase, with article revenue for the month amounting to $2.44.

My hundreds of Medium articles generated only $4.39 for two months. This total was less than the $10 membership cost required to access the Medium Partner Program for those months. My Medium articles reduced the membership fee, but nothing more than that.

Is Medium Worth It?

I can only say that I’ve found the Medium Partner Program to be disappointing from a business perspective for two months. My hundreds of Medium articles have generated revenue that is slightly less than half the two-month membership fee. Furthermore, I have yet to receive any remuneration from Medium because of the $10 payment threshold.

The most revenue a single article of mine has generated on Medium is $0.42. Many of my articles submitted have not generated any revenue at all. Of course, all those articles can still generate revenue in the future. However, it seems this monthly future earnings potential could be less than the Medium membership charge.

Yet, this doesn’t mean the Medium Partner Program will be disappointing for everybody, even though it has some shortcomings. Some Medium members say their articles have generated monthly revenue amounting to $900 to $1,000. This highlights Medium can be a genuinely worthwhile market for some, but that might only be a small minority of its members. Those who have reported much higher monthly returns for their articles say it can take time and persistence to make Medium worth it. So, two months might not be an entirely fair period for judging the Partner Program.

I recommend submitting some articles to Medium as a non-member first before jumping into the Partner Program. Then, you can review their readership statistics and build up a following from there. If your articles get a good number of member reads (at least 200 to 300), becoming a member and joining the Medium Partner Program might be worth it. However, don’t expect too much from the Medium Partner Program.

The post An Honest Review of the Medium Publishing Platform Article Market appeared first on Writer's Digest.

(6 Reasons to Turn Down a Writing Opportunity—Even One That Pays.)

These strategies and more can help you build a solid client base that will return with new projects—and tell their friends about your writing and editing services! Most people would rather work with someone they know and trust than take a chance on someone new. You can make that preference work in your favor by optimizing customer service and expanding your product line. You will also reap the benefits by attracting repeat business instead of spending more time scouting for new customers.

How do you as a freelance writer get customers to come back? The following steps can help you secure dedicated clients to keep your coffers full.

Be professional.

Many freelance writers work from home on a casual schedule. They have the luxury of typing in their pajamas while texting during frequent breaks from writing. But make the most of your professional image during conference calls, Teams meetings, or Facetime with clients. Don’t let diction slide into slang or conversations lapse into prolonged joke-telling or personal chat; a little bit goes a long way. Remember, they are paying you to write for them, not become their bestie.

Be friendly and upbeat but treat your client like a business customer. In time you may become friends, but initially it’s important to put business first. I’ve had clients tell me far more than I needed to know about their personal lives, but I steer the conversation back to their project and not reveal anything about myself beyond writing credentials and experience. Look neat and well groomed for video calls and smile occasionally! A pleasant personality is always appreciated and helps to keep customers coming back.

Maintain good records.

Clients may doubt your abilities if you frequently request information they have already provided (that you misplaced). After finishing the current project, they might look elsewhere for help with the next one. Organize a project file for each assignment and keep it updated. Take good notes during phone or video conversations. Summarize lengthy conference calls or email exchanges in a list of action steps.

I’ve had several clients contact me for information about a previous project, which they had misplaced. When I provided it, they were grateful. I would ask how the publication process was going, and they would often explain the need for a project summary, synopsis, or update that I was happy to provide, and was paid accordingly. Make the most of each client contact by showing interest in their previous work and asking if they have everything needed for publication or presentation.

Stay on task.

Meet all established timelines and complete all tasks as directed. Requesting several extensions for various excuses erode trusts and inspires doubt so clients will avoid collaborating with you in the future. Several of my clients had worked with previous writers who had drinking problems, kept asking for upfront pay without producing solid content, and wrote content contrary to the client’s specifications. Be sure you understand what they want and ask questions if you need clarification. Submitting fuzzy writing or missing deadlines is a surefire exit strategy.

Proofread, proofread, proofread.

