When An Editor Requests Writing Clips

So many publications and you're not yet published? Submit writing samples for editorial consideration & your name could one day find its way onto a masthead.

As a freelance writer, I can’t think of an assignment much more rewarding than writing for a magazine. Especially if that magazine is a print publication, because there is something so very satisfying seeing your name listed as a contributor on the masthead. And with several pages in that issue reflecting your abilities, you have all the validation you need to confirm that you are, indeed, a professional writer.

These days, many writers make their living strictly by providing online content and related collateral, fully satisfied with what they are doing. More power to them – I don’t believe that the better content writers among them are being paid what they’re worth, especially those who are gifted in a particular genre and toil in relative obscurity.

Are You Published?

Yet, maybe you have set your eyes on taking your writing to the next level and would love to see your finest work appear in a particular publication. Certainly, the pay is usually much better than most gigs and the exposure you receive could transform your writing career. Once you are published, you may be asked to become a regular contributor or find other editors interested in your work.

How do you get to the next level? By providing writing clips (samples) of your best work. Therein lies a problem – if you haven’t produced something tangible, then you aren’t likely to be considered for a writing gig. But look around you – could it be that you already have been published, but not in the traditional sense of the word?

4 Writing Sample Suggestions

Consider the following sources when scouring for writing clips:

Article Directories – True, article directories accept mostly anyone who can put 400 words together to form a thought. Much of what is published is rehashed material, but there is some good information posted to sites like EzineArticles.com too. In 2006, Sam’s Club Auto magazine contacted me about one of my articles posted to that directory, a piece I wrote on behalf of another customer. Their acquisitions editor asked me for reprint permission and by the next issue I was published. Without much effort I had a nice “writing clip” to share, something that I now include with my personal clip file.

Newsletters – Your church, school or civic group newsletter could be all the evidence an editor needs to measure your writing ability, particularly if you have written a feature article. I’ve read PTA newsletters and have found the occasional diamond in the rough, an article written by a parent who doesn’t have formal training as a writer, yet has a way of telling a story quite well. Perhaps that mission trip story you did for your church or a cancer story you wrote for the hospital auxiliary made a difference. And how would you know that? Readers told you.

Editorials – Letters to the editor or an op/ed piece published by your local newspaper can sometimes be helpful too. Addressing a problem, offering solutions and presenting possible outcomes can show an editor that you possess critical problem solving skills.

College Papers – I still have a copy of a college paper I wrote 25 years ago about wolves. Even though I was a business major, the topic was of immense interest to me which meant that I was thorough in my research, crafting a report that was spot on. You may have written a paper or an essay which could be used as a clip and that would be especially helpful if the report matches the subject you want to discuss.

Google Knol

Discriminating editors may still want you to send something in that can be found online, especially if it has been published to a trusted site. In that case you may want to take your best piece, modify it, and submit it to Google Knol. With this particular option you’ll need to cite several relevant sources in order to have it published, but your finished work will be featured in one of the more trusted content websites available.

The Pluses And Perils of Print Writing

Here it is 2009 and I can tell you that print writing is alive, even if it isn’t doing terribly well. The days when newspapers and magazines dominated media are over thanks to the emergence of the world wide web, a relentless blob that appears to be swallowing up nearly everything in its path.

For talented writers, especially those with a journalistic flair, change means one thing – learning to adapt to online writing or hanging it up and moving on. Perhaps most disturbing for veteran writers is that the pay scale for most online work isn’t usually as rewarding nor is the prestige comparable to getting published in Better Homes & Gardens, The New York Times or Forbes.

Distressing Change For Some

Print media is dying or transitioning to the internet. However, some opportunities for work still exist for freelance writers, particular with weekly newspapers and regional (local) magazines.

I don’t come from a strictly writing background but I have friends who have and are mourning the loss of an industry which once provided plum writing jobs, excellent pay and the attendant good life that so many writers today are finding elusive. Some industry veterans have found new life on the web while others have carved a niche for themselves in the safety of a corporate communications department, longing to step out anew but worried that at age fifty-something time is no longer their friend.

Print writing isn’t dead, but it may not endure much beyond the next decade or so. Scores of national and city newspapers are bankrupt, but many of the smaller weeklies have managed to find a niche as have regional magazines, including those glossy “living” publications that you can pick up around town. I’ve written for both mediums and would like to share with you some of the pluses and perils of print writing these days:

Pluses

Portfolio Building – Every print article published is ammunition you can use when sharing your clips when being considered for a new gig. I keep scanned copies on my hard drive and forward these files to editors.

Fair Pay – Forget earning the old dollar-a-word minimum unless you’re well known and extremely good at your craft. Twenty-five cents per word seems to be the new minimum rate while a flat rate for an article of a certain length may do it. Still, these rates are typically higher than most online jobs unless you can snag the copywriter gig for an important website.

Prestige – In every career, peer recognition is important. We may think that we don’t care all that much about what others say or think, but when you get an “attaboy” for appearing on the editorial page under contributing writers, it is just the sort of ego stroke most of us welcome. I know that I do.

Perils

No Kill Fees – I’ve been fortunate in that every article I’ve written over the past two years has been accepted and published as previously agreed. One article was rejected for unrelated reasons, but my publisher promised to pay me just the same. A lot of publications will only accept your work conditionally and many no longer pay a “kill fee” if they choose not to use your work. This means that you have to find a new buyer for your article which takes up additional time and energy, never mind the possible loss of funds if you’re unable to sell it.

Bankruptcies – Reader’s Digest is filing for bankruptcy, but so are many smaller magazines and newspapers. There is a chance that between the time that your article is published and when you’re due payment, that the periodical will fail. If the newspaper or magazine files for bankruptcy you may never see any money or you may have to wait months for full or partial payment.

Invisibility – Declining readership means that fewer people will read what you wrote. I’ve noticed that some magazines have cut out their “letter to the editor” sections which means that you have no idea what someone thought about what you wrote. Feedback is important, but some of the smaller publications have scaled back in order to cut costs.

Finding Your Place

Although print media is under tremendous assault, a number of magazines and newspapers have transitioned to the internet or offer online access in addition to their print copy. Advertising income, which is the financial bedrock for media, can determine whether any publication succeeds or fails. Your success as a freelancer writer is being aware of these changes and pricing your work accordingly.

See Also — Considering Blogging? Weigh These Points First.