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  • 31 Travel Magazines and Websites That Pay Freelance Writers

    31 Travel Magazines and Websites That Pay Freelance Writers

    When you dream about your writing career, do you picture yourself scribbling in notebooks about your world travels, hoping to combine your wanderlust with your creative flair to earn money for your adventures? 

    If you have travel stories to tell, it’s time to stop dreaming and start finding travel writing jobs!

    Lots of markets are willing to pay for your stories about destinations, tips and your experiences on the road.   

    Get paid to write about travel

    Don’t think travel writing is limited to travel-specific magazines or travel websites. Plenty of local and regional publications are actively looking for travel stories, even for destinations right in your own backyard.

    Some writers envision travel writing jobs as sharing tales of globetrotting and exploring the ancient artifacts of Greece, or wandering Machu Picchu. But that’s only a small part of travel writing.

    Publications are often even more eager to snap up stories about the mountain trails an hour away that make for easy weekend adventures or the nearby metropolitan city that has a new art exhibit and great restaurant scene.

    Publications that offer freelance travel writing jobs.

    Publications that offer freelance travel writing jobs

    While full-time travel writer jobs can be hard to come by, it’s more common for freelancers to sell travel writing to magazines and other outlets. To get you started, we compiled 36 paying international and domestic travel markets. Click on each title to access submission guidelines or editorial contacts.

    So let’s get to it! Here are dozens of publications that provide opportunities for travel writing jobs:

    1. Matador Network

    Matador Travel seeks original writing, photo and video contributions “that speak to the adventures, cultures, and identities of people around the world.” It encourages  creators to join their Matador Creators Community to find the latest journalist opportunities. 

    While the website does not list a specific payment, Who Pays Writers reports payments ranging from $0.03 to $0.20 per word.

    2. ROVA

    Want to share your thrilling stories of life on the open road? The site often looks for stories featuring road trips, RVs and adventure. Most of their readers travel the roads of North America and want insightful stories about the continent.  

    Submit an article or photo essay and earn $200 upon acceptance at the ROVA Magazine website. 

    3. Outpost Magazine

    Outpost Magazine looks for submissions about travel, adventure and culture. It is looking for longform travel stories, travel guides, and stunning photography from writers anywhere in the world. The publication is Canadian and it has a “Canadian slant.”

    Online stories typically range from 800 to 1,500 words, 2,000 to 4,000 for print and features can be up to about 5,000 words; pay varies.

    4. Wanderlust

    Wanderlust, a British travel magazine, publishes destination features up to 2,200 words, along with shorter dispatches, travel guides, round-up features and more.  Pay is typically £220 (about $275) per 1,000 words, but rates vary.

    5. Travel + Leisure Magazine

    While Travel + Leisure Magazine doesn’t have specific submission guidelines online, Freedom with Writing says this magazine is written 95 percent by freelancers on assignment and pays up to $1 a word. Submit your pitches to submissions@travelandleisure.com.

    6. Arizona Highways Magazine

    Arizona travelers rely on this magazine for destination-based ideas, and the publication also encourages travelers to come to Arizona. Check its guidelines to see when queries (typically on specific locations) are accepted. This period is often in March. Pay varies.

    7. Canadian Geographic Magazine

    Write about Canada’s people, frontiers, places and issues in Canadian Geographic Magazine, which comes out six times a year. There are no formal guidelines to follow, but you might want to familiarize yourself with their content and tone to get an idea of what they’re looking for.

    It buys about 30 features a year and pay varies.

    8. Escapees Magazine

    RV travelers with stories to tell and wisdom to share might consider submitting to Escapees Magazine, which specializes in RV lifestyle. The publication only accepts fully written articles on spec.

    They pay $100 to $200 for feature submissions and $50 to $100 for short fillers.

