When you’re pitching a complicated story, it’s important to provide enough background information to help an editor understand why this story needs to be told.

But too much background can bog down your pitch, or bury the story you really want to tell.

In this pitch fix, we’re looking at long-form journalism

This time, we’re going to look at a pitch where the author is clearly an expert on a complicated subject—but she needs a little help pulling the story she wants to write out of her background information.

Colleen Mondor’s aviation-industry pitch

Colleen Mondor is an author, blogger, and journalist. She’s written a nonfiction memoir, The Map of My Dead Pilots: The Dangerous Game of Flying in Alaska, and wants to build her long-form journalism portfolio.

Mondor submitted the following pitch to Outside, Men’s Journal, and Air and Space Magazine but hasn’t been able to place her story.

What do you think is holding this pitch back?

Dear XX:

In the 90 years since aircraft first flew in Alaska, the bush pilot myth has become synonymous with Alaskan life. Tourists are drawn to stories of mercy pilots and pictures of aircraft loaded with everything from sled dogs to outboard motors are as much a part of the state’s image as the northern lights and Denali. But the harsh truth about aviation here is that while it is consistently one of the most dangerous places to fly in the world, almost all of the accidents are preventable.

Alaska averages about 100 aircraft accidents a year which, over the past decade, have resulted in 194 fatalities. In 2013 there was a particularly devastating crash in the small town of Soldotna. That accident made national news as two South Carolina families were killed after their charter aircraft stalled on takeoff. The recently released probable cause report found the longtime Alaska pilot made multiple errors prior to departure including failing to weigh the additional cargo onboard, loading it behind the aircraft’s center-of-gravity and exceeding the aircraft’s weight limits. He was also killed in the crash.

The investigators with the Alaska regional office of the NTSB are determined to reach beyond pilot actions to find aspects of company culture, flight training or lax federal oversight that might contribute to poor decision-making. They have also joined with representatives of the Alaskan Aviation Safety Foundation and Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association to target specific aspects of the state’s aviation environment and community to affect positive change in pilot attitudes and actions. These are the people who are not willing to dismiss Alaska simply as an inherently dangerous place to fly and I think their story needs to be told.

I first worked in the aviation industry in Alaska over 20 years ago, as a dispatcher for a Fairbanks-based commuter. I also studied aviation in college and graduate school, both in Alaska and Outside, and learned to fly when I was 18. I wrote about my years as a dispatcher in a 2011 memoir, The Map of My Dead Pilots. I have worked as a journalist and essayist on this subject for years including the past three for the Bush Pilot section of Alaska Dispatch News (the Anchorage daily newspaper), and recently in Narratively magazine. Alaska aviation is a topic I am deeply involved with, and I look forward to writing about the people who are trying to change the way it operates.

Pitch Fix for long-form journalism: State your story

When I read Mondor’s pitch, I kept waiting for the sentence that began “My story will be about” or “I’d like to write about.” I was impressed by the background information and detail, but I had a hard time figuring out what story Mondor was actually pitching to these magazines and how she planned to tell it.

Mondor has one sentence that alludes to what she intends to write: “These are the people who are not willing to dismiss Alaska simply as an inherently dangerous place to fly and I think their story needs to be told.”

It’s a great start, but I want to know more

Does Mondor have a specific person’s story in mind? Is she planning to conduct interviews for the bulk of her research, or is she thinking about going more in-depth, perhaps embedding herself with Alaska’s NSTB investigators to observe their work—and their challenges—in person?

If you thought “Wait, NSTB investigators? Isn’t this a piece about bush pilots?” I wouldn’t blame you. Mondor begins her pitch with “The bush pilot myth has become synonymous with Alaskan life,” leading the reader to expect that she plans to write about pilots. When you read carefully, you learn she really wants to write about the investigators who look into why pilots crash.

This information should be at the center of Mondor’s pitch, and the entire pitch should focus on the story she wants to tell and the methodology by which she will tell it. Otherwise, she runs the risk of confusing her editors and losing the opportunity to report on an important aspect of Alaskan aviation.

Here’s how I’d rewrite Mondor’s pitch:

In the 90 years since aircraft first flew in Alaska, the bush pilot myth has become synonymous with Alaskan life. However, many people aren’t aware of the other side of the myth: the numerous preventable aircraft accidents. Alaska averages about 100 aircraft accidents a year which, over the past decade, have resulted in 194 fatalities.

When these tragedies take place, the investigators with the Alaska regional office of the National Transport Safety Board (NTSB) look beyond pilot actions to find aspects of company culture, flight training or lax federal oversight that might contribute to poor decision-making. They have also joined with representatives of the Alaskan Aviation Safety Foundation and Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association to target specific aspects of the state’s aviation environment and community to affect positive change in pilot attitudes and actions. These are the people who are not willing to dismiss Alaska simply as an inherently dangerous place to fly and I think their story needs to be told.

I’m developing a long-form article in which I embed myself in the Alaska regional NSTB office for one month to give readers a clearer picture of the daily challenges and struggles these investigators face. I’ll follow the investigators as they visit crash sites, document accidents, and work to understand the bigger questions: What went wrong? Was it simple pilot error, or were there larger forces at work here? Why does Alaska have so many aircraft accidents, and how can these accidents be prevented?

This article will be written in a nonfiction narrative style, viewing the investigators and the pilots through a human lens. Readers will finish the piece feeling as if they were there in the NTSB office with me, watching coworkers make jokes and talk about their families before they’re called out to investigate yet another accident. They’ll also learn how this type of work affects family and personal life, and what a career based on analyzing tragedy does to a person over time.

If you are interested in learning more about this topic or discussing how this story might fit into your publication, please let me know.

A bit about my background: I first worked in the aviation industry in Alaska over 20 years ago, as a dispatcher for a Fairbanks-based commuter. I also studied aviation in college and graduate school, both in Alaska and Outside, and learned to fly when I was 18. I wrote about my years as a dispatcher in a 2011 memoir, The Map of My Dead Pilots. I have worked as a journalist and essayist on this subject for years including the past three for the Bush Pilot section of Alaska Dispatch News (the Anchorage daily newspaper), and recently in Narratively magazine. Alaska aviation is a topic I am deeply involved with, and I look forward to writing about the people who are trying to change the way it operates.

Mondor’s response

I asked Mondor if she was planning to rework her pitch based on my fix, and here’s her response:

This is really really funny. I was reading over some pitches at Open Notebook a few days ago and I started thinking about how I buried the fact that there were very real people involved in my story—the NTSB investigators (and others) who are so committed to changing the statistics. I have been so worried about getting the facts straight and making clear that this would not be another “death-defying Alaska bush pilot” article, that I left out the significant human element. (Who are the point!)

And bam—you saw it too and more importantly, you made it work.

I’ll likely tinker with this just a bit to fit exactly what I want to write about but honestly, I won’t change much. Reading over it again, I’m realizing how much I needed a second pair of eyes on it. Sometimes, no surprise, writers just can’t see the forest for the trees.

I’ll be sending this out by the end of the week—thanks so much.

Do you agree with this month’s Pitch Fix for long-form journalism? When you’re pitching a long-form journalism story, how much background information do you include? What other advice do you have for Colleen Mondor?

Historically, the answer has been grammar nerds, Strunk & White, and those who follow the infamous Chicago versus AP writing style guide debate.

And after this lawsuit a few years ago, we added dairy driver to the list.

That’s because an appellate court ruled in favor of Maine dairy drivers in a labor dispute that hinged on the oft-debated piece of punctuation.

For anyone who’s ever wondered what all the fuss is about over Oxford commas, the circuit judge’s 2017 opinion says it all:

“For want of a comma, we have this case.”

Barron, Circuit Judge

Let’s get into why the oxford comma can make such a difference

What is the Oxford Comma or the Serial Comma?

For those in need of a grammar rules refresh, here’s a quick overview.

Sometimes called the serial comma, the Oxford comma is a comma placed between the last two items in a series of three or more.

For example, the Oxford comma falls after “hat” in this sentence:

“She wore a jacket, hat, and mittens.”

While some writing style guides do not use this comma, supporters say it’s necessary to avoid potential ambiguity. And if there’s one thing writers can agree on, it’s the importance of clarity. In some cases, an extra comma matters.

Does AP Style Use the Oxford Comma?

The short answer: No.

Many writers, including journalists, live by the Associated Press stylebook. AP style does not use Oxford commas.

However, Chicago style does require Oxford commas. That’s the Chicago Manual of Style, which is commonly used by book publishers, academics, and trade publications.

So the decision about whether to use the serial comma relies on what type of writing you’re doing, and which style guide applies to that project.

If you’re writing for a news site, you probably want to follow AP style and skip the extra punctuation. If you’re writing a novel you plan to submit to publishers, you probably want to follow Chicago style, which does use the Oxford comma.

An Example to Follow

Let’s review how the Oxford comma works.

Here’s an example of a sentence with the Oxford comma:

“I admire my parents, Gandhi, and Mother Teresa.”

It’s clear in this example that I admire my parents, as well as Gandhi, and Mother Teresa.

But remove that serial comma, and the sentence reads, “I admire my parents, Gandhi and Mother Teresa.”

One could argue that, written this way, the sentence implies that Gandhi and Mother Teresa are my parents. While the average person would know this isn’t likely to be the case, it illustrates how easily a missing comma can change the meaning of a sentence.

It was precisely this type of ambiguity that led to the Maine case with the dairy farmers.

The Oxford Comma Debate, And A $10 Million Comma

In this class action lawsuit, drivers for Oakhurst Dairy sued the company over its failure to grant them overtime pay.

Workers in Maine are entitled to 1.5 times their normal pay for hours worked over 40 per week, according to state law. However, there are exemptions to this rule. Specifically, the law states, companies don’t have to pay overtime for the following activities:

The canning, processing, preserving, freezing, drying, marketing, storing, packing for shipment or distribution of:

1. Agricultural produce;
2. Meat and fish product; and
3. Perishable foods

Note the end of the opening line, where there is no comma before the “or.”

Oakhurst Dairy argued its drivers did not qualify for overtime because they engage in distribution, and the spirit of the law intended to list “packing for shipment” and “distribution” as two separate exempt activities.

However, the drivers argued the letter of the law said no such thing. Without that telltale Oxford comma, the law could be read to exclude only packing—whether it was packing for shipment or packing for distribution. Distribution by itself, in this case, would not be exempt.

Without that comma, as the judge maintained, this distinction was not clear-cut:

If that exemption used a serial comma to mark off the last of the activities that it lists, then the exemption would clearly encompass an activity that the drivers perform. And, in that event, the drivers would plainly fall within the exemption and thus outside the overtime law’s protection. But, as it happens, there is no serial comma to be found in the exemption’s list of activities, thus leading to this dispute over whether the drivers fall within the exemption from the overtime law or not.

