The world of book publishing has changed the way it operates. There was a time when a writer with a brilliant story idea could approach a dozen or more publishing house in the hope of successfully selling his proposal and bag a contract. Today, the same writer has a lot of publishing options both in the traditional non-traditional publishing market to sell his proposal.

Though traditional print publishing houses are reserved only for experienced best selling novelists, a new comer with a good idea and an impeccable writing style can publish their own works with ease these days.

The non-traditional publishing option include publishing e books or electronic books. This particular option has thrown the publishing door wide open for beginners who can write a complete novel, a reference or how-to book or even a promotional pamphlet in the form of an e book. You can make these books downloadable in the computer, can be read on the screen or even be downloaded for printing if the reader so desires. Though this form of reading is more popular with the modern tech-savvy generation, the traditional book lover still would like to hold the book in his hands and feel it before sitting down to read it in his private library. The ‘real’ book still holds its charm for this crowd. The evolution of the e book has enabled numerous publishers to churn out equally large number of books in a short time incurring very minimal costs.

The compensation for the author is also less than traditional printed books. For writing a 50-page e book, the author would only receive a fraction of what he would have got writing a real book. Of course writing e books cost the author less time and effort, which makes it possible to write more that two books per month. On the other hand, a traditional book would take even the most prolific writer a couple of years to complete.

Irrespective of the publishing option you take to publish your book, a publisher still needs a water-tight proposal from the author which proves that the author knows what he is doing and can deliver what the publisher wants in time and in good order.

Thus a good proposal which a writer ought to present the publisher must convince him that you are fully equipped to handle the project. It must be a presentation of your ideas in a clear and concise way, so that there is nothing left to ambiguity or guess work. The following critical elements must be incorporated when you are making the book proposal to the publisher:

The Introduction: This is the most important part of your proposal which sell you as well as your idea. Write it with the publisher in mind. Why will he accept your proposal? What’s in it for him? So, your proposal must contain the major selling points: the market need for such a book, your unique resources for doing the research back up for writing the book, the angle of your presentation that you wish to adopt; the target audience of the proposed book – who will buy the book and why; the financial viability of the book – what the publisher can look forward to from your book; and finally a short biography of your self, for the publisher to get to know your credentials better.

The Chapter-wise Outline: Through this, you can really tell the publisher how well you have planned out your book and the process or order which you will follow for completing your book.
Some sample chapters: Considering that you have been able to successfully come this far with the publisher, present him with a few sample chapters of your book. Give the first chapter – as this is also the chapter which your readers will read first, followed by another two chapters from the book. It is entirely up to you which chapters you choose – it could be first second and third or first then somewhere in the middle and then the last. Whichever sample chapters you choose, give him the best written pieces. Remember, the \proposal however well written it may be, can not proceed further if the sample chapters do not win his head and heart.

Author’s Bio: This is the final piece where you do your own selling. an extensive resume along with some of your previous writing work can do the work for you satisfactorily. Prove it to the publisher that you can add more value to this project which he can not expect from anyone else. Sell your uniqueness and you can expect to seal the deal then and there.

Today’s writing world, like any industry, is filled with competition where thousands of writers are trying to sell thousands of proposals to publishers. While the market is large enough to accommodate many writers, thanks to alternative publishing options, it is still mandatory for a budding writer to submit a well-documented proposal to achieve success in his writing career. A book proposal written with care and diligence can go a long way in striking a lucrative deal for an author.

Like many before you, you are dreaming to forget that 9 to 5 job and get into full time freelance writing. Before you know how to achieve your dreams, it would be wise to know what you should not do – it will help you reach your goal faster.
Don’t bank too much on your income: If you are planning to sustain a family, go for vacations abroad, buy that brand new Ferrari and more all with your freelance writing income, stop day dreaming now. Statistics say that an average full time freelance writer makes about $20,000 a year. Sure, you can spend long lonely hours in front of your computer, churning out one masterpiece after the other, but it is not going to make you very rich, unless you supplement your needs through another source of income, probably from a well-earning spouse! With full time freelance writing, you can expect a steady income, but definitely not a huge income.