Don’t get distracted when working on a project or submit careless writing. Some writers boast they are paid well for putting little effort into an assignment. But do their clients come back? Again, I’ve been the second or third writer on a project when my predecessors submitted disappointing writing that did not match the client’s request style, tone, or format. Provide accurate, expert service and quality writing to exceed expectations.

Proofread several times to ensure compliance with the client’s project specs and accuracy of your writing. Customers will remember your thorough approach and come to you for the next project. Many refer their friends, coworkers, or relatives with projects to me because they love the professional speech, article, or book I’ve provided them.

Emphasize the project’s value.

While clients understand the importance of their writing project, it’s up to the writer to reinforce the significance of a clear, readable document to the intended readers. Comments like “I’m sure your employees will appreciate the updated policy handbook” or “Your family will love this collection of childhood stories you’re put together” reminds clients the project is not just for self-satisfaction (although sometimes it is), but also to benefit others.

I’ve helped matriarchs organize and publish family histories and assisted individuals to write their memoirs. Family members were thrilled with the bound stories that were preserved for future generations. I enjoyed helping them, and it showed. Several contacted me subsequently to say how much their relatives and friends loved the stories.

Mostly, I accept only projects I believe in and want to support, and I’m able to make suggestions about what to include or leave out that the clients appreciate. I’ve helped a gentleman with an abusive childhood complete five books of poetry to work through his experiences, each of them a repeat project (not done continuously). An older woman who has become a star in her industry contacted me recently to help with her second book. A lady who has struggled with a divorce, a son’s death, and a cancer diagnosis has returned for my help with five or six reflective devotionals about her thoughts and feelings, with nature photography. Understanding a project’s value to the client and to prospective readers will help you do excellent work that will meet or exceed the client’s hopes.

Consider discounts for repeat business.

It doesn’t have to be much, but even five percent or 10 percent off the next project may be enough to motivate a client to initiate a second project that would otherwise be shelved or shopped elsewhere.

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Suggest follow-up writing projects.

Some projects were especially interesting to me. After completing them, I sometimes follow up with the client several months later to ask whether they are published. More than once when I did this, the client would ask me to edit or revise the book again before contacting the publisher. You might also recommend a companion or next-step project for the future. “Your company history turned out great, Mr. Smith. Do you think the executives would be interested in developing a twenty-five-year anniversary edition for the celebration being planned next year?”

I recently contacted the publisher of one of my books to ask about interest in an update or new edition, and they expressed interest in an update for 2026, which I will be working on soon. If you published nonfiction books a few years ago and would like to update or refresh them, contact the publishers to see if they are interested. If not, you may be able to offer a new edition to a different publisher, depending on the terms of your original publishing agreement and the right of first refusal.

Be courteous.

In our time-conscious society, it’s easy to feel pressure when a client doesn’t return your calls or respond to your text messages. You may have trouble pinning down a phone meeting date with a busy client. Some clients can be rude or insulting if your writing doesn’t meet their expectations. It’s not unusual for writers’ work to be over-criticized and under-appreciated. Don’t be pulled into an argument, raise your voice, become defensive, or use profanity.

Stay calm and offer to call later to discuss the project when things are calmer. Accept corrections and revisions gracefully. I recall a client insisting that my grammar corrections were unnecessary although I referred him to the journalism grammar guide I was using. The errors remained and fortunately, they were few. Some clients will insist on their way even when it doesn’t make sense.

A freelance writer’s job is like others in the professional world. To attract repeat business, focus on the positive aspects of a project and give the client excellent service. A cheerful outlook and sincere interest in your clients’ projects can bring more work and referrals your way. Put the client’s needs first and do your best, and you may soon have more work than you can manage!

The post 8 Steps for Courting Repeat Clients as a Freelance Writer appeared first on Writer's Digest.

(7 Healthy Habits for Writers to Find Success.)

For example, I was recently invited to contribute to an anthology of short stories, which is always an honor. The problem is, or was, that I had nothing in the vault that remotely fit the brief. I didn’t want to put the publisher in an awkward position by submitting something outside the remit, so I decided to write something new from scratch.