Barron, Circuit Judge

As a result, the court found in favor of the drivers, costing the dairy an estimated $10 million.

Comma Rules: To Comma, or Not to Comma?

As a diehard Oxford comma loyalist, this ruling made my day.

While many of the sites I write for as a freelance blogger follow AP style, which is sans-serial comma, I still sneak one in when it seems needed to avoid confusion. This case backs up that habit as more than just an old-school tic I haven’t yet let go.

While the debate may still rage on over whether Oxford commas are necessary all the time, this ruling upholds the practice of using them when they’re essential to ward off ambiguity.

So, who care about the Oxford comma? The answer, according to the courts, is officially: anyone who’s interested in clarity.

Take that, AP style!

This is an updated version of a story that was previously published. We update our posts as often as possible to ensure they’re useful for our readers.

Photo via Lamai Prasitsuwan/ Shutterstock

What’s the number one thing you can do to improve your writing? Read. A lot.

Read anything and everything you can find, and you’ll become a better writer.

Read your favorite genre, whether that’s historical fiction, creative nonfiction, or personal essays. Read books that are similar to what you like to write. And surround yourself with writer paraphernalia, including great books on writing.

The titles below will help you with all aspects of your writing, from learning to write better to finding inspiration to figuring out where to pitch your ideas. We’ve even included some books about how to make money writing.

Books on Becoming a Better Writer

1. “On Writing” by Stephen King

Part memoir, part guidebook, this Stephen King classic will appeal even to those who avoid his renowned horror-packed tales. In this book, King discusses how he came to be the writer we know today, plus he shares the basic tools of writing every writer needs.

2. “Bird by Bird” by Anne Lamott

“Bird by Bird” is an essential part of any writer’s toolbox. In this work, Lamott shares herself and her craft with readers, including anecdotes that tie the pieces together into all-around great writing. If you need help finding your voice and passion, Lamott’s advice is sure to spark creativity.

3. “Writer’s Market” edited by Robert Lee Brewer

“Writer’s Market” helps aspiring writers become published. Its listings contain hundreds of pages of suggested markets for nonfiction writers, as well as those who want to sell short stories, including details for how to pitch your work. Because this guide is updated regularly, you’ll always have the most up-to-date information about how to publish and get paid for your writing.

4. “On Writing Well” by William Zinsser

Although this classic book targets nonfiction writers, Zinsser discusses many forms of writing, from interviewing and telling stories about people to writing about travel. In addition to writing tips on consistency, voice, editing and more, he also includes the fundamentals of craft that can help you grow as a writer in any genre.

5. “The Elements of Style” by William Strunk, Jr. and E.B. White

For years, writing teachers have assigned “The Elements of Style” to their students to teach them about grammar, structural writing rules and the principles of composition. Brushing up on the basics from time to time is critical for continually developing your skills, and this book contains simple truths that every writer needs to know.

6. “The Associated Press Stylebook” by the Associated Press

AP Style is known by many as the “go-to” writing style for journalists and public relations pros. The Associated Press Stylebook contains more than 3,000 entries detailing rules on grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, abbreviation and word and numeral usage to help you master news writing.

(Heads up: This stylebook is updated annually, so always be sure you purchase and study the most recent version!

7. “How to Write Bestselling Fiction” by Dean Koontz

While many books on this list are aimed at nonfiction writers, this one is for those who dream up their own stories to tell. If anyone is qualified to tell people how to write bestselling fiction, its prolific author Dean Koontz, who’s sold more than 450 million copies of his books. This book was written in 1981 and is out of print, so if you buy it online, you’re paying for a collector’s item. But the book has timeless, valuable insights for writers who manage to snag a copy. (Consider checking your local library!). After four decades, it’s still one of the best books on writing fiction.

8. “Writing Down the Bones” by Natalie Goldberg

Goldberg’s insightful book examines the craft of writing including how to start brainstorming, the importance of learning how to listen, the vital role verbs play in writing, and even how to find an inspiring place to write. No matter the stage you’re at with writing, this inspiring read will give you the encouragement you need to keep going.

9. “Plot & Structure” by James Scott Bell

Written for fiction writers, this book tackles everything from story structure models and methods to a variety of techniques to help you craft great stories from start to finish. You’ll even find tips on how to create plot diagrams, plus the tools to overcome various plot problems that can arise.

10. “Writing Short Stories” by Courttia Newland and Tania Hershman

Broken into three comprehensive parts, this book examines the craft of short stories and teaches writers how to do it successfully. It explores the nature and history of this form, provides useful tips from noteworthy short story writers and how to look deeper into your characters. Plus, if you’re struggling with writer’s block, Newland and Hershman’s book can help you there, too.

11. “I Should Be Writing: A Writer’s Workshop” by Mur Lafferty

For writers who should be writing—erm, all of us—this book is like your personal writing workshop condensed into a flexibound journal. Lafferty shares writing exercises to help the strength of your writing blossom, plus writer’s prompts, tips on how to refine your creative process and hone your craft. Most of all, you’ll learn how to ignore your inner writing bully. 

12. “Getting Into Character: Seven Secrets A Novelist Can Learn From Actors” by Brandilyn Collins

Award-winning and best-selling novelist of 30 books Brandilyn Collins created this in-depth guide to help writers understand the psychology of your characters. That way, you’ll know how to express it in your stories and bring your characters to life. Because it draws on popular acting methods that’ve been used professionally for decades, reading this book will teach you techniques and concepts that’ll change the way you look at writing.

13. “Self-Editing for Fiction Writers” by Renni Browne and Dave King

When you can’t hire a professional editor to ensure your manuscript is print-ready, pick up this book to learn how to edit yourself into print. Written by two professional editors, “Self-Editing for Fiction Writers” teaches editing techniques like dialogue, exposition, point of view and more so you can turn your work-in-progress into published novels and short stories.

Books on Overcoming the Struggles of Writing

14. “The Writing Life” by Annie Dillard

The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “An American Childhood”  shares words of wisdom in this handy book where she discusses the difficulties of writing. She writes about how it’s sometimes necessary to destroy paragraphs, phrases and words to reform them as something even better. She also shares advice all writers need a reminder of, like this one: Be more diligent and less self-berating. 

15. “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron

From time to time, every writer suffers from burnout or writer’s block, and Julia Cameron understands that. Her book focuses on the craft of writing and training yourself to be even more creative.

She offers valuable techniques, like starting each morning with a free-writing exercise and exploring one subject you find fascinating per week. Her tips for gaining the self-confidence to reinvigorate your creative juices could be of help to any kind of writer.

16. “Word Work: Surviving and Thriving as a Writer” by Bruce Holland Rogers

“Word Work” is packed with practical advice to help you navigate core elements of the writing process. Whether you want to overcome procrastination, find happiness in writing and even conquer writer’s block, this roadmap is filled with useful exercises to help you achieve your goals. It also covers how to handle rejection and success.

17. “A Writer’s Guide to Persistence” by Jordan Rosenfeld

This book focuses on how to be a happy and successful writer throughout your career. It covers everything from finding joy as a writer to avoiding burnout to the all-important challenge of balancing writing with a busy life. It also discusses how to fine-tune your craft, get in touch with your creative flow, revise your work, find critiques, and learn how to be resilient.

18. “War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles” by Steven Pressfield

Published in 2012, this book helps writers and creators of all kinds overcome the biggest obstacle of all: our inner naysayer. The Amazon description says this book is “tough love…for yourself,” so if something inside of you keeps you from your biggest accomplishments, this is the right book to pick up.

PS If you’re a Steven Pressfield fan, be sure to check out selfpublishing’s podcast interview with the author!

19. “Steal Like an Artist” by Austin Kleon

“Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative” will help you understand that nothing is original. To discover your true artistic side and build a more creative life, read this book to be inspired by Kleon’s transformative principles about the power of embracing influence. Instead of writing what you know, this read will give you the courage to write what you want and be imaginative in your work.

Books on Writing as an Art Form

20. “The Writing Life: Writers on How They Think and Work” edited by Marie Arana

This book contains columns from a decade of The Washington Post’s “Writing Life” column, with contributors as diverse as Jimmy Carter, Joyce Carol Oates and Carl Sagan. Each essay is paired with biographical information about each author, which helps readers learn more about these skilled contributors and their timeless ideas on the craft of writing.

21. “The Paris Review Interviews”

A notable magazine, The Paris Review offers 16 in-depth interviews with some of the leading names in the literature world, from novelists to playwrights and poets. If you want insight into how superstars like Ernest Hemingway, T.S. Eliot, Kurt Vonnegut, Toni Morrison and more penned their esteemed works, check out this book to learn from their revelations.

22. “Art & Fear: Observations On The Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking” by David Bayles & Ted Orlando

This book reflects on the artistic side of being a writer. Making art is no easy feat, and Bayles and Orlando—both artists themselves—explore the challenges of making art and the various obstacles that can discourage people along the way. Originally published in 1994, “Art & Fear” is now an underground classic, dishing out relatable, valuable advice about what it means to create.

23. “The Sense of Style: The Thinking Person’s Guide to Writing in the 21st Century” by Steven Pinker

Steven Pinker offers a new take on some of the classic writing manuals. Inside “The Sense of Style”, he analyzes examples of modern prose, pointing out fantastic writing styles from those he considers awful. To help you improve, Pinker also provides tips to spruce up lackluster work.

24. “Zen in the Art of Writing” by Ray Bradbury

Ray Bradbury, author of “Fahrenheit 451,” put together this book of essays portraying his passion for the craft. It was published in the 90s, but this collection still offers wise advice for aspiring and practicing writers.

25. “The Lonely Voice: A Study of the Short Story” by Frank O’Connor

World-renowned Irish author Frank O’Connor takes on the short story in this favorite book on writing. Short stories are challenging, but O’Connor shares tips and tactics that can help any writer begin to feel more confident about mastering the art of the short story and crafting their own works. According to many readers and writers, this is one of the best books on writing short stories.

26. “Consider This” by Chuck Palahniuk

In this memoir-like read, Palahniuk reflects on the art of storytelling through advice he shares about what makes writing and sharing stories powerful. In between anecdotes and decades-worth of postcards from his time on the road, you’ll find a love story to the world of fiction paired with concrete examples of strong storytelling.

27. “The Emotional Craft of Fiction” by Donald Maass

Readers shouldn’t just read your story; they have to feel it as well—that’s what makes strong fiction, according to “The Emotional Craft of Fiction: How to Write the Story Beneath the Surface.” A former literary agent, Maass breaks down story elements to show you how to write fiction that creates an emotional experience for your readers.

Books on Making Money Writing

28. “Published. The Proven Path From Blank Page To 10,000 Copies Sold” by Chandler Bolt

“Published.” equips readers with the key to unlock the story that has been burning inside them, calling them to share their wisdom with the world. Then it shows authors how to scale their impact, influence, and income from their books.

