Four Reasons Why Freelance Article Commissions Dry Up

Every time I run a course on Freelance Writing, students who have had some success, ask the same question -- Why have the jobs dried up?

This is what happens: A writer has been doing very well and the majority of queries sent to particular magazines have generated commissions. Even articles sent to publications on speculation have normally had a good success rate. And then success turns to rejection.

Here are four suggested causes:

• First, you may have become complacent. When you originally targeted the magazine or newspaper you probably researched it carefully. But when your queries were accepted regularly, you may not have taken the time to check the publications again to make sure you were still writing articles that fitted the magazines' house styles.

  Magazines must keep up with trends in both advertising and content and editors make subtle changes in almost every issue.

  Writers need to make sure they pick these up and make the necessary changes to their material.

• Second, editors are fairly transient people and move from one magazine to another more frequently than writers would like to think.

  You may have built up a very good relationship with one particular editor and when that person moves on, you must once again build rapport with the new editor. This is compounded when the new editor has a different style that he/she has been asked to introduce into the publication.

  Now you have two problems -- A new editor and a different style.

• Third, you have let your "writing" slip. You are really only as good as the last article you have had published. Yes, you have had a good reputation in the past, but editors want to know that you can continually come up with great ideas, write terrific copy and file your article before deadline.
• Fourth, you simply have not been sending enough queries or writing articles on speculation. Selling is an important part of being a freelance writer. You are a free agent and your style and content must always be saleable. And, you must know who is editing which publication.

Barb Clews is an award winning journalist with nearly 1,000 published articles to her credit. She has been a writer and editor for 15 years and is the author of "Article Writing for Freelancers" and "20 Tips to Increase Writing Skills" Visit http://www.bcabooks.com/ to subscribe to "Words that Work", Barb's monthly ezine packed with tips for writers.

---

Powered by Feedzilla

Contact Us Today For Ad Information...

Ebooks, Scripts, Websites, and more...

Cheap Domain Names

How to Write a Short Article Under 500 Words

Online publishers, ezine subscribers, and Web visitors want short, useful... Read More

Finding Experts, Sources and Contacts

I was asked to write an article on a short... Read More

Article Marketing: the BETTER Offpage SEO Solution

Been reading up on SEO? If so, you know that... Read More

Top Seven Tips for Writing Articles on the Internet

Online readers love information, but be sure your information is... Read More

Increase Site Page Rank By Writing Free Articles

Are you looking for a better way to promote your... Read More

Want to Put Your Names on My Article?

There's a new sort of ghost stalking the digital landscape.They... Read More

Simultaneous Article Submission

Do you know the difference between simultaneous article submissions and... Read More

Stop Struggling and Write Your Article

Don't let overwhelm hold you back- follow this expert advice... Read More

Promote Your Home Business with Keyword Rich Articles

Do you wonder what easy, cheap, and fast way you... Read More

Writing Articles to Boost Your Sites Traffic

Two important factors that play a part in the rankings... Read More

4 Ways to Outsource Your Article Writing Needs

Not every web designer has the time ? or skills... Read More

What Posting Articles Online Did For My Google Page Rank In 90 Days

Article Marketing Builds Momentum and TrafficWhen I started submitting articles... Read More

How To Write an Ezine Article

Writing can be fraught at the best of times but... Read More

Writing for Dollars - How To Get Started

"When you provide good information from which readers can learn... Read More

Write Articles That Get Results

It's no secret that writing and publishing helpful articles is... Read More

Writing Articles, But Still Not Getting Traffic? Your Articles Suck ? But I Can Help! (Part 2)

Last time on "Because your articles suck" ? we discussed... Read More

There is an Article Deep Down Inside of You Just Looking to Bust Out

The Most Economical Way to Advertise online is to Submit... Read More

The Raw Truth About Persuasion and Copywriting!

I get asked all the time, "Lorrie, how can I... Read More

Build Links and Your Brand: Article Marketing Delivers

Many online marketers have crowed about the value of writing... Read More

What Can a 13-Year-Old Kid Teach Us About Article Marketing?

Yesterday I met a 13-year old boy with a devilish... Read More

Why Article Writing is Increasingly Important in This SPAM Era

There is no doubt that Spam has affected online business... Read More

6 Best Places to Submit Your Articles

You know that writing articles is the best free way... Read More

Four Article Marketing Secrets to Boost Your Internet Home Business Profits

Many internet home business owners today have learnt that one... Read More

Write a Better Technical Article in Half the Time

Good technical articles are challenging to write. They're time-consuming, demanding... Read More

Write Articles Geared to Your Local Market to Bolster Your Local Search Visibility

The Shortest Distance to Your Home Town Enterprise is Over... Read More