Small is beautiful and important too: It is extremely important that you may attention to the minutest details of your writing – including the commas and full stops at the right places. It also means that you may not depend on that spell checker completely, which sometimes can not differentiate between a ‘there’ and a ‘their’. So if your editor is rejecting every alternate piece that you are sending for publishing or your webmaster sacks you with a couple or warnings do not be surprised. These small details matter in writing.
Love thyself less: Like painters love their paintings, writers often fall in love with their own creative output. There is nothing wrong with loving your own work, but at the same time be prepared for rejections for unknown reasons as well as criticism from editors. Every writer can do with a bit of constructive criticism if they are meant for your own good. Remember every editor is a customer, and where have you heard that before, that customers are always right!

Be consistent: if you are trying to make a living out of full time freelance writing, you have to increase your opportunities to write. To do this, do not stop by sending only a couple of proposals and wait for fortune to turn to your favor. Bid for as many projects as possible, and contact as many publishers as you can and keep your contacts consistent. May be there will be a time when a whole lot jobs lands on your table. If this happens work double time to finish them. Who knows you may not get any job during the next few weeks. Whether you write features, blogs, articles, web content or forum postings – go on bidding at as many places as you can. Do as much work is possible. With freelance writing, assured income is as good as it lasts.

Following these tips may not make you the richest freelance writer but it can guarantee a steady income for a long time and reduce lean periods to a minimum.

It is not uncommon to draw inspiration from other peoples’ experiences and obstacles which they overcame successfully. Personal essays are essentially personal accounts of experiences (good or bad) which we write and publish to share with the rest of the world. The aim is not only to share but offer valuable help to readers to go along the journey called life.

Personal essays, where you are recounting memories of an event, a situation or a person, can be of any type: serious, dramatic, funny, outrageous, sentimental, etc. Topics are not difficult to find – simply look hard at your own life and there are hundreds of situations which form part of your good or bad memories. There could be various trials and tribulations which you have crossed successfully or there could be similar amazingly funny incidents which still make you laugh. Look around you and you will find an outrageous neighbor who is irritating but helpful too. The things which your children would do years ago, some of which still make you laugh. Or, some sad events like the death or struggle for life of a dear one which affected you deeply. We are all the time absorbing experiences of our daily lives, which are engraved in our minds – why not take the trouble of sharing them with strangers? Who knows, you could make some one laugh or even change the way some one looks at life and its myriad ways.

The essentials of a good personal essay:

The first aspect of a personal essay is that it is not a chronological account of any event. It is a story and must be written as such. The style must be as if someone is narrating the event sitting in front of the reader, where every scene, is coming alive with its vivid imagery and description. Make the situation and its people come alive, where your reader can actually hear some one speak or visualize the train moving, or see the sun setting. Irrespective of whether you are describing a dramatic, tragic or a hilarious event, the same rule applies.

When you are describing an event, you do not have to give a ball-by-ball account of the flow of events. This might bore the reader; simply narrate the points which add to more color and spirit to the story you are trying to tell. This will give more impact to the first person narrative. Since it is a personal essay, you could change the names of the characters to retain the privacy of your family members if they are part of the story. Omit details which are not relevant to the story, like a description of a cook, who does not feature in the story at all. The golden rule of writing good personal essay is there should be good amount of drama, characterization, action and intrigue. These things keep up the readers’ interest while reading.

Give your readers a reason to read your personal essay: While writing personal essays can have tremendous therapeutic value both for the writer and the reader, never make your essay as if you are offering free counseling to your readers, as what to do in times of a crisis. Simply narrate your experience in the most interesting fashion and let the reader draw his lesson from your successful conquer of your personal adversity. Do not be condescending or even over-bearing and judgmental in your writing style. Let the readers come to their individual conclusions – your job is to tell a personal experience.

Who will buy your personal essays? There are several newspapers, journals and specialty magazines who are always on the look out for well-written personal essays. Appearing usually on the last pages, the topic would usually hover around what their individual philosophies of publication are. If you are targeting a particular magazine, read their past issues as much as possible. This will give you some idea about their approved style and topics. This research is necessary before you send your essays for publication for a particular magazine. While magazines and journals are looking for well-written articles do not try to send them something which is dramatically different. This might throw them in a bit of confusion whether to publish or not.