Two problems immediately presented themselves. One was the deadline. I thrive on deadlines when writing nonfiction articles. They help me plan my workload and structure my days. But this was different. It was fiction. I needed to be creative, and that is something you can neither force nor turn on and off like a tap. It’s either flowing or it isn’t. This immediately fed into the second problem; I didn’t have any solid ideas. I had a main character, and that was about it.

The longer I procastrinated, waiting for inspiration to strike, the closer the deadline became and the more my anxiety peaked. So one afternoon I just started writing. I realize this may be considered the height of pantsing, as opposed to plotting, attitudes to which is something which divides the writing community. To somebody in the habit of plotting, pantsing can seem somewhat impulsive or even counter-intuitive. How can you possibly arrive at a destination if you don’t know how to get there? The trick, I soon learned, is to put your faith in your characters and trust them to take the lead.

I found the experience both liberating and thrilling. I had no idea what on earth was going to happen next. Advocates of the pantsing method claim that as you are not bound by pre-determined concepts or ideas, it frees up your characters, and in turn your imagination. This often injects enthusiasm and a sense of wonder into your work, making it more exciting and less predictable. If the writer doesn’t know what’s coming next, how can the reader?

Quite unexpectedly, I quickly found myself completely immersed and the story powered along, taking me with it. There was a kind of symmetry as I, the main character, and the reader, all learned where the story was heading at the same time. The work took slightly longer to complete than normal. I am not a prolific short story writer. I usually manage about half a dozen a year. But when I hit upon a solid idea, I am usually able to apply myself and produce a first draft within a few days.

Then follows the editing and rewriting process, obviously, but apart from a few tweaks the story itself doesn’t change much. In this case, I did hit a few roadblocks and even had to rewind on more than one occasion after taking a wrong turn, but that’s okay. It’s the nature of writing and we can’t all get it right first time. Just remember it’s your story, your world, and you can mold it however you want.

Click to continue.

In the end, my unconventional working method mattered not one jot as the editor of the anthology loved the story and I was soon the recipient of a much-welcomed contributor’s check. It goes to show that it makes little difference how you achieve your goals or fulfill your obligations, just that you do. Of course, some methods will always be more popular than others, but it is our responsibility as writers to find ways that work for us, and we can’t all be the same.

With a little tweaking, this same approach can be applied to other forms of writing. Take those nonfiction articles I mentioned earlier. As I said, your first priority is to fulfill your brief. Don’t try to pass off a 1,500-word article on the breeding habits of penguins in captivity if you were commissioned to write a 2,200-word article about the science behind cloud seeding. This happens more often than it should. Ask any editor. Sometimes it may be attributed to a misunderstanding or a communication breakdown, but (whisper it) it could just as easily be the result of freelancers biting off more than they can chew and failing to deliver on their promises. Needless to say, this can be very damaging.

After you submit the requested article on time, to spec, and with your reputation suitably enhanced, you should seriously consider hitting that editor with some new pitches, perhaps for articles on adjacent or related topics to the one you just wrote about. You might be surprised how receptive editors can be when your name is still fresh in their mind and they know you have the ability and inclination to get the job done. 

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(What Are the 8 Different Types of Video Game Articles?)

The first step to breaking into the video game article market is to find websites or magazines that offer remuneration (pay) for gaming articles. You can search for and apply to join gaming websites seeking regular contributors via sites like Pro Blogger, Simply Hired, Blogging Jobs, and Indeed. Or find gaming publications open to less regular freelance article submissions (for which you’ll usually need to submit document files via email). These are nine paying video game markets open to freelance article pitches and submissions.

Retro Format

Retro Format is a magazine devoted to old video games and consoles. This magazine is open to pitches for retro computer, console, and game feature articles typically more than 2,000 words in length. You can also pitch articles for shorter retro game reviews 500–750 words long. However, this magazine also reviews modern games that could become future classics.

Retro Format pays for articles published in it via PayPal. It offers €50 for longer feature pieces and €20 for shorter reviews. You can send pitches to Retro Format’s editorial@retro-format.com email address.

www.retro-format.com/writeforus.php

Geek Native

Geek Native is primarily a gaming website that covers tabletop video games, especially those of the roleplay (RPG) variety. It’s a site with a geek culture angle that also covers comics, movies, and TV alongside gaming. This website is open to pitches for console, mobile, and PC, gaming news, tips and tricks, and industry commentary (opinion article features).

