1. How did you break into freelancing? What was the first piece you sold and where was it published?
I went to two writer's conferences before I ever sold an article, and it was the best thing I could have done in terms of building my confidence.
At the first, I heard the editor from Arizona Highways (a VERY prestigious western magazine) talk about how difficult it was to find reliable writers. He said that the two biggest problems for him were writers who weren't accurate, and writers who couldn't deliver an article on time. He also said that he didn't care if you weren't good enough to write the great American novel, he just wanted you to be accurate and on time.
Since I *knew* I was a stickler for accuracy and was always on time, I thought "there's nothing that can stop me from succeeding."
Also, I have to credit sheer perseverance! Whenever I received a rejection, I'd put it in a file folder titled Those Who Lost Out! I have no idea how many rejections I got - but I didn't care.
My first article published was about medical transcription - - with a slant of "who's behind your doctor". The publication has long since gone out of business, but from that one piece I went on to do several for the magazine on topics as diverse as cultivating wildflowers, planning a bridal reception, and touring Sedona, Arizona.
2. I’ve read that you’re also a “niche” writer. Can you please explain what a “niche” writer is? How does one become a “niche” writer?
A niche writer writes for a specific area of interest; for example I write a lot about genealogy and history, technology, and marketing--all of which are examples of niches.
I recommend getting started by writing about something you know. In my case I knew a lot about the medical field because I had worked in it for several years, so doing the medical transcription piece was a natural starting place for me.
3. Can you make a lot of money writing for niche publications?
Well, I guess it depends on your definition of a lot of money! I support myself with my work, so guess that qualifies.
4. If you don’t have clips to submit with a query, do you still have a chance of getting published?
Absolutely. Although I have a passion for genealogy, I didn't have any clips to accompany my first pitch to one of the biggest genealogy magazines in the world. But, the editor loved the pitch so much he accepted it, and I went on from there to write dozens of articles for the magazine and eventually become a contributing editor.
I think a killer query is FAR more important than clips--and I spend a lot of time crafting queries that I think are as good as any article I've ever written.
5. After you sell an article to one magazine, can you re-slant it and resell to another? Do you mention in the query that you had sold a similar article to another publication?
When you write a non-fiction article, you tend to amass a mountain of research. So of course, it wouldn't make sense to only write one article. It's fairly ease to totally reslant articles using all of your research, and it's a very good use of your time and efforts. So yes, do it! And no, I don't mention it when I send a query because the slants are so different the articles don't really bear any resemblance to one another.
For example, I wrote an article for a collector's magazine that profiled a man who collected historic U.S. flags. I then wrote an article about the history of the American flag. I used the same research, but as you can see the pieces were entirely different.
6. You’ve sold articles to Writer’s Digest Magazine, The Writer and Writing Success. Those are difficult publications to be accepted by. Can you give us any advice on how to break into major publications?
I'd read those magazines for a long time, so I had a good idea of the topics they printed. At that point, it was simply a matter of crafting the right pitch--something that stayed within their focus, but with a new twist.
One of the first pieces I wrote for Writer's Digest was about my personal experience in writing one of my books; I related a story of working with a personal coach because I just could NOT get the book organized in my head. The coach asked me "how do you eat an elephant?" The answer was: One step at a time. That's the pitch I used - about how to tackle big and difficult subjects - one step at a time.
I'm sure dozens of other people have written about organizing their book or feature article, but no one had done the elephant approach. You don't have to reinvent the wheel - - you just have to paint it a new color.
7. I’m so impressed with the range of your articles. Some of the subjects you write about are astronomy, genealogy, computers and travel. Do you have to be an expert in every field you write about in order to sell an article?
Absolutely not! But I suggest you DO have an interest or passion in the subject. I have an eclectic mind and am drawn to many, many subjects - - but am not an expert.
Fortunately, editors don't want YOU to be the expert, they want you to INTERVIEW an expert. Using services like ProfNet it's very easy to track down experts - and they LOVE to talk about their field and themselves!
8. You not only write books and articles, but you also freelance by providing various writing services such as ghostwriting, travel writing, web content, newsletters, copywriting and more! How do you balance so many writing projects? What is a typical day like for you?
I laughed aloud when I read this question! One day I tried to keep track of everything I did, and when my list hit 50 I stopped.
I love working on one project at a time, but my business just doesn't work that way. This morning, for example, before I sat down to work on this interview, I had already answered about 20 e-mails, written a brief blurb for a newsletter, had a phone consultation with a client, and by then it was 7:50 am.
Typically, I get up and do my best to get outside and walk at least a mile. It clears my head to start the day. If I don't walk in the a.m., I try and get a walk in late afternoon.
At that point I go through all my e-mails and make a handwritten list of the names of the people I need to respond to immediately.
Next, I go through my to-do list and just start ticking off one thing after another. Today, for example, I'm writing a pitch for one of my clients who's promoting his own book. Then, I'm going to be posting some of my articles on my blog. Then, I'll go back to working on an article that's due in mid-December. Next, I have two conference calls with clients. And on and on . . . .
I'm fortunate in that I can write very fast, so I can get a lot done in a short period of time. And if anyone reading this does NOT write fast (which is a MUST if you're going to make a living as a freelancer), I highly recommend David Fryxell's book Write Faster, Write Better.
9. You have authored Secrets of a Successful Freelancer and an e-book, Family Tree Guide to Internet Genealogy. You’ve also co-authored two print books for amateur astronomers. Please tell us about these books and where we can purchase them.
I've also written an in-print genealogy book, and a coffee table book on San Diego !
The two astronomy books were written with co-authors - - I love astronomy but only have an amateur's view of it; my two co-authors were both much more experienced than I - so that gave me the confidence that we could produce a quality product.
The print books (San Diego Then and Now, Finding Your Roots Online) and the astronomy books are all at Amazon.
The e-book on being a Successful Freelancer was taken off the market because I felt some of the information was out-of-date, and I didn't have time to do a new version.
If any of your readers would like a copy, though, I'm happy to send the old one over. Although a bit of the info isn't still correct, the basic ideology is.
10. What advice would you like to share with our readers?
Never give up. I read a wonderful quote several years ago, and paraphrased it said: no one on earth will ever see the world through your eyes.
What that means to me is, there may be other writers who are far more talented, far more prolific, far more whatever. But they'll never have MY take on any topic - - so what I have to offer is unique. That gives me a great deal of confidence to tackle a wide range of topics and outlets for freelancing.
Also, freelancers must understand that although they ARE writers, they are also marketers. You must learn to market yourself if you want to be successful (in my opinion, of course!). And, don't be afraid to suggest something that hasn't been done yet.
For example, I went to the owner of a history site and suggested that a way of getting return traffic would be to have new information posted daily on his site, and I suggested that I write a "today in history" blurb every day. The owner said yes, and I did that job for 2-1/2 years. So, be creative. Figure out what you want to do and if you can't find a job doing it, create the job.
Lastly, I'd like to invite your readers to my blog at BloggingAuthors.com. If your readers have written an article on the craft of writing, or have a book, they're invited to blog by clicking on the link at the top of the page that tells them how to register and blog.
Thanks Sandy !
