Preparation
I’ve been doing freelance writing for almost thirty years now and have formulated many steps in the freelance writing process in order to become profitable. Preparation is key. The more I write, the better and more equipped I become. Some of my success has come from hard work and knowing exactly where to look for stories wanted. I begin by actively researching for advertisements and use these for content to fund my new website. Although I have created a few simple websites, I want to hire a professional company to build my new customized website in order to regularly update and maintain the information through easy access.
It is easy to search Google for FREELANCE WRITERS WANTED. I have found, however, that many of these ads are not legitimate. Although many magazines and publishers promise payment for following their guidelines, they don’t compensate the writer or follow through. You may never hear from them after submitting the project. Who knows what they use your work for; clearly, this is a waste of time. Another issue in online employment involves competition for compensation. “When companies can choose from a giant pool of available talent responding to online work listings, it drives prices to artificial lows that don’t reflect the true value of the skill required for the work” (Horowitz 87).
Finding and Evaluating Legitimate Sources
Due to these circumstances, I feel that the most important skill that I am going to improve on is locating the best places for legitimate ads which include researching editors, agents and publishers with a proven history and an actual address. Real ads for writing come in the back of popular magazines like Writers Digest which has been around for decades. WD magazine often contains listings of publishers and what they are looking for, whether it be an article or type of manuscript. Answering those ads with my own written work will be one way to supplement my writing income.
One of the true ways to evaluate an advertisement for writers wanted is the payment offered. Marketers that promise free ads don’t often check for legitimacy or have any commitment to even remove the ad after a certain period of time. For example, I have answered ads only to receive a letter later informing that submissions for this project ended last year, and the book had been already published.
So when looking at a Story Wanted ad, I will weigh several criteria: Is the ad published in a reputable magazine or book? The location of this ad is just as important as what is in the ad itself. Did the advertisement have an advertiser who put his own capital into knowing it would be placed in a reputable location where professional writers would research? The next aspects I will look for are the guidelines and submission date. Does it have both listed or a number to contact?
