In this Issue:

• "Welcome" - Dan Case, editor
  
• Feature "Make More Money Writing" by Shaunna Privratsky
  
• 17 Paying Markets - High, Medium, and Low
  

Want to contribute to this newsletter? We are a paying market. Read our guidelines for contributors here: http://www.writingfordollars.com/wfdguidelines.cfm

Welcome

Check out our new article database. We finished adding our whole inventory of past articles from WFD, now over 400 articles are available to search and read. Find just the right information you need to make a few more bucks in the new year.

Don't forget our database of writer’s guidelines is readily available to everyone for FREE! All links have been checked within the last year (the date that they were last checked is listed) so you can be sure to have the most up-to-date information.

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1. CONFESSING FOR MONEY 2nd Edition Writing and Selling to the SECRET Short Story Market by Peggy Fielding FREE SHIPPING!
   
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10. BE YOUR OWN BOOK DOCTOR: So You Can Cure What Ails Your Writing by Robyn Conley.
    

Dan Case, editor
editor@writingfordollars.com (put WFD in the subject line)

What keeps you going as a writer? Is it the thrill of acceptances or the pride in your latest manuscript? I suspect that part of the desire comes from good old-fashioned green. Doing what you love and earning a living is a driving force in many writers’ careers. Earning a few cents per word or a tidy sum for a short story is a powerful motivation.

How do you stay focused on your writing while chasing the almighty dollar? We must become aggressive marketers, ceaseless promoters and constantly produce to make a decent living.

One way to make real money writing is to go after the higher paying markets. Remember one of the basic rules of freelancing: you’ll never get an acceptance if you don’t submit. When you are researching for potential markets, don’t concentrate only on the dollar signs, but be aware of them. Just think: $1 or more per word!

Generally speaking, the higher the pay, the more competition you face. Don’t let a little competition faze you. Here is a short list of steps to take to ensure your manuscript goes to the top of the heap.

1. Research, research, research. The more you know about the market you’re trying to crack, the better. Writer’s Market is a great research tool and even shows the percentage of freelance content. The higher the percentage, the better chance you have.

2. Check the archives and current topics. Your idea is dead in the water if it has already been covered. For national magazines, check the direct competition as well. Like all markets, the editors want fresh topics and material.

3. Think like an editor. Lead-time is usually six to eight months ahead of publication. So if you want to pitch an idea about holiday decorating, you better send it by July. Likewise, a summer topic should be sent while you’re shivering and cuddling by the fireplace.

4. Get the right editor the first time. Check the current masthead or call and pinpoint the correct contact person. You can check online, on newsstands or the library for a current issue. Some websites have different content and different staffing than the print version, however, so double-check your facts before sending it to the wrong person. Doing your homework can pay off big with just one acceptance.

5. Send only your best, every time. That means no typos, common usage errors or poorly constructed articles. Your writing represents you so don’t be sloppy, lazy or ill prepared.

The short story market is similar, although not quite as lucrative. Even the “professional” rates of $.03 a word and up are much less than article rates. The payment could be in the prestige. If you’ve always wanted to publish your fiction, use the same rules to really stand out in the sea of submissions.

Another way to earn big bucks is volume. The more acceptances you earn, the more money you make. So if you average five paid assignments a month, strive for ten to double your income. Build your sales volume by submitting more. It only takes five $20 acceptances to earn $100.

You can also branch out into the business side of writing. Become a copyeditor for some ready cash or a screenwriter for some serious dough. Turn your expertise into a hot-selling book. Take your promotional “tour” on the road and earn money doing speaking engagements. There are a hundred and one different ways to make money writing. Find one or more that appeals to you.

So, would you ever quit your day job and become a full time writer? Many do and enjoy very successful careers. You must decide if you’re dedicated enough to make more money writing.

© 2008 by Shaunna Privratsky

Learn 1,000's of more writing tips in Shaunna Privratsky's new book, Pump Up Your Prose. She is a fulltime author with over 400 published articles. FREE sign up to The Writer Within Newsletter at http://shaunna67.tripod.com We’re a paying market!

• Canadian Gardening - Guidelines:  Pays on acceptance.  Seeks nonfiction, photos/artwork. Subjects: Home gardening, gardening techniques, ponds, environment.. 

• High Times Magazine - Guidelines:  Pays on publication.  Seeks nonfiction, photos/artwork. Subjects: Marijuana cultivation, counterculture lifestyle, travel, entertainment. 

• Vermont Life - Guidelines:  Pays on publication.  Seeks nonfiction, photos/artwork. Subjects: Vermont. 

• Wall Street Journal - Guidelines:  Pays on publication.  Seeks nonfiction. Subjects: Op-Ed. 

Medium - $125 - $500

• Baltimore Magazine - Guidelines:  Pays on acceptance.  Seeks nonfiction, columns/departments, photos/artwork. Subjects: Baltimore, essays, expose, humor, interview/profile , personal experience, photo feature, travel. 

• The Bark - Guidelines:  Pays on publication.  Accepts simultaneous submissions.  Seeks nonfiction, fiction, columns/departments, fillers, photos/artwork. Subjects: Dogs. 

• Black Belt - Guidelines:  Pays on publication.  Accepts simultaneous submissions.  Seeks nonfiction, photos/artwork. Subjects: Martial arts styles & techniques, training methods, history, health and fitness, interviews . 

• The Herb Companion - Guidelines:  Pays on publication.  Seeks nonfiction, photos/artwork. Subjects: Devoted to the interests of avocational herb gardeners, cooks, crafters and herb aficionados. 

• Herbs for Health - Guidelines:  Pays on publication.  Seeks nonfiction, photos/artwork. Subjects: Benefits of herbs, including their role in various healing arts. 

• Mother Earth News - Guidelines:  Pays on publication.  Seeks nonfiction, columns/departments, fillers, photos/artwork. Subjects: Homesteading, organic gardening, Real Food, country skills, alternative energy, green transportation. 

• Natural Home - Guidelines:  Pays on publication.  Seeks nonfiction, columns/departments. Subjects: Sustainable home design and materials, earth-friendly décor and natural lifestyles. 

Low - Less than $125

• Arts & Activities - Guidelines:  Pays on publication.  Seeks nonfiction, photos/artwork. Subjects: Art education. 

• BackHome - Guidelines:  Pays on publication.  Seeks nonfiction, photos/artwork. Subjects: Gardening, home construction repair, workshop, cooking , crafts, recreation, family vacation, livest. 

• Bible Advocate - Guidelines:  Pays on publication.  Accepts simultaneous submissions.  Seeks nonfiction. Subjects: Christian living, bible, social issues, religious issues, prophecy. 

• Capper's - Guidelines:  Pays on publication.  Seeks nonfiction, fiction, columns/departments, fillers, photos/artwork. Subjects: Historical, nostalgic, family-oriented, travel, serialized novels, poetry, jokes.. 

• The Dabbling Mum - Guidelines:  Pays on acceptance.  Seeks nonfiction, photos/artwork. Subjects: Writing, small business, parenting, recipes. 

• Farm Collector Magazine - Guidelines:  Pays on publication.  Seeks nonfiction, photos/artwork. Subjects: Antique farm equipment, collections, restoration projects, early farm practices, unique collections.