subject: Write From Home: Make Your Own Writing Jobs [print this page] One of the best aspects of writing jobs is that you can make your own. Here's how you can create your own jobs writing articles for magazines.
When I stared my own writing career, decades ago now, I wrote for magazines. I could write query letters and plot out ideas in my lunch hour at work, and could write the articles late at night, after everyone else had gone to bed. Here's how you can do this too.
1. Write what you know. Whether it's business, sports or gardening, pick a topic and from that determine a subject to write a two-page article on. Or, consider a topic that you would like to know more about and would be willing to do research on, such as personal finance or new pet products.
2. Find publications which are interested in your subject. For example, for an article on the best new products for Siamese cats, look online and at the pet store for magazines devoted to cats. Which ones would be most likely to use such an article? Study the publications and get their writers' guidelines. Follow those instructions to the letter, including sending a query letter, if specified.
3. Study the publication and write your article using the same writing style. For example, pretend you are telling your best friend how to improve his or her golf swing, explaining everything as clearly and simply as you can. Be sure to follow the writers' instructions, too.
4. Be sure to proofread your work several times. Is it any different from articles in that magazine? Set is aside for a day and then check it again. Ask someone else for their honest opinion. Keep revising the article until it is perfect. It should be free of typos, misspellings and grammatical errors. Make sure all the necessary information is included.
5. Submit the article. The writers' guidelines will tell you to whom you need to send the article. Briefly explain what the article is about and why you selected that particular magazine to publish it.
6. Rinse and repeat. While your article may be accepted on the first try, it is very possible it won't be. If the editor offers constructive criticism, revise the article and try again. Or send it to a different publication.
Once you've been through this process a few times, you'll find it easy to make money at home by writing for magazines. Start your writing career today.