There is something interesting in the biographies of some of the famous writers of the world. Many of them began their careers as news writers! Undoubtedly one of the best ways to begin a career in publishing news writing is fairly simple and straightforward. Just answer the first questions that come up in the mind after an event: how, why, who, what, where and when.

The reporting order could be compared to an inverted pyramid where you put in the most important fact first followed by facts which are less relevant or important. Start with an attention-grabbing opening paragraph, also called the lead, which sets the mood and tempo for the entire article or story.

You must begin with the most critical fact about the story. This is when you answer the most important question that will crop up in the mind of your reader. Then fill up the article with more generic information and finally end the article or story with the least important detail. It is not uncommon for editors to edit several paragraphs from the story, for the want of space; so make sure that you have not included any vital information towards the end of your story.

The fundamentals of writing good news articles:

The fundamental fact about a good news story is that it must be clear to understand, brief to hold reader interest and provide the most accurate information. This is the most common demand of all editors. While dailies run at breakneck speed for publication, weeklies are not too slow either. Correspondents are often required to cover an event at 7 in the evening, go back to the office and write about it to meet the midnight deadline. To collect the most important facts of the event and then write an interesting and informative article during this small time period is a must for every reporter. Accuracy of information is mandatory for any news information. Quoting wrong inflation figures or writing the wrong timing of an important event could mean a bad reputation for you in the world of reporting or even result in dismissal from your job.

The job demands that you can express a long-drawn event in the shortest and most concise fashion, considering space is always at a premium with newspapers. A verbose and flowery style of writing is not for news reporting where you have to be able to express all the relevant facts taking the minimum space available. Keep your article short, to the point and accurate. Avoid prolific use of adjectives, superlatives and frills in your writing. If you can do this, you could also become a news writer who is always in demand.

Writing feature stories on the other hand might give you time and space to think, dig deeper in to the story and write in a more elaborate style which a news article does not normally allow. As feature story could allow you to play with 1000 to 5000 words and is a good way to try your hand at writing in a different style. News writers do get a chance to write feature stories once in a while. So you should be ready to jump into the foray of feature writing where you will get a chance to do more research and write in a more elaborate style.

Finding employment as reporter with a newspaper : Getting employment as a news reporter should not be very difficult since every community should have at least one daily and one weekly to serve as the news center for the area. To begin your career as a news reporter the best place to try your hand at are these local dailies, etc. Weeklies usually run with less staff and should give an opportunity to start with your writing skills. Their need is to cover events and meetings and you will probably be paid per story, which is not much, around $35 per story approximately. Though the pay is small, these arte good places to start getting experience as well as valuable clips which get added to your resume.

Once you have gathered some initial experience with smaller newspapers and magazines, you can try your hand with larger newspapers and publications. While the pay is higher at these types of publications, the quality of the news reporting is of paramount importance. You could get paid between $25 and $100 depending on the positioning of your news story and the length of the article published. But before applying for these types of jobs, make sure that you are ready with your style and quality of writing.

There are also full time job opportunities available with daily and weekly news papers and magazines. But you must remember that there is a recession in the print media globally which is resulting in many beginners or writers without much experience finding it extremely difficult to land with such employment. Freelance news writing however still remains a viable employment option as with time and practice you can develop the quality of your work and have chances for an ongoing and regular income.

Gone are the days when a resume carried only the basic information about the job applicant: name, address, educational qualifications and work experience. Today, a resume is a professional marketing tool for the job aspirant, where at a quick glance, the prospective employer can know the existing skill sets of the candidate, how keen he or she is to adapt to the available systems or technologies of the new company and what additional value he can add to the company in general. Today’s job market, in any field, is as competitive as ever and to stand out from the crowd, the first impression matters a lot and that is carried by your resume!

The musts for every resume: There is some mandatory information which a resume must carry. These include:

Name, address and contact phone number.
Job titles or the name of the designation that you are applying for. Different companies have different standards but make sure that you give a brief explanation of the job you are applying for, if the title does not do this explanation.
The names of companies where you have worked earlier and their addresses.
Job responsibilities/duties: What kind of jobs do you have experience in?
Licenses and certifications.
Educational qualifications.
Professional memberships.
Mention any special skills which you think might add value to the position that you are applying for or, the organization in general. Remember, this is one of your unique selling points and can differentiate you from the rest of applicants.

