By Carol Tice
If you’re looking to break into freelance writing today, there are many more options open to you than just a decade or so ago. One new type of paid writing in recent years is content sites—Associated Content, Brighthub, Demand Studios, Seed and others.
You’ll see these sites advertising for writers constantly, and new ones pop up all the time. It’s easy to sign up and start writing articles for them…but most pay $20 an article or less, or only pay a royalty based on pageviews or ad “clicks”…assuming they stay in business. That’s why many writers refer to them as “content mills.” At best, they’re usually a place for a brand-new writer to experiment a little and hone their craft. Soon, most writers want to move on to better-paying markets.
The thing to remember is content sites are not taking over the world of freelance writing – they’re just one new type of market. Despite what you may have heard, freelance rates have not collapsed, and savvy writers are still earning well.
Up until 10 years or so ago, most writers who started their freelance career did it without ever writing for a content mill. Content sites didn’t exist yet. How did we manage it? Each of us found some other way to get our career started. Below, I count the ways I earned in my first couple years. Almost all of these paid more than mills from the very first assignment. The hourly rate wasn’t the greatest at first because I had so much to learn and wasn’t efficient, but they very quickly became good earning options and led to work that paid very well.
1. Win writing contests. Contests are a great way to get in front of editors, and winning helps build an “awards won” page on your Web site that impresses prospects.
2. Write for the alternative press. Alt papers are a great place to develop as a writer and get paid $50 an article or more off the bat. It can lead to a lot of other great opportunities — I got a full-time reporting job that paid more than $40,000 a year to start from my alt-press clips. Alt papers have gained credibility over the years, as many highly successful writers started there and spun off to national radio, paper and TV gigs.
3. Write for daily papers. Yes, many have disappeared, and some don’t have freelance budget anymore. But many of the major papers need freelancers more than ever. The pay isn’t great, but I get $300 an article for Seattle Times pieces that aren’t terrifically complicated, which beats $15 an article from a mill any day.
4. Write for small, regional papers and magazines. When I first moved to Seattle and needed to find my first local markets, I wrote for Today’s Careers, a free local job paper, for about $200 a story. Easy, interesting work.
5. Write for local nonprofits or small businesses. It only takes a little experience to get launched in the world of copy-writing if you can write clear, compelling content. Walk around your town, hit your Chamber breakfast, approach your favorite nonprofit, and find a business or organization that needs something written. Now you’ve got samples and you can pitch anybody, including the biggest corporations in America.
6. Write online content. Study the Web sites of your local business establishments and call the ones that look the worst. Suggest they add bios, case studies, a blog.
7. Write a couple free samples. You may be surprised to hear me say this, but I’m a big believer in just writing a few sample articles on your own, to create your first clips. I like it because you don’t get confused and think what you’re doing might be a living. You’re clear about moving on quickly to paying gigs.
8. Take a class. When I realized I wanted to write for a living, I went and took some UCLA Extension classes in journalism. You’ll never regret taking the time to study and learn about this field, particularly about reporting technique, article formats and ethical issues. Many writers are coming into the field now without any training, and it limits their options. Getting a bit of education can jump you ahead of the pack.
About Carol Tice
Carol is an experienced business reporter and blogger. Her work has appeared in print publications including Entrepreneur magazine and the Seattle Times, and online on BNET, Allbusiness.com, American Express OPEN Forum, and Dun & Bradstreet Small Business Solutions. She blogs about the business of writing and mentors new writers through her Make a Living Writing blog and Web site.
Hello,
Thank you for sharing this information
Hope to see more update from you next time with more tips and techniques about writing next time.