Jen's Writing Journey

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Make a Real Living as a Freelance Writer: How to Win Top Writing Assignments by Jenna Glatzer

This is a great book for those of you beginning a freelance career. Glatzer provides tips on starting your freelance business, a glossary of terms, and sample queries to emulate.

One of the best tips, I think, is to avoid the generic submission email when sending your query. Start with the submission guidelines for the magazine you are targeting. Follow the word count, topic needs, and time line information to the letter. If you can’t follow instructions when you are querying, why would the editor think you can follow them in her assignment? But, when it is time to send your query, target the appropriate editor by name and by specific email address.

There are a few ways to find the right email address. Glatzer provides tips for constructing the address if you can’t find it. But, before you start creating email addresses based on common conventions, put a few of your investigative skills to work.

• Check the masthead. Some publications print email addresses here.
• Visit freelance resource sites such as Writer’s Market or Media Bistro. You’ll need to join these sites to get the most info, and most of the information is in the fee-based sections.
• Search for the editor’s name in Google or your favorite search engine.
• When all else fails, call the magazine and ask for the appropriate contact information.

Happy freelancing!

• Writing Roundup, February 12 Whew. This has been a week of technology troubles for me, but my laptop is on the mend. So, I'm back with some of the great writing posts from around the blogosphere. (It pains me to use such a cliched word, but I don't know of any word to describe......
• Writing Roundup, August 28 Lots of good stuff out there as we look toward the fall. The Business of Writing How a Book Gets Published Agent Nathan Bransford gives a great, easy-to-follow description of how a book goes from finished clean copy on the author's desk to a shiny new book on the shelves.......
• Writing Roundup, September 11 Here is a handy table of contents that will help you quickly reach the topic of your choice. Let me know if you like it this way. The Business of Writing Craft Fiction Freelancing Platform The Business of Writing Freemium for Writers Is Two Debates Don Holloway provides interesting insight......
• Writing Roundup, May 22 A short and sweet pre-Memorial Day roundup. The Business of Writing So-N-So Recommended Me Referrals can be a great way to get an agent to look at your work--but only if they are done right. Here you'll find some examples of good and bad referrals. Main lesson? Make sure the......
• Writing Roundup, Nov. 13 The Business of Writing Craft Fiction Freelancing Platform The Business of Writing Comparing Your Book to Other Books in Your Query Agent Nathan Bransford weighs in on using comparisons to other books in your query. Personally, I think it can give a nice frame reference for tone or subject......

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