Making it as a freelance writer is not easy, especially if you haven’t been published before. However, with a bit of persistence you can be successful. Here’s a tip to get you started.
As a minimum, you should know how to structure a news story or feature article. With news writing, you’ll need to include the who, what, where, why, when and how of the story. If you’re writing a feature, you’ll need to flesh the story out a bit and tell it in an interesting way – and in the way that’s most appropriate for the readers you’re trying to reach. After all, you’d write very different stories for the New York Times and the Surfing Times, wouldn’t you?
Make sure you have the right equipment: telephone and mobile phone; PC or laptop; a dictaphone or other recorder for recording interviews; a printer and a scanner. A digital camera is also useful, as you’ll be able to take pictures to go along with your article.
Article by Sharon Hurley Hall
Sharon Hurley Hall has been mentoring writers here at Get Paid To Write Online since 2005 to help them improve and build sustainable and successful writing careers. Check me out on sharonhh.com. Feel free to connect with me online on Google+.
Sharon has written 653 awesome articles for us at Get Paid to Write Online
Twitter: @SHurleyHall | Facebook | Google+ | Blog → Writing Portfolio
{ 4 comments }
Helpful tip Sharon, thanks.
It isn’t easy to get that first sale but once it happens, you can piggyback on it into other things. I feel that anyone can succeed, as long as they don’t give up! 
Twitter: shurleyhall
May 15, 2008 at 12:33
I agree.
Hi Sharon, Your writing is definitely impressive, and deserves appreciation.I like your style of writing, and the content is expressed quite well. I have never written an article before, but I am very passionate about writing. I hope I find some luck. congrats and all the best for your future ventures.
Twitter: shurleyhall
June 16, 2010 at 07:09
Thanks, Shiji.