Staff writers for newspapers and magazines might have less freedom with what they choose to write, but they generally have more job security and know when their next paycheck will arrive. Freelancers trade job security and regular pay for their independence.
Both freelancers and those permanently employed have to produce high- quality work. They have editors to report to and deadlines to meet.
More and more magazines are open to working with freelancers these days. With budget cuts and staff layoffs, and because magazines don't have syndicated material to fall back on, it is generally less expensive to pay several different freelance writers by the piece, rather than employ a full-time staff writer or two.
Some freelancers are generalists; they will write about anything they think they can sell. Others are specialists, choosing to write only in a particular field, such as travel or health and medicine. Successful freelancers have a lot of market savvy; that means they are familiar with all the different publications they could market their work to, and know how to approach those publications.
Training and Qualifications
While many writers hone their writing craft in college, the business of freelancing is generally self-taught. There are, however, adult education classes throughout the country, as well as writers' associations, that can provide new freelancers with some guidance and marketing strategies.
Before starting, read as many magazines as you can, and in particular, study those you would like to write for. It's never a good idea to send an article to a magazine you have never seen before. Being familiar with the different magazines will also help you to come up with future article ideas.
Once you have decided what you want to write about, there are two ways you can proceed. You can write the entire article on spec, send it off to appropriate editors, and hope they like your topic. Or, you can write a query letter, a miniproposal, to see if there is any interest in your idea first. Query letters will save you the time of writing articles you might have difficulty selling. Only once you're given a definite assignment do you then proceed.
You can find out about different magazines and the kind of material they prefer to publish in the market guides listed at several other articles on our website.
Earnings
Getting a check for an article can be rewarding, but sadly, for new freelancers, the checks might not come often enough and are not always large enough to live on.
While staff writers are paid a regular salary (though generally not a very high one), a freelancer gets paid only when he or she sells an article. Fees could range from as low as $5 to $1,000 or more depending upon the publication. But even with a high-paying magazine, writers often have to wait until their story is published before they are paid. Because publishers work so far ahead, planning issues six months or more in advance, payment could be delayed from three months to a year or more.
To the freelancers advantage, sometimes the same article can be sold to more than one magazine or newspaper. These resales help to increase income. You can also be paid additional money if you provide your own photographs to illustrate your articles.
Freelance writers don't need a long, impressive resume to sell their first article. The writing will speak for itself.
