The First Clip
Okay, here's what I promised on how to get clips. Part of this information was taken from an article I wrote for a website, but I didn't give up my rights to the article so it's still mine. (That's another important lesson all writers should know. Learn which rights you're giving up when you sell an article or essay. If you give up all rights, you can never use that piece again. Ever. And ever is a long time.)
First of all:
The secret to getting published is that there is no secret. Nope. None. All it takes is determination and hard work. Being able to withstand rejection is helpful too because rejections will come, no matter who you are. Even writers with several novels and countless articles under their belts still get proposals rejected. It's just the way it is.
Take rejection with a grain of salt. Learn from it. Save all rejection letters and print out rejection e-mail (these will come in handy when you file your taxes once you begin to make an income with writing.)
So how do you get that first clip? Here are some ideas. Dream big, start small. Don't try the bigger name magazines right off the bat.
Most towns or cities have gazette type or smaller newspapers. Query the editor with an idea relating to your area or something that could serve as a public interest piece. Such as fire prevention (especially during Fire Prevention Week). Look up the stats for your area on fire related injuries, numbers of fires etc. Interview a firefighter. Talk to the chief (most of them are very nice and friendly and are glad to offer advice to help the public).
Interviewing isn't as hard as it seems. The first interview I ever did, I was so nervous, I figured I'd sound like Elmer Fudd.
A second way to obtain clips is through online websites. Though I don't recommend writers write for free, when you're first starting out, if you have to write one or two short pieces without pay, do so just for the clip. Just make sure it's a legitimate site and not something like Bobby's Hunk o' Junk. How do you know which website to submit an article to? What interests you? Start with that. What do you know? Gardening? Parenting? All about dogs? Horses? Sewing?
Writing contests can be another avenue, however, I would avoid any contest that charges any type of fee unless it's a big name contest such as those held by RWA.
Non profit organizations are also a way to garner clips. Newsletters for an animal shelter, a church, a hospital to name a few.
Don't forget to network with other writers. Join a writer's group. It may take you some trial and error before you find one that works for you, but they can be invaluable to a writer.
If you aren't sure how to do query letters, ask someone. Every thing I learned about writing has been through one of two ways 1.) Because some wonderful writer took the time to pay it forward and teach me and 2.) When I had a question, I would research it on Google (what does ? mean).
Kelly James-Enger has a great freelance writing success story. You can find some of her helpful articles online.
And for those who write fiction, a wonderful book on voice is "Finding Your Writer's Voice" by Thaisa Frank and Dorothy Wall.
I hope this is a help. I wish you all the best!
First of all:
The secret to getting published is that there is no secret. Nope. None. All it takes is determination and hard work. Being able to withstand rejection is helpful too because rejections will come, no matter who you are. Even writers with several novels and countless articles under their belts still get proposals rejected. It's just the way it is.
Take rejection with a grain of salt. Learn from it. Save all rejection letters and print out rejection e-mail (these will come in handy when you file your taxes once you begin to make an income with writing.)
So how do you get that first clip? Here are some ideas. Dream big, start small. Don't try the bigger name magazines right off the bat.
Most towns or cities have gazette type or smaller newspapers. Query the editor with an idea relating to your area or something that could serve as a public interest piece. Such as fire prevention (especially during Fire Prevention Week). Look up the stats for your area on fire related injuries, numbers of fires etc. Interview a firefighter. Talk to the chief (most of them are very nice and friendly and are glad to offer advice to help the public).
Interviewing isn't as hard as it seems. The first interview I ever did, I was so nervous, I figured I'd sound like Elmer Fudd.
A second way to obtain clips is through online websites. Though I don't recommend writers write for free, when you're first starting out, if you have to write one or two short pieces without pay, do so just for the clip. Just make sure it's a legitimate site and not something like Bobby's Hunk o' Junk. How do you know which website to submit an article to? What interests you? Start with that. What do you know? Gardening? Parenting? All about dogs? Horses? Sewing?
Writing contests can be another avenue, however, I would avoid any contest that charges any type of fee unless it's a big name contest such as those held by RWA.
Non profit organizations are also a way to garner clips. Newsletters for an animal shelter, a church, a hospital to name a few.
Don't forget to network with other writers. Join a writer's group. It may take you some trial and error before you find one that works for you, but they can be invaluable to a writer.
If you aren't sure how to do query letters, ask someone. Every thing I learned about writing has been through one of two ways 1.) Because some wonderful writer took the time to pay it forward and teach me and 2.) When I had a question, I would research it on Google (what does ? mean).
Kelly James-Enger has a great freelance writing success story. You can find some of her helpful articles online.
And for those who write fiction, a wonderful book on voice is "Finding Your Writer's Voice" by Thaisa Frank and Dorothy Wall.
I hope this is a help. I wish you all the best!
