A mini course in article writing: how to write articles for fame or to sell - creative article writing & freelance writing
Article writing skills: how to write articles for prestiege or writing articles as a freelance writer
Article writing is easy - you too can write an article, submit articles you write, write more articles
Many aspiring article writers are put off by many books on writing articles and writers courses which, with voluminous detail on writing articles and analysis of article writing techniques, cause those aspiring to write articles to be confused about how to write articles, to loose interest in writing articles
Many columnists earning a living by writing articles did not learn their craft from books on how to write articles or writing courses.
Writing articles to many is a means of earning a living. The field of article writing is one in which it matters not whether you are a writing class graduate or a D Litt., or have no formal exam. pass. To write articles you need only reasonable spelling and general knowledge from reading articles in newspapers or magazines, watching documentaries or news. If you lack the discipline and the patience to write books, novels, movie-scripts, you still can enjoy money and fame writing articles. The article writing market is wide, local or national newspapers, juvenile or teen-age, trade or international magazines all need articles, and writers to write articles. You can write articles on 'how to' issues, on issues you feel strongly about and can state opinions.
Freelance Article Writing
Not all possess knowledge or interest to write articles arguing issues. But there are many topics on which anyone can write articles. Many interested in writing articles use files or labelled envelopes to keep magazine or newspaper cuttings, or an exercise book to jot news or ideas in. These help in writing articles; and there are writers' sources listing important events past, present, or future as topics to write articles on. Reference or quotations books are ideas sources for topics for writing articles. In writing articles, in all article writing, more than the subjects on which writers write articles, how interestingly to the readers they write articles is what sells articles, makes popular. Creative writing is creative writing, but who would want to publish or read it if not interesting or useful?
The trend in writing articles is: biographical, historical; more, on home economics, increasingly philosophical; always human interest articles. You do not have to write articles on these -you may write articles on anything if informative, interesting, and not libellous (e.g., nothing "is not" good but only "I think it is not").
When you write articles, the copyright is yours -unless also bought. When you write creative articles (or any other kind of articles) normally you sell printing rights. Most writers' markets buy first publication rights, in the USA some reprint rights. Monies from freelance writing are taxable income.
When writing articles also bear in mind: some publications will not consider unsolicited articles; all want freelance articles word-processed, double spaced, with number of words stated -approx. 1,500 (longer if asked), and your contact details. Submit topical freelance articles at least three months early. If proposing writing a column send at least six articles.