Now that you have incorporated the basic information, you can now showcase your talents and past achievements in such a way that it sounds interesting to the reader. There should be one good reason why the company should hire you – and do not forget to mention that.
What you must omit in a resume: Like there are musts for every resume, there are many points, which, according to experts are best if omitted. These include:

The compensation package which you were used to or desire from this company. When an employer asks an aspirant about salary, he has one of the two things in mind: can he afford you or how cheap are your services?
Never write the word ‘resume’ or ‘bio data’ on top. It is really irrelevant. Both of you know what piece of information this paper contains.
Mention the names of references on a separate sheet to make the job of the recruiter faster and easier. Writing a sentence like “can be provided upon request’ unnecessarily delays the process of recruitment.
It is not necessary to write the reasons why you left your past job. If needed, they themselves will ask you.
Your religious or political affiliations are in no way a matter of concern for the future employer. Mentioning this may jeopardize your chances of employment. In any case, by law such information can not be a criterion for judging a candidate for recruitment.
Any negative feeling, comment or apprehension about any topic. After all, this is your first medium of interacting with the future employer and you want to build a positive environment around and about you.

Once you have carefully sieved out the no-no’s from your resume and have included all the must-have information it is time to seriously think of the points which will make you in a class your own and set you apart from the crowd of aspirants. Points like any record of military service, or any achievement in the field of your hobby or favorite pastime can be mentioned as these attributes or achievements reveal the ‘person’ that you are and employers would also like to see that side of you. There could even be indirect skills which can be used within the organization. Some resume writers like to include a personal mission statement which puts across your personal goals and ambitions in your professional life. These types of short sentences throw up your focus in life which many employers like to read. Whatever you write, avoid using vague and ambiguous language; be brief, simple and direct.

The format or style in which you present your resume is also a point of consideration. While the chronological format (latest information to oldest or the reverse) is by far the popular, it can get very boring to read. This type of format also may not give you the opportunity to highlight any special or attention-grabbing information about yourself or your achievements.

Then there is the functional format which many job seekers use, which summarizes their job experience, highlighting some key points of achievement or uniqueness about themselves. People often use this format for hide some critical information like a break in their job, or any particular functional weakness which they may have.

According to experts, one of the best formats where you can ably highlight your personal achievements both in the professional as well as personal fields is to take the best of both the above formats and combine them to make your own resume. For instance take the achievement highlighting portion of the functional format and combine it with the work history of the chronological format. This will make the resume, easy to read, and can bring out the strengths of the aspirant in a smoother way, without sounding jerky or boisterous.

Writing a resume that sells is not that tough, provided you follow these simple don’s and don’ts as listed above. Remember, the whole purpose of writing a winning resume is to make the resume stand out in a crowd. Be brief, honest, precise and assertive so that the future employer realizes what they are missing out, if they do not hire you!

One of the areas which a freelance writer often ignores as unimportant is the job of a resume writer. Those days are gone when all one had to write in a job application was the date of birth, educational qualifications and extra-curricular hobbies. Today, the resume is an effective marketing tool used by job seekers to get an entry into high-paying and competitive job market. Not only does the resume talk about a person’s professional capabilities, but is also an extension of his or her personality. The modern resume has one primary objective: how the job seekers skills and expertise can add more value to an organization. The right type of resume can bring the candidate at the doorstep of his dream employer – after which it is up to him to sustain the interest level of the employer. As a resume writer, your job is to get the aspirant to the door of the interview chamber – and you have accomplished your personal objective.

The Basics of a Great Resume:

If the saying is true that first impressions are those that last, then the accuracy, clarity and quality of a resume is of paramount importance. A simple spelling or grammatical error can land the otherwise well-written resume right into the trash can. Exaggeration of facts, repetitions of achievements are to be avoided at all costs, even if your client demands so. Find the right set of keywords which can grab the attention of the resume reviewer. For a marketing professional’s job, the right keywords could be product management, launch objectives, management by objective, return on investment, etc. Hunt out the keywords and use them with care and caution in the shortest space available. Employers hate reading lengthy resumes which talk a lot without saying much. Superlatives like ‘best’, ‘hardest, ‘sincerest’ mean nothing and should be avoided. Give the employer just the amount of information needed to make them curious about the aspirant and not overload them with figures and statistics. An employer can always make out whether a candidate is boasting or trying too hard to sell himself and can reject them before even having a first look at them. Short, simple and to the point – that is the basic of a good resume.

