For Writers - Diversify!

Don’t you love it when you open your emails or saunter out to the mailbox and there you find five or six payments for writing work you’ve done? And all within a short span of time. That’s happened to me and it was a delight. It was also the result of a lot of hard work. The secret? Diversify. Sounds like something you should do with your stock portfolio, but writers who take this path always reap the reward. Each of the following suggestions can be culled from work you’ve already done or written up quickly when you need a break from a big assignment or working on a tough chapter of your novel (as I am).

Flash Fiction

If you’re one of those writers who likes it short and to the point try sending your excellent flash work to:

Vestal Review – Come on, you have a couple of great short stories in your lineup somewhere don’t you? This publication pays 3-10 cents a word and would love to see it. Find guidelines at http://vestalreview.net/Guidelines41.html

Anthologies

Vent your spleen, remember a pet, or share an embarrassing moment. Anthologies will love you. These are a joy to write and require minimum time and no research.

Chicken Soup – Just scads of topics to write about. Pays $200 per story

http://www.chickensoup.com/story-submissions/submit-your-story

Not Your Mother’s Book  - This publisher is always looking for stories, too. Get in there – start writing. You’ll be glad you did. http://publishingsyndicate.com/submissions/nymb_submit_guidelines.html  

Keep track of and have the rights to your “evergreen” inventory files. I’ve sold many pieces twice and perhaps you have, too. But think about how you can further angle those pieces for a market you never imagined. For instance, have you penned a poem or two, but never had the nerve to submit it anywhere? Or perhaps you’ve sold a bit of verse to a publication that’s gone belly up and you’d like to re-sell it. Greeting card markets work with poetry all the time. You might have just what they’re looking for. Check out this market.

Blue Mountain Arts – Pays $300 per idea, but does not want rhyme. See guidelines at: http://www.sps.com/help/writers_guidelines.html

Every freelance writer must remember that the minute you’ve made a sale, it’s in your past. Rejoice and move on. Keep your focus on conquering the next market and make sure there’s a great diversified scramble in your big basket of eggs. 

Image: Free Digital Photos