Breaking into the business of getting paid to write

[Jason Cooke]

I'm just curious to know how all of you experienced professional writers got your first gig or paid assignment or whatever else that involved being able to eat bread as a consequence of stringing words together (whether for publication or not). I am presently mired in a career that I wouldn't wish on anyone with a sane value system, and am looking for more creative work. I wrote a bit for a college newspaper in Maine, but found that said newspaper liked to edit everything that was precisely interesting to me in my writing out of the finished product, so I went back to scribbling pseudo-poetic phrases on post-it notes at my insurance job--with little organization and even less motivation. I had read on one of these threads something about cold-calling. Is that the way to go? Also curious to know who this David Eide fellow is, and how did he get our names? And how did he know that I like to write? Then again, we are living in an aporia of a postmodern existence--this all could just be another one of the voices in my head.

Please advise. I'm serious about the breaking-in thing.

[Rachel Swailes]

If you find a way in-let me know! I share the same problem!

Rachel

[David Eide]

Hi Jason, the first freelance writing job I got was from a small ad in a newspaper classified. The freelance writing job I got from that ad was a good one and paid decent money for that time.

I am David Eide and I got your names because you subscribe to one of my newsletters, either Sunoasis Jobs Update or Sunoasis X. I've run Sunoasis Jobs for this decade and have tried to bring the best jobs to writers and editors. However, I'm old school and believe that a writer should study the marketplace and find what it going to fulfill his or her goals as a writer. That's where query letters and cover letters come in. What writers need to do is target markets so they can concentrate on (a) an industry group (b) a topic or (c) a combination of the two.

One of the best things you can do to break-in to freelance writing is to do small filler items or side bars. Don't think about feature articles until you get some sales under your belt.

[Demetria Dixon]

David, please share more about these filler items. I'm writing almost everywhere on the internet that it is possible to write and have several features under my belt. I feel ready to make the jump to submitting to print publications. How do I know if I'm ready? Or is it just dive and abd see if you bob to the surface?

Demetria

[Jason Cooke]

Filler items. I'm out of the loop--is that like Lays potato chips for writers? Because I can fill with the best of them if that's the case, but I'm not sure what they are, nor how to go about the filling itself. Thanks for the tips. I'm going to take a stab.

[JlB]

Hello. Check it out man. I've been writing for about 2 months or so. I'm just getting by-- $1,100 on the first month. So I suppose, according the Stephen King's book, memoir rather, On Writing, I'm one of the luckier ones. (More importantly the book grants important focus, quickly, and gives great tips if you ever desired to get a novel-- it'll also lead to the purchase of subsequent book purchases probably.) So month two is coming to a close-- well, as a matter of fact, I was supposed to create the Progress Report II yesterday, but I worked all day and didn't have the time. I still don't have the time to create it and I don't have the time to do this, business is thriving-- I doubt the market of language could ever be down, I believe I've chosen the correct profession. Pertaining to your problem-- or subject to the rather, this is how I got my first gig.

Partly through the commission of my writing career in the early days, I'd say about 3/4 of a good month into it my mother suggested to me that when I used her laptop last year I might've saved a document on her computer, a "query letter" as some clients call it. Well, I don't remember, but that must've been the start because when I read that draft letter it looked quite similar to the one I use now-- well, not so similar to the one I use now, but similar to the one I used at that point in my writing.

So I had a letter that I drafted--a brief history of my writing history, aspirations, work habits, desires and ability. It makes me sound really gifted and I guess that still sounds foreign to me because it's most-often left as a compliment to me, and not-often created as words from me. So I wrote the letter that told them about my awards, trips to writers’ conferences, and other relevant information. I sent them links to my blogs. I only had one entry at the time, Jpinion I.

(Today, sometimes I also include 5 or 10 articles about different cities (alphabetized) or some SEO (Advertising articles for websites, search engine optimized articles) about a bunch of stuff that's irrelevant to me, some pamphlets for a chiropractor, I work for some guy in NYC, Maine-- you get the point, there are a lot to be had. I got most of them from craigslist.)

In the first letter I just included the few little writing details that I had. I still have the letter. I worked on each section of the career as a whole. I sent out a million samples and got minimal replies. I edited the letter. Made it visually appealing, emotionally stimulating, engaging, artistic, informative, brief, confident, real-- these things and more came over constant revisions in the beg. Someone would respond and say, "Jordan, I like your confidence!" and I'd worry that I was overly-confident. My job at that point was to revise the letter daily, repeatedly-- I finally remember the day I said, "Alright. I don't have to revise this as much any more and now I can focus on getting jobs." The letter was correct or at least useable.

I got a job from an artist named N.Rozsa and he wanted me to write a proposal for him to get into the SF Art Museum. It was a great job, the day I opened my PayPal account, about 12 days after I started, I received my first payment and it just got better from there. The artist was about 55 and had a lifetime's collection of work. My second job was from someone in Boston, I only got paid for my sample but it was $25.00 per hour for $5.00 hours. The two jobs were about 1.5 weeks apart, a lot of editing took place in the meantime-- after I realized there were jobs to be had, I started working on Jpinions and things like that. I wrote samples for free or "BS-your money" companies and when they ran-out with my work, I still got it as a sample.

There are a lot of people who will try to get you to work for free. There are a lot of people who will try to scam you. All of the things in my draft letter now even include preventative measures for that and it's 95% effective. Some people run-out

[JlB]

What I mean is
*I remember the day I finally said, "

*according to Stephen King's book, memoir rather, On Writing...