How you present the vital facts of the resume is also important. Complicated statistical figures can also be presented in an interesting but professional manner. Make sure that the employer does not have to hunt for the most critical information like education and experience through the plethora of facts and figures that your have written. The whole idea is to categorically differentiate your client from the hordes of resumes which the employer could have received. Quality information which immediately tells the company that this person has the adequate skills and expertise to add value to the organization would be immediately picked up, no matter now heavy the application load is. The resume should instantly tell the reviewer that the candidate has the requisite will and talent to adapt to newer technologies and skill areas if necessary.

Keeping these fundamental essentials in mind while writing resume for your clients will surely land them in plush jobs, which could spell success for you too as a resume writer. Form and content are both important in this type of freelance writing which are critical for achieving success.

A press release is a marketer’s way of introducing a product, service or a message to the general reader. It should grab the attention of the reader and make him curious to know more what the offering is. It can be used in two ways: Hiring the services of a journalist or a correspondent to cover the event or story and write about it in the media chosen by the client or it could be a stand alone article published in the media who publishes it in free space available, not taken up by any regular reporting.

Using Press Release as A Bait: Though both types of press releases are effective in grabbing the attention of the media as well as the general public towards an individual, organization or a product, there is a special skill required to write effective press releases. Lying somewhere between a marketing or sales pitch and a regular feature article, the press release which is targeted at the media to take up the story, is nothing more than a tickler or a convincing teaser which arouses genuine interest of a reporter or a news agency. Filled with fun facts or attention-grabbing statistics, it sets a journalist thinking how he can make more out of this interesting piece of news, to his own benefit.

This type of press release, in essence is not the full story but a trigger to build up a full length article. It should arouse the interest of the media to know more, to dig deeper. The bare essentials which should be covered in this type of press release are: the primary facts and figures – including who, what, where, how and when of the client, product or services; the unique propositions regarding the person, company or product which differentiates it from the rest of its peers; bits of unusual or alarming facts and statistics about the market, the product or the organization; and the product or organization’s role on a broader framework of society, state or nation. The ultimate aim of the release is to tickle the reporter to grab his pen and find more, and not do the thinking on his behalf.

The Press Release as a stand alone story:

This type of press release is somewhat like a well-researched article but it should not be written with sales in mind. Make it look like an unbiased piece of journalism, where the pros and cons are all elucidated and backed with significant amount of background statistics and information. These types of press releases are especially welcomed by smaller publications that may not be equipped with their own correspondents to cover the full story.

The essentials of a Press Release:

While the above two types of press release are written with two target audiences and serve two different purposes, there are some bare essentials which every press release must carry:
An attention-grabbing title: this is the fist point of attraction for any reader.

An interesting lead backed by facts which might look strange and unusual, without sensationalizing the basic story.
A clear and structured overview of the core matter you are trying to cover. This structure should be more or less like a pyramid – with the most important information appearing first and so on.
The press release must end with a contact number or the details of the website.

The other points to remember while writing a press release include:

Be brief and to the point. Never extend a press release beyond two pages. Give authentic information. If unsure about a fact or a figure, leave it out. Do not brag about something which you are not too sure about.

Do not complicate your information with useless fluff and information which people do not need. For example fancy fonts, too modernistic layouts, etc distracts people’s attention. Keep your message simple and informative. Offer help to the concerned reported with opportunities for photo sessions, exclusive interviews, in-depth statistics, etc.
While writing a press release for the media requires a specialized knowledge of the media and what they are looking for. Give them what they are looking for and you could find your self on their ‘most wanted’ list the next time they are looking for some leads for another story.

One of the most effective ways to persuade a potential buyer to try out a new product is by making him believe in the claims. The best way this can be achieved is through convincing articles. Once known as ‘advertorials’ which featured on the top, bottom or sides of a page, these articles were written with hard-sell in mind and often read as such. Times have changed today – when articles are used more as a soft-selling tool for the brand. They are more subtle in their claims and can easily be mistaken as an unbiased review by a professional correspondent.

