Writing About What You Know Could Get You Published

You may not think about it, but your experience is valuable to other people. Indeed, it could prove profitable to you.

I’m not suggesting you write the next Great American Novel. But the fact is there’s a tremendous demand for nonfiction articles telling readers how to do things you take for granted.

Publishing also adds to your professional credibility. Think about it, publishing credits not only look great on a resume – magazine articles by you also look great framed on the wall of your office.

Where do you get published? You only have to look as far as the trade magazines you read. Some of the best articles for these publications are written by people in the industry. I know, before I switched to fiction, I edited trade magazines for several years.

Many trade magazines are willing to pay well, and have great reputations in the publishing industry. Often the traditional turns to them when they need a source for a story.

But often trade publications have a hard time filling their pages with quality information their readers need. They are staffed with journalists, not real experts in the field they cover. The editors often appreciate articles “from the field”.

You may not realize it, but you’re an expert – and your knowledge is valuable.

One of the most popular kinds of stories editors need is the “how to” story. It’s an article telling your readers how to do something. These usually range from a few hundred to more than a thousand words.

You want to write clearly. Different publications have different styles for things like numbers. There are industry standards when these are spelled out. I could outline those for you, but they are different for different publications.

And that’s why we have editors, and for that matter, professional writers.

You’re going to make a couple of mistakes if you handle the article yourself. It’s your first story. Hemmingway didn’t get his first story out on a first draft, by the wayâÂ?¦

Use declarative sentences. Often people laugh at me when I tell them I went to the “Dick and Jane” School of Journalism. But I did. Yes, I have a B.A, and was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. Yes, the “real” newspaper journalism I did for some years is very different than writing “how-to” features. However, they are more alike than you might think.

In all forms of writing, the whole idea is communicate with your audience. You know something the reader doesn’t. Now, you could go to school for ten years, or you could just spit your story out in the subject-verb format.

Just tell the reader what you know about your topic. It’s that simple.

Start with the most important thing first. Tell your reader you know something he probably doesn’t. It’s how I started this article – I got your attention right off.

Limit yourself to a sentence or two; again, using short, declarative sentences. Get rid of any extra words. Interest your reader why this article is important, or what you are going to cover.

Be conversational. Don’t try to impress the reader with your vocabulary or education. Believe it or not, that technique often turns off more readers than it impresses. Many word processors will tell you what grade level your article is written at. I may be a college graduate, but almost all my work is aimed at an eighth grade level.

Believe it or not, so are most newspapers and magazines – including the major ones.

Try this:

At first, sit down with your paper, or computer, and brainstorm. If it helps, just get a tape recorder.
For your first article, don’t pick a really difficult task. Choose something that isn’t too complex – but don’t choose something everyone else knows how to do. Select something a lot of folks wish they knew how to do.

— Try to tell someone, point-by-point how to do something you do professionally. Perhaps something that will help people in their daily lives or careers. Think about it; there’s a reason why you get paid – and you probably do it better than the average person.

— Don’t even think about the beginning or the end of your article yet. Go through and identify each step and deal with it; one at a time. Keep it simple.

— Number each one of those steps, or identify them with a dash (–).

— Go through your pages, and actually try to do your task. Chances are you’ll find any steps you left out. Go ahead and add them to the story.

Congratulations, you’ve almost completed your rough draft.

I would go through and do it again. Double-check yourself. (Believe it or not, I’m following my own counsel to write this article, and following the steps I’m giving you.)

Now you’re ready for the second draft.

Your opening paragraph can be one of two kinds. You can write it to tell the reader what the article is all about, or you can write something that will simply draw attention.

An example of getting attention, and perhaps setting yourself up for a high-paying column could be:

“Right now the market’s as predictable as a Reno whorehouse, you know what you’re going to get for your money. Here are six different ways to move into less predictable – but potentially more profitable arenas.”

A more conservative approach could be:

“The market is stagnant these days. If you are looking for opportunities that might return more – regardless of risk – here are six to look at.”

