Whether you want to write articles for print publications or websites, becoming a paid writer involves improving and expanding your ability, using your experience, knowing what publishers are looking for and submitting your work. Professional writers are paid to write any type of article for any number of publications, large or small. Depending on how much you time invest, freelance writing can be a new career or just part-time income on the side.

Sharpen Your Skills

To become a paid writer, you need to hone your writing skills. Articles should be informative, concise and easy to read, so drop unnecessary, flowery words from your work. Concentrate on the reporter's essential questions for the facts: who, what, when, why and how. Become familiar with the Associated Press (AP) Stylebook, because AP style is used most among print and Internet publications. If you're just starting out as a writer, practice your craft by starting a blog and posting original articles. These posts can serve not only as a learning experience, but also as your online portfolio once you're ready to seek out paid publication.

Gain and Use Experience

Become familiar with different types of articles, and write examples of each for your online portfolio. Experiment with writing news stories, feature articles, how-to pieces, business profiles, human interest stories and interviews. This will give you some experience with a variety of article formats. Your life experience is important as well; "write what you know" is the original writer's motto. Combine your new familiarity with different types of articles with your own personal experience when looking for paid writing gigs. For example, if you are an expert in gardening, you can write about the latest gardening trends, do a profile piece of a noted local gardener or write a how-to article on opening a seasonal gardening business.

Research Publishers

Before you submit to a publisher, check the guidelines for word count, style, pay scale and types of articles accepted. There are several different types of publishers out there who do pay for a writer's work: newspapers, journals, magazines, websites and newsletters will all have different requirements for articles. These guidelines can usually be found on the publication's website, or you can research several publishers at once with the Writer's Market, an annual guide produced by the editors of Writer's Digest magazine. It lists 3,500 places to sell your work.

Submit Your Work

You've sharpened your writing until it shines, you're familiar with several types of articles and you know which publishers you plan to contact. Now you're ready to submit either a brief query letter or your completed work, depending on the publisher's guidelines. When you first send out your work, you may see a few rejections; as you refine your articles, the assignments will come in and you will be a professional and paid writer.

Source:

2010 Writer's Market

AP Stylebook Online 2009