Freelance Writing Markets

As a freelance writer, you're interested in getting paid and getting published, but finding the right markets can be difficult when you're new to the game. Here are three freelance writing markets that every freelancer should consider to get published and get paid to write.

Writing For Newspapers

Now that the Internet seems to everywhere it is easy for writers to forget about print markets. But it is a mistake to do this. Hundreds of thousands of people around the world buy newspapers every day. Since most newspapers are daily they always need content – and who better than a freelance writer to provide it?

Many of today's best known writers have done a stint on their local newspaper and that's a good place for you to start. If you volunteer to start with you will find it a good school that will teach you basis skills in writing and structuring articles. Do that for a while and you will know enough to get paid for your writing, which is your ultimate goal.

Writing for newspapers suits people who can cope with quick deadlines and turnaround times and who like writing short, factual pieces.

Writing For Magazines

Another print market worth considering is the magazine sector. This is thriving with many new magazines starting up each week. All of them need content and are hungry for freelance writers to provide it.

There are magazines on almost every topic you could imagine from architecture to zoology so it's a good place to use the interests you have as a starting point for a writing career. At magazines you will learn to craft longer pieces that show more of your opinion and to be more creative in your writing style.

Magazine writing allows the opportunity to develop your own voice – and once you have found it, there's no limit to the outlets you can write for. If you like to write longer, more thoughtful pieces or if you just like writing hip, fun pieces, then magazine writing may suit you.

Get Paid To Write Online

Of course, we can't ignore the Internet, which is proving to be a vast market for freelance writers. New sites are starting up daily and they all want content. Finding a site to write for is as easy as browsing a list of freelance writing jobs or searching on Craigslist. There are hundreds of them. This market will suit someone who is good at breaking information into small, manageable pieces and who can write clearly. If you like talking to people through your writing, then you will enjoy writing for the Internet.

Ghostwriting

A roundup of writing markets would not be complete without thinking about ghostwriting. Many people think that ghostwriting is just about writing celebrities' biographies and not getting the credit, but that's not true at all. The web content market is rife with those who need to a website with well written content but are not good at writing the content themselves.

That's where a ghostwriter comes in and you can make a lot of money by ghostwriting web articles. You won't get your name on the articles, but you will get to research a lot of interesting topics and you can build up expertise which you can use when you author articles with your own name.

All of these markets will help you to get started as a freelance writer and will provide ongoing work for you once you hit your stride. To get started, try Writers Market online or Writers and Artists Yearbook for all the information you need on newspaper and magazine markets. And have a look at several freelance writing websites to get the skinny on the latest jobs. Many of these will be ghostwriting jobs as well which will get you started in that market.

~Sharon Hurley Hall

Sharon Hurley Hall has worked as a writer and journalist for 20 years and now freelances successfully, working from home as a ghostwriter and web content writer. She is passionate about writing and has taught and mentored several people to help them develop successful freelance writing careers.