    9. KANSAS! Magazine

    Celebrate the wonders of Kansas with KANSAS! Magazine offered by Kansas Tourism and partner organizations. Pitch a 400- to 800-word nonfiction story that has the potential for interesting photography and reflects the state positively. 

    Most readers are locals over the age of 50. Payment varies.

    10. Los Angeles Times Travel

    The travel section of the Los Angeles Times looks for pieces with a strong visual component. Trips must be taken in the previous two years and writers must follow specific ethical guidelines, including not receiving comped travel.

    Print stories vary from $200 to $750; online-only stories generally pay $500; Weekend Escapes pay $200, plus additional money for original photos.

    11. Wildsam Magazine

    Wildsam Magazine is for RV enthusiasts wants travel stories covering all aspects of the RV lifestyle, including travel destinations, activities and events and more.

    It can pay up to $900 for technical manuscripts with photos, and less for shorter pieces.

    12. Oregon Coast Magazine

    Write about Oregon’s stunning coastal region and tell stories about everything from day-long driving tours to restaurant features and historical sites in Oregon Coast Magazine.

    Payment ranges from $100 to $650 depending on story type and word count.

    13. Pathfinders Travel

    A travel magazine for people for color, Pathfinders Travel looks for fresh ideas and stories about travel and the travel industry. 

    Stories typically pay $150.

    14. Road and Travel

    Road and Travel specializes in automotive, travel and personal safety articles, including articles that appeal to female business travelers. Travel articles should relate to hotels and resorts, spas, airlines and airline rules, bed & breakfasts, destination reviews, places to go and things to do and much more.

    The magazine pays up to $100 per article.

    15. Sunset Magazine

    Sunset Magazine focuses on 13 Western states and wants “take action” travel ideas as well as destinations that offer a variety of experiences and “soft adventures.”

    Pay varies.

    16. World Nomads

    World Nomads looks for travel articles that fall under these categories: love, fear, discovery, connection and transformation. Pitch a personal, authentic story about a life-changing journey or experience.

    They pay 50 cents per word for stories between 600 to 800 words. Payment is made after publication.

    17. Airways Magazine

    Airways Magazine seeks business, travel, technology and personality articles, among other topics.

    Rates range from $150 to $700 depending on the topic, length and treatment of an article.

    18. WestJet Magazine

    WestJet’s Canadian lifestyle-travel publication wants stories ranging from insider tips and service-oriented advice to local cuisine and features.

    Payment varies.

    19. AAA Insider Magazines

    The American Automobile Association publishes several magazines, focusing on auto travel.

    Payment varies.

    20. Backpacker

    Backpacker Magazine covers North American destinations. Pitches must cover foot-based travel, wilderness or backcountry experiences and advice.

    A feature story’s word count varies from 1,500 to 5,000 words, although there are shorter assignments available from 100 to 1,200 words. They accept pitches via email and require a signed contract which specifies the payment amount and payment terms. 

    Pay varies, but Who Pays Writers reports rates up to 50 cents per word.

    21. New Mexico Magazine

    Showcase New Mexico’s rich environment and culture through New Mexico Magazine, a publication of the New Mexico Tourism Department. One-third of readers live in the state and the out-of-state readers typically visit twice a year or so. The magazine looks for a lively editorial mix, with articles that show readers things they can do in New Mexico.

    Pay is typically 35 to 40 cents per word.

    22. Texas Highways

    Texas’ official travel magazine reaches 500,000 readers in 54 countries each month. It is looking for pieces featuring “scenery, history, small towns, and out-of-the-way places.”

    Pays 50 cents per word.

    23. International Living Magazine

    International Living Magazine and website is a comprehensive resource that helps readers find their dream retirement overseas. It wants stories from expats and anyone who can inform their readers about ways to stretch their dollars and simplify their lives.

    Pay is up to $150 for website stories; print stories pay $225 for 900 words and $350 for 1,600 words, plus $50 per photo; 600-word daily postcards pay $100.

