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Articles Database Share this article on Facebook Hobby Freaks, Collectors and You Chances are you know someone who has an abiding passion for a particular hobby. I know I do. One of my co-workers has collected coins for over twenty years. He knows more about coins, their design and worth than anyone I know. My son’s father-in-law is an avid devotee of all things concerning model trains and one of my dearest friends has more kinds of snowmen than Santa himself. You shouldn’t be surprised to know that there are publications out there for almost every kind of hobby and collector imaginable. My friends have made me aware of magazines like Coin World and Model Railroader. These and a host of other collector and hobbyist magazines and newsletters frequently take freelance material. You needn’t be a collector of the items that are the focus of these publications but if you’d like to take the plunge and venture into the world of the collector and write about it, there are a few things you should do. To begin, seek out several informative sessions with that dedicated fanatic of yours. Try to pick up on his or her enthusiasm for the subject and take lots of notes. As with all research of this sort, you will come away with a small goldmine of facts and anecdotes and it’s all good. My coin-collecting friend gave me a real appreciation of our current state coin-minting program and also sparked my interest in the coins of ancient Greece, thousands of which are still around. Anyone deeply into his or her hobby will be able to give you boatloads of information on your subject and can direct you to other research channels for your piece, which is the second step in the process. Books and articles by experts abound. Both of these avenues will help to inform the slant you want to give to your article. Many of the publications take historic or nostalgic articles and this would be an excellent place to start if you’ve never done a story about a particular hobby or collecting. I’ve recently come across the following markets in need of freelance material.
Don’t underestimate the value of the information you’ve gathered in helping with other types of articles either. While seeking out information on Greek coins, I discovered Augustus Saint-Gaudens, the American sculptor who created the design for the 1907 double eagle $20 gold piece. Wow, lots of good stuff there. My research detour to his life is fueling a piece for a children’s magazine. So the next time you’re with someone off on a rant about his or her favorite hobby or collectable, tune your writing radar in and listen up—there’s a story unfolding. © Copyright 2008, Susan Sundwall Susan is a freelance writer and childrens playwright currently working on her second cozy mystery. She writes like crazy from her home in upstate New York. Other articles by Susan Sundwall :
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