Also known as ‘marketing articles’, the writing requires a special knack to write about a product, services or a cause in such a manner that it does not seem as if someone is trying to sell something. It is informative and articulate but never forceful enough to look like a written coercion to a reader. These marketing articles can be used in various formats which include: submission to a local print media like a newspaper, magazine or a trade journal; as an ‘expert’ comment and combined with other communication tools for marketing that product; or as web content in the marketer’s own website. The whole idea behind a marketing article is that it should never appear as an ad, though the hidden agenda could be simply that!

While the subtle nuances of marketing articles are ultimately to convince the reader of the product or services, it should never be treated as some kind of trick which the marketer or the writer is deploying to achieve his goal. All that the article is trying to do is to harness the reader’s attention and trigger a desire to know more by appealing to his finer senses. For instance, a man not be interested in flower arrangements but would like to know the significance of presenting different types of flowers to a woman. Reading this article he would not only know where such special arrangements of flowers are readily available but he also becomes aware of some interesting statistics and meanings behind a flower, which he had no clue about! The fact that emotional appeals work best with a potential customer is known to advertising agencies for many decades now. The marketing article simply does that – it appeals to readers’ emotions, which a normal ad, however well designed and written it might be, can not achieve.

Finding the right link between the article and the reader:

You could also call it as finding the right angle to appeal to a reader’s emotions. For instance, not many housewives will be ready to try out new herbs for cooking at home, unless she is an avid cooking enthusiast. But every woman would love to read about the funny incident which happened when a woman tried out the herbs when her husband’s boss was coming home for dinner! This is because she is essentially interested in the topic of cooking and can relate to the incident better. Thus, to make a success of your article, try and find a link with which your reader can find a connection or may be able to relate to what you are trying to say. If you find an angle to your article to which they can related to, you can make them read anything.

Don’t hard sell:

The strategy behind writing a marketing article is not to sound like some one who is desperate to sell his products or services. In stead the article should portray a seemingly unbiased opinion about the product or services which the reader finds useful and informative. It does not matter when the reader turns into a buyer or not.

Finding Clients and Setting Rates:

Who, you may ask, will ultimately buy these articles from you? In fact, anyone who has something to sell would be your potential buyers. Business houses, doctors, marketing organizations or service providers – anyone who wants to make a dent in this consumer-driven, highly competitive world of marketing would need marketing articles for grabbing consumer attention. Contact the local marketing organizations with plenty of samples of your writing and prove it to them how these articles can increase their customer base. Some public relations companies also need freelance writers to do this type of jobs. Online freelancers’ sites can also be approached with these write-ups. Your compensation would largely depend on the size of the organization, the type of products or services you have to write on as well as on the length of experience you have in this profession. The average fees could be anywhere between $50 and $1000 for these types of jobs.

In case you are under the impression that freelance writing a career option is a bed of roses, you need to have a closer look at the topic. Sure, freelance writing has its own share of perks: managing your own time, working within the comforts of your home, opportunity to think and write about a wide range of topics, seeing your name on print are some of the many benefits of the profession. But have you thought about the reverse side of this job? May seasoned freelance writers confess that after years of working alone with the computer without any human contact, long working hours, meeting incredible deadlines coupled with uncertainty of a steady income have driven many writers back to the routine of a 9 to 5 full time writing job with an assured income.

Are you cut out for freelance writing? While many get lured by the opportunity of doing something creative through out the day and make a handsome pay packet at the end of it, the fear of the many uncertainties involved in the process may make you shaky as well. Consider these important factors, before you take a decision:

Are you a disciplined person? There are many people who are incapable to organize their work schedule and plan their daily work without any supervision or any other co-worker around. If you find it hard to self-monitor yourself, then you should look for other types of writing jobs.

How stable are you financially? Freelance writing can be full of uncertainties and carry many financial ups and downs. Today the assignment you are handling may vanish tomorrow with no assurance of any job in the coming few weeks. So if you are the sole income generator in your family, this could work very hard for you and your financial budgeting. Also, a paid employee usually gets many types of coverage like health, disability insurance, 401K contributions, taxes, paid holidays, etc. When you are on your own, all these expenses are your liabilities which may put additional strain on your pocket. Would you then choose a secure ‘corporate’ job than to toil single-handedly at your computer and work as a freelance writer?