    24. New Worlder

    New Worlder Magazine isn’t interested in a taco that has the most buzz—but it definitely wants to know why it has the most buzz. Pitch stories with strong angles about travel, food, culture and people for an American and Latin American audience.

    While pay is confirmed, no specific rates are provided in the guidelines.

    25. Odyssa Magazine

    Freelance submissions are accepted each quarterly issue of Odyssa Magazine, though editors are particularly looking for travel pieces in the form of a guide, personal travel experience or reflection of how travel affects our thoughts and who we are.

    Pay is $30 per article up to 1,500 words.

    26. HitTheRoad

    To get the green light, write and pitch a story to HitTheRoad about the adventures, cultures and amazing experiences of road trips in Australia, New Zealand, USA and Canada. Emphasis is put on experiences in rented campervans and motorhomes, but a journey on the open road is what matters most. 

    Standard payment is a link to your site and $50 depending on article type and length.

    27. Cruising World

    Cruising World welcomes author inquiries and unsolicited manuscripts at all times, but make sure to include photos with your submission. Feature-length articles shouldn’t exceed 2,000 words, and non-features (technical articles and general interest) are capped at 1,200 words.

    Payment varies depending on the type of article: $25 to $200 for short, newsworthy items and $300 to $1,000 for technical and feature articles.

    28. Lonely Planet

    Lonely Planet is an award-winning website that gives travelers the tools they need to plan their next trip such as in-depth information on destinations, things to do and travel advice. They are looking for freelance contributors who want to write digital content, travel news and guidebooks.

    Rates vary, but Who Pays Writers reports a rate of 30 cents per word.

    29. Transitions Abroad Magazine

    Transitions Abroad Magazine is for people who live abroad is looking for a variety of pieces about working, living and studying abroad, as well as cultural and culinary travel. Heads up: They’re currently primarily seeking stories about online learning to teach English as a Foreign Language (TEFL).

    Pay is typically $75 to $150 for a 1,250-word article for the web.

    30. GoNOMAD

    Write travel articles about destinations, activities and experiences for GoNOMAD, but take note that this website seeks pieces that meet its style and focus.

    If you want to write for GoNOMAD, note, “No glossy magazine fluff, no standard guidebook descriptions, no promotional hype.” Articles are typically 1,200 to 2,000 words, and a detailed list of locations and topics the publication is seeking is available in its guidelines.

    Pay is $25 per article.

    31. DesertUSA Magazine

    Desert lovers can write all about the North American desert in DesertUSA Magazine, which targets those who love the natural and cultural history of the region. Wildlife, adventure, history, desert lore, and travel stories are in demand.

    Articles with photos receive payment of $50.

    Write your own travel book

    An alternative to finding travel writing jobs is to simply go ahead and publish your own travel book. If you have written over 10,000 words for a certain travel journey or advice, you could easily turn that into a whole book to sell.

    Advertisement for the Freelance Writers Den, a writing community with more than 300 hour of training for one affordable monthly price

    The original version of this story was written by Kristen Pope. We updated the post so it’s more useful for our readers.

    Photo via natalia_maroz/ Shutterstock 

  • 22 Publications on Religion and Spirituality That Pay Freelance Writers

    22 Publications on Religion and Spirituality That Pay Freelance Writers

    Do you view the world through a spiritual lens? Are you fascinated by the intersection of religion and politics?

    Religious and spiritual writing runs a wide gamut from hard news reporting to lifestyle pieces for particular faith-based demographics.

    Whether you’re interested in writing specifically on religious topics, looking for Christian writing jobs or simply want an audience who understands where you’re coming from, these 23 publications are a good place to start.

    Our list includes websites, literary journals and magazines from a variety of spiritual perspectives. And best of all? They pay their writers.

    New to freelancing? Make sure you know the basics about who and how to pitch before you reach out to a publication.

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    Add these 22 publications, including Christian magazines, to your pitching list

    Here are 22 publications on religion and spirituality that pay freelance writers.

