Get more money for your writing: How to convert one piece into more assignments
79You can increase your income from writing by using these tips!
How to make more money from your writing
If you’ve landed a coveted assignment to write a magazine or newspaper article, or to produce a piece for a private client, you may be able to convert it to a bigger assignment, or even an ongoing writing gig. Here are some strategies to help you build the assignment’s scope and potential:
Offer to write a sidebar: Sidebars are those small ‘extra’ pieces that often accompany a larger article. They’re generally featured in a shaded box to one side of the main piece. Just so you’ll know - the term ‘sidebar’ was borrowed from the legal field, and refers to those whispered conversations between lawyers and judges to the side of the bench.
Be sure you have a few ideas in mind when you offer to do the sidebar (don’t just ask the editor if you can write one). When you show the editor you can offer additional value or content, he or she may well go for it. It’s extra work, so it should command extra pay, but a bit less than the main piece. If you’re going to get $150 for the a article, for example, you might expect $50 for a short sidebar that expands on some element of the original story. Articles can have more than one sidebar, too, by the way, so let your ideas flow.
Keep the topic alive from issue to issue
Can it become a short series or an ongoing, regular column?
Suggest a series of pieces: Editors are always hungry for content ideas. If you see more than one direction you can take a story, see whether it could become a series of at least three pieces. This will give you an ongoing temporary assignment for the negotiation time spent for only one of the pieces. Freelancers spend a lot of time just getting assignments; by turning one article assignment into a series of three or four stories, you in effect increase the amount you’re being paid for your time. Don’t forget to pitch sidebars during the series, so you’ll get even more mileage.
Develop an ongoing column: Magazines, especially, need regular ‘departments’ about topics, such as technology, fashion, food, entertainment and others. Many newer magazines are good sources for developing ongoing gigs. If you’re writing about a topic that has broad interest (such as dining out) but there’s no ongoing department yet, offer to write a regular column about that topic. You’ll have a regular writing gig, and will build clips quickly as you produce a weekly or monthly piece. If the editor likes the idea but says there’s not enough space or budget to go with a column in each issue, suggest every other week or month, or even quarterly, as a way to keep the topic in front of readers.
To show how your column can benefit the publication; suggest a few issues’ worth of ideas. If you’re writing for a magazine, gear the ideas to upcoming themes for each issue. For newspapers or other outlets, suggest ideas that have a seasonal appeal or otherwise fit the timeline of publications.
One caveat – even if your publication brings you on as the education columnist (or whatever), there may not always be space for your pieces each month. Freelance work is never a sure thing until you get payment, so learn to budget your expenses accordingly.
Make more money through photos and sidebars
Other ideas for money
Pitch additional stories: We always uncover other story ideas when we research and write a piece. Keep notes on other interesting topics you come across and use the assignment to build your relationship with the editor by pitching additional stories for subsequent weeks or months.
Add photos: You are even more valuable to an editor if you can provide ‘art’ for your stories (photos, graphs or other visuals). Almost everyone has a decent digital camera these days. If you have to interview someone, take your camera and get interesting shots of them at work or in the environment or context of the story. You can also find and submit suggestions for art from Internet sources; as always, be certain there’s no watermark or copyright issue.
Note: If you take your own photos, you may or may not be paid for them, depending on the publication. Some publications pay additionally, but with others, writers are expected to turn in 'art' for no extra fee.This may not sound fair (and probably isn't), but that's how it is. The upsides, though, are that you'll raise your stock with the editor and you'll also have published photo credits to add to your portfolio.
Develop it into a hub or blog: If you’ve written a great story, but there’s no opportunity to take it further with a publication, consider adapting the idea to this site or to a blog. You’ll need to revise the content to avoid duplication, but since you’ve already researched the piece and produced a story, it will take you less time than developing a story from scratch.
These are just a few ways you can increase the revenue potential of a piece. Once you start thinking along these lines, you’ll come up with additional ideas to expand your income from writing.
More tips on getting paid for your writing
- 10 proven ways to earn money as a writer
You can make big bucks as a writer. Here's how to take your career to the next level! - How to avoid common mistakes in writing
Whether you're writing a term paper or a news story, these tips will help. A list of solid tips for improving your writing skills. Brush up on how to write anything: School papers, resumes, reports, blogs and more. - More jobs for writers: 'Hidden' ways small businesses need your writing talent
10 ways you can make money writing for small businesses. Here are tips for finding new clients and getting paid for your writing.