How good are your internal resources, like experience, knowledge of the writing market, familiarity with publishers, etc, which can generate continuous income for you, in case you decide to go into full time freelance writing? Every freelance writer should aim to develop long term relationships with a few of his clients, so that there is no gap in the flow to his income. Only a very versatile person can make this happen. You must be flexible enough to accommodate any and every type of writing and writing styles for which there is a strong demand in the market. Niche working is perhaps not the ideal situation – till such times that you are completely established and have loads of income to fall back on. The more versatile you are, the more assured income you can expect from your clients.

Where are the clients?

Finding customers who will pay for your work is not as difficult as it may seem. Good writing skills are always in demand and there are hordes of clients who are on the look out for good writers. But first you have to find your own niche: what type of writing are you good at? They could be fiction, non-fiction, articles, blurbs, books, press releases, consumer tips, advertising prose, etc. Then find out people who buy these types of writing and need them for their own publication.

Traditional Publishing Conglomerates: Irrespective of where your writing talents are focused on: books, magazines, news features or lifestyle articles, the traditional publishing houses are still the biggest pay masters. Since quality and experience in the profession are critical for a breakthrough with these organizations, most freelancers are out of the race. Publishers of books would pay royalty for past writings and they also pay advance for a future writing. Magazines on the other hand, have a pay-per-word payment style. Both these types of publishers have a higher pay scale than the non-traditional print publishing companies but they make sure that the quality of writing is the best to be found in the market. The authors also have to be genuine experts in the field of writing. Local newspapers, tabloids and small magazines would usually pay lesser but are willing to give jobs to freelancers more than they can chew. One way to make a breakthrough in this world is to study the publishers’ guidelines very carefully and then submit your writing which should fit their core topic (fashion, movies, women, etc). You should prove to them that you know your subjects thoroughly and can deliver quality articles on time, every time. You will likely be considered.

Non-Traditional Publishing:
Thanks to the internet, the world of non-traditional publishing has opened its doors to a myriad of talents in freelance writing. From content servers, product reviews, travel articles and blogs to e-book publishers, jobs for freelancers are all over the internet. Even the most inexperienced freelance writer can make a good start with this type of business. There are many sites which need numerous ‘how to’ articles and are willing pay freelance writers anywhere between $2 and $50 for such articles. Any one who is willing to gather experience by spending long hours at the computer and gather reasonable income per month, would love to do these types of jobs.

Business Writing: Of all the different types of writing skills, business and technical writing is a skill which attracts maximum pay. Thousands of companies worldwide are looking for people to write their proposals, user manuals, create their marketing and advertising campaigns, write sales letters, company news letters, and marketing plans as well as write simple website text, letters, and more. The list is endless and offer excellent opportunities for freelance writers with adequate business acumen. An extremely competitive field even for the seasoned writer, if you can make a breakthrough in this type of freelance writing, you could earn very good money with every project that you complete.

What are the income possibilities for a freelance writer?

How much money you can earn through freelance writing is entire up to you and your skills. It is entirely your prerogative to accept or reject a writing proposal. But before rejecting remember that in this world of freelance writing, what looks like a low paying proposal, may turn very lucrative, generating a steady flow of income. For example, many beginners start with charging a few dollars for writing several small articles ranging between 350 and 500 words. As they build their expertise, client trust and speed, they increase their rates which could in turn make their hourly rates very lucrative. This way they enhance their per-article rate as well as increase their daily output. There are also other freelancers who are keen on making a certain amount of money on a per-word basis. While fixing rates for your job, remember the following: the time it will take for you to complete research and writing the article, the taxes and extra payments which you might have to make for your personal finances, the monthly or annual income you need to make a decent living with this income. Then fix a rate with is viable as well as competitive.

The market of freelance writing is showing a tremendous growth. So writers with good business acumen, ability to stick to deadlines, and a good quality of writing style will find no dearth of writing opportunities and can make a good career choice that is rewarding both financially and emotionally.