*5 hours

* $1,100 in the first...

*if you decide to write a novel

* More importantly,

...

Forget the rest,

JlB

cont...

"There are a lot of people who will try to get you to work for free. There are a lot of people who will try to scam you. All of the things in my draft letter now even include preventative measures for that and it's 95% effective. Some people run-out with 2 or 3 assignments after working for sometime. Rates are directly according to your ability. You may need to stay professional in your query letter as well.

I could go on forever and tell you the lessons that I've learned from writing and how I've come to look at 12 clients that I'm working for today, at my own schedule (except for the one I said I would have done maybe today guaranteed Monday) or the other 30 that I don't have the time to consider or write samples for right now. The people who get my services these days are the ones who are ready to go or have minimal sample requirements or pay for their samples. Look at me, rambling....

a tout a l'here dear writer.

Your friend,

JlB"

[Claudia Peel]

You and I are kind of in the same boat, Jason. I was a professional writer - a print journalist - but my background is too dated to open any writing-related doors today. I'm starting from scratch and what I've learned since venturing into this freelance writer wannabe state is that I need the kind of clips that can really showcase my writing skills and I need to make some sacrifices or tradeoffs in order to get those clips. I quit a full-time job to do this. I'm going to have to work at some kind of paid job until I can establish myself as a freelance writer/editor but I don't want to work at something that takes everything out of me and that may be where you are with your insurance job. I don't know; that's for you to determine. What I do know is that words don't just flow off the ends of my fingertips; I have to work at it and I need the time and the energy to do that. It's unfortunate that your first experience with an editor was so negative. I've worked with a lot of editors in my time and all of them have made me a better writer. If you like to write, then do it. If your story doesn't get published but is returned with editorial comment, use it to grow as a writer. Good writing is part gift, mostly craft. We have to work at it and editors play a part in that work process. I spend at least six hours a day working at my craft. That includes doing a daily check of writing-related job banks and news sources. I keep a living list, so to speak, of calls for submissions and magazines/Web sites that don't pay very well but they do publish some really good work. I do a lot of other stuff too, including work on a novel started some time ago, but it's all geared towards getting published. I'm going to get there, Jason, and I know you will too. Just keep working at it.

claudia

[JlB]

The best advice I can give any "aspiring writer" is to stop calling themselves that and to get into the 'writer' state of mind.

Stop thinking that you can't do something and do it at that very moment.

Don't ever lose ambition, motivation or drive.

You will get there if you utilize patience and practice.

JlB

[Star]

One thing you should avoid is writing for $10 an article, for "exposure," or any of the other nonsense people try to talk you into. Don't depend on Craigs ads or waiting for people to find your website. You need to talk to all your friends and family, nearby businesses, your local newspaper, regional or city magazine, anybody you can find. You need to make cold calls--or send a brochure--or both. You need to learn to pitch, manage a business, and deal with editors.

[Peggy]

I agree with Star. You need to be proactive.

My first professional job--years ago, my kids were involved in competitive swimming. At the end of the summer swim season, I wrote an article about winter swim programs available in the Washington DC area for kids. This was in the 1990's--preInternet. I had to call and speak to all the swim coaches to find out about their programs. I wrote it up--then I called the editor of an area newspaper and pitched the idea. He said, I like it, write it and send it to me in a week. I said, I've already written it. I sent it in. He called and said it was too long; he was going to edit it up. Then a few days later, he called again and said he actually liked it and was going to run it as a two-parter. I got a couple hundred bucks, as I recall. It started a relationship where I pitched (I learned to do that before writing) and then sold a number of updates on the swim season.

Once you have some credits, it's easier to get an editor's attention, I think. Write about what you like, what interests you. I gave up article writing after doing a short piece for Washington Flyer years ago about adult kickball league. I found the whole interview process then writing not what I wanted to do. Now I write fiction and essays. Perseverance is the key.

Peggy

[James Mayes]

Well, I'm new to the forums, but I guess it's okay for me to reply. (?) :)

My first paying gig was by accident. When I was in the tree care industry several years ago, I discovered a problem with a disease affecting oak trees, which was being misdiagnosed as something else. Tree companies in my area were removing trees when they suspected them of having oak wilt, when in fact, the trees only had a subsurface disease call Hypoxilan Canker, which was easily cured by scraping away the affected areas. I wrote into a national tree care magazine and explained this mistake in an effort to help tree companies from making this mistake and needlessly removing trees, and the editor of the magazine published the letter. He sent me a check for $100, and from there, I ended up writing several articles for the magazine. This is what started my freelance writing career. That might be something you can do as well. "Letters to the Editor" are easy ways to break in, and I've done so with several other magazines as well. Good luck!

James

[Hope Clark]

I worked 25 years in a job before requesting an early retirement to write full-time. Note...I did it only when I knew I had health insurance and a little check to catch the major bills in case my freelancing fell through the cracks. Been writing FT now for 5 years. I endured a yucky job as well, but I made up for it by throwing myself into the night and weekend writing, often sitting in staff meetings writing character studies about the big-wigs giving the anal speeches. Then, wouldn't you know it, I wrote a novel based upon...the day job I had for 25 years. Turning it into a series of novels. Look for writing wherever you are. That steady paycheck enables you to write, believe it or not. It also fuels your imagination with lots of ideas. Somebody had to endure hell to write the screenplay for Office Space, right?

Hope Clark
FundsforWriters.com