Geek Native offers $0.12 per word for articles submitted between 750–1,000 words in length. The website uses PayPal for contributor payments. You can pitch articles to Geek Native via the contact form on the page linked below.

www.geeknative.com/about/write-for-us/

Games Industry.biz

The Games Industry.biz website is primarily for industry professionals and developers rather than gaming consumers. This website wants articles about the gaming industry rather than reviews, previews, and game tip pieces. It accepts pitches for academy, investigative, interview-led, and editorial articles related to the gaming industry.

Games Industry.biz offers a standard £250 rate for articles included. However, the remuneration offered can vary based on the article types submitted. This website also requests to see portfolios (samples) from first-time contributors in pitches. The email address for pitching articles to Games Industry.biz is contact@gamesindustry.biz.

www.gamesindustry.biz/how-to-pitch-an-article-to-gamesindustry-biz

Unwinnable

Unwinnable is a website and magazine open to freelance pitches for video game, comic, movie, and TV-related articles. The Unwinnable Monthly magazine is looking for gaming feature articles that entertain and illuminate. Or you can pitch Exploits and shorter story game pieces for the website.

The remuneration offered for video game articles included in Unwinnable Magazine is $0.5 per word. Unwinnable offers $15–$25 for shorter Exploit essays and website story pieces. The three email addresses for pitching game articles to Unwinnable are:

magazinesubmissions@unwinnable.com (magazine)

exploitssubmissions@unwinnable.com (Exploits)

websubmissions@unwinnable.com (short stories)

www.unwinnable.com/submissions/

RPG Site

RPG Site is a website devoted to the role-playing game genre for all gaming platforms. This website includes guides, reviews, news, and feature articles about RPG games. This website is open to one-off pitches for articles about RPG games, such as Monster Hunter Wilds, Avowed, and Final Fantasy Rebirth VII.

RPG Site offers variable remuneration for articles included but does not specify exact figures. This website asks to discuss its commission rates for articles proposed. You can pitch article title ideas for RPG games to this website using the alex@rpgsite.net email address.

https://www.rpgsite.net/contribute

IGN

IGN is one of the biggest entertainment websites open to freelance article submissions for video game topics. This site accepts submissions for video game features, news, and preview articles. For game feature articles, IGN is looking for stories with reporting, explainers, and op-eds (opinion pieces) of various forms.

IGN offers feature article remuneration ranging from $300–$1,000. The website’s freelance rates for preview articles start at $300. For short news pieces, IGN offers a $30 base rate and $300–$400 for deeper investigative reports. To get in touch with IGN for pitching, you’ll need to fill out a form about pitched submissions on that site’s freelance page.

www.corp.ign.com/freelance-opportunities-and-guidelines

Outerhaven

The Outerhaven website covers the latest console, PC, and virtual reality games. This site is looking for guide (tip) articles that cover newer games, like Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Doom: The Dark Ages, South of Midnight, and The First Berserker. Outerhaven is also open to pitches for list-style gaming articles about recent or timeless topics, reviews, and previews. 

The Outerhaven offers $13–$20 for shorter and longer game guide pieces. It offers $10 for list articles with a minimal 300–500 words in length. The remuneration offered for op-eds, news, and preview articles ranges from 3–5 cents per word depending on the length. To pitch titles to Outerhaven, you’ll need to fill out an application form, for which a cover letter, CV, and article samples are required.

www.theouterhaven.net/freelancer-pitches

Restart

Restart is a new gaming website launched in 2024 open to freelance article submissions. This website is open to pitches for game features and review pieces. The site’s editorial promises to reply to pitches whether accepted or not.

