The Aspiring Writer’s Guide: How to Publish Your Writing

Just like getting your first job, getting your writing out there so often seems to depend on you already getting it out there. How do you get into paid writing assignments if you have no experience? Unless you are very lucky or extremely talented, you must pay your fair share first. Although many seasoned pros advise newbies to never write anything for free, I disagree. This is why.

You can spend a lot of time sending coins to payment markets, without getting any response. Most publishers aren’t willing to take a chance on an unproven resource, when they have so many more people with experience and track records to choose from. After months of submissions and no acceptors, this can be so discouraging that the aspiring writer simply gives up. When your goal is to get your writing published, giving a little now, for free, makes the process go much faster.

Remember when you were in high school and looking for a part-time job? If you were able to include volunteering, dog walking, babysitting or yard work on your resume, you moved to the front of the candidate pile, ahead of those who had nothing but their GPA. These unpaid and informal references allowed the prospective employer to verify his reliability and work ethic, making him the best bet. It is more or less the same in the publication of your writing.

Here are several ideas you could use to launch your career. As you consider each location, integrate your long-term goals with projects that best serve your future interests. For example, if you would ultimately like to work as a sports reporter, tailor your free pieces to those types of posts, which require the skills of a sports reporter.

Let’s say your specialty is creative writing. This is a difficult market, but not impossible. Literary sites have great articles, but they are also notorious for not paying writers. Perhaps unfairly, these types of publishers understand that, for the writer, having his writing published on a literary site carries great prestige and is therefore his own reward. Find sites that publish material that serves your long-term goals. Read as much of his published material as possible and submit the best work from it.

Free blogging is another option. Getting paid to blog is pretty hard and it doesn’t pay well anyway, so you’re unlikely to make a living anyway. These unpaid blog posts usually focus on a particular topic, so aim for the ones you already know about. These are usually short posts of 100-300 words, so it doesn’t take much of your time. You may only need to do a few each week. The advantage of blogging is that if you write provocative pieces in an attractive style, you will gather clips and followers.

Let’s say your goal is to become a writer for one of the renowned gardening magazines. Gardening forums are a great place to hang out. Sharing your knowledge with other gardeners on the forum can establish you as an expert and gain a following in the gardening world. This is just a first step to publishing future writing, for money. You also increase your knowledge in the exchange of information.

If your major is journalism, look for opportunities with the school newspaper, church, and community newsletters. Again, little effort is required, but you are getting your writing published.

Whatever your area of ​​expertise, rest assured there is an e-newsletter on that topic. Find some good email newsletters, preferably with a large readership. Read your files and tailor an article to your audience. Contact the owner of the site and offer your piece in exchange for a signature. More clips and more advertising.