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You have done a great job explaining how to expand your writing ability, and career! Kudos!
Thanks, Kate & gmwilliams - I truly hope these ideas help others here who are looking for ways to get started in freelancing. I appreciate your kind words of support!
This sounds very good and I have never written for pay but I do this too since I get a copyright on a piece then writing the little sidebars is nothing to worry about being part of the one. I will bookmark this for later use possibly, thanks for sharing.
Thanks for stopping by and reading and commenting, Jackie - let me know how this works for you!
Hi, Savanna-michelle - welcome to HubPages! There are plenty of great people on the site ready to support you and give tips. I look forward to reading your hubs!
Thanks Marcy lots of good advice here. I need to write for money so will keep these tips in mind.
Very engaging and powerful article. This is an article that many aspiring writers can learn from. Truly a God send Marcy.
Thanks so much for stopping by to read, and for your kind comments! After writing this, I thought of some other ideas, so I may do a Part 2 hub. There are a ton of ways to make money writing - you just have to know where to look. And it takes time to ferret them out and get clients.
Some nice ideas simply explained. How do get published in magazines though?
Hi, Les Trois Chenes - thanks for reading and commenting. Magazines can be very hard to break into; if they're established, they usually have a stable of staff or freelancers already on board and they may budget for only a few contributions a year from non-established writers. You can break in more quickly, though, with new publications or with local magazines. As with any magazine, contact the editor (using their guidelines for submission) and either send a pitch or (more rarely) a finished article. If you send a pitch, include your credentials as a writer and clips that are relevant to their content. This can all be done electronically.
Since you're overseas, do some searches for small niche publications and offer to write about the 'real' French experience, or whatever interests you. They may welcome content from an exotic source! If you have friends in the states or another country, ask them for names of local or regional publications in their areas. Then find their websites and follow up with a few pitches. Ask friends who have travel plans to be on the lookout for magazines in hotels or restaurants (many local publications distribute for free in trendy eateries), and have them email the info.
I hope this helps! Good luck!
Thanks for the tips. You are so skilled. I will use some of this, it is good. And you took the time to go step by step to help people like me!
Stay Well
Thanks, glmclendon! I would love to see every writer on this site attain their highest dreams in writing. Let us know how the tips work for you.
Thanks for your generous sharing Marcy, a useful hub with great ideas indeed...you've done a great job here, cheers!
Hi, Injured lamb - I'm glad you found the tips useful! Thanks for reading and commenting!
I think leveraging one story into several is one that most successful article writers use. Voting this Up and Interesting.
Thanks alocsin! I agree - once you learn this strategy, you can greatly multiply your income from just one writing gig.
Some great suggestions, I often find that hubs branch out into series, so why not make a conscious effort to do this with your paid writing.
Up, useful and SOCIALLY SHARING for all the avid writers amongst us.
Marcy - I secretly hope I get some freelance gigs from my writing here at HubPages. What a great hub! Voted up and SHARING.
These are all great ideas. Leveraging one idea into more to increase your free lancing income is helpful.
Thank you, Millionaire Tips - and I like your term 'leveraging,' - I may edit the hub to use that language!
Hi, cclitgirl - I hope you get some gigs from your work here, too - you write outstanding hubs! Thanks for commenting!
Thanks, Brett - Your analogy of the series hubs is spot on. All we need to do is to think of our writing as having that same potential!
There are lots of great ideas in this hub. Thanks for sharing, Marcy. I always appreciate your tips on writing.
Thanks, savingkathy! We have so many talented writers on this site - it's a great place to learn, isn't it? I appreciate your comments!
These are wonderful ideas and they work for even weekly newspapers. Thank you for sharing them.
Seems like everyone is saying about the same thing about this hub, and thanking you for it. I've joined in this band.
Thanks, mljdgulley - I appreciate your comments! Glad you found the hub helpful!
Thanks for reading, daisynicolas - I appreciate your comments!
As a freelance writer, I write for print and online. As a newspaper writer, I do make money, but I'm struggling with online writing. I have always written for my hone audience, and I'm working hard to captivate international readers.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
I know what you mean about making the transition from newspapers to online writing, Vinaya! The good news is that your experience in writing will help you tackle the biggest challenge, which is content!
