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7 Steps You MUST Take Before Writing a Word of Copy!
Special Requirements for Reprint: Please include Lorrie's full name, website and resource box with live hyperlinks. Email a copy of the published article to redhotcopy@hotmail.com . Copywriting Checklist Okay, you know you have your product (or...
Article writing; the art of attracting website visitors
If you have just built a new website, or have an existing website, then you
are now at the stage where you are wondering how to let the internet world in general know so that you can start receiving those highly desirable daily website visitors....
Copywriting Is Not One-Size-Fits-All
by Karon Thackston 2004 http://www.copywritingcourse.com I was in shock. Honestly, I shook my head when I read his email. I meant no disrespect; I just couldnt believe he really felt that way. Karon, I want you to write the sales letter for...
Don't Miss These 10 Must Know Facts About Promoting Your Website with Article Writing
Most all ezine publishers need fresh content. Article writing is something that gets tedious to the publisher who sends out an ezine every week. Fresh, unique ideas are always attractive, and ezine authors don't mind publishing others work, (along...
The Purpose of Custom Writing
Have you ever thought why university professors require only custom papers? If your teachers just wanted you to get more knowledge about the subject and learn about various viewpoints they would not ask you to write a custom essay. Copying of...
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How to Break Into Writing for Newspapers
Besides waking up with a morning coffee, millions of us wake every day to blaring newspaper headlines about police gunning down a suspect, or a fire that leaves a family of four homeless, or a city council that wants to make it illegal to dump computer monitors in the landfill.
The stories can be exciting, tragic, informative, even amusing. And being the reporter who gathers the information or covers the scene of emergency incidents must be a thrill.
As a freelance writer you may have considered trying your hand at newspaper reporting, but maybe you have little or no journalism classes in your background.
Dont let that stop you.
Break into the newspaper business by becoming a stringer a freelance reporter who is paid by the story. Weekly and daily newspapers are always on the lookout for stringers. Its economical for them and it frees up their staff reporters to handle the bigger stories.
What kind of work can you expect as a stringer? Ive been stringing for 18 years covering news in the suburbs such as town council, school board, planning board and zoning board meetings. Stringers are also used to cover the local entertainment fare, high school and college sports, and feature stories.
The pay for stringers varies with the size of the newspaper. The basic rate is about $35 per story, but can go as high as $200 or more, depending on the work involved and if the paper also wants you to take photographs.
So how do you get started?
Check the newspaper or newspapers in the area. Read through the publications and see what stories are missing. Has a new department store opened recently, but you didnt find a story about it in the paper? Did your property tax bill suddenly skyrocket, but you read nothing about this coming down the pike?
Dont think nothing happens in the suburbs. Ive covered town council meetings where police were called in to escort troublemakers out of the meeting hall.
Ive covered meetings where the debate escalated to a point where a council member stood and called her colleagues a bunch of sleezebags.
Next, get some ideas together for stories. Find out if there are some community events approaching. Attend a town council or Board of Selectmens meeting and see what issues your community or a nearby community is facing. Will there be a new traffic light downtown? Is the discount store thats been in business for generations going to close permanently? Are there going to be new regulations for your weekly trash pick-up?
Once you have some ideas, call the newspaper youre interested in and ask for the editor. Hint: get the editors name from the newspaper and ask for him or her by name. Introduce yourself and let the editor know you are interested in stringing for the paper and that you have some ideas for stories youd like to present.
Editors know stringers start out with little or no experience, so dont be embarrassed to say youve never written for a newspaper if indeed you havent. If you hear the editor start to hedge, offer to do one story for no pay nothing big, maybe a 300-word piece on a local fund-raising event.
Some newspapers allow their stringers to write their stories in the newsroom. Some do not. If you happen to string for a paper that does not, you can submit your stories by modem or email.
Newspapers count on content to attract advertisers their bread and butter. And while staffers may get to cover murders, fires, and accidents, its the stringer who often covers the news that is the most informative to the community.
And stringers are often the next in line to be considered when a staff position becomes available.
About the Author
Editor of Footnotes, a free newsletter for freelance writers with articles, paying markets, freelance jobs, conference listings, online courses and more. Go to http://www.oscweb.com/footnotes
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