29. “Self-Publisher’s Legal Handbook: The Step-by-Step Guide to the Legal Issues of Self-Publishing” by Helen Sedwick

Attorney and self-published author Helen Sedwick uses her 30+ years of legal experience to help aspiring self-publishers navigate the business side of writing. This first-of-its-kind guidebook covers everything from business set up to spotting scams to helping keep writers at their desks and out of court.

30. “How to Make a Living With Your Writing” by Joanna Penn

Joanna Penn’s “How to Make a Living With Your Writing” and her companion workbook can help any writer examine their current writing situation and make a plan for the future. Penn discusses her multiple income streams and shares the breakdown of her six-figure writing income, which includes book sales, affiliate marketing commissions, a series of courses she offers and speaking fees.

31. “Writer for Hire: 101 Secrets to Freelance Success” by Kelly James-Enger

Divided into five sections James-Enger ’s book dives into critical topics, such as when it makes sense to ignore per-word rates, how to ask for more money, how to set goals and even how to fire troublesome clients. This book is a valuable read if you want to build a sustainable career as a full-time freelance writer.

32. “Scratch: Writers, Money, and the Art of Making a Living” edited by Manjula Martin

In her anthology, Martin includes a series of essays and interviews from well-known literary icons such as Roxanne Gay, Cheryl Strayed, Jennifer Weiner, and Jonathan Franzen where they discuss the intersection of writing and money.

33. “Everybody Writes” by Ann Handley

This content-creation book, “Everybody Writes: Your Go-To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content,” drives home the point that anyone with a website or social media channels is a writer.

It focuses on how to craft quality writing that boosts business and helps find and retain customers. Plus, it includes writing tips, content help, grammar rules and much more. Despite the growing world of hashtags and abbreviations, writing matters more now than ever.

34. “The Breakout Novelist: How to Craft Novels That Stand Out and Sell” by Donald Maass

This must-have reference for novel writers provides innovative and practical information about how to turn your writing into engaging and marketable fiction that stands out. With more than 70 exercises to help you evaluate your writing and lessons from Maass’ 30+ years in publishing, you’re sure to walk away with knowledge and strategies to become an author with a successful career.

This post contains affiliate links. That means if you purchase through our links, you’re supporting The Write Life—and we thank you for that!

This is an updated version of a story that was previously published. We update our posts as often as possible to ensure they’re useful for our readers.

Photo via Andrii Kobryn/ Shutterstock

If you’re trying to break into the industry, entry level writing jobs can be a good way to get your foot in the door. And yes, contrary to popular belief, you can actually make money from entry-level positions (cue gasps of shock).

We’re in our digital era—where content is king and screen time is on an Olympic sprint. And despite the low-key threat of artificial intelligence and other tech innovations, the demand for skilled writers is needed now more than ever. Businesses need captivating content (whether it’s binge-worthy blog posts or compelling product descriptions) and are always looking for fresh voices. 

And that’s where you, the budding freelancer, come into play.

But of course, knowing there’s a need isn’t much help unless you know where to show up so you can fill the gap. And how do you stand out with all of the other aspiring wordsmith’s out there? That’s what we come in.

Buckle up and prepare to embark on a whirlwind tour of all things entry level writing jobs—where to find them, how to snag them, and what opportunities they could unlock for your career.  

Do I Need Formal Qualifications to Secure Entry Level Writing Jobs? 

Short answer? Not at all. 

Certifications and degrees are helpful, and certain markets will require advanced education (such as medical writing, which requires exertise in that niche) but they don’t guarantee entry in writing world. In general, having strong writing skills is much more important than academic education.

There are many different kinds of writing (e.g. business writing, personal essays, travel writing, food writing, etc.), so as long as you understand the assignment then you’re in good shape. Your writing skills are the essential ingredients but in order to secure the ongoing paycheck, you’ll want to know how to make successful pitches too! 

How Much Do Entry Level Writing Jobs Pay?

As you grasp the value of your work, learn to tailor your pieces to your target publications, and gain experience, you’ll find your negotiating power—and rates—moving upwards.

Freelance writers who publish in newspapers or magazine often are paid by the word. If this is the case for you, then your income is a balance between how fast you work and how long your commissioned pieces are.

If you write for businesses or online sites, then you may find yourself negotiating project rates. In this case, you’re looking for a win-win between their budget and your desired income.

In either case, the outlet or organization may set the rate, but that doesn’t mean you can’t negotiate. Have a good idea of what you want/need to bring in so you only take on work that aligns with your business plan and values.

When you’re just getting started as a freelance writer you may not know how long a piece will take you or what it should be valued at, so it will be difficult to set rates. It will take some trial and error to figure out what type of writing best suits you, what you most enjoy, and what price point will help you reach your income goals.

Don’t worry too much if you end up taking a job where you realize later you’ve undercharged. Take it as a learning experience and raise your rates the next time this type of job comes up.

Wondering what writers are earning in 2023? Check out this post from Make a Living Writing

Where to Find Entry Level Writing Jobs

It’s one thing to have the desire to break into freelance writing. It’s a whole other thing to actually find quality writing jobs as a beginner! The good news is there are many ways to find and secure well-paid writing jobs, even if you’re just getting started. Here are a few suggestions to try out.

1. Look for Websites In Need of Updating

Have you ever strolled around your local digital neighborhood and noticed the small businesses whose websites seem stuck in the 90s? Or perhaps, you’ve stumbled upon those big businesses with blog sections that look about as lively as a tumbleweed town.

It’s like spotting a cute fixer-upper house and you’re inspired to breathe life into the outdated landing pages or blog posts. 

You’d be amazed at how many companies have unoptimized About Pages or are missing testimonials or company stories. It’s probably on their to-do list, but it can be difficult to get to these details!

So here’s a thought: Why not inqure about it? Ask if they could use a freelance writer to update their website a bit. Include a few of your writing pieces that are similar to their industry if you can, it will give them confidence that you’re up to the task. If you don’t have relevant samples then you could mock up some examples to showcase your skills and how you can help. 

You never know, they might be waiting for someone like you to revitalize their website. 

2. Utilize Freelance Writing Sites

There is a lot of debate about platforms such as Upwork or Fiverr. It’s not for everyone. However, it can be a good starting point to get experience and build your writing portfolio.

Here are the pros: You can establish your profile and highlight your specialties. You can offer an array of services at different rates. Sites like these allow clients to reach out and for freelancers to bid on jobs. You won’t get everything you go for, but since sites like these are largely a numbers game, if you pitch enough eventually you’re bound to get something.

However, these platforms charge a service fee on each project, and they prefer if you keep communication within the platform rather than taking it private. Working with clients from these platforms may require time and perseverance to secure those big projects that offer a generous paycheck.

We recommend considering these types of platforms as stepping stones.

3. Work with Marketing Agencies

Agencies can be lucrative for writers, and they work especially well if you’d rather not deal directly with clients or find jobs yourself. Marketing agencies handle the administration and account management (for the most part) and pass the writing work to you as it comes in.

By searching online for marketing agencies within your niche, you may be surprised at how many work with freelancers and are looking for help in the near future. Agency work can be inconsistent but you’ll also likely gain a lot of experience on many different types of writing projects in a short amount of time. 

4. Network with Other Freelance Writers

It’s not about what you know but who you know, right? Established freelance writers will tell you most of their high-paying work is generated from referrals and netowrking. 

Whether it’s in person or on social media, be as proactive as possible in reaching out to freelance writers to gain fresh, new opportunities. 

5. Use Reliable Job Boards

While pitching can often secure you higher-paying jobs, it can be intimidating and overwhelming. You may choose to apply to postings on job boards instead, which is a bit more passive. 

The advantage with job boards is it puts you in control when it comes to filtering the type of writing job you want and the kind of company you’d love to work for. Some businesses will offer full-time positions while others will be seeking out freelancers so you can search, sort, and filter down to exactly what you want. 

Tips to Kickstart Your Writing Career as a Beginner

So now that we know where to find your first writing jobs and you have a bit of an idea for how much you can expect to be paid, here are some additional tips to help you land that job. 

Create a Writing Portfolio

Most clients will want to see some writing samples ahead of time. You’re probably thinking, “I’m new! I have nothing published!”

Fear not, there are other ways to showcase your skills, even if you’re just showing samples or mock-ups that haven’t actually been published.

Putting together a writing or social media portfolio shows the prospective client what you’re capable of and demonstrates your competence to do the job well. 

We recommend creating your portfolio online and sending a link to specific relevant pieces rather than to the entire package. This will help them see you as a professional. 

Dedicate Yourself to Continual Improvement 

Just because you’ve secured a writing job doesn’t mean the learning comes to an end. There are always things to learn, ways to improve, and techniques to try.

You may begin in blogging and realize you could earn more if you also add in search engine optimization (SEO) to your offer. And once you learn SEO, then you see how copywriting can make you even more valuable to clients. As you grow and gain experience with one type of writing, you’ll see even more stepping stones to keep improving. 

Personalize your Pitches

If you’re reaching out to clients via email or LinkedIn, then it will benefit you to find ways to stand out in a busy inbox. 

Here’s a pitch checklist to get you started

We’d recommend keeping your opening paragraph as concise as possible (you have something like seven to keep someone reading). 

Also, do your homework so you can mention things in your pitch that resonate with the recipient. Who doesn’t love an email where the sender actually has some idea of who they’re messaging? It will make a much bigger impact than sending a copy-paste generic cold pitch, trust us. Of course you don’t want to cross the line and come off as creepy—keep it professional, yet personable.

We won’t leave you hanging, of course. Fill in the form below and we’ll send you our pitch checklist, free! 

Summary

It’s an incredible feeling when you get that first paying writing job but here’s something even more exciting: Entry level writing jobs aren’t the end of the road for writers, they’re only the beginning.

This is your springboards for getting into the industry and opening up doors to MORE—more opportunities, more connections, more experiences, and more money. 

So, here’s to finding jobs that fit your skills, learning how to value your writing, how to negotiate, and how to grow your portfolio one sample at a time.

Keep writing, keep learning, and remember—every master was once a beginner. 

If you are someone with carpal tunnel, you know how important it is to have a carpal tunnel mouse that can support your wrist so it does not hurt during your writing sessions is important, and there are so many out there to choose from.

You might not know there are different types of accessories you can buy to make sure you are in less pain throughout your day, which is this article explains options out there in detail to help you make an informed decision.

While it might be frustrating to have pain while you write, it doesn’t have to stop you from bringing your ideas to life.

What Kind Of Mouse is Good for Carpal Tunnel?

If you are suffering with carpal tunnel, there are a few things you can do to find a mouse that can help support your writing.

According to OrthoInfo,

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a common condition that causes numbness, tingling, and pain in the hand and forearm. The condition occurs when one of the major nerves to the hand—the median nerve—is squeezed or compressed as it travels through the wrist.

