Whether you want to be a professional author or simply have expertise in your field of work, writing and publishing articles is a great way to get yourself out there. However, knowing where to start and actually having your work published by a third party can be tricky for beginner writers.
So, how do you get an article picked up by a third-party publisher? This article will explore tips and tricks to the writing trade and help you get your good word out on the internet.
Have a blog or portfolio
Whenever you’re approaching any potential writing gig, it’s likely that you’ll be asked to provide samples of your work. Having an online portfolio with past writing samples is a great way to showcase your skills. Wix.com, as well as WordPress.com, are great, relatively easy website builders you can use to create a simple online portfolio.
If you’re still relatively new to writing, you can present a personal blog with writings on your personal or professional area of expertise. Both are a great way to give a publisher an idea of skill level.
Choose a publisher that matches your niche
It would make much sense for a professional food blogger to submit an article about the best food and wine pairings to an investment magazine. Making sure that the subject matter you’re writing about matches the site where you want your article to be featured increases the likelihood that you’ll get published.
Charles Moscoe is an entrepreneur and writer who has had his works published by large publications such as The Street, Forbes, The Huffington Post, and more. Much of his work focuses on his area of expertise in investing and marketing.
“Connecting with online publishers that share your vision, whether you write about business or hobbies, is a great way you build a brand for yourself,” explains Charles Moscoe. “When you have the knowledge to share, I think you have a responsibility to teach others. Not to mention, it’s good for business.”
Writing about a topic that you have a passion for will directly translate into your writing, making it more likely that your article will be picked up.
Make sure to edit
Once you get to the point of pitching your article, writing your first draft is the least of your worries. Make sure your piece is properly edited before you send it in for review. Spending a long time on anything can make you more likely to overlook minor mistakes in grammar and punctuation. There are also multiple ways to double-check that your article reads smoothly.
“Other than online tools to catch errors, which I do recommend you use, you can always have a trusted pair of eyes take a second look at what you’ve written,” said Moscoe.
If you don’t have someone to look your work over, you can try reading your work out loud to yourself to make sure your piece is easy to digest. This can also help you catch errors such as run-on sentences. It’s also important to edit your piece more than once to ensure you have the best quality piece to submit.
Submit your article
Once you’ve made the connections and have your article written, it’s time to submit. If you’ve been given a deadline, make sure you submit it well before the final hour. If you’re cutting it too close to that deadline, it could negatively translate that you lack time-management skills. If you can, try to submit your piece a few hours before the final deadline, along with a professional, appreciative email to the editor.
