The first, and perhaps the most important, aspect of starting a freelance writing business is learning to research writers’ markets. It can be time consuming at first, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll breeze through market listings in no time. You’ll be able to tell the scams from the real jobs, and you’ll know which markets suit you and which ones don’t.
As you research writers’ markets, pay close attention to what the publication wants. If they don’t buy poetry or fiction, don’t send it. There are markets that do accept these works, so look for them instead of alienating the editor that does not.
Freelance writing should be treated like any other business, which means you have to be just as professional in querying and submitting as would if you were going on an interview or bidding a job. This means you must always submit according to the prescribed guidelines.
If the writers’ guidelines say no email attachments, and you send an attachment anyway, you can be sure it will be deleted without being read. There is quite a bit of competition in the realm of freelance writing, so submissions that don’t meet the guidelines are quickly disregarded for those that do.
It’s also wise to read a past issue or two of publications you hope to write for in order to get a sense of their tone and style. Most publications will recommend doing so in their guidelines, and the editor can usually tell if a writer bypasses this step.
In the past, reading back issues could become a complication for freelance writers, because they often had to purchase sample copies of the magazine. Fortunately, today there is a vast collection of magazines that offer online versions of their publications. It doesn’t cost a thing, and only takes a click of the mouse, to do the necessary research.
Another important step is checking the “lead time” if it is provided in the guidelines. If it’s not provided, ask when you query or submit. Many publications, especially print versions, have quite a bit of lead-time for seasonal and holiday items. This simply means that they need such items well in advance of seasonal and holiday issues. The lead-time may be weeks, but in many cases, it can be as much as six months in advance.