OrthoInfo

Anyone who is diagnosed with carpal tunnel needs to take is seriously because it is something that becomes worse over time if it is not dealt with.

A mouse will not necessarily fix your problem, but it will help manage it.

Can Using a Mouse Cause Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

There is some research to support that modern computers and mouses can be associated with carpal tunnel syndrome.

Computer mouse use has become an integral part of office work in the past decade. Intensive mouse use has been associated with increased risk of upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders, including carpal tunnel syndrome. Sustained, elevated fluid pressure in the carpal tunnel may play a role in the pathophysiology of carpal tunnel syndrome.

From: Effects of computer mouse design and task on carpal tunnel pressure by P J Keir, J M Back, and D Rempel

Do Carpal Tunnel Mouses Work?

Carpal tunnel mouses can certainly help prevent more issues throughout time. Carpal tunnel gets worse when you do not make adjustments to how you use your hands and can end up damaging your nerves worse.

So, with that in mind, carpal tunnel mouses can be a way to help on your journey to becoming a professional writer.

Carpal Tunnel Mouse

Let’s take a look at some different options out there so you can find the right fit for you.

Logitech MX Vertical Wireless Mouse

The Logitech MX mouse is rechargeable and wireless so you can keep it where you need it while you work, which can be key to reducing muscle and nerve strain.

This mouse keeps your hand in a neutral handshake position so you do not need to turn it as much as you would with a traditional mouse.

It has a high-precision sensor so you only need to move your hand 4x less times than other mouses out there, which can help reduce strain over hours.

One unique feature about this mouse is that you can use it across three computers using Logitech FLOW. That can help you use only one mouse throughout your day, which can help a lot with certain technical needs.

You will get four months of use from a single charge (and three hours of use if you charge it for one minute), which can help a lot with making sure your mouse is available at all times.

Perixx PERIMICE-713 Wireless Ergonomic Vertical Mouse

The Perixx PERIMICE-713 mouse is a great option for those with carpal tunnel syndrome not only because i its design, but because it also has six buttons on the mouse you can customize for your own needs.

That can help you move your hands less throughout your day and as you use your computer.

It has up to 10 meters of distance so you can sit at a comfortable distance from your monitor for optimal posture.

iClever WM101 Ergonomic Mouse

The iClever WM101 mouse has a comfortable style, which also includes a thumb rest with four different resolutions, depending on how much or how little mobility you have.

The four resolution adjustments include: 1000DPI, 1600DPI, 2000DPI and 2400DPI. If you do not know, those are different mouse sensitivity settings.

It also has two buttons for “backward” and “forward” so you can browse with ease and not need to move your wrist nearly as much to click around.

Using a wireless 2.4GHz connection, you can stay connected up to 49 feet, which helps when it comes to setting up your desk and posture how you prefer.

For those with extra sound sensitivity, the buttons are also built to be more quiet so you do not just hear endless clicking as you browse on your computer. That can also help for people who need to be on the quieter side, such as those with newborns.

DeLUX Wireless Ergonomic Mouse

The DeLUX Wireless ergonomic mouse has a unique design with a removable palm pad as well that is built for extra comfort and support as you work.

It has a frosted texture, which helps improve grip but also keeps dust and sweat off of the mouse, keeping it in better quality for longer.

This mouse has a high of 4000DPI sensitivity, which would allow you to barely move your hand in order to move your mouse around your screen.

The battery inside this mouse can also last for a whole week (assuming you work 8 hours per day) for each charge, making sure you have less charging to worry about each day.

eirix Ergonomic Vertical Wireless Mouse

The eirix ergonomic mouse has fun lighting, which can be an extra perk on top of the extra help and care it gives to dealing with carpal tunnel.

The palm rest has some built-in anti-sweat materials so it stays comfortable and easy to use, even though hours of use. On the bottom it also has a smooth surface to help reduce drag, giving your joints a comfortable experience.

The DPI settings come in four modes: 800, 1200, 1600, and 3200. You can switch between them by simply clicking a button, which makes computer use even easier.

Need More Writing Help?

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by Elle Griffin.

When I finished writing my novel I did the normal thing: I started pitching it to agents. I think I pitched my book to more than 120 agents in hopes that one of them might sell my book to a big publishing house who would make my book a New York Times bestseller and a hit series for HBO.

But as the rejection letters started rolling in, I realized something. Publishing houses make money by adhering to one simple strategy: Spend $5,000-$10,000 on thousands of author advances, and hope that one of them will go on to become a huge bestseller and earn the company enough money to pay for all the rest.

“There’s a saying in publishing: 80 percent of authors fail, and the 20 percent that succeed pay for all the failures,” says Rachel Deahl, news director for Publishers Weekly. “It’s about building up big bestsellers. They are the people who pay for all the people who don’t make it.”

My book is a strange little gothic novel that might appeal to a couple thousand readers, but certainly not millions. Even if a publishing house did take a chance and decide to publish it, I wouldn’t be guaranteed any marketing. And with only 12-15 percent of the sale my best bet was to earn a couple hundred dollars for my efforts. 

As Deahl says, “Most books don’t succeed even with a lot of backing. Combine that with no marketing or publicity, chances are your book isn’t going to sell well.”

Serial Fiction Is a Better Monetization Strategy Than Traditional Publishing

The New York Times caused a stir recently when, in an article about pandemic book sales, it disclosed that “98 percent of the books that publishers released in 2020 sold fewer than 5,000 copies.”

It gets worse. According to Bookstat, which looks at the book publishing market as a whole, there were 2.6 million books sold online in 2020 and only 268 of them sold more than 100,000 copies—that’s only 0.01 percent of books. By far, the more likely outcome is to sell between 0 and 1,000 copies—which is what 96 percent of books did. 

And yet, I couldn’t help but wonder if authors could monetize a niche audience. After all, 1,000 readers might not be enough to make it in the big world of publishing contracts and screenplay options, but it could be enough to be profitable—if only creator economy technologies are used. 

The “creator economy” is predicated on this very idea. As the going wisdom states: it only takes 1,000 true fans spending $100/year for a creator to earn a salary of $100,000/year. Using our current publishing model, if an author sells 1,000 copies of a book, she will earn $2,250 if published traditionally or $4,200 if self-published. But using the creator economy, an author could release a new chapter every week, charge subscribers $8 or $9 a month, and earn $100,000 a year—from only 1,000 readers. 

Non-fiction writers are already doing it. As evidenced by this chart by Alexey Guzey, there are plenty of Substack writers who are putting out quality non-fiction content for their followers and monetizing it—earning in the hundreds of thousands of dollars annually, and in some cases millions, just from reader subscriptions! 

But could fiction do the same?

It did once. When Alexandre Dumas debuted The Count of Monte Cristo it was published as a feuilleton—a portion of the weekly newspaper devoted to fiction. From August 1844 to January 1846 his chapters were published in 18 installments for The Journal des Débats, a newspaper that went out to 9,000 to 10,000 paying subscribers in France—and readers were rapt by it.

In the forward to a 2004 translation of the book, the writer Luc Sante wrote: “The effect of the serials, which held vast audiences enthralled . . . is unlike any experience of reading we are likely to have known ourselves, maybe something like that of a particularly gripping television series. Day after day, at breakfast or at work or on the street, people talked of little else.”

It was basically Game of Thrones. Readers could not wait to get their hands on the next chapter and that bode very well for the writer who was not only paid by the newspaper in real-time for his work (by the word), but also grew the popularity of his work over the entirety of the time it was being published.

“The ‘Presse’ pays nearly 300 francs per day for feuilletons to Alexandre Dumas, George Sand, De Balzac, Frederic Soulé, Theophile Gautier, and Jules Sandeau,” Littell’s Little Age, Volume 10 wrote in 1846. “But what will the result be in 1848? That each of these personnages will have made from 32,000 to 64,000 francs per annum for two or three years for writing profitable trash of the color of the foulest mud in Paris?”

That “profitable trash” earned those writers an annual salary of between $202,107 to $404,213 in today’s dollars—and the obvious disdain of that Littell writer who, even then preferred the merits of a bound and published book. The same volume goes on to say that Dumas earned about 10,000 francs ($65,743 today) per installment when he was poached from The Presse by The Constitutionnel in 1845.

Serial Novels are Already Making a Comeback

The serial novel is already making a comeback. On the apps Wattpad and Inkitt, writers can publish chapters as they are written, and followers can read and comment on them in real-time. Wattpad has 90 million users who spend an average of 52 minutes per session reading books online—mostly Millennial and Gen Z. The Inkitt app has 2 million users in the same demographic.

The problem is that authors don’t make money on either platform—readers read for free. There was some hope that would change when Wattpad debuted Paid Stories in 2019, allowing readers to pay for chapters using micropayments—three coins unlock the next chapter—but the author does not get to decide whether or not their content is part of the paid program, the platform does based on how the book performed in its free iteration. And even the best-paid authors aren’t making a living doing it. 

Two years into their paid program, Wattpad announced reaching only $1 million in author earnings, split among 550 writers. All things being equal, that’s only $1,818 in total earnings, per author, over a two-year period—and all things are not equal. The more likely scenario is that a small percentage of those 550 made up the bulk of the earnings with pennies left for the rest.

One Wattpad author, who wished to remain anonymous, told me her book reached 20 million free reads on the platform before she was invited to go paid last year. Since then, she has earned a couple million more reads and has averaged $500/month in earnings with her highest month topping out at $1,000. And this is with a YA romance novel—one of the best performing categories on the site.  

Now Amazon wants to get in the game. In April of 2021, they announced the launch of Kindle Vella, a Wattpad competitor that allows authors to publish their books serially—and does allow authors to monetize their work. Thus far, no marketing initiatives have endeavored to promote these pioneering authors—but it’s no matter. Writers pour an estimated 1.2-1.4 million books onto Amazon each year and, even if every book sells only 200 copies, the platform will earn 20-50 percent of each sale and win the whole game.

Still, if 20 million people are willing to read a book for free and a couple million more are willing to pay for it, then there is at least a market for serial fiction. The problem is that if authors are only netting $6,000-$12,000 in a year for their work—maybe we don’t have the right platforms yet. 

Substack Easily Allows Authors to Monetize Serial Content

I decided to serialize my own novel, releasing one chapter per week from September 2021 through June 2022, and I turned to Substack and Patreon for the experiment. Unlike Wattpad and Inkitt, both platforms allow authors to monetize their work, with readers subscribing directly to their favorite writers. 

Publishing on both platforms is free, with Substack and Patreon earning a percentage of income—Substack charges 10 percent of earnings plus a Stripe fee, Patreon charges 5-12 percent of earnings depending on what payment processing services a creator wants access to. And because both platforms allow the author to maintain the rights to their work, there is nothing preventing us from putting our books up on Wattpad, Inkitt, or Kindle after the subscription period ends.

