Professional Writing
Lesson 1: Basics of Writing Professionally
Keep Track of the Markets
The final "basic" you'll need to know is how to familiarize yourself with the markets. A vital component of writers' guidelines is the information they provide concerning reimbursement. The pay offered is one way of telling if a publication or client is professional.
It has been reported in recent years that minimum professional pay is $0.05 per word. This is somewhat ludicrous, considering most of these publishers can afford to pay at least a dollar per word. You'll soon discover "standard pay" for top writers varies. It truly depends on how much YOU decide to charge potential clients, and how concise and thorough you feel your writing is. As I've said, the only "experience" you need to begin this career is skills – and this is, of course, what this course will help you develop.
Three websites that contain all the information you'll need in order to learn market facts are as follows:
http://www.nwu.org/journ/minrate.htm
"Report on Pay Rates for Freelance Journalists" is the first. This article reports on rates magazines can afford to pay versus rates actually paid. I think the article is extraordinarily helpful. It gives a writer's perspective on going rates and what you CAN charge.
Writer's Weekly, the second, "the highest-circulation freelance writing ezine in the world," offers articles, markets, and jobs for top freelancers. I'd like you to go to the site, then sign up to receive it via email, freely each week!
Writing-World.com is the last goody. Its content includes unique articles designed to aid writers in their careers, along with beneficial resources, not least of all job markets. I'd like you to sign up to receive this one, too.
Each week, in addition to your subscription to Writer's Market (or Writer's Digest), you will have enough possible jobs to satisfy your writer's taste buds!
In consideration of all discussed, please keep in mind each of these sites are legitimate sources for your study of actual, professional writing - and most offer guidelines.
I do encourage you to explore and study the sites, consider creating an appropriate article for submission, then submit (when you feel confident).
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