Online & Print Submissions for Freelance Writers
Getting Paid and Earning Money by Writing Articles
Sep 5, 2009
It is rare for a beginning freelance writer to land a feature piece in National Geographic or Time magazines (though it is by no means impossible, it is most certainly improbable). Successful freelance writers typically begin their writing careers by being published in small, local publications like city magazines, area gazettes or on the Internet.
Earning Potential for Beginning Freelance Writers
Beginning freelance writers may not earn a lot immediately from articles published on the Internet or in smaller local publications, however, these building blocks are essential to building a freelance portfolio as well as credibility as a writer. While the start of a freelance writing career may not be a very lucrative time, it is still a vitally important time and articles published on the Internet can provide a small but steady stream of income as well as exposure throughout a freelance writing career.
These first lower paid freelance assignments, or even free articles written as a volunteer or for charity work, are clips that can later be used as parts of queries to help land higher paying freelance assignments and can help boost a writer's career to the next level.
Online Submissions for Freelance Writers
Freelance articles that are published on reputable Internet sites or in online magazines may pay little upon initial publication, however it is important to note that these online articles may continue to earn revenue over a longer period of time whereas articles appearing in traditional print publications will typically only generate one payment and not continue to earn revenue over the life of the article.
When looking for places to submit articles online it is important to carefully read all of the terms and conditions. Sites that allow the author to retain some rights for their submissions are preferable to online publications that require the author to give up all rights to a submission or article. By retaining some rights to an online submission the beginning freelance writer may be able to rework or revise the piece for submission and publication elsewhere and therefore double the earning potential of one article or idea.
The beginning freelance writer may decide that giving up rights to an article is an okay trade off for immediate publication and payment, however this limits the writer's ability to then use that same submission, in part or in whole, elsewhere. By knowing which rights are retained a smart freelance writer can maximize their exposure and earning potential with a very small base of articles, submissions and clips.
By increasing the number of published submissions and articles the writer can quickly expand his or her portfolio to use when querying larger publications and competing for more lucrative assignments.
How to Build Earning Potential with Online and Print Submissions
Beginning freelance writers hoping to get paid for their efforts should:
- Query small local publications
- Submit articles to sites where they can retain their rights
- Build their portfolio
By beginning with small local publications freelance writers increase their odds of getting published earlier in their careers. Retaining the rights for their submissions allows the beginning freelance writer to maximize their efforts and research by allowing them to create multiple articles and submissions from one topic, thereby increasing their portfolio to help earn bigger and better assignments later.
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