I created accounts on both platforms to test the waters—though each has its share of pros and cons. Patreon, for instance, doesn’t have a free pricing tier which means I would have to build my platform elsewhere before attempting to sell into it. This is why almost all of the 15 authors currently earning more than $4,000/month writing novels on Patreon built their audience on Royal Road, a free serialization platform that lets authors share their chapters as they are written.

“There’s sort of a fixed model for how serialization works in terms of generating revenue—where you start off building an audience on Royal Road and then from there you start a Patreon,” the author Travis Deverell tells me. “And there’s an expectation that your Patreon will have a certain number of advanced chapters ahead of what goes for your Royal Road.”

Deverell’s pen name is Shirtaloon and he earns $28,532 a month from his Patreon supporters. Readers can choose whether they want to read his chapters one week ahead ($1/month), two weeks ahead ($5/month), or four weeks ahead ($10/month) of Royal Road. He also has pricing tiers at $15, $20, and $50 a month which have no additional benefit except supporting an author they love—and fans pay it.  

But Royal Road is very genre-specific. In fact, it tends to attract an audience that isn’t well represented elsewhere: hyperniche science fiction and fantasy genres such as litRPG, isekai, and power progression. “Royal Road is such a big platform for building audiences, but the audience is looking for fairly specific stuff at the moment,” Deverell says. “Like Wattpad is great for YA fiction, but Royal Road is a much better fit for what I’m doing.”

Patreon also isn’t well-suited to writing. The author Emilia Rose earns more than $120,000/year serializing erotica on Patreon but plans to move her 3,000 patrons to Litty, a new startup promising to be the “Patreon of fiction” when it launches this fall. “Patreon has set up its website like a blog, which makes the platform incredibly difficult to use for ongoing stories,” Rose says. “Since I release two to five chapters per week of a single story, it is difficult for readers to find previous chapters. From a reader’s perspective, it’s not a great experience.”

Substack, on the other hand, was built for writers. Chapters are delivered via email and books can be separated into “sections,” making the experience easy on the reader. And unlike Patreon, I don’t need to build another platform elsewhere before I can monetize my work. Instead, I can build my audience directly on Substack, writing a free newsletter that upsells into a paid version. 

The downside of Substack is that I don’t have access to all the pricing tiers I can get with Patreon—Substack only allows me to have one monthly subscription fee, plus a “lump sum” donation bucket—and I know pricing tiers are a must. After all, why would a reader pay $5/month to read four chapters of a book when they could buy a whole book on Kindle for $1.99? (This is why there are plenty of writers writing novels on Patreon earning $200/month—and plenty of Kindle authors earning $200 total.) 

There has to be added value. I want my readers to have the option to join an exclusive online community, be mentioned in the acknowledgments, or even write the foreword for my book. When the book is complete, I want to be able to send autographed, hardcover collector’s edition to premium subscribers, throw a wrap party for my patrons, or even elope to a gothic estate in France to write ghost stories together afterward. 

These kinds of value adds are, after all, how the science fiction author N.K. Jemisin achieved Patreon success. She went on to win numerous awards including a Hugo Award and, in 2020, a MacArthur Fellows “genius grant,” but when she first joined Patreon, she simply wanted to make $5,000/month so she could quit her job as a psychologist. She did—and she had five superfans paying $100/month for signed, printed copies of her books and nine paying $50/month for signed-author copies. That’s $950/month in revenue just from her top 14 fans! Authors can’t afford to miss out on that kind of patronage. 

Even without pricing tiers, I think Substack is the better bet—the whole process is already built-in and has been proven to work for non-fiction authors. And Substack has made moves to invest in fiction. On June 9th, Business Insider announced that Substack hired Nick Spencer, author of Captain America and The Amazing Spider Man franchises to entice comic-book writers to the platform. They also announced, in August, their first round of investments in comics writers. 

Indeed, we may be seeing the beginnings of a surge in fiction writers on the platform. The fiction author Etgar Keret joined the platform in August and the novels Anamnesis and Something Deep are both serializing on Substack. In fact, more authors are putting their novels on the platform every day which makes me wonder whether I should stop looking for where the literary writers are, but where the literary readers are. And we are definitely actively reading (and paying to subscribe to) literary non-fiction on Substack. Maybe we’d read literary fiction there too.

After all, Truman Capote’s novella Breakfast at Tiffany’s was serialized in Esquire before being published by Random House in 1958. The Martian started out as a blog on Andy Weir’s personal website before it was self-published, then traditionally published, then turned into a blockbuster film starring Matt Damon. And in 2020, Lena Dunham serialized her choose-your-own-adventure novel Verified Strangers via Vogue.com. 

That’s what Dumas did too. The Count of Monte Cristo was published, not in a literary journal, but in a newspaper—where people were getting their weekly news. Why wouldn’t the sort of people who follow literary journalism and societal critique be the same sort of person who enjoys seeing the Edmond Dantès flee the Chateau d’If via body bag? And Substack is rapidly becoming the newspaper of note for millions of readers. 

Of course, to make it on Substack, creators still have to build a platform, publish consistent work to that platform, and attract an audience to that platform, on top of actually writing something good—none of this is easy. But I’m going to run an experiment anyway. With creator economy technologies on the rise and subscription models rapidly proving their viability, I think there’s hope for fiction after all. 

I think we’re creating it. 

Elle Griffin is currently serializing her gothic novel via Substack—and writing a newsletter about it. Subscribe here. 

Yet editing is often a natural progression for writers within an organization, and it’s a way for freelancers to broaden their work prospects.

In this post, I’ll share everything I know about how to become an editor, based on my experience transitioning from writer to editor, in both freelancer and staff roles.

We’ll cover what an editor does, whether you can be an editor and a writer, types of editors, how much money editors make, and where to look for editing jobs.

How to become an editor and broaden your career horizon

Like a lot of professional writers, I’ve always had friends who reached out for editing help on projects. Working on these hobby projects (for free, because I had no actual editing skills) helped me see how much I enjoyed working with others’ writing. 

Over time, I realized my editing skills even outshine my writing skills; I’m more adept at perfecting existing content than producing something of my own from scratch. (Holy creativity, fiction writers! Kudos.)

Early on, my freelance editing work was sparse and low-paying, because, no skills. And I was thinking like a writer.

At one point, I applied for a staff editor position with a blogger I knew well. After an editing test, I didn’t get a call back, even though I thought I’d done well. In retrospect, I realize I was missing a huge skill: the ability to ask the right questions to guide a writer to improve the piece. Instead — laugh with me — I made a few copy edits and submitted the test with a note to the hiring manager that the piece was pretty much unfixable. Not a great coaching moment.

(Hint: They make the writing in editing tests really bad on purpose. They want to know how you deal with it.)

In 2015, I started as a staff writer with The Penny Hoarder. In that role, I took on additional tasks, including coordinating syndicated blog posts and working with our social media team on graphics. Work like this gave me experience working with other people’s writing, a good stepping stone to becoming an editor.

My editing career truly began when I applied for an open editing position at The Penny Hoarder and passed the editing test with a couple years’ more knowledge of the process. Once I was doing the work daily, finding freelance editing gigs was easier. I knew what kind of gigs to look for, and I had the experience to back it up. I’d learned to think like an editor.

Before you delve into editing, think about what it takes to be a good editor. Who are your favorite editors? Observe how they work with you: What kinds of conversations do you have? What kinds of comments do they make on your work? What tactics do you like and dislike?

What does an editor do?

Contrary to what your non-writer friends who constantly ask you to look over their writing believe, an editor is far more than a typo catcher. (Oh. My. Goodness. Stop with this myth.)

Editors are advocates — for good writing, for an audience, for the goal of a piece and for the author. Our job is to ensure a piece of writing shines, that the audience will understand it, that it achieves its purpose and that the author always comes out on top.

A tiny piece of that is catching typos.

Your more writerly friends probably understand that editing also means helping a writer mold content into its best form, including its organization, formatting, word choice, sentence structure, fact-checking, and our beloved grammar, punctuation and style.

We’re also often coaches or managers. An editor job description could easily include helping writers brainstorm ideas and reshape pitches, guiding them through common mistakes and helping them lean into their creative strengths, assigning and managing content, supervising staffers or freelancers and contributing to business goals.

How much any of these tasks are included in a job depends on the organization, client or project’s needs. Discuss these with your client or boss upfront to understand what’s expected of your role.

Is editing right for you?

You are a writer now, and most editors begin with an interest in writing — few people at a young age fall in love with the written word and believe their destiny is to polish someone else’s.

Some people are great writers because they’re great storytellers or they have a compelling message to share. These people probably aren’t great editors.

Some people are great writers because they know how to manipulate words so any story sounds great and any message is compelling. If you’re that kind of writer, you might consider becoming an editor; you can transfer that strength to others’ work.

If you’re not sure whether editing is the right move for you, ask these questions:

• Do you enjoy developing and shaping content?
• Can you work with multiple voices?
• Are you a natural problem solver?
• Are you comfortable delivering constructive feedback?

Do you have to give up writing to become an editor?

I still both write and edit. Plenty of writers transition to editing and realize the latter is a better fit, so eventually stop writing. And some editing jobs don’t include any writing. But you don’t have to be one or the other. 

With newsroom budgets tightening and online businesses running lean, a lot of editor job descriptions include as much writing as editing. And as a freelancer, you can take on any kind of work you want! My full-time editor job doesn’t involve writing, but most of my freelance work does.

However, editing is not writing. When you edit someone else’s work, don your editor cap, and set aside the writer cap. An editor’s job is to make the writing the best — that includes keeping a writer’s voice intact and fulfilling a publication’s purpose.

If you can’t resist the urge to make your mark on a piece, consider that you are not an editor, and work to grow in your writing career without moving into editing.

Or consider ghostwriting. Ghostwriting — composing work that will be published under someone else’s name — isn’t editing, but the services could go hand in hand. Determine what kind of work you’re willing to take on, and set clear boundaries with clients before accepting jobs.

Types of editors

Because “editing” encompasses so many different types of work, editing jobs vary a ton, too. You could work at all levels of an organization, on any medium or at any point in a project, depending on your skill and experience level, and what kind of work you prefer.

Everyone defines and labels the levels of editing differently, but they generally mean the same thing: levels of editing denote the point at which the editor enters the production process. 

I use Stacy Ennis’s definitions from “The Editor’s Eye” to delineate types of editors:

Developmental editor

This editor helps a writer plan and shape a piece of writing, usually a book or long-form content. You might get involved before they’ve done any writing, or you might look at a rough draft to make recommendations about overarching elements, like storyline and characters.

Substantive editor

This work is focused on macro edits, or suggestions for the organization of a piece. You’ll help the writer cut or add information and reorder content to best convey a story or message to the audience.

Line editor

Here you’ll move into micro edits, or corrections to grammar and suggestions to strengthen and tighten copy. (This role is often called “copy editor” across industries, but I’ll go with “line editor” for this piece to distinguish from the specific newsroom title of copy editor, defined below.)