Marcy, I write for a local parent magazine and these are such great ideas for developing new opportunities. So glad you suggested re-writing old articles into hubs. The copyright to mine belongs to the magazine but I am always able to take my research notes and re-tool it into something new for HubPages. Voted up and useful
Thanks for sharing thoughts from your professional background, Sinea! The magazines I've written for usually buy one-time rights, so the content can be used again or reworked. Parenting is such a great topic on this site.
Clear and very concise. Easy and simple to follow. Thank you.
Best Wishes.
Thanks, old albion - I'm so glad you found ideas here that you like. Welcome to HubPages! It's good to have you here.
Very good article thanks for sharing this idea.
Thank you, onie - I'm so glad you found the hub helpful.
I really appreciate this article. You offer excellent ideas and alternatives for getting our writing noticed.
Thank you, OCDKids! I hope some of these work for you and help expand your writing assignments!
You have come out with ideas that some of us would just dismiss them. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Marcy,
Great post ..Thanks
Hi, Greatstuff - I'm so glad you found new areas of opportunity here! Thanks for your comments.
Thanks, htodd - I'm glad you liked the hub!
I like your last point. I have explored this to a certain extent and I think its a worthwhile idea. In fact, I have already published four such articles and as you say, they certainly took less time!
I'm so glad you've seen how this can work, Joyette - it's really a great way to get more mileage from our work. Thanks for reading and commenting!
Thanks, syedsaqid - I'm glad you liked the hub!
Thanks for a great hub. So many stories are worth redoing! I have never thought of side bars. What a great idea. Now to get busy writing and rewriting, and submitting all of our wonderful stuff. You have given us some wonderful insights. Thank you for sharing your talent with us!
Thanks for reading and commenting, Ruby - I'm so glad you found the article helpful. I've gotten several additional assignments from various pieces by using these strategies. I hope you do, too!
Great hub and clear cut ideas.
Thanks
Thanks so much for your kind comments! I'm glad you like the hub, Deepateresa!
Very nice hub! I ran across this one and several others in the HP interview.
I've noticed that the more I write, the easier I'm finding to take a small sidebar idea from an article I've written and spin off. I makes it easy to create additional content with the articles feeding off each other.
I believe I am effective with adding photos since I am very fond of taking pictures. Thanks for this hub. I have gained good information here.
good ideas, helpful and easy. Vited up and the rest.
Thanks,
Thanks, Kris - I know what you mean about spotting a new twist on your articles and taking it in an additional direction. It gets your ideas flowing for entirely new topics, too. Thanks for reading and commenting, and good luck on your writing!
Your skill for photography and eye for good ways to illustrate your stories will definitely be a selling point for your writing, Christianajohan - thanks for reading and commenting on the hub!
Thanks, BuyaBiz - I'm so glad you enjoyed the hub!
Marcy - I commented before, but I had to stop by again. Your writing is outstanding and you have great ideas!! I really, really would like to work for myself and quit my day job (yesterday, please?) and this provides such invaluable information. Bravo.
I completely understand how you feel about that, cclitgirl - just today, I unpacked several boxes of very old work papers from a few long-ago positions. It was that sort of stuff we think we might need one day and than years later we winder why we kept it. Even though all my positions had to do with writing, and I enjoyed them at the time, I'm happy to be working for myself now. I truly hope you can reach your goal; you are an amazing and talented writer.. I will be pulling for you - I know you can do it!
I am always excited to read ideas from someone who has been successful in what they are writing about. This is so many great ideas. Thanks so much!
Thanks, homesteadbound - I am so glad you liked the hub!
Marcy, thank you for the useful information. I have a hard time writing 500 word hubs, so I like the idea of splitting articles into series. (I am working on it, though.) Votes and shares! :-)
I'm so glad you like the hub, sholland! Thanks for reading and commenting here.
Thank you so much Marcy for sharing, I found it very helpful especially the part of develop a column and pitching for our discovered ideas
Hi, Vietfoodchannel - I'm so glad you like the article! Thanks for your comments here.
gmwilliams Level 7 Commenter 3 months ago
Thank you for more excellent suggestions. You are totally above par.