The Restart editorial specifies an average rate of $200 for articles added to the site. However, the exact remuneration offered is determined by article type. This site asks for at least two article samples to be shown when pitching. You can send pitches to Brandy Berthelson at the brandy@moonrock.biz email address.

www.restart.run/articles/restart-is-now-accepting-freelance-pitches

Polygon

Polygon is an entertainment website that covers video games, movies, TV, comics, and books. This site’s submission page provides detailed pitching guidelines but is a little vague about what type of gaming articles Polygon is inclined to include. However, Polygon is generally open to pitches for op-eds, essays, and other original reporting about video games.

Polygon doesn’t specify exactly what it pays for articles included but confirms it offers competitive rates. The website’s editorial will discuss the remuneration offered if your pitch is accepted. This website has a videogames@polygon.com email address for pitching video game article titles.

www.polygon.com/2019/2/28/18244873/polygon-pitching-guidelines-how-to-pitch

The digital and print publications above could be good starting points for breaking into video game article writing. They’re markets to which you can pitch and submit numerous video game article types, be it guide, feature, review, retro, news, or preview. Their rates vary considerably, with the bigger websites generally offering higher remuneration.

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Colorado Review (ColoradoReview.colostate.edu/colorado-review)

Colorado Review publishes three issues per year of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Launched in 1956, this magazine pays $300 for short stories and nonfiction; $100 for poetry; and $100 for cover art, which is frequently a photograph. 

The editors say, “Colorado Review is committed to the publication of contemporary creative writing. We are equally interested in work by both new and established writers. While open to a variety of styles and concerns, CR welcomes work that centers story and voice and/or that plays with form in meaningful ways.” 

Potential writers can submit fiction and poetry between August 1 and March 31 each year, while nonfiction, book reviews, and cover art is considered year-round. Writers should submit through their Submittable page (ColoradoReview.submittable.com/submit). 

The editors add, “We accept translations of previously published or unpublished work. Please upload proof of permission to translate with your submission document.”

EPOCH (EPOCHLiterary.com)

Founded in 1947, EPOCH is published twice a year and includes fiction, poetry, essays, comics, and graphic art. It’s edited by students and faculty of the MFA Program in Creative Writing, in Cornell University’s Department of Literatures in English. Writers are paid between $100 and $500 for poetry, prose, and comics—and $350 for cover art (mostly paintings, though photographs as well). 

The editors say, “EPOCH has been a consistent source of funding for Cornell’s first-year MFA graduate students for more than 30 years. The magazine pays students a living wage as they begin their editorial and creative careers, helps fund their travel to the annual AWP conference, and provides valuable professional experience.” 

Prospective writers can submit their writing via EPOCH’s Submittable page (EPOCH.submittable.com/submit) only during the months of August and January. However, they do accept submissions via post from August 1 through March 15. For postal submissions, address the appropriate editor (Fiction Editor, Poetry Editor, Essay Editor, etc.) and mail to EPOCH, 251 Goldwin Smith Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-3201. 

The editors say, “Please include your street address and email address on your mail submission. We normally respond within three months, a bit longer for submissions received between Thanksgiving and the end of January. We ask that you do not query about a mail submission until three months have passed.”

The Massachusetts Review (MassReview.org)

Founded by a group of professors in 1959, The Massachusetts Review is a quarterly literary magazine of fiction, poetry, nonfiction, translation, art, and drama. The publication pays a $100 honorarium for work published in a single issue. 

The editors say, “In these uncertain times, The Massachusetts Review promotes social justice and equality, along with great art. Committed to aesthetic excellence as well as public engagement, MR publishes literature and art to provoke debate, inspire action, and expand our understanding of the world around us.” 

Prospective writers can submit their writing from October 1 to April 30 either via their online submission system (MassReviewSubmissions.org) or by post to The Massachusetts Review, 400 Venture Way, Hadley, MA 01035. While prose submissions are limited to one piece per submission, poets can submit up to six poems at a time. 

The editors advise, “We seek a balance between established writers and promising new ones. We’re interested in material of variety and vitality relevant to the intellectual and aesthetic questions of our time. We aspire to have a broad appeal; our commitment, in part regional, is not provincial.”

Ninth Letter (NinthLetter.com)

Established in 2003, Ninth Letter is a literary arts journal published twice a year by the Creative Writing Program at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. The magazine pays $25 per poem and $100 for prose upon publication (the web edition pays $25 per poem and $75 per piece of prose). 

