How to Get Started as a Freelance Writer

Most think it takes a lot to get on the writers track. But it only takes the following ten steps. And you're on your way.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Set aside an area where you write.
   If space is cramped, a card table in the corner of a bedroom is okay. Separate the space from the rest of the room with a folding screen. The best desk may still be a door laid over a pair of saw-horses.
2. Involve yourself with writing
   To locate a writing class, contact a local university’s continuing education office. To locate a local writer’s group, check with a university’s English or journalism department, or check with area libraries. To locate writers conferences in the US and Canada, check out the Writer’s Digest web site.
3. Equip yourself with the tools of a writer
   Use equipment that produces clean, readable type. Have an excellent set of reference books.
4. Read
   Read general books critically: study characterizations, plotting, tension, use of detail. Begin your writing library.
5. Put words on paper
   Loosen up by beginning each writing session with five minutes of freewriting. Don’t revise while you work. Complete the work first, then revise.
6. Write every day
   Wake yourself an hour early and spend it writing. Carry a notepad. Jot down ideas as they occur.
7. Decide what type of writer you want to be
   The type of writing that you like to read is probably the type of work you’re best prepared to write. Write what you know.
8. Think small
   Hone your fiction-writing talent with short stories before attempting a novel. Build your confidence by submitting to local or regional publications.
9. Put your work in the mail
   Always include a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) with your manuscript and correspondence. Keep several pieces in the mail and a new work at all times.
10. Expect to be rejected
    Remember: A rejection is nothing more than one person’s opinion of one piece of writing. Examine returned manuscripts from the editor’s viewpoint. Look for the problems that the editor saw.