Proofreader

This is the last line of defense between reader and error. You’ll catch errors in grammar and punctuation, as well as inconsistencies: incorrect page numbers, mismatched table of contents, font styles, character names or use of terms. Learn more about how to become a proofreader here.

Common areas of editing

You can provide these levels of editing on pretty much anything written. A lot of editors focus on particular media to more easily find clients and stick with work they enjoy. 

Here are some common examples of areas of editing:

Book editor 

Edit book-length manuscripts. Editors usually specialize in either fiction or nonfiction. You’ll need to understand how to organize information and ensure continuity across several chapters over something like 80,000 words.

Blog or web editor

Edit blog posts and copy for website pages, newsletters, social media and other online content. You’ll need to know web-specific skills, such as search engine optimization (SEO), catchy headline writing and blog post formatting.

News editor

Edit for newspapers, websites, broadcast media or magazines. You’ll need to be familiar with the style of news writing and the nuances of journalism, such as working with sources, ethical standards and the pace of the news cycle.

Academic editor

Edit essays, research papers, theses and dissertations. You’ll need to be familiar with academic stylebooks per field, and scholars often prefer an editor with a relevant degree, especially an advanced degree.

Multimedia editor

This isn’t a field but a set of skills you could apply anywhere. The ability to edit and proofread copy off the page — in graphics, video or other visuals — could increase your value as an editor. Even better if you can make visual recommendations or work with visual editing software yourself.

Known by many names — other editor titles you might encounter

People with the “editor” title also often take on duties beyond working with copy, such as staff, project and content management.

This is common in newsrooms and companies that have adopted the newsroom structure, such as content marketing agencies or blogs. Some editor titles you might encounter:

Copy editor

This role is focused on copy. They’re usually the last to look at content before it’s published, performing line edits, fact-checking and proofreading, as well as writing headlines and meta data. Supervisory roles, such as slot or copy chief (both almost exclusively in traditional newsrooms) perform copy editing duties and manage other copy editors.

Assignment editor

In a newsroom, this editor is responsible for a specific section of the paper. In a less traditional environment, they might simply oversee an editorial team. Writers might report directly to an assignment editor, and the editor assigns pieces and works with writers on developmental and substantive editing before sending content to the copy desk.

Managing editor

This editor oversees newsroom operation and is usually not directly involved in content production. They manage people, ensure content quality and are involved in content strategy. 

Editor in chief or executive editor

This is a business role, even though it has “editor” in the name. They manage an organization’s operations, including budgets and staffing, as well as guiding content strategy and setting the standard for content quality.

Are you a staff editor or freelance editor?

These job titles are based on traditional newsrooms. You’ll encounter these duties or combinations of them under various titles, depending on industry.

Regardless of any of these job titles, however, one of the most impactful distinctions on your work is whether you are a staffer a freelancer. This is the difference between working for someone else and working for yourself, but it can also affect the type of work. 

Staff editor

Within a company, you’re more likely to have the opportunity (or expectation) to become a manager, and help shape writers’ skills and careers. Staying focused on actual editing could mean hitting a ceiling, because the assumed career progression generally leads to management.

Freelance editor

Freelance work is more likely focused on content. With a long-term client, you might work on content strategy, and handle communication and administrative duties with contributors, but you’re not as likely as on a staff to become deeply involved with employee or organizational development.

How much do editors make?

Defining a typical editor salary is tough. How much an editor makes depends on the above job duties, the industry, the location and — often, especially in freelancing — how much you ask for and how much someone is willing to pay.

To set your salary or rates, research typical pay for the work. Here are some useful resources:

Editorial Freelancers Association: This organization’s rate table is a go-to for freelance editors, probably because it’s so comprehensive. It’s a good start for understanding how to charge for your work, but I caution sticking to it strictly — not least of all because it doesn’t site any source for what it calls “common editorial rates,” and too many variables exist to call any rate “common.”

Salary-comparison sites, including Glassdoor, LinkedIn and Payscale, plus job-search sites including Indeed and ZipRecruiter, let you search by job title and location to learn a pay range based on crowd-sourced salaries.

What clients expect to pay: Look at the other side of the equation. When a writer hires an editor, for example, how much are they expecting to pay?

Other editors: Research your competition. What rates do similar editors list on their websites? You might even reach out to friendly colleagues and ask directly, but with caution, considering any differences between your situations.

Friends and family rates

Freelancers often set discounted rates for friends and family. Mine is about 40%, but that’s arbitrary, so decide what works for you. 

The F&F rate can be a way to remain professional while softening the awkwardness of telling those expectant acquaintances they cannot use your services for free. Setting it along with your other rates makes the negotiation easy — either they’ll pay the rate or not.

Specialization pays more

If you have specialized knowledge that qualifies you in a particular field, such as academia, science or law, you’ll command a higher rate. It’s harder to find editors who are both well-versed in grammar and style, and knowledgeable enough about, say, corporate law or environmental science to catch mistakes and shape copy for a relevant audience.

How to get editing jobs

Searching for editing jobs, whether as a contractor or employee, looks similar to searching for writing jobs (minus the pitches). 

Try these resources to find freelance editing jobs and staff editor jobs:

Freelance brokers: Gig sites such as Upwork, Toptal and Freelancer help you connect with people who need freelance services. These can help you dip your toe into the business or fill in gaps during slow months. I don’t recommend them to sustain your business, because clients are often choosing services based on the lowest price, not the best quality.

Job-search sites: You can find both freelance and full-time editing jobs through sites like Indeed, ZipRecruiter and LinkedIn.

Journalism and media sites: Search for news editing jobs through Media Bistro, JournalismJobs.com or Mediagazer.

Publishing firms: Contracting with a company that helps authors publish books (or other content) can help you get a steady stream and variety of freelance editing work without chasing clients yourself. Check out Elite Editing and Scribe Media.

ACES: The Society for Editing: A $75 annual membership to this organization for editors across industries comes with a number of perks, including access to a job bank of high-quality jobs and projects as well as a listing in the ACES Editors for Hire directory.

Your website: Don’t forget to hang out your shingle yourself! Add editing services to your freelance writer website to attract queries. Optimize your site by creating content that will attract the kinds of clients you want: tips on how to write a book, how to grow a blog or how to write an academic essay, for example.

What do clients look for in freelance editors?

Many writers and business owners don’t know what editors do, so your first hurdle as a freelancer is often explaining the types of editing you offer and helping potential clients understand what they need. It’s usually more than the proofreading they think they’re hiring you for.

In my experience, clients don’t often dig deeply into your experience for one-off projects. Whether fiction authors or PR pros, they’re often bound by a budget and want to find affordable editing. That works in your favor; just don’t sell yourself short out of desperation for work.

For an ongoing gig, clients might want you to take an editing test or at least check out your resume and talk through your editing experience. Familiarize yourself with their industry, audience and the appropriate style guide for their work (e.g. AP, MLA or Chicago).

What do employers look for when hiring editors?

Like any job, the process to get hired as a staff editor with a company is more extensive than that to get a freelance gig. Here are some things employers look for in editors:

You’re familiar with their industry. Some companies, especially those in highly technical industries like health care or technology, prefer specialized editors. More often, though, companies want to know you can work in their type of environment — a fast-paced newsroom, a government agency or corporate communications, for example. Experience as a writer in these environments might be sufficient.

You can work with freelancers. A lot of companies work with freelance writers for at least some of their content, and many editor job listings look for experience working with freelancers, which requires an organization and finesse in communication that differs from working with staff writers.

You have hard skills beyond editing. Different from freelance projects, most staff editors do more than edit copy. Employers want to know you understand SEO, headline writing (including for the web), content management systems such as WordPress; and working with multimedia, including editing graphics, selecting photos and inserting meta data in media and web pages. Doing any of these for your own blog might be enough to showcase your know-how.

You can edit for an online audience. Everyone wants digital experience, and surprisingly few experienced editors have it to the degree they need. Show that you can write a headline that’ll catch attention on Facebook and choose strong anchor text, in addition to cutting an extraneous em dash, and you’re in.

Do you want to be an editor?

Each spring, hundreds of editors gather somewhere in the U.S. for the annual ACES conference, three full days of talking about words and how we use them. It’s my favorite thing all year, way above Christmas or even the Feb. 15 candy sales.

I love being surrounded by people who care that the “Associated Press Style Guide” decided in a 2019 update that the percent symbol is OK and we don’t need hyphens in every compound modifier. I love having discussions about the history of words and the way we write, because the way we write shapes who we are as a society.

If that doesn’t fire you up, editing probably isn’t for you.

If it does, consider adding editing to your repertoire to add a layer to your relationship with writing and expand your career opportunities.

Exploring other writing careers? Check out this article, where you’ll find more options to get paid as a writer.

Perhaps this quiz can help you decide.

This is an updated version of a story that was previously published. We update our posts as often as possible to ensure they’re useful for our readers.

Photo via GuadiLab / Shutterstock 

Ask any copywriter and they’ll likely agree with Ogilvy.

The headline is what hooks the reader’s attention. If you fail to write a gripping headline, you’ve failed your assignment, no matter how captivating the rest of your copy.

But attention isn’t enough — especially in today’s cluttered digital world where attention spans are shorter and newsfeeds longer. Now more than ever, writers are challenged to compel readers to stick around beyond the headline. But how?

Subheadings, also known as subheadlines and subheads.

If the headline is like a highly-anticipated first date, full of excitement and intrigue, the subheading is the follow-up call that makes or breaks the deal. A lackluster follow-up can diminish the chances of an ongoing courtship, and no follow-up at all quickly negates those chances.

Too often, subheads are overshadowed by headlines, poorly executed or neglected altogether.

To craft compelling subheadings that convert browsers into readers, you first need a functional understanding what defines a subhead. Let’s take a look.

What is a subheading?

Subheadlines come in two common forms, depending on what type of content you’re writing. The rules are more or less the same, but the location and function varies.  

1. The short-form subheadline (just one, under the headline)

If you’re writing short-form content, such as a web page or advertisement, your subheadline will appear directly below a prominent headline at the top of the page or ad. The purpose is to expand on your headline and drive the reader to your call-to-action (CTA).

Contently once had this great example on the homepage of their website. The bold headline is eye-catching and gives a high-level explanation of what Contently offers and to whom. Meanwhile, the subheadline offers a more detailed explanation before asking the reader to take action by watching a video.

Image: www.contently.com

2. The long-form subheadline (multiple through the story)

If you’re writing long-form content, such as blog posts, editorials or whitepapers, you’ll likely use multiple subheadlines.

For example, you might include a subhead directly below the title, similar to the web page example, and you’ll also likely use subheads throughout your body copy to clearly divide sections, as I’ve done in this article.

