Four Reasons Why Freelance Article Commissions Dry Up

Every time I run a course on Freelance Writing, students who have had some success, ask the same question -- Why have the jobs dried up?

This is what happens: A writer has been doing very well and the majority of queries sent to particular magazines have generated commissions. Even articles sent to publications on speculation have normally had a good success rate. And then success turns to rejection.

Here are four suggested causes:

• First, you may have become complacent. When you originally targeted the magazine or newspaper you probably researched it carefully. But when your queries were accepted regularly, you may not have taken the time to check the publications again to make sure you were still writing articles that fitted the magazines' house styles.

  Magazines must keep up with trends in both advertising and content and editors make subtle changes in almost every issue.

  Writers need to make sure they pick these up and make the necessary changes to their material.

• Second, editors are fairly transient people and move from one magazine to another more frequently than writers would like to think.

  You may have built up a very good relationship with one particular editor and when that person moves on, you must once again build rapport with the new editor. This is compounded when the new editor has a different style that he/she has been asked to introduce into the publication.

  Now you have two problems -- A new editor and a different style.

• Third, you have let your "writing" slip. You are really only as good as the last article you have had published. Yes, you have had a good reputation in the past, but editors want to know that you can continually come up with great ideas, write terrific copy and file your article before deadline.
• Fourth, you simply have not been sending enough queries or writing articles on speculation. Selling is an important part of being a freelance writer. You are a free agent and your style and content must always be saleable. And, you must know who is editing which publication.

Barb Clews is an award winning journalist with nearly 1,000 published articles to her credit. She has been a writer and editor for 15 years and is the author of "Article Writing for Freelancers" and "20 Tips to Increase Writing Skills" Visit http://www.bcabooks.com/ to subscribe to "Words that Work", Barb's monthly ezine packed with tips for writers.

---

Website Promotion: Alternatives to Article Banks

Writing and submitting articles to article banks is a well-known... Read More

Article Marketing Interview With Kevin Bidwell

Recently I interviewed Kevin Bidwell of All-In-One-Business.com on some of... Read More

Article Writing Dos and Donts

Still following along on the Copywriter's Crash Course in article... Read More

In Search Of Ideas For Articles

Finding something to write about can be frustrating for all... Read More

Interviews with Well-Known Ezine Writers #3: - Shelley Lowery

MS: Shelley, you're an excellent person to talk to about... Read More

An Affable Article

It doesn't really matter who you are; you definitely know... Read More

Write Your Ezine Article in 15 Minutes or Less!

Gasp! I can hear it from the purists now: Matt... Read More

Writing Articles Sells Books

Are you a reluctant marketer for your book? Do you... Read More

How to Get Ideas for an Article?

Are you short of ideas? There are times when we... Read More

Ten Top Tips for Writing Articles on the Internet

Online readers love information, but be sure your information is... Read More

How to Use Articles to Increase Web Site Traffic!

A simple technique to increase web site traffic is using... Read More

10 Tips For Getting More Traffic From Your Articles

Here's a depressing fact if you sell anything on the... Read More

Checklist for Writing Articles That Get Read

When writing articles for publication, it is important that you... Read More

SureFire Ways To Get Free Publicity Using Articles

Free publicity can help to spread the word about your... Read More

5 Dynamite Ways to Generate Ideas for Parenting Articles

The key to selling reprints to parenting publications is the... Read More

Keyword Article Writing: the Key to Your Success!

Ready to jump on the keyword article bandwagon? Billions of... Read More

There is an Article Deep Down Inside of You Just Looking to Bust Out

The Most Economical Way to Advertise online is to Submit... Read More

Why Writing Articles Is Much Better Than Search Engine Optimization

This article is dedicated to those who are afraid to... Read More

How to Effectively Hire a Ghost Writer

In today's busy world, whether your business is large or... Read More

Writing Articles - Two Aspects Of The Surge

Writing articles for publication on the Internet is, at the... Read More

Article Writing Made Simple

A great way for self employed professionals to enhance their... Read More

Why Link Exchanges are Dead-and What the New Move in Free Traffic Is

It's no secret-link exchanges are dying a painful death. And... Read More

Five Great Ideas For Your Next Article

It's amazing how quickly free articles can generatetraffic - my... Read More

Simple Tricks to Maximize the Reach of Your Marketing Message

Jim was working hard to grow his business. Long hours... Read More

Stop Struggling and Write Your Article

Don't let overwhelm hold you back- follow this expert advice... Read More

8 Surefire Methods to Create an Article Title That Will Get Your Article Read More Often

Often all the Web Surfer will see is your title,... Read More

The Raw Truth About Persuasion and Copywriting!

I get asked all the time, "Lorrie, how can I... Read More

Guest Articles: Good for Some, Bad for Others

A recent debate started me thinking about how some marketing... Read More

10 Profitable Tips For Article Writers

1. Write to one person.When you're writing your article picture... Read More

Publish Article

If you've spent any time online trying to promote your... Read More

Six Whys of Writing

You pick a pen, grab a piece of paper and... Read More

Article Marketing: Capture the Other Half of Your Target Market

Heard about article marketing but not sure why you'd need... Read More

Writing Articles - Six Mistakes To Avoid

Not writing articles yet? You really should try it, if... Read More