Where to find writer’s markets

There’s no better place to look for writers markets then The Writers Market, it’s the best to find paying markets. It is available from Writer’s Digest Books and the more current the version the better.

The number or paying online markets grows each year; there are over 1700 paying magazines that list their online submission guidelines or you can obtain guidelines by e-mail. And there are hundreds that don’t have websites or post their guidelines online. Many of those still offer guidelines by mail with a SASE.

You can get an idea of whether or not a site pays by taking a few minuets to examine the site. Here’s what you should look for:

Is the site a commercial site? Is the site sponsor trying to make money or is this a nonprofit organization run by volunteers

Are there advertisements? If there are ads what type of products and services are they promoting? Does the site look as if it was done by an amateur or a well paid web design company? Basically, the better funded the company the more likely it is that it can afford to pay writers.

If it is noncommercial, is there another source of income? For example, is the site supported by a well-funded organization?

Does most of the material appear to be produced by in-house staff? Look carefully at the content and the names of the writers. Do the names remain the same or do some change with every issue?

If you are looking to query a website or magazine about submission guidelines look for the Editor or the managing editor.

Below are two great job boards for freelance writers
http://www.indeed.com/jobs?q=freelance+writing&l=
http://www.craigslist.org/

The "think small" secret to writing better

When you have a stack of articles or a brief to complete it can be overwhelming. Maybe you have a book that you constantly think about but never seem to get around to writing. Instead of thinking about all the writing you must do, or have not gotten done, think about just one small part.

For example, if you are working on a legal brief, focus on the first point you want to make. If you are working on a book, focus solely on the first chapter. If you feel that’s too ambitious for you and are still over whelmed shrink it even further think about he first page or the first paragraph.

Don’t forget to congratulate yourself once you have accomplished this goal. As writers we need to be kind to ourselves. Patience and forgiveness are a must. And treat yourself to little praises or rewards. It helps to keep you motivated.

Next plan your next weeks of writing by setting aside the same amount of time to write each day. 15min is the normally the maximum if you find you get distracted easily or have been blocked for a long time. Wait until you have accomplished a few good sessions before extending your writing period.

Writers often think too big. They think about everything that needs to get done and it overwhelms them, which in turn keeps them from writing. By narrowing your topics and shrinking your writing session to doable time frames you approach your work with more enthusiasm and calmness.

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