102 Ways to Earn Money Writing 1,500 Words or Less
by I.J. Schecter
Writer's Digest Books, 2009
ISBN-13: 978-1-58297-795-9
ISBN-10: 1-58297-795-X
$14.99 paperback, 224 pages
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Read an Excerpt!
Taste a sample of the many ways to make money freelancing. Read examples from magazines, newspapers, literary outlets, corporate writing, and everything else under the sun.
Online Exclusive: Q&A With I. J. Schecter
Award-winning freelancer and highly sought communications consultant I.J. Schecter shares his insights into the writing life in this exclusive Q&A.
About the Book
Can you really make a living writing? Absolutely! 102 Ways to Earn Money Writing 1,500 Words or Less shows you the wide array of freelance opportunities available—and gives you everything you need to know to reap the benefits of a bustling writing career.
Award-winning freelancer and highly sought communications consultant I.J. Schecter delivers ideas for finding freelance work in traditional markets like magazines and newspapers, as well as in unique markets, including:
• fast-food tray liner copy
• person-to-person correspondence (including love letters!)
• song lyrics
• and many others!
Every suggestion is backed by a real-life experience from Schecter and other freelancing experts. Plus, each of the 102 ways has a “Get This Gig” section that tells you where to start, who to contact, and what to charge so you can immediately apply what you learn.
102 Ways to Earn Money Writing 1,500 Words or Less gives you the knowledge, confidence, and inspiration to recognize and make the most of today’s freelance possibilities.
About the Author
I.J. Schecter is an award-winning author whose essays, articles and fiction have been published in a broad range of leading magazines, newspapers and literary journals throughout the world including Today’s Parent, Maxim, Golf Monthly, Condé Nast Bride’s, Men’s Exercise, The Globe and Mail, Shutterbug, Canadian Geographic and Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine. A frequent contributor to Writer’s Digest, Writer’s Market, Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market and Children’s Writers and Illustrator’s Market, as well as other writing magazines and websites like Writer’s Journal and writingworld.com, he has written over 100 instructional pieces on topics ranging from effective use of metaphors to getting rid of secondary characters who won’t go away, and has interviewed prominent literary figures from Scott Turow to Lawrence Block.
Table of Contents
Introduction
1. Magazines
Among the many print markets for freelancers, magazines offer the broadest range of opportunity. There aren’t dozens of magazines needing freelance contributors; there are hundreds. Breaking this market down into consumer, trade, regional and specialty, I’ll explain how to research potential topics, craft an effective pitch, maintain productive relationships with editors, and achieve preferred status.
2. Newspapers
The mainstays of the publishing world, newspapers have the largest and most unremitting need for words—new words every day, on new topics, seen from new angles. From national dailies to your local community bulletin, I’ll explain how newspapers work, what paths to take to get in as a freelancer, and how to gain increasing status—and more column inches—over time.
3. Literary Outlets
Of all the questions writers ask, the most common may be, “Is there still a place to publish serious literature?” The answer is yes. Generations of readers have shown that good stories will always have an audience, and dedicated publishers have shown that they will always have a place to be read. Literary journals and periodicals maintain a strong, vital presence in the writing world because the people who run them are devoted to the ongoing search for great manuscripts. I’ll reveal just how many of these publications there are, how to get to them, and how to use your credentials to ever-increasing effect.
4. Corporate Writing
Even the smallest of companies has writing needs. And big companies—one could write a separate book altogether. Instruction manuals, marketing brochures, newsletters, annual reports, internal memos, white papers, conference scripts, keynote speeches, business-to-business publications, company websites—the list goes on and on. I’ll talk about how to get your foot in the door, how to stay there once you’re in, what companies are expecting from you, how to surpass their expectations, and why you need to be open to corporate writing not only as a source of potentially serious freelance income but also as a source of fun, interesting work. If it weren’t, do you think I would count among my credits writing copy for McDonald’s tray-liners?
5. Everything Else Under the Sun
One of the best parts about being a freelance writer is discovering just how often people have writing needs they’d happily delegate to someone else. Typically these projects don’t belong in any formal publishing category, but taking them on can enhance your career in multiple ways. From medical school application essays to script outlines for nervous wedding emcees, I’ve written just about everything for people over the years. Of note is that I haven’t done it pro bono. I’ll talk about the myriad ways people need writers, the many ways you can let them know you’re around, and the importance of keeping business separate from everything else.