Using multiple subheads throughout your writing serves several purposes:

• Outlines your main points in an easy-to-scan format
• Draw your reader’s attention to each section
  
• Optimizes your post for search, so it shows up high in Google results (Our SEO writing post explains this in more detail)

Nicole Dieker’s article, The 3 Biggest Pitch Mistakes This Editor Sees Every Day, shows editorial subheads in action. Her title tells the reader there are three pitch mistakes, while the three subheads throughout the article expand on those mistakes so the reader can quickly identify what each section is about.

Think of subheadlines like supporting characters. They’re not the star of the story, but without them the plot lacks context and development. Just as every great protagonist has a great supporting character, every great headline has a great subheading.

What’s in a subheading?

Now that you have a solid understanding of what a subhead is and where it appears in various types of written content, it’s time to put your pen to paper — or fingers to keyboard.

The most effective subheadings pack a punch by answering your target readers’ questions with concise, benefit-oriented copy.

Here are a few tips for crafting successful subheads.

1. Answer questions before they’re asked

Whether you’re writing about a product, service or idea, make it clear upfront who you’re writing for and what you’re writing about.

Recall the Contently headline. It states what’s being offered (storytelling) and for whom (the modern marketer). Although interesting, the headline alone leaves room for questions like: What does this storytelling help the modern marketer do? Enter: the subheadline, which further explains who uses Contently (the world’s best brands) and what they use it for (engaging audiences and driving measurable business outcomes). Now the target audience has a broader understanding and is more likely to take action.

Here’s how to apply this thought process to your own writing. Once you’ve nailed down your headline, make a list of every outstanding question your audience might have. Then, write down answers to your hypothetical questions. This exercise will help you refine your subheadlines and ensure you’re answering the right questions.

2. Choose your words carefully

You have roughly seven seconds to make a first impression. This is about the time it takes to read a headline and subhead.

In an ideal world, a perfect headline would inspire readers to carefully comb through every sentence you write. In reality, today’s readers are toggling between social feeds, email inboxes, text messages and internet browsers — and writers must vie for their attention.

Don’t waste readers’ time with superfluous words. Keep your headlines and subheads concise, without sparing clarity.

Take this subheading for example: “Researchers recommend leveraging high intensity interval cardio training to optimize fat-burn and increase overall workout effectiveness.” (Are you still with me? Okay, good.) Now let’s simplify. By removing unnecessary words, we get a more engaging subheadline: “Researchers recommend HIIT workouts to boost fat-burn and effectiveness.”

When in doubt, make your subheadlines easily digestible in order to connect with distracted, on-the-go readers.

3. Give your readers what they need  

If you’re writing on behalf of a company, client or publication, you’re not writing for yourself. You’re writing for their audience.

Know the audience and determine how your writing can improve their lives in some way.

With this in mind, use your subheadlines to provide a snapshot of the benefits they’ll receive by reading on. Benefit-focused subheads are a powerful tool for persuading readers to care.

For example, if you’re writing an article titled, What 10 Minutes of Exercise Each Day Does to Your Brain, your subhead can emphasize the benefit by saying, “Adding these three activities to your daily routine can sharpen your mental wit.” The subhead doesn’t reveal everything, but does hint that the reader will benefit by learning about three specific activities.

Readers need a reason to care, whether it be to gain useful information or enjoyment. Use your subheading to make your reason clear.

Yes, headlines are often the most important element in any content piece. But a compelling headline paired with an impactful subheadline is a powerful combination that can greatly increase the clarity and effectiveness of your writing.

4. Make the reader want more

While you want to provide plenty of information so the reader gets what they need, sometimes it works to ask questions or give readers a hint of what’s to come so they keep reading.

This post, for example, asks in the headline, “Is Upwork Legit?” And then in the subhead, “Why do freelance writers hate Upwork so much?” If the reader is curious about that question, she knows she’ll get what she needs if she keeps reading.

When done well, this feels good, and the reader leaves feeling satisfied. When it’s done poorly, for example, when the question isn’t answered entirely, it can feel like click-bait. If you make a promise in your subheading, be sure to deliver it.

This is an updated version of a story that was previously published. We update our posts as often as possible to ensure they’re useful for our readers.

Photo via wong yu liang / Shutterstock 

You’ve finished that debut manuscript — the one that will help your career as an author take off. 

But how do you convince a literary agent to represent you?

As a senior vice president and senior literary agent at P.S. Literary Agency, I’ve had the opportunity to help launch the career of dozens of authors both domestically and abroad. My clients’ books have gone on to become bestsellers, award winners, critically acclaimed, national book club picks and some are published in over 20 languages.

This guide provides step-by-step instructions on how to get a literary agent to represent your work. 

Why you need a literary agent

If you want to be traditionally published with representation (someone who can manage the business side of your writing career), you need a literary agent. 

Agents work on commission — traditionally, 15% — based on selling your finished novel to a publisher, negotiating the agreement, and working hands-on as a project manager to help the process go smoothly. Literary agents also sell other rights on writers’ behalf like audio, film/tv, translation, and merchandising and that commission rate varies agency to agency. 

If you want to self-publish, publish with a small or regional press, or you’re not sure you’re ready to take this on in a professional capacity then you may not be ready for an agent. Also, if your fiction manuscript is not complete you are not ready. 

What does working with a literary agent look like?

Your literary agent will likely have you sign an agent agreement (very few work on a handshake and I wouldn’t recommend that). 

Some agencies have you sign one per book and some agencies will set theirs up to work with you for the long term. This means if the agent sells your book they will be the “agent on record” and all monies will flow through the agency and to you (less the commission). 

At our agency, we sign the client up for the long term. This means that you’re easily able to get out of the agreement if it’s no longer a fit (but if we’ve sold a book for you we remain “on record”) however we’re planning on working together over the course of your long career and many books. I prefer this method because if I’m going to invest time in developing a writer’s career I want to be involved in the brand building and long-term outlook, not just a one-off project. I always think of it as a multi-year, multi-project business relationship. It also keeps the writer feeling secure in knowing that they have a champion for the long haul.

Your literary agent serves as your business representative to help take care of the financial and administrative matters so you can focus on your craft.

How to know when it’s time to find a literary agent

When your manuscript is complete, polished, reviewed by a beta reader or critiqued by a writing partner, you are ready to pitch it to a literary agent. 

We call this “querying.” 

What you need in your submission package varies from agent to agent and agency to agency, but generally it’s the following:

• Query letter to submit via email
• Synopsis (I suggest you prepare both a one-page and a three-page option)
• Polished manuscript in 12 point, Times New Roman font, double spaced (I suggest two files: one that has three chapters—we call this a “partial”—and one that has the full thing—we call this a “full”)

If you have these things ready you can start building your submission list.

How to find a literary agent

We call this process “querying agents” or “the submission process.” 

Finding agents is easy to do in the age of the internet, but finding good ones can be more of a challenge (anyone can call themselves an agent, but only those who have a strong track record are doing it well).

Here are some online, print and in-person resources to find agents of quality:

• PW.org 
• Writer’s Digest Guide To Agents (updated annually) 
• Writers and Artists Yearbook (updated annually) 
• Writer’s Market (updated annually)  
• Acknowledgments of books you admire or find similar to your writing style and audience. Authors nearly always thank their agents here.
• Twitter lists curated by known sources: 
  • Writer’s Digest and 
  • PW.org
• QueryTracker.net
• Agent Query.com
• ManuscriptWishlist.com
• MSWishlist.com
• Local and regional conferences
• Twitter hashtags like #writetip, #PitMad, #DVPit, #MSWL and more

Formatting your query letter

Think of your query letter like a cover letter for a job. Not too personal, not too stiff, but showing the right amount of self-awareness and industry awareness. 

Here are my query letter (i.e. pitch to agent via email) recommended guidelines:

• Paragraph One – Introduction: Include the title and category of your work (i.e. fiction or nonfiction and topic), an estimated word count, comparative titles and a brief, general introduction.
• Paragraph Two – Brief overview: This should read similar to back-cover copy.
• Paragraph Three – Creator’s bio: Tell us a little bit about yourself and your background (awards and affiliations, etc.). Include your website and social media handles.

Once you’ve written your query letter follow these steps.

1. Personalize each letter based on their guidelines. This can simply include addressing the agent by their full professional name and not “Dear Agent”
2. Query in large batches to create an opportunity for success (something like 15-20 is a manageable number); ideally you want more than one offer so you can make the best choice for yourself.
3. Start with your top choices, but remember that agents doing this for 10-20+ years have full lists and less room for new authors so you might want to research junior agents at those agencies too
4. Keep color-coded or super organized spreadsheets with submission requests and replies
5. Avoid agents that ask for exclusive submissions for query letters because it can take 3-6 months to hear back from them and that is an extremely slow process for you, the author.
6. Wait. And wait. There will be lots of time where you won’t hear anything but that doesn’t mean anything. It takes time for an agent to read their slush pile (i.e. where the query letters go) and to get to material. Silence doesn’t necessarily mean a no (unless their guidelines say so). Response rates vary from agency to agency but most agents will respond to queries anywhere from 4 weeks to 6 months. This range is based on a variety of factors: how many queries the agent gets (often it’s 1,000+ a month), how full their list is, what time of year it is, how busy their business is, and whether they’re looking for that particular genre right now.
7. Only follow up if a) you have an offer of representation and need to let everyone know; or b) you have followed the guidelines on their website and they said to check back then. Tip: If you do need to follow up with an agent always base it off their website’s suggestions. Agents always want to hear if you have an offer so please let them know if someone else offered representation no matter how long they’ve had your query. However, if your ideal scenario comes true, you get an offer from your dream agent and you know you aren’t going to entertain any others you can firmly close the door with the others.

10 query intros you can use

1. “You’ve mentioned on your blog/Twitter an interest in XX and so BOOK TITLE HERE might be of special interest to you.”
2. “After reading (and loving) CLIENT BOOK TITLE HERE, I am submitting BOOK TITLE HERE for your review.”
3. “I noticed on Manuscript Wishlist you are looking for XX and XX so I’m submitting BOOK TITLE HERE.”
4. “I am seeking representation for my novel, BOOK TITLE HERE, a work of XX complete at XX-words. For readers of XX and CLIENT BOOK TITLE HERE.”
5. “I enjoyed your interview with XX and am eager to present to you my query for BOOK TITLE HERE.”
6. “As per your request on #MSWL, I am hoping you’ll be interested in my book, BOOK TITLE HERE, an …”
7. “I am excited to offer, for your consideration, BOOK TITLE HERE, one that is HOOK, like your #MSWL requests.”
8. “I am contacting you about my novel BOOK TITLE HERE because of your wishlist mention of XX and XX.”
9. .“I noticed your #MSWL tweet requesting XX and I thought my novel BOOK TITLE HERE could be just what you’re looking for.”
10. “I am seeking representation for my GENRE novel BOOK TITLE HERE complete at XX-words. It is similar in theme to CLIENT BOOK TITLE HERE.”