The editors say, “We are interested in prose and poetry that experiment with form, narrative, and nontraditional subject matter, as well as more traditional literary work.” 

Prospective writers can submit fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry to their Submittable page (NinthLetterOnline.submittable.com/submit) between September 1 and February 28 each year. Poets can submit 3–5 poems (up to eight pages) per submission; fiction and creative nonfiction writers should submit only one story of up to 8,000 words at a time—unless submitting flash, which can include up to three pieces with a total word count under 4,000 words total. 

The editors say, “If you classify your work as ‘hybrid,’ please submit to the genre category you feel your submission most closely applies. You are welcome to leave a note in the cover letter field with any details you think our reading team would find helpful. We will make sure your submission gets to the right team and receives the attention and consideration it deserves.”

The Threepenny Review (ThreepennyReview.com)

Established in 1980, The Threepenny Review publishes poetry, short stories, creative nonfiction, and more. This publication pays $400 per story or article and $200 per poem or Table Talk piece. 

The editors say, “The Threepenny Review is a quarterly review of the arts and society. Each issue contains new poetry, short stories, personal memoirs, and essays on books, movies, theater, dance, music, architecture, visual arts, television, and politics.” 

Prospective writers can submit their writing each year between January 1 and April 14, either via their online submission system or by post to The Editors, The Threepenny Review, PO Box 9131, Berkeley, CA 94709. Poets can submit up to five poems. 

The editors advise, “We strongly recommend that you stay within our length limits. As a rule, critical articles should be about 1,200–2,500 words, Table Talk items 1,000 words or less, stories and memoirs 4,000 words or less, and poetry 100 lines or less. (Exceptions are occasionally possible, but longer pieces will have a much harder time getting accepted.) We prefer to read prose submissions that are double-spaced; poetry can be single-spaced or double-spaced.”

Willow Springs (Inside.ewu.edu/willowspringsmagazine)

Established in 1977, Willow Springs publishes two issues per year of contemporary fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and interviews with notable authors. This publication pays $100 per published long-form prose piece, $40 for short prose, and $20 per published poem. 

The editors say, “Willow Springs publishes work by unknown and up and coming writers, and by U.S. Poet Laureates and Pulitzer Prize winners, engaging our readers in an ongoing discussion of art, ideas, and the human experience. We also do work in the Spokane community: started by Sam Ligon over 15 years ago, our longest running program is the Triceratops Poetry Project, where we bring poetry into third grade classrooms.” 

Prospective writers can submit their fiction and poetry between September 1 and May 31—nonfiction is considered year-round—via their Submittable page (WillowSprings.submittable.com/submit). Poets can submit up to five poems at a time. Prose writers should submit only one piece at a time—unless writing shorter form (under 750 words), which can include up to three pieces per submission. 

The editors explain, “We seek work that takes hold from the first sentence and doesn’t let go, that commands our attention whether by its intellectual acumen, emotional integrity, or spiritual wholeness.” 

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(10 Handy Digital Tools for Freelance Writers.)

Google Chrome is the world’s most popular web browser with a huge library of extensions that are mostly freely available in its store. Some of those Chrome add-ons can be invaluable freelance writing tools. These are some of the more useful Google Chrome extensions for freelance writers to add to that browser.

Grammarly

Grammarly is one of the best online tools for proofing articles. This utility checks the correctness, delivery, engagement, and delivery of article content entered in it. It rates articles with a score out of 100 and provides review (editing) suggestions for them. Open this Grammarly page to sign in with Google or set up a new account for using that tool.

The Grammarly extension adds a handy shortcut for accessing this proofing tool directly from Chrome’s toolbar (or Extensions menu). Clicking the Grammarly button in Chrome will open the extension, from which you can click New Document to access the SPAG checker. Installing this Chrome extension also enables the Grammarly SPAG checker to work in Google Docs, Gmail, Linkedin, WordPress, and other web-based content management systems.

