The Life of a Magazine Freelancer

Before we delve into this lesson on the life of a magazine freelancer, let me share a little bit of my personal story with you. 

My Article-Writing Journey

When I first set my sights on getting published, I knew I needed help and advice, so I went to a well-known writer’s conference. I was one of those, “Gee, I hope I get published one day!” people.

The first year, I went with both a novel proposal and a non-fiction book proposal. I had ideas of grandeur. An editor—or two, or three—would read my books and offer an instant contract. Unfortunately, the feedback I received on my book proposals left something to be desired. Frustrated, I decided to attend a class on magazine article writing. It was something to do to fill the time—and frankly, to keep me from slitting my wrists.

I’ll never forget what the teacher said: “If you want to publish your book, why not start with magazine articles first?” She went on to explain that there is money to be made in magazine article writing. Over the course of that next hour, she gave me the tools I needed to get started as a freelancer.

I left that conference WITHOUT a book contract, but WITH a newfound determination to make money, selling articles. Over the course of the next three years, I sold many! You will be hearing about a few of those as this course progresses. Some paid more than others, naturally, but I eventually found my groove. I wrote a lot of parenting articles because my four daughters were in their teens.

I had no idea I was setting myself up as an "expert" in the field of parenting. However, I went on to write a non-fiction book on parenting for David C. Cook. Why did they buy it from me? Because I’d already established myself as an authority on parenting through the many articles I’d written. (Who knew?)

The conference I referred to in my story was in 1996. Now, nearly fifteen years later, I’ve fully established myself as a full-time freelancer of both books and articles. And that’s why I’ve taken the time to put together this course, so that you can learn from my experiences and apply what you’ve learned to your own writing. 

Let’s start by defining the word “freelance.”

What is a freelancer, exactly? 

A freelancer, (also known as a freelance worker) is someone who’s self-employed. He or she makes no long-term commitments to a particular employer. Now, I know many of you already hold down day jobs. You want to try your hand at freelancing on the side to see if you can bring in some extra cash.

Magazine article writing is a terrific way to do that. Keep your day job, but take on work on the side. What a great experience this is going to be for you! Just be sure to keep everything in balance as you add to your resume and garner those publishing credits. Who knows? Maybe one day you’ll be a full-time freelancer, earning your living with your writing.

Freelancing as a magazine article writer can be a very rewarding career. For one thing, you will get to know a host of people in the writing industry. And as you become more successful, your writing skills will grow. You will also learn a lot as you cover a variety of topics. And you will pull in money as a freelancer from a host of publications. 

Isn’t that great news? 

There really is money to be made in the writing world! It’s out there! I know that many of you are chomping at the bit. You’re listening to this audio, saying, “Show me the money!” That’s exactly what this course is about: setting you up as an article writer so that you can earn top dollar.

But I hope you learn something else along the way, as well. I hope you garner a love for the written word and a passion to help readers. Isn’t that the goal of magazine articles, really? To enhance the life of the reader? To offer hope to those who are hurting? 

I’m going to spend the next few minutes sharing ten specific keys to help bring you success as a freelance article writer. If you’re looking to earn your living as a freelancer, you will find these especially helpful. 