Working with your literary agent

As an agent I am always thinking: “Am I the right person to help you make a living from your writing?” 

It’s a unique relationship that is partly business (the publishing industry is a multi-billion dollar industry internationally) and partly personal (working directly with emotionally intelligent creators is a highly-personal thing). We don’t know how our working styles will meld, but when we decide to work together (it’s a mutual decision that you should feel really positive about) we go in with honesty and the best hopes: that we sell your book to the right buyer.

Authors can come to agents for lots of different forms of advice and we don’t always have the answers. We are not all accountants, lawyers and/or MBA graduates. Most of us are English or Comparative Literature graduates, some with a Master’s Degree. Each agent has a different skill set and when you talk to an agent for the first time you want to get to know what they excel at. What you want is an agent that fits your needs, sees your goals as attainable and has a proven track record to succeed in what you’re trying to do with your career. Personally, I have an Bachelor’s degree in English Literature and a Master’s degree in Publishing Studies.

What does the agent/author relationship include?

• Honest editorial feedback (if the agent considers themselves an “editorial agent” and this is something you should ask about if you’re interested in having an agent that edits)
• Career advice
• Pitch mutually agreed upon projects (we always talk about each project individually)
• Timely communication
• Contract negotiation
• Pitch sub rights (If retained, we pitch TV/film, translation, and audio separately)
• Royalty statement vetting
• Timely payments
• Best interests in mind
• Business partnership

What does the agent/author relationship not include? Here are a few things you shouldn’t expect from your literary agent:

• 24/7 contact; publishing rarely has five alarm emergencies
•  Editorial advice not guaranteed with all agents
• Micromanaging, either way
• Agents loving everything their clients write
• Agents selling everything you write
• Agents ‘fixing’ your work or helping you finish

What a literary agent looks for in an author

We’re all looking for words that we connect with, that speak to us, and that we think can speak to a larger audience. 

Here are a few specifics that tip me towards something I know I’ll like:

• Evidence we are dealing with a “career writer”; this is my career and I want to work with writers who take this seriously
• The query letter and/or first pages suggest a writer can carry off a novel
• Confidence a writer can handle emotion, pace, and backstory effectively
• A writer who can develop a plot that doesn’t have implausible points, gaping holes or coincidences
• Books that connect with people on an emotional level; I want to feel something big (joy, frustration, anger, thrills etc.)
• Memorable characters that live on long after the book is over
• High stakes that make the book seem larger than life

It’s a lot to look for in one query letter and one manuscript, but I’m always searching for this.

How to actually sign with a literary agent

Agents will get on the phone with you and it’s often called “The Call” in industry circles.

It’s your opportunity to interview each other and you should take full advantage.

Be prepared to answer these questions from your potential literary agent:

• What are you working on next?
• How long does it take you to write a draft?
• Who are some of your favorite authors?
• What kind of support are you looking for?
• What has been your path to publishing? Agented before? What did/didn’t you like about that partnership? Published before? What did/didn’t you like about that experience?
• How do you workshop your work? Critique group? How many drafts did you complete before the one I saw?
• Where do your ideas come from?
• What is your day job? And what does your writing schedule look like?
• What are some of your career goals and expectations?
• How many other agents are looking at the manuscript?
• Do my editorial notes match your vision for the book?
• How do you feel about social media and marketing yourself?

Ask your potential literary agent these questions:

• What is your definition of representation? Is it for one book, or the author’s career?
• If you and the agent agree to work together, what will happen next? What is the expected process? (I go into detail about this in the next section.)
• Does the agent use a formal author-agent agreement or a hand-shake agreement?
• What happens if either the agent or the client wants to terminate the partnership?
• If the agent/client relationship is terminated, what is the policy for any unsold rights in the works the agent has represented?
• How long has the agent been an agent? How long have they been in publishing, and what other positions have they held? How long has the agency been in business?
• What are the last few titles the agent has sold? (This should be easily found on the internet, but it’s nice to hear from them in case they don’t update Publisher’s Marketplace or another industry source.)
• Does the agent belong to any professional or industry organizations? Is the agent listed on Publisher’s Marketplace?
• Does the agent handle film rights, foreign rights, audio rights? Is there a specialist at their agency who handles these rights?
• Does the agent prefer phone or email, or are they okay with both?
• What are the agent and agency’s business hours?
• Does the agent let you know where and when they submit your work? Does the agent forward rejection letters to the client?
• What happens when the agent is on vacation?
• Does the agent consult with the client on all offers from publishers? Does the agent make any decisions on behalf of the client?
• What is the agent’s percentage?
• Does the author receive payments directly from the publisher, or do payments go through the agent first?
• How long after the agent receives advances and royalties will they send them to you?
• Does the agent charge for mailing? Copies? Any other fees?
• What publishers does the agent think would be appropriate for your book?
• How close is your book to being ready for submission? Will there be a lot of editing and rewriting first?
• Does the agent help with career planning?
• How does the agent feel about authors switching genres?
• Will the agent edit and help you revise your work?
• What if the agent doesn’t like your next book?

You landed a literary agent! What now?

Once you sign an agent agreement, the heavy workload begins — again. We usually do a round or two (or three!) of editing with you to polish up the manuscript. We want to make sure that it’s ready to share with our editorial contacts because it’s about our reputation too. 

Once we have the submission draft ready to go the agents puts together their submission list of editors. We pitch those editors and it goes out into the world again. Agents will focus on the larger publishers first and then work their way down to smaller ones (depending on the project, but this is usually the case). 

Then the next waiting phase begins. Will someone buy it? We hope so!

The bottom line

Finding the right agent is one of the most important things you can do for your writing career. 

It doesn’t have to be the first one that says yes, or the last one to read it, but the agent that you feel will best represent what you are doing with this book and your career. 

Remember that it’s a competitive process but there are things you can do to stand out: follow guidelines (actively choosing not to follow guidelines does not get anyone’s attention; there are no gold stars for breaking the rules to look “special”), keep your word count appropriate for your genre, a great title, a strong hook, picking the right agent for your genre/book, sending in an error-free submission, etc.

Agents are looking for the best of the best. But it’s also only one opinion. When I pass on a project I often think it wasn’t right for me but that doesn’t mean someone else won’t feel differently.  Agents are looking for projects that can stand out in a wave of entertainment options. Agents are looking for books that they know they can sell. 

My relationships with my clients are all really special ones. I love seeing their dreams come true and coaching them through the tough times as well. Having an objective expert on your writing team is crucial to succeeding in this industry and I hope everyone finds the best fit for their personal style.

Photo via fizkes / Shutterstock 

Fortunately, a friend happened to tell me about the global freelancing platform Upwork and my world was changed forever.

I know that’s a little dramatic but the minute I learned about Upwork, I saw a path to being a writer that I had never seen before. I figured if I just kept pitching potential clients, eventually, someone would have to hire me.

This strategy quickly paid off and I landed lots of freelancing writing jobs, banking roughly $500 during my first full month as a freelancer. Four years later, I’ve earned over $100,000 using Upwork alone.

Why do some freelance writers hate Upwork so much?

Once I started networking with other freelancers, it was a pretty big surprise to learn that most people are not a fan of Upwork. In fact, many freelancers will recommend you avoid it at all costs.

The interesting thing is that many of the people who hate Upwork the most have never tried it. 

But of those who have, here are some of the biggest complaints I’ve heard:

• Upwork charges high fees: When you start working with a new client, Upwork charges a 20% fee on the first $500 you earn. After that, you’ll be charged a 10% fee until you’ve earned $10,000 from that client. Once you reach $10,000 in earnings, the fee drops to 5%.
• It’s a race to the bottom: I can’t even count the number of times someone has told me Upwork is a race to the bottom. The theory being that you’ll be forced to charge less for your services to compete with low-bidding freelancers.
• Upwork never worked for me: Of those who have tried it, the most common argument I hear is that Upwork never worked for them. Usually, this means they joined, sent a few proposals and didn’t get the results they hoped for so they moved on to something else. 

Is Upwork legit? Here’s why I still use Upwork to this day

So given all the supposed disadvantages to being a freelance writer on Upwork, why do I recommend you use it? 

Here are the five biggest reasons why: 

1. It’s an easy marketing strategy

I once heard someone say that anyone who looks for writing work on Upwork is lazy. At first, I felt offended, then I realized they were absolutely right. 

Yes, I choose to make things easier and more convenient for myself whenever possible. Call that lazy if you want, but this strategy is what allows me to earn six-figures as a freelance writer working roughly 25 hours per week.

To this day, I have not found an easier way to drum up new freelance writing work than by using Upwork. I can log into Upwork and immediately find 5-10 writing jobs to apply for. On average, I spend about 30 minutes a day (or less) looking for work. 

2. Great clients use it

Great clients are on Upwork looking to hire writers and that is a fact. Many of my best clients came from Upwork jobs, or as a result of referrals from clients I met on Upwork. 

I’ve landed writing projects with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, PandaDoc and Business Talent Group thanks to Upwork. Those kinds of clients aren’t interested in hiring someone who’s willing to write a $10 blog post because they know that person isn’t a professional.

3. Payment is guaranteed

Many people love to complain about the Upwork fees, but can we take a second to talk about the fact that payment is guaranteed on Upwork? This is true whether you do a fixed rate or hourly contract.

Upwork offers payment protection on hourly work, and you can see if the milestone is funded before you begin a fixed-rate contract. Plus, I receive payment on most of my Upwork jobs within a week of finishing the work.

As someone who regularly works with clients that have invoicing terms of either net 45 or net 60, getting paid that quickly is a huge advantage in my book.

4. Your success builds over time

I think most people give up on Upwork too soon because they are expecting overnight results. But Upwork will work best for you if you use it as a long-term strategy.

I’ve been on Upwork for over four years now so I regularly get invited to apply for new jobs and don’t have to spend much time looking for work. This doesn’t happen overnight, but if you put in the time, you’ll start seeing success a lot sooner than you might think. 

5. Upwork levels the playing field

And finally, the biggest reason I like Upwork is that it levels the playing field for all freelancers. And this is especially important right now when so many people are being forced to start over in their professional lives thanks to COVID-19.

With Upwork, you don’t need a journalism degree or tons of experience to start finding clients. You can start exactly where you’re at right now and raise your rates slowly over time.

The bottom line on Upwork

If you find tons of freelance writing work using LinkedIn or cold emailing, then I’m not here to convince you to switch to Upwork. I wrote this article for the person who finds themselves where I was four years ago — desperate to try something new, but unsure of where to start.

If you want to make money as a freelance writer, then you can do it using Upwork. Just like any other marketing strategy, it “works” based on the level of effort and energy you put into it.  

What are your favorite platforms to use to find freelance writing work? Let us know in the comments.

Photo via franz12 / Shutterstock