Unsplash

Unsplash is a great website source for adding freely available (non-copyrighted) images to articles. The Unsplash extension for Google Chrome enables you to quickly find and download pictures for articles. This extension is an Unsplash search box you can conveniently access from Chrome’s toolbar without opening the site. Input a keyword within the extension’s search box to find a picture for an article, and then right-click on it to select Save image as.

OneTab

If you often open many page tabs in Google Chrome for article research (as I do), you’ll appreciate the OneTab extension. OneTab is one of the best tab manager extensions for Chrome that enables you to move tabs you’re not currently reading into a OneTab list. Then, you can restore pages moved into OneTab whenever needed. This tab management functionality enables you to considerably reduce tab bar clutter and save system memory (RAM) with fewer pages open in Google Chrome.

It’s easy to manage tabs with the OneTab extension. To move a tab, select a page and right-click the OneTab extension button to select OneTab > Send only this tab. The page link will then appear within the OneTab tab, where you can click on it to reopen.

Keyboard.cool

Many authors sometimes need to input more unique special characters that they can’t enter with specific keyboard keys. Although there are various ways to input more unique characters and symbols, you can use the Keyboard.cool extension. This is a handy Google Chrome extension with which you can quickly and easily enter many Unicode characters.

Clicking the Keyboard.cool button in Chrome opens an extension panel from which you can select unique characters to input. You’ll see many emojis at first glance, but scroll down and click Browse All to view the many ASCII, Latin, mathematical, and unique punctuation characters you can input with this tool. Or enter a keyword in the search box to find a symbol or character. Click on a character or symbol to copy it, and press Ctrl + V (on a Windows PC) to paste it into your document.

Quick Text Case Converter

To better ensure title capitalization accuracy in your articles, check out the Quick Text Case Converter extension. This extension enables you to convert headings and subheadings into title case, lowercase, or uppercase text. You can use this extension to access the Title Case Converter tool or convert titles and subheadings entered into online text editors via Chrome’s context menu.

To utilize the Title Case Converter, click the Quick Text Case Converter extension button and Title Case Converter in the page tab that opens. Input a subheading to convert to title case into the utility’s text box. Click the Copy to clipboard button and then use the Ctrl + V hotkey to paste the capitalized heading into your document.

If you utilize a web-based text editor or app, you can convert text to title case with this extension’s Google Chrome context menu options. To do so, drag the mouse cursor over some text to convert, right-click, and select Copy selected text as > Title case. Pressing Ctrl + V will paste the converted title case text into your document.

Wordtune

Although 100% AI article content generation is generally discouraged, it’s ok to use an AI tool to assist your freelance writing (rather than replace it). Wordtune is an AI extension for Google Chrome that offers suggestions for rephrasing selected text passages and corrects SPAG mistakes.   The basic (free) version of this extension restricts users to 10 rewrite suggestions a day, which might not be a bad thing for preventing overusing its AI features. Also, note that you can only utilize this tool when writing articles in web-based word processors and content management systems.

When you’ve installed and enabled this Chrome extension, select a passage in an article within the browser. You will then see a Wordtune Rewrite button to click on for AI content suggestions. Click the Rewrite, Make it Formal, Make it Casual, Make it Shorter, or Make it Longer options to receive input from the AI assistant and select one you prefer.

Power Thesaurus

Power Thesaurus is a handy English tool you can add to Google Chrome to find synonyms for alternative words. When added to Chrome, you can look up synonyms for your articles by entering words into this extension’s text box. Power Thesaurus will then show you related synonyms for the word entered in its panel. You can click this extension’s View All button to open a separate Power Thesaurus tab that shows an extended list of synonyms and antonyms with definitions.

Power Thesaurus also enables you to look up synonyms and definitions for words on web pages. To do so, drag the mouse cursor over a word on a page to highlight it and click the P button you’ll see under it. Clicking that button will show synonyms, antonyms, and definitions for the selected word.

Clipboard Tool

Freelance writers often need to copy and paste hyperlinks, special characters, and text passages for quotations into their articles. Clipboard Tool is a Chrome extension that can help you manage copied items. It saves all copied items to a list you can access by clicking the button for the extension. You can select copied text snippets for pasting into articles from the Clipboard Tool extension.

