You don’t exist in a vacuum — and you probably don’t want your writing to exist in a vacuum, either. A poet wants to inspire her readers; a journalist wants to enlighten his. An author of a service piece wants to teach, while a satirist writes to entertain. Regardless of the type of work you do, you write because you have something to say. Your audience is out there, and finding markets for your work will connect you with those people. Depending on your career goals, the best market may be online or in print, paying or non-paying.
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When you start searching for a market for your work, have your audience in mind. Let’s say you’ve developed an idea for a story on your success at quitting smoking using unorthodox techniques. Your piece is a witty personal essay about overcoming your habit at age 35. Who would read this piece? It’s probably not a story for professionals in the health industry, or teen partygoers. Rather than a teen magazine or online health journal, an adult lifestyle magazine may be the perfect fit.
Now, to find markets that attract your “reader type,” search for both print and digital publications that cater to that audience. Googling your topic is a good place to start, but there are other databases and newsletters that can point you toward appropriate markets. Travel writer Susan Barnes (travlingirl.com) uses Mediabistro and Wooden Horse Publishing, which puts out a free weekly newsletter that highlights a variety of publications.
Karen Craigo, poet and former editor of the Mid-American Review, uses the Poets & Writers online database to find markets. She also suggests paying attention to who publishes the work of writers you love. “Read the prize anthologies like The Best American Poetry, The O. Henry Prize Stories ___ and [you] can easily discover new magazines to read and new online publications.” She also recommends reading acknowledgements pages. “At the beginning [of these compilations] it says poems have appeared in such-and-such journals___ check out all of those and you can discover new journals that way.”
| “Success doesn’t just come from selling a story to the most prestigious market — it also comes from real connections with people.” |
I enjoy the FundsforWriters paid newsletter (there’s a free one, too), which comes out every two weeks and only lists markets that pay their writers fairly. But I’ll still leaf through a hard copy of the Writer’s Market and visit the periodicals section of my library to familiarize myself with magazines as well.
Digital or Print?
When considering whether to submit your work to online or print markets, there are a few key pros and cons for each. Koa Beck, editor-in-chief of Mommyish.com, says that “digital often doesn’t pay as well as print, but you can respond to a current event in a super timely manner and have it go viral___ if it resonates with people.”
Barnes echoes Beck’s observation. “Obviously [with] online it can be more immediate gratification,” she says, “whereas if it’s in print you may have to wait a couple of months___ one of my print pieces was supposed to run next month and it got pushed off a month.” So if you’re working with an extremely time-sensitive topic, unless you have a strong relationship with a print publication, you may be better off submitting to an online market.
Although print does generally pay more, writing for print is a double-edged sword. Barnes states, “I have found for the most part that print pays more, but then again, that market is diminishing.” If you’re a new writer, it can be helpful to bolster your resume by getting published online before jumping into the more competitive world of print. Many popular magazines have online counterparts that are largely fed by the work of new freelancers as well.
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Ongoing Assignments
Successful freelancers, like any entrepreneurs, will tell you that repeat business is essential to furthering your career. Once you’ve established a connection with an editor, it’s much easier to pitch a new idea to that editor than to break into a new market.
Beck gives an editor’s perspective: “Keep pitching and follow up. I receive so many pitches from good writers that aren’t a good fit for us, but that doesn’t mean I’m not interested in anything else you might come up with.” Personally, I often send two or three ideas in my follow-up pitch letters to demonstrate my expertise and willingness to write more on a topic. However, when I’m first contacting an editor, I typically only submit one very fleshed-out idea to make a good first impression.
Barnes says that her work is half comprised of repeat business and half new markets. “There are always new publications or new online outlets debuting, so I’m constantly pitching new editors. I don’t sit on my laurels knowing I have these two or three I write for regularly because they’re not going to want everything I want to do.” She emphasizes diversity in your choice of markets, and I agree — especially if you rely on your freelance income. You never know which opportunities are going to dry up, or when.
___But It Isn’t All About Pay
There’s nothing quite like the rush of wondering how you’re going to pay rent this month (kidding, sort of). And while I will always be an advocate for writers getting paid for their work, there are instances in which this just isn’t practical. And sometimes, an unpaid opportunity leads to other hidden benefits.
| “Some writers write to make a living, others do it to inspire or teach. Regardless of your intent, dedication and passion for your craft must come first.” |
Craigo describes the non-financial benefits of getting your writing out there. “Because I have published, I’ve had artist residencies. I’ve been asked to read various places, and I’ve had a great time___ I’ve been hosted, taken out to dinner and given a little honorarium to read my work and that’s super fun,” she says. “Some people get jobs from it too, which can be very lucrative.”
Success doesn’t just come from selling a story to the most prestigious market — it also comes from real connections with people. Barnes says she earned a number of assignments after being introduced to an editor, through a friend, who she would have never imagined pitching before. She also affirms the power of social media, especially Twitter: “People want to connect with new people. For instance, I’m the host of [the Go Girl Travel Networks’] #GirlsTravel chat on Mondays. I co-host with six other women I’ve never met before, but we all have a similar passion. We’ve been doing it a year.”
The more writers and editors you meet, the larger your scope of potential opportunities and friendships.
Love What You Do
Some writers write to make a living, others do it to inspire or teach. Regardless of your intent, dedication and passion for your craft must come first. “Write for the love of writing___ and to reach people who might desperately need to hear what it is you have to say,” says Craigo. “Anytime any considerations that are more pecuniary get in the way, anytime considerations that are based on fame and fortune get in the way of it, it’s an impure motive and it’s not going to serve you well.”
I won’t lie and tell you that you should just do what you love, and money will take care of itself. I have written on subjects that bore me because, well, doing so allowed me to afford groceries that week. But I do agree with Craigo in that a lack of passion for the writing itself is unsustainable.
I once heard a writer say, “I write because I am completely inept at everything else.” That’s how I feel for the most part (okay, I’m quite good at Candy Crush Saga, but last I checked that’s not a valid career option). But if the only way to continue doing what I love is to punctuate my career with the occasional piece for a lower-paying market, so be it. Everything I write, published or not, strengthens my skill and restores my confidence in choosing this path.
Amanda Layman Low is a freelance writer and artist. Contact her on Twitter @AmandaLaymanLow.
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