    1. First Things

    Published by The Institute of Religion and Public Life, First Things is a conservative and heady publication that offers predominantly Christian and Jewish perspectives. It accepts opinion pieces, featured articles and book reviews in print and online. 

    Pay: According to the submission guidelines, it offers an honorarium for writers, though the amount is not specified.

    2. The Jewish Forward

    The Jewish Forward offers political and cultural coverage for topics relevant to the American Jewish community. It’s been around since 1897.

    Pay: While The Forward hasn’t confirmed its rates, it states that compensation “will be highly competitive for the right pitch.”

    3. America Magazine

    This is a Jesuit-run publication with a Roman Catholic audience. It publishes reported pieces, personal essays and poetry on politics, faith, arts and culture with a religious or moral angle.

    Pay: While the exact rate is unpublished, per Who Pays Writers, it’s paid up to 38 cents per word.

    4. Guideposts

    Guideposts is most known for its inspirational personal stories hope and inspiration. The magazine also offers lifestyle posts, on anything from recipes to parenting tips.

    Pay: While Guideposts hasn’t confirmed how much it pays, it does say in its writer guidelines that it pays for “full-length stories” (which it defines as 1,500 words) when the story is accepted for publication.

    5. U.S. Catholic

    U.S. Catholic is a monthly magazine for an American Catholic audience which focuses on social justice and pop culture. 

    Pay: The publication offers “financial compensation for both commissioned and on spec content.” 

    6. Woman Alive

    Woman Alive is a UK-based Christian lifestyle magazine for women.

    Pay: Its contributor guidelines notes articles typically run 700 to 1,800 words, and “payment is by arrangement.”

    7. Spirituality & Health Magazine

    This bimonthly multi-faith print magazine goes out of its way to avoid being “new age-y” and offers intelligent pieces on a variety of topics at the intersection of spirituality and health. 

    Pay: Although rates are no longer listed in its writers’ guidelines, it was previously recorded from $200 to $500, depending on the word count and type of piece.

    8. Tablet Magazine

    Tablet is a daily online magazine of Jewish news, ideas and culture. It welcomes submissions from freelance writers but does not accept opinion or editorial (op-ed) pieces.

    Pay: Pay varies. According to Who Pays Writers, the average rate is $0.25 per word.

    9. Sojourners

    This ecumenical magazine covers the intersections of politics, faith and culture. 

    Pay: It pays “for reported pieces, based on depth of reporting, and for strongly researched analysis pieces.”  

    10. Religion Dispatches

    Religion Dispatches (RD) offers current events and timely coverage of religion in American culture and politics. It specifically seeks “reporting, analysis, commentary, and film/book/TV reviews, by scholars, journalists, writers, and activists.”

    Pay: Pay varies.

    11. Geez Magazine

    A quarterly magazine with the tagline “contemplative cultural resistance,” Geez Magazine centers around social-justice issues and is usually theme-based. Geez is Christian-leaning, but not strictly so. 

    Pay: Writers are paid a “modest honorarium.”

    12. Christianity Today

    An evangelical magazine founded by Bill Graham, Christianity Today is probably the most widely read evangelical Christian publication. 

    Pay: Who Pays Writers has reports of writers being paid between 2 and 17 cents per word.

    13. Religion & Politics

    Run by the John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics at Washington University in St. Louis, this website offers political opinions from multiple faith traditions.

    Pay: One writer reports earning 26 cents per word on Who Pays Writers.

    14. Horizons

    A magazine for Presbyterian women, Horizons seeks articles, stories and poems of varying topics. 

    Pay: It offers an honorarium of no less than $50 per page printed in the magazine, though this amount will vary.

    15. St. Anthony Messenger

    St. Anthony Messenger is a monthly Catholic family magazine which aims to help its readers lead more fully human and Christian lives. It pays for opinion pieces, feature articles, fiction and poetry. 