Follow that with a transitional paragraph before you start throwing the bulk of the article at your reader. Try to explain in a sentence or two what is coming. Again, use declarative sentences. Try to use active verbs. Keep your sentences as short as possible.

I always try to present the idea, “What does this mean to me?” to the reader in these first paragraphs. This concept “hooks” the reader, and tends to make them want to read on.

After you’ve presented your material, it’s nice to try to summarize it in a paragraph or two. In this case, to let you know you have some valuable information that’s worth something in the marketplace.

No, you don’t have to be an award-winning writer to get published. In many cases, you already have experience and education many editors are very interested in, and would love to publish. Think about writing an article about something you know.

You may find it’s not only a nice source of income, but it could add to your professional credentials as well.

Sidebar: Teaming up with a writer

Like the idea of getting into print, but you’re a little worried about the whole publishing business? Consider teaming up with a professional freelance writer or editor for the first few articles. Split the pay, and demand both your names appear on the story.

This provides credibility for both of you. It gives both of you a notch in your belt for your writing resumes.

What’s a professional writer or editor? That’s a good question. Even folks in the trade have difficulty defining it among themselves when they’re really honest about it. The vast majority of “professionals” in the publishing field will admit it’s not a well-defined, coat-and-tie world.

Generally you’ll want someone who has a college degree in English, Journalism, or a similar field – though some of the best writers have never set foot in a college.

Generally, the publishing field is still a lot like the Wild West to the uninitiated. There are a lot of freelancers who lie about their credentials, miss deadlines, and perform really badly. Hooking up with them can be a mistake that can cost you dearly in the industry, because your reputation can suffer as well.

For example, in publishing, deadlines are everything. If you miss a couple of deadlines as a professional writer or editor, you might as well start looking for another trade. As an editor, I’ve fired writers for leaving me hanging – and word gets around the industry fast. Writers and editors tend to be incredible gossips.

Never pay a writer up front. Your contract may be for a couple hundred or a couple thousand dollars, but most editors won’t have a problem cutting separate checks to you and the writer upon request. By the same token, most legitimate writers won’t have a problem with that kind of a relationship. Indeed, they may ask you for it.

So be careful about who you team up with, they can ruin your reputation before you get a chance to write anything.

Here are a few websites you can visit where writers and editors hang out, trolling for work. Try approaching a few, telling them what you do, and you’re interested in collaborating on a few “how-to” articles.

Be firm you are interested in a collaboration – and expect to be treated as an equal partner. Don’t settle to be interviewed and have the writer take off with the information, only to write – and be paid for — several articles without you.

Keep in mind you are contributing the know-how to this how-to project, and expect professional compensation and credit. Don’t settle for anything less.

Here are a few websites you can visit where publications are looking for writers, and writers often look for work. In some, writers are listed looking for work. Everything here is free. Try approaching a few writers, telling them what you do, and you’re interested in collaborating on a few “how-to” articles.

www.staffwriters.com
http://www.sellwritingonline.com/wm1.html
http://www.writersweekly.com
http://www.writerfind.com/mailinglist.htm
http://www.freelancers.com/

There is a small, unregulated, independent industry watchdog forum trying to keep an eye out for the worst predators in the writing industry. For example, when an agent or publisher somehow cheats a writer, this is where many writers turn to report the business.

The report is recorded, and other folks in the industry note it the next time they need an agent or publisher. I use it all the time.

Likewise, when many writers have a good experience with a company, they can report it there. My editing company, for example, Creative Editing Solutions (Easedude2U@comcast.net), is listed.

Nobody pays them to do this, so they’re not a flashy group, but carry a lot of credibility within the industry. You can find them at:

http://www.anotherealm.com/prededitors

So you have options if writing appeals to you. You really don’t have to go it alone. You may be write the next Great American Novel someday, but in the meantime, it may not hurt to get your feet wet with something you know.