Clipboard Tool can be considered an alternative to Windows clipboard history, but it offers much better functionality. One thing I like about this extension is that it removes page formatting from copied text. Another good thing about Clipboard Tool is that it enables you to add copied items to a favorite list. This is a handy feature with which you can set up a saved list of useful copied special characters and symbols for pasting into articles when needed.

You can add those extensions to Google’s flagship browser by clicking the subheading page links above and their Add to Chrome buttons. If you don’t see those add-ons on the toolbar when installed, click the Extensions menu button. Then, click the menu buttons for the extensions to select their Pin to toolbar options.

Other Browsers That Support Chrome Extensions

Google Chrome isn’t the only browser that supports the extensions above. You can add those extensions to alternative Chromium browsers like Edge and Opera. Those browsers have their exclusive extension repositories, but they also support add-ons from the Chrome Web Store.

To add Chrome extensions to Edge, you must turn on a setting that enables add-ons from other stores. Type edge://extensions/ in Edge’s address bar and press Enter to view the Extensions tab in Microsoft’s browser. Switch on the Allow extensions from other stores setting on that tab by clicking its toggle switch.

The Google Chrome extensions discussed above can be useful utilities for freelance writers in numerous ways. You can utilize those tools for proofing, finding article images, managing page tabs, entering unique characters, looking up synonyms for alternative vocabulary, converting subheadings to correct title cases, and rephrasing passages. Many more Chrome add-ons can also be useful for freelancing writing. Have a good browse through the Chrome Web Store to see what handy extensions you can find.

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(5 Tips for Writing Better and Faster.)

I particularly liked direct mail because it generated leads. So you never had to chase new business. Instead of you going to the clients, the clients came to you.

However, things have changed. And direct mail is no longer the top method of getting new clients. There’s a new method that often works better than PD today: client outreach.

Client outreach requires that you find and reach out to the clients, rather than then coming to you. (If you prefer them coming to you, content marketing and email newsletters can make that happen for you, with some caveats; e.g. how to get prospects to see and read your content, and how to build an opt-in list of prospects.)

The primary tools of client outreach are digital. Specifically, email and LinkedIn.

You have in your computer many names of people whom you should reach out to: clients, past clients, inactive clients, prospects, people in your network, and others who either could hire you now or refer you to people who can.

With LinkedIn, you can search for people by job title and company, at businesses that are a good fit with your experience. For instance, I am a chemical engineer. And I worked for a company that makes process equipment (e.g. pumps, valves, filters).

So I searched on LinkedIn for chemical companies by the name of the company. LinkedIn shows you a list of key personnel. Click on the person who has a marketing title. Then, when her LinkedIn page pops up, click the Connect button and request a connection.

LinkedIn lets you personalize your request, and here is the copy I use: “If you ever go outside for copywriting, I have been writing copy to process equipment for more than 4 decades for ITT, Koch Engineering, and others. May I send you my free copywriting information kit?”

I often start with a first sentence that somehow connects to the prospect and her work. A few examples:

• “I  just saw you are coming out with a new widget [product name here].”
• “Congratulations on your new position as [title here].”
• “As a fellow member of [trade group he belongs to].”
• “I used to work for [a person they know].”

As for the free copywriting kit, it is simple a multipage PDF with key documents that the client may be interested in seeing. These can include a client list, testimonials, bio, descriptions of your services, an article you’ve written, and a sample or two of your copy. Obviously don’t share samples of client work unless you have permission to do so.

Some copywriters in their outreach messages make a blatant sales pitch for their services, which is probably premature and possibly off-putting, given they have no idea who you are.

Offering a free copywriting information kit is more palatable, as you are not seen as soliciting work. And also the prospect can request and receive it online without talking to you—a stranger they don’t yet know.

Once they ask for and get your kit, you can follow up. I do a soft follow-up, offering samples of my copy in their industry and even (if I have it) their product category.

Often this two-step soft follow up results in them wanting to communicate with you one-on-one, either to learn more about your capabilities or discuss a potential project. Which brings you a step closer to being hired!

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