    Pay: Pays 20 cents per word or $2 per line for poetry.

    16. Converge Media

    Converge media “exists at the intersection of faith and culture.” Some categories of writing it seeks include confessions, reviews, interviews and commentaries. 

    Pay: Unpublished.

    17. The Living Church Foundation

    The Living Church Foundation is part of the Episcopal Church and Anglican Communion. It publishes a magazine and hosts a weblog community. 

    Pay: Living Church told TWL that it does pay its writers, though “rates vary with length and experience.”

    18. Busted Halo

    Busted Halo is a Catholic-based publication that aims to “to share the Catholic faith in a fun and interactive way and provide creative resources for Catholics to use when sharing the faith with others.” Pitches are preferred, but they do accept unpublished submissions.

    Pay: Busted Halo told The Write Life that it pays $75 per article at typically 500-600 words per article.

    19. Christ and Pop Culture

    This online magazine “exists to acknowledge, appreciate, and think rightly about the common knowledge of our age.”

    Pay: Although web articles are unpaid, it does pay for feature articles for its magazine. These typically run 1,500 to 3,000 words. Keep an eye out for its call for pitches.

    20. LDSLiving

    LDSLiving is a bimonthly magazine looking for informative and inspiring articles about home and family, education and service, destinations, making a difference, discovery and at home.

    Pay: Varies.

    21. Christian Science Monitor

    The Christian Science Monitor is a popular international news organization built for “anyone who cares about the progress of the human endeavor around the world and seeks news reported with compassion, intelligence, and an essentially constructive lens.” It has both a religious and nonreligious audience.

    Generally, the publication accepts work from new writers on spec.

    Pay: If commissioned to write a piece and you fulfill the requirements, you’ll be paid the “basic rate” whether the story is published or not.

    22. Jewish Currents

    Jewish Currents is a print and digital magazine “committed to the rich tradition of thought, activism, and culture of the Jewish left.” It’s looking for timely, reported articles on topics featured on the site.

    Pay: Unpublished, but Who Pays Writers reports 13 cents per word.

    As well as submitting your work to these publications, why not consider compiling your writing into a draft book and reaching out to some of the top Christian publishers? It’s a great way to reach even more people with your writing!

    This is an updated version of a story that was previously published. We update our posts as often as possible to ensure they’re useful for our readers.

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  • Writing a Memoir: Here’s What Worked for These Travel Writers

    Writing a Memoir: Here’s What Worked for These Travel Writers

    Traveling the world while getting paid to write about it is the ultimate dream for many writers.

    Kim Dinan and Jo Piazza are two writers who have made that dream come true. Both have recently published travel memoirs reflecting on travel, love and marriage.

    Dinan wrote The Yellow Envelope: One Gift, Three Rules, and A Life-Changing Journey Around the World about the journey she and her husband took after quitting their jobs, selling everything and leaving their life in Portland, Oregon, for a trip around the world.

    Before they left, friends gave them a yellow envelope with a check inside, encouraging them to distribute the funds to people they met along the way. Her book tells the story of their journey and the people they met, and shared the money with, along the way.

    While Dinan and her husband were married for years before their journey, Piazza’s memoir How to Be Married: What I Learned from Real Women on Five Continents About Surviving My First (Really Hard) Year of Marriage is more of a honeymoon tale.

    Piazza, a travel editor and globe-trotting reporter, made her way around the world with her journalist husband asking people she met along the way for their marriage advice. It was fitting since the couple met on a boat in the Galapagos Islands where both were on assignment and married three months later.

    Read on to see what worked well for these writers in publishing their own travel memoirs.

    How to begin

    Before heading off, Piazza spent a lot of time doing preliminary research on the themes she wanted to explore. She studied the history and sociology of marriage and interviewed marriage experts and feminist writers like Erica Jong.

    On the road, she interviewed hundreds of people, typically setting up interviews ahead of time. But she stayed open to letting her travels take her in new and unexpected directions.

    “I set up a lot of the interviews beforehand, but many ended up being serendipitous as the best interviews usually are,” Piazza says. “Case in point, I went to India to research arranged marriage and then a tuk tuk driver told me I couldn’t leave the country without going to the place where the women rule to interview the matrilineal Khasi tribe in Meghalaya. Obviously, I extended my trip.”

    Have a field plan

    Once Piazza was in the field, she took notes and recorded interviews in a variety of ways, from typing on a laptop to handwriting in notebooks. When she was hiking Kilimanjaro, she even plotted chapters in her head, hurriedly recording them on paper whenever she had a chance.

    While people were eager to open up to her about love and marriage, she found finding good translators, especially for such a sensitive subject, a bit more difficult.

    ”The trickiest part was when I would have to use a translator, especially male translators translating for women,” Piazza said. “It was a big problem for me in Tanzania and Kenya because I knew they weren’t telling me everything the women were saying. I just knew. I had to switch translators several times.”

    While Piazza had a specific plan when she left home, Dinan wasn’t intending to write a book when she set out on her trip, so she didn’t conduct formal interviews along the way. However, she did journal extensively and, when it came time to prepare to write, she pored over her journals, blog entries, and emails, and racked her memory. She also printed out hundreds of photos she took on the trip, displaying them around her desk to immerse herself in her travels.

    “I was amazed at what I could remember when I sat down and let my brain wander back in time,” Dinan says.

    Writing a proposal and finding a publisher

    The Yellow Envelope was Dinan’s first book. She started with a very rough draft, getting her thoughts out on the page without concern for style or typos. After she wrote around 60,000 words she set the draft aside and began her book proposal, which took a month or two and included a query letter and sample chapters.

    Then, she went online and used AgentQuery.com to assemble a list of around 30 potential agents. She sent out her query letter and received some requests for the full proposal. Eventually, she had two agents offering to represent her, and she selected one.

    Working with her new agent, she polished  the proposal and her agent began shopping it around, eventually finding a home with Sourcebooks. Dinan detailed the whole process on her blog.

    In contrast, Piazza already had an agent she had worked with before, Alexandra Machinist. Though Piazza’s previous novel, The Knockoff, was published with one publisher, her agent shopped Piazza’s 100-page proposal for How to Be Married around with a variety of publishers, eventually placing it with Harmony.

    Marketing can be a full-time job

    While Dinan and Piazza had different strategies to write their books and get them published, they had one thing very much in common: marketing their books was a huge endeavor.

    Dinan’s publisher assigned her a publicist, but she also chose to spend a lot of time promoting her book.

    “From my perspective, I’m doing everything I can to get the word out about my book,” she says. “The way I see it is, I’ve spent years working on this book and if I don’t throw myself into publicity in the same way I threw myself into writing the book then what’s the point?”

    She planned a DIY book tour around the U.S., meeting blog readers and their families and friends along the way. Her marketing efforts include radio and podcast interviews, book giveaways, targeted Facebook ads, using writing group connections and more.

    “I’ve been saying ‘yes’ a lot and that’s great — but it’s been hard to manage the paid writing work I do to pay the bills with the time it takes to do book publicity,” Dinan says. “Let’s just say I’m learning a lot and I’ll have a better idea what to say yes and no to next time.”

    Piazza is also spending a lot of her time marketing, saying it can be a full-time job for an author. She also uses her personal connections to help spread the word, asking friends and colleagues to read the book and post about it.

    “We’ve been incredibly lucky to get great reviews for How to Be Married right out of the gate and a lot of press has been very interested in the book,” Piazza says. “But I will say that getting publicity for a book is often harder work than writing it.”

    Writing a travel memoir isn’t easy, but for these two writers, their perseverance led to the opportunity to share their experiences of life, love and