A fair and factual representation of a news story in no way should be made so factual that it bores the reader. While everyone is interested to know more about that important State Council meeting held yesterday, the writer need not elucidate on the agenda of the meeting which no one is truly interested. In stead, the writer should find some particular point in the news item which can be highlighted to make his article more readable and memorable. A twist in the tale, without sensationalizing the event can be the right approach for reporting a news event. Even very ordinary news articles can be adequately spiced up if viewed with a different perspective which makes the mundane event newsworthy!

The importance of Angles:

What exactly is an angle when it comes to story reporting? It is that aspect or that particular perspective which can add that extra punch to a boring event. Of course, all news stories can not be handled in a similar fashion, but adding a new angle to a story can always enliven things up.

Adding any interesting twist or punch to a serious news story can be risky. Most importantly, the story needs to be handled carefully. A serious event needs its due regard and should not be treated like a farce or a glamour event. For instance, the local municipality has increased taxes on real estate and it was decided at a publicly-announced meeting. You know that your readers are awaiting the outcome of the meeting with keen interest. There is no point in making the story like a doom premonition. Do not inject despair by telling your readers how much their new home is going to cost from next financial year, or how the increased taxes is going to spell disaster for the upcoming shopping malls in their locality. In stead, go deeper into the story and find out why the authorities decided on an increase in revenue in the first place. Do a survey of the local parks and recreational areas and show your readers the state of mismanagement in these places due to lack of funds. Show your readers that an increase in the revenue would finally be channeled into improving many infrastructural facilities which the authorities have already planned and finalized in the meeting. These types of inputs can add value to an otherwise boring or depressing news story.

The other way to give the story another angle is to interview some doctors and patients who have sustained injuries during road accidents caused by poor maintenance of the roads in the area. Interview some kids and their harassed parents regarding their views about the poor condition of the roads and parks and how they find them inconvenient for their daily jogging or playing. And then show your readers that this proposed increase in real estate tax will ultimately be used to improve the living conditions of the area and how everyone will benefit from it. Road accidents will reduce and injuries sustained at poorly-maintained play grounds will be eradicated. In case you find through your research that the increase in tax will not benefit the ordinary citizen of the area, it is your responsibility to say that too in your reporting. Give your readers enough evidence and back up through statistical data and analysis – this will make the whole story more credible and interesting.
How To Find The Right Angle: While every story has many angles to it, the ultimate choice of the right angle, would depend on your readers’ needs and the style of reporting your publication is used to. Here are some tips which could help you find the right angle for your story:

Learn to develop a keen eye for more details to every story than is apparent. Observe everyone involved in the story keenly and notice any unusual event or behavior. For instance, if all reporters are reporting the crucial civic body meeting, do not follow the rest of the crowd and do the same thing. In stead, look for something which others could be missing. Why was the deputy chairman of the meeting missing? Or, why were not the audited results of last financial year not cleared at the meeting? Did it meet with general consensus? Was the deputy chairman on a family vacation? Or is he planning to resign before the current term is complete? Probe with a prying eye and ear and surely you will find a radically different angle to the same story, which other reporters have missed out. Remember the juice lies in the extraordinary or out of the ordinary routine of events.

Keep your mind free. To gather interesting topics or angles to a story, do not shut your eyes and ears to people and situations. That painful bore that you bumped into at the last press conference could hold some vital clues to an underhand deal which the company has just completed; and you are supposed to report on the Board of Directors’ Meeting of the same company!

Stop trusting your memory and jot down everything. Facts and statistics can be plugged in later to your story. But those bits of conversation which you overheard at the cocktail party or press conference may hold the key to the development of another brand new story or could be important components to the story. A male writer writing about the health spas in his locality may come across incredible information at the Gents’ changing room!

Let the topic engulf you. Listen carefully at every word being said at an interview. Show empathy to your subject and try to feel the same way as he or she is feeling. If you do not get excited with a topic, how can you expect to pass on the excitement to your readers?
Everything said and done, remember a good news writer is one who can find new and innovative ways to narrate an old story. The world is full of vandalism, court cases, celebrity scandals and new taxes. Go deeper into each of these subject matters and find information which can turn an ordinary event into something which is completely out of the box.