Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Freelance Camp San Antonio:Become A Freelance Writer

By Freelance Camp San Antonio

Interested in becoming a successful freelance writer? eHow suggests the first step is to be honest with yourself. If grammar is a problem then writing probably isn't for you.

Don't take criticism personally. You need to be able to take and use criticism about your work quality. Editors and people needing writing projects want quality work completed by deadline. The people hiring you are taking a chance and they don't want to alienate or turn off their audience, their customers. If you are not used to getting critiques join a writing critique group or workshop. A writing critique group or workshop can help you learn to accept feedback about your writing.

Learn the skills for the type of writing projects you want. For magazine articles, you need to know how to write a query letter. For online writing you will need to learn how to bid on projects. Different markets and audiences will require different skills.

Find your available markets.If you want to write magazine articles get a copy of "Writer's Market," at your local bookstore or library. For online projects visit Guru.com, elance.com or other online marketplaces.

Market yourself. Develop a portfolio of your work. People looking to hire you want to know you can deliver quality on time. You may need to work without pay in the beginning to get a portfolio of articles to show. One advantage of working online is you can start a blog at no cost and write articles to demonstrate your expertise. Attend conferences and meetings like Freelance Camp San Antonio to meet people who can hire, refer and share leads and experiences.

Guard your time. It's easy to get caught up in online discussion and chat groups. Study the work of successful writers. Focus on your craft, and marketing yourself. Send out query letters and bid on projects. You need to take action to succeed.

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