I am a published magazine and newspaper writer. However, I am changing my focus to travel writing, and print magazine editors want clips specific to travel to go along with my queries. I have found sites such as Associated Content and Constant Content, where I probably can publish. Does anyone know if publishing on sites such as these is a good way to get clips that will be acceptable to print publications? Thank you in advance for your advice.
Hmm. As long as the online source is credible, I don't see a reason why they can't go in your portfolio. However, I'm sure there are travel magazines that accept freelance submissions. If you are considering a professional career in travel writing, you should look into freelancing some of your work first to build your reputation. I would advise you to take my advice cautiously, however. I have no journalistic experience outside of being sports editor at my school rag. I'm just going off of what I've learned at workshops and from my teacher. Hope it helps.
unless you've been paid for the articles, i wouldn't include them in your clips, as freebies won't be considered 'published' to publishers who pay for their writers' work... that said, if you send a couple of pieces as 'samples' of how well you can write about travel, without claiming they've been 'published' then they'll probably be acceptable as a demonstration of your skills... the trouble with submitting clips of stuff you weren't paid for is that it implies no one was willing to buy it...
I run a business outsourcing writers to companies to write blogs, articles, ebooks, reports, newsletters, etc. I teach a lot of my staff how to start freelancing outside of my company and I think a good way to do that would be to create an authority site about yourself. Create a website showcasing your work and advertising your rates, etc. Then when you approach these print editors you can refer them to your site which is sort of an online resume. You can also get previous clients to give you testimonies to put on your page. You could also freelance through sites like Elance to get technically "paid" for your work. There are a lot of ways around this. Writing online can be quite the lucrative career and the transition to print can be fairly smooth. I also might suggest that you look for travel related Ezines. They would probably be likely candidates to buy your work. :0) Good luck! I'm always willing to give you advice or resources in how to make money online as a writer if you ever need some friendly guidance. ~S
Many years ago, I wrote a bunch of "How To" articles for a west coast bass fishing internet forum. I included numerous pictures, fully annotated with captions. The topics covered everything from fishing techniques to setting up a boat for maximum performance. I did it for fun and because I loved the sport. This went on for a couple years and I never aspired to anything more. One morning, I received a phone call from some fishing enthusiast who called himself "Bubba." This was not uncommon. He got my number from the owner of the fishing website, a personal friend. When he said (in his rich southern accent), "Hello Dean. My name is Bubba and I need to talk with you.", I won't lie, images of a redneck in a wife-beater t-shirt with a pot belly, courtesy of Budweiser, flashed into my thoughts. Next thing I expected out of this guy's mouth was some kind of semi-literate question about fishing. Boy was I shocked! The caller was articulate. He quickly identified himself by his real name and explained that "Bubba" was his pseudonym as the editor of a beautiful, full-color bass fishing magazine called Inside Line. I had read several copies of the publication, and in that instant, I remembered enjoying the wit and wisdom of the editor's column . . . From the Desk of Bubba. Imagine my surprise when he asked me to become a staff writer. I wasn't confident at first, so he offered to help me develop as a writer, promising lots of coaching. Then, he laughed and cautioned me that there would soon come a time when I would curse his name as he cut into my "perfect" articles with his editor's meat cleaver! He was right. I can't speak for anyone else but on-line "writing" directly resulted in my becoming a magazine writer. I am eternally thankful that I invested the time to develop those first few articles and that "Bubba" liked what he read. It lit a writing flame that has grown beyond my wildest expectations.
Thank you all so much for your thoughtful replies. They have helped. I've researched Constant Content quite thoroughly, and it gives writers authority over how much to charge and what rights to sell, so since the verdict from you guys is that writing on-line can do some good, I'll be writing for that site. Do you know of any good travel e-zines? I can't find them listed in Writer's Market - only print magazines.
OOOhhh What's constant content? Maybe a competitor. I must check it out. LOVE to sneak peek the competition. *grins* ~S
Okay, so I took a look at Constant Content. I haven't done an in-depth look over it, but it looks okay. I would probably say that Elance is the leader for freelancers IMO and in the writing business world that I'm in. So be sure to check there, too! :0) ~S
Okay, I went to elance and did a search and there are 65 projects that are looking to hire someone relating to the topic of travel. Some of these have to do with Web design, but a good portion of them look to have to do with writing. I would say more writing jobs than non-writing. Good luck! ~S
Mammamaia and everyone, I checked out duotrope, but it's only for fiction. I'm interested in non-fiction. Do you know of any comprehensive non-fiction e-zine website listings? And I checked out elance. It looks good. Thanks a lot.
oops!... that's what happens when i post before having my morning green tea! why don't you google?... i just did and here's one that came up in a search for 'magazine listings for freelance writers': http://www.freelancewriting.com/guidelines/pages/ that one lists 864 magazine guidelines, divided into genre categories... for lots more: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=magazine+listings+for+freelance+writers