1. TIP #1: You must have the heart and soul of a hustler in order to succeed as a freelancer, particularly as an article writer. Hustle, hustle, hustle. Go, go, go! If you get knocked down, stand up, dust yourself off, and start hustling again. What does it mean to have the heart of a hustler? You’re willing to get to know people you don’t know. You’re willing to write about topics you’ve never explored. You look for stories under every bush. You’re willing to find work when others say there is no work. Here’s a word of warning for wanna-be hustlers: Don’t hurt others (or take advantage of them in any way) as you climb the ladder to the top. Trust me when I say you’ll be doing everyone a disservice. Be respectful, but be confident. Here are a couple of definitions of the word hustler from Merriam-Webster: to jostle or shove. To convey forcibly or hurriedly. To urge forward. To obtain by energetic activity. To sell or promote aggressively (as in hustling a new product). To shove. To press. To hasten. To hurry. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hustle. You get the point. A hustler has a “get to it” attitude. No laziness. No lounging on the sofa. No procrastination. Go, go, go. Hustle, hustle, hustle. Trust me when I say that this attitude will help you get jobs before other article writers. Come in the door at the various publishing houses early and strong, with a great plan of action. Make up your mind that you will be the editor’s dream writer. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been in a position where my “Go get it!” nature paid off. I’ve also learned how to pull back when necessary, so that I don’t appear too aggressive. 
2. TIP #2: You must set goals—financial and otherwise—in order to achieve success as a magazine freelancer, including clear financial strategies. How are you at goal setting? Do you give thought to where your writing career will be a year from now? Maybe you’re not currently published, but hope to be within the next six months. Perhaps you’ve been published in one particular genre, but are giving thought to moving a different direction over the next twelve months. Maybe you’ve written magazine articles but would like to branch out into the world of book publishing. Goal setting is critical to your survival as a freelancer. In fact, I feel so strongly about it that I’ve decided to offer my goal-setting spreadsheet as a bonus to this lesson.  In my own life, I’ve learned to set clear goals, both with my magazine articles and my books. When I was first starting out, I wrote books on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and left Tuesdays and Thursday open for magazine articles. That’s the plan that worked for me. Your plan might be completely different, but one thing is sure: You won’t follow a plan, if you neglect to write it down. Get busy! Spin a plan into action, then follow it!
3. TIP #3: Learn the writing craft, but don’t let what you’ve learned stop your creativity. How many times have I seen this? Writers set out with great passion and enthusiasm. They go to conferences. Learn the craft. Before long, their enthusiasm wanes. They get so caught up in the technical that they lose sight of the goal. They give up on the prize. Freelancer, don’t let that happen to you. If you want to put out great articles for major publications, you must learn the craft. There’s no way around that. In fact, I’ve devoted two lessons in this course to learning the various components of a great article, and an additional lesson on article types. I want you to have the best possible chance at getting your foot in the door. But don’t let your knowledge slow you down. Keep on keepin’ go. Go, go, go!
4. TIP #4: Look for stories everywhere. They’re hiding under every bush. We’re going to talk about where to come up with stories and ideas in a subsequent lesson, but remember. . .stories are all around you. They’re hidden in the faces of the people sitting next to you on a city bus. They’re found in hospital rooms, and corporation board meetings. They’re lying next to the homeless man on the street and buried under mounds of debris in a hoarder’s home. Stories drive us. They challenge and motivate us to be better. And you, as a freelance article writer, will become a master at choosing stories that will impact lives to the fullest.  
5. TIP #5: You must be a researching pro. Dig, dig, dig. Consider yourself an excavator. A fact-finder. An archaeologist. Don’t give up until you’ve got all the facts. Then learn how to document them. Be bold in your quest to get to the root of things, but keep the fair use act in mind, and be aware of copyright laws. 
6. TIP #6: You must start well. . .and finish well. A good friend of mine loves to use the phrase, “We want to be a people who finish well!” Oh, how editors will love you if you complete tasks with the same level of enthusiasm and expertise as you start them. Problem is, writers are dreamers. They have grandiose ideas. They barrel through the door with fascinating ideas, but those ideas fizzle out when it comes time to commit them to paper. Don’t be a fizzler. Finish well. If you say you’re going to do it, do it. Keep your enthusiasm level high from start to finish. 
7. TIP #7: You must learn to delegate your time. This is especially important if you’re balancing your freelancing career against a full-time occupation or a houseful of kids. Delegate, delegate, delegate. Get to know your body clock and work with it, not against it. If you’re a morning person, get up an hour earlier than usual and pound out an article. If you’re a night owl, wait till the kids are in bed, then dive in. I once heard best-selling author Jerry Jenkins say that he never wrote until after 9:00 p.m. because, after a long day at the office, he wanted to spend his evening with his kids. When the kids went to bed at nine, he went to work. Delegating your time is also critical when interviewing people or following leads. Don’t get so carried away with one story that you give all your time to it. Don’t let projects or clients dominate your time. Remember, you have other fish to fry if you want to be successful in this industry. 
8. TIP #8: You must find the balance between talent and discipline. Oh, I know. . .I know. We writers are so vain. We think we can rely on our talent. Or maybe we’re so insecure we wonder if we even have any talent. Accept the fact that you’re probably gifted to write, but also understand that discipline plays its role. What would be the point of writing well, if you never planted your seat in a chair and actually did the work? Stop talking about how great you are (or how great your lack is) and discipline yourself to do what you say you’re going to do. 
9. TIP #9: Develop a niche: Find out where your strengths are and write to those strengths. Understand your weaknesses and avoid those projects. Here’s a great for-instance story: I was given a project to write about baseball. I don’t know the first thing about baseball. I grew up on the stage, a theater kid. You can imagine the extra hours (actually days and weeks) it took for me to research the sport of baseball. Who has that kind of time? I would be better served to write an article on life in the theater! That’s not to say all of our projects will fall within our comfort zone. Just know your strengths and use them to your advantage. 
10. TIP #10: Be Brave: Learn how to face editors with confidence, and don’t let rejection wear you down. You will have many doors slammed in your face. Get used to it and don’t take it personally. There will be times you’re asked to step out of your comfort zone and take on assignments that will challenge you. But how will you ever grow if you opt out? Make a decision at the onset to opt in. Stick with it for the long haul. And when the going gets tough. . .remember you’re a hustler. You can do this. And when you do, your editor will see that you’ve got the goods. 

As we close, I want to share a story with you.

My own freelancing journey has been a little bit like a roller coaster ride. Up one minute, down the next. There are days when I wonder if I’m going to survive, then there are days when I have so much work, I wonder how—or if—I’m going to get it all done. As a full-time freelancer, I’ve had to struggle with issues related to lack of health insurance and paychecks that don’t arrive on time. I’ve found myself researching till all hours of the night and skipping family functions to work. 

Why do I share all of this? Because incoming freelancers need a reality check. Don’t quit your day job until you’re confident you can support yourself. And don’t even think about supporting yourself until you’ve learned the craft and met several of your target goals. 

How’s that for a taste of the great life, freelancers? We have to take the good with the bad if we’re going to succeed in the writing industry. For now, take a look at those ten tips I shared. Memorize them. Challenge yourself in the weak areas and pull from your strengths. Most of all, don’t give up. Determine from the onset that you will have a hustler’s heart. Then dive in. . .one article at a time. 

That’s it for now. Go forth and writing amazing articles!