The Sell-your-First-Article Series, part 1: The 14-Step Process to Pitching, Researching, and Selling an Article

Want to get paid to write articles for print and online markets--but not sure how to get started? This post is for you. 

In short, to pitch, sell, research, and write an article, you’ll do the following:

1. Come up with an idea. (This is unnecessary if an editor approaches you with an assignment.)

2. Choose the market for your idea. (You may already be pitching and/or writing for a market that you plan to pitch. Otherwise, you’ll need to find the market you plan to approach with your idea. And it never hurts to have more than one potential market in mind—that way, if an editor says “no,” you move on and resub the idea to another market, remember?)

3. Research and write a query letter, and send it to your target market.

4. Send a follow-up, if you haven’t heard from the target market yet.

5. If you get a rejection (what I call a “bong”), return to step 2 and resub to another market. If the article is assigned by an editor, ask about the publication’s contract terms (see step 6), and prepare to research and write the piece.

6. Read your contract, and negotiate any writer-unfriendly terms as best you can.

7. Research the piece. This may include doing background research, identifying and contacting potential sources, and conducting interviews with sources. 

8. Write the piece, doing your best to meet your editor’s specifications—in other words, give her what she wants.

9. Turn the piece in and wait for feedback from your editor.

10. Rewrite or rework the piece if necessary, and submit backup, or fact-checking material, if she requests it. (Some markets require it; others do not.)

11. Submit an invoice, if your editor needs one. Otherwise, she’ll request payment on your behalf.

12. Wait for the piece to appear in print or online, and notify your sources that the story is out.

13. Collect your check!

14. Celebrate seeing your byline—and move on to the next story idea, with a little more confidence and experience under your belt. 

You won’t necessarily perform every step for every story, but this process gives you an idea of what to expect when you write for publication. But maybe you’re thinking, it can’t be that easy! How do I find experts? What do I say when I contact one? How do I pull a story together? How do I know I’m doing a good job?

When I teach magazine writing, I’ve found that the best way to teach these skills is by showing students how I’ve approached stories in the past. So let's take a look at how I approached one simple, short piece just about any new writer could tackle. 

Step 1: Come up with an idea.

As a long-term runner, I’ve been interested in fitness topics for years. The idea for this particular story came about after I came across a press release about a new study about something called “non-exercise activity,” or NEAT. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic found that NEAT (things like fidgeting, shifting position, jiggling your leg during a boring meeting) may burn more calories than originally thought, and may help people maintain a healthy weight. It was surprising to me, and made a good “hook” for a pitch.

However, simply reading the press release didn’t give me enough detail to write a strong query. So I went online to search PubMed.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine’s  database of more than 22 million journal articles. There I pulled up the abstract to the article itself. (An abstract is a brief summary of a journal article; it includes the citation, title study, authors’ names, and background and a short overview of the study results. If you’ve never used PubMed before, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK3827/ gives a great overview with tips about how to search it.)

In this case, the article had been published in the December, 2000 edition of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Though it was a small study (involving only 24 participants), the conclusion stated, “There is marked variance between subjects in the energy expenditure associated with self-selected fidgeting-like activities. The thermogenic [calorie-burning] potential of fidgeting-like and low-grade activities is sufficiently great to substantively contribute to energy balance.” (Yeah, that’s awkward phrasing. But the researcher wrote it, not me!)

With the abstract in hand, I could write a query letter. In the meantime, I requested a copy of the article through my local library. (Your library is often able to obtain copies of journal articles for little or no charge; this is less expensive than using a source like LexisNexis, www.lexisnexis.com, or Electric Library, www.elibrary.com, both of which you must pay to use.) Many libraries and universities allow you to access the full-text articles in their research databases for no charge; check out Stanford University’s High Wire Press, which includes more than two million full-text science and health articles (www.highwire.stanford.edu/lists/freeart.dtl) or New York Public Library’s collections at http://www.nypl.org/collections.


Back to my article. At this point, I didn’t bother to contact one of the study authors. I typically wait until the story is assigned to do that. (The only exception I make to this rule is if I know I’ll need to interview a particular person for the story, such as with a profile. Then I contact that person first to make sure he is available and willing to speak with me if and when I get the assignment. That way I feel confident that I can deliver the story if it’s assigned.) 

**Next post, we'll move on to the next steps in the process, so stay tuned! In the meantime, Dollars and Deadlines: Make Money Writing Articles for Print and Online Markets, from which this post is drawn, in now in print. (Prefer the Kindle edition?)

**And if you want to know more about writing articles, sign up for Rochelle Melander's Write Now! Mastermind class. She'll be interviewing me for How To Pitch And Sell Articles To A Variety Of Freelance Markets. The call is free, but you need to sign up at http://www.writenowcoach.com/resources/write-now-mastermind.html. The Write Now! Mastermind Class
 provides free monthly one-hour educational calls with accomplished authors, agents, editors, and other publishing professionals. The calls are hosted by Write Now! Coach Rochelle Melander, who is an author and professional certified coach specializing in helping people write books fast, publish their work, and market it online.

What do Markets Pay Today? The Latest Rates

One of the challenging aspects of freelancing is the lack of information about what markets pay. While many freelance markets post their rates online, others do not. And I can tell you that posted rates are almost always the least a market will pay. Publications often pay their regular contributors higher rates, and will offer more money for articles that require writers to perform extensive research or have a specialized background, for example. 

That's one reason I talk about money and encourage other writers to do the same. It also helps prevent you from falling into the trap of writing for pennies, or for "exposure," because you don't know any better. 

Market rates vary, I've gathered some recent rate info to keep in mind: 

Print markets 
Major national magazines: $1-3/word (it's rare to get $3/word but it happens!) 
Smaller/niche national magazines $0.25-$1/word
Trade magazines: $0.20-.50/word
Regional magazines: $0.10-50/word
Custom magazines: $0.50-$1/word+

Online markets 
Blogs: $50-500 for posts of 500-800 words 
Articles $0.25-$1/word

Books (including ghostwriting) Book proposals $3,500-8,000+ (this is lower than a couple of years ago) 
Full-length books $10,000-35,000+ (+royalties, in some cases)

Other work 
Consulting $100/hour+
Editing $25-50/hour, on average, depending on the type of editing and the project
Proofreading $15-25/hour+

Remember that what you're paid (even if it's a lot!) is only one factor when you decide whether to write for a particular market. Consider how long a piece will take to research and write so you have an idea of what you make not only per-word, but per-hour. Aiming for a high per-hour rate (or gradually increasing yours over time) is what will help you develop and sustain a successful freelance career. 

**New to this blog or to freelancing in general? If your'e just getting started, I've got several ebooks that will help you launch your freelance writing career: 

• Dollars and Deadlines' Guide to Selling your First Article. If you've ever wanted to see your byline in print or pixels, or want to launch your freelance career, this 10-step process will show you how...no matter how inexperienced you are.     
• Dollars and Deadlines' 10 Most Popular, Proven Ways to Make Money as a Freelance Writer. Based on my annual survey of freelancers, this ebook lists the 10 most popular ways to make money from your words--and how to break into each. 
• Dollars and Deadlines' 10 Essential Freelance Templates. Early in 2011, I devoted a month to sharing freelance templates; this ebook compiles the 10 you must have in your freelance arsenal. 
• Dollars and Deadlines' 10 Truths Every Writer Who Wants to Get Published Should Know. This ebook is a little bit of a departure for me, and is aimed at every writer who wants to get published, not those (like me) who write for money. The fact is, even if you don't care about the money, understanding how the publishing business works will boost your chances of publication. 

Or check out my latest full-length book, Writer for Hire: 101 Secrets to Freelance Success, for a comprehensive look at what it takes to build a career as a writer of short nonfiction. 

You're Doing it Wrong (and How to do it Right the First Time)

Ever seen the movie Mr. Mom? (Yeah, I'm dating myself but it still makes me laugh.) There's a scene where Michael Keaton (a/k/a Mr. Mom) is dropping his older son off at school for the first time, and isn't following the correct drop-off procedure. From the backseat, his son cries, "Dad, you're doing it wrong!" Keaton ignores him, muttering, "Don't tell me I'm doing it wrong. I know how to do it."

Finally, another parent waves him down. Keaton rolls down his window only to have her tell him, "You're doing it wrong."(For the record, he's driving the opposite direction he should be. So yeah, he's doing it wrong.)

When I teach article writing, lead a Webinar, or speak at a writers' conference, I caution writers about doing it wrong. I want you to do it right. And if you're a new freelancer who wants to sell an article to an online or print market, that means pitching an idea you're uniquely qualified to write. Over the years, I've developed a simple, but effective 10-step process to help new writers sell their first articles. Now my new ebook that includes it, Dollars and Deadlines' Guide to Selling your First Article, is available through Kindle.

Experienced writers, this ebook isn't for you--although it's perfect for those friends and family members pestering you for advice about getting published. If you're new to the freelancing world, though, or want to finally see your byline in print or pixels--and get paid for it--this is the ebook you need. It includes print and online market resources, tips on coming up with compelling ideas, sample queries, and advice on researching your article--in short, everything you need to sell your first piece.    

This ebook is only the first of a series of titles I'm working on. Look for more coming soon, including one on book publishing myths (and the truth behind them), and one on making more money from the same work.

So, readers, please spread the word about my ebook, and let me know what you think of it. And let me ask you--what topics would you like to see covered in an ebook? I'm listening--or rather, reading. :)

Four Types of Lucrative Print Markets--and How to Market to Them

If you freelance, you already know that marketing is part of the business. But the way you pitch will depend on the nature of the market or client you're pitching. Your approach to a trade publication will differ from that of a local, national, or custom magazine, for example. Here's a look at four types of lucrative markets and how to crack each:

National Consumer Magazines

Most freelancers dream of writing for the "biggies," most of which pay $1/word and up. But how do you get your foot in the door when you have few clips (or none)? Here's the secret: pitch FOB (or front-of-book) pieces. Nearly every magazine has a regular FOB section where it features short, newsy, "quick hit" type of pieces of 300 words or less. These short pieces are relatively easy assignments, and the editors are more likely to give new writers a chance here. Writing FOB pieces is lets you prove yourself and start developing a relationship with the section editor, which makes it easier to sell other ideas in the future.

Regional and Local Magazines

Regional and local publications are a great place to break in for new writers, but they offer opportunities for established writers as well. While these magazines cover the same topics as their national counterparts, they almost always have a local angle. They're more open to newer writers, which is a plus if you're starting out. No, they don't pay as well as national magazines do (about $0.10 to $0.50/word), but writing for regional magazines can help you develop a portfolio and specialty and give you clips you can use to break into nationals. To break in, pitch a local trend story, a profile of a local person (or a roundup--e.g., five local celebs or five up-and-coming chefs), or find a local perspective on a national trend (e.g., how area families are cutting back on expenses for a regional parenting magazine).

Trade Magazines

Trade magazines are aimed at people who work in a particular trade or industry. Some, especially smaller ones, don't pay but most offer rates of about $0.20 to $0.50/word. So, how do you break in? Either pitch with a query letter or use an LOI, or letter of introduction. When querying, use industry lingo (e.g., mentioning "end caps" and "POS" for a pitch to a magazine for retailers) to show you "get it," and pitch an idea that will benefit readers. Make sure to mention the section of the magazine the story belongs in! And if you use an LOI (see my earlier posts, Query vs. LOI and Write your own LOI for more on how to do it), play up your knowledge of/experience with the relevant industry. Read my earlier post, Trade Magazines for more about finding potential markets.

Custom Magazines

Custom magazines are often overlooked by freelancers, but they often pay well, with rates starting at $0.50/word. A custom magazine is a consumer magazine with a twist; it's aimed at a particular audience—say, Jeep owners or people who buy Iams dog food for their pets. In the past, custom magazines resembled advertorial vehicles but today many are high-quality publications that mimic the look and feel of their consumer counterparts and help create loyalty between readers and the relevant company. To break in, send an LOI that highlights your experience with the subject(s) the magazine covers. Check out the Custom Content Council (formerly the Custom Publishing Council) for possible markets.

In future posts, I'll talk more about these kinds of lucrative markets and provide you with more techniques about pitching to, and writing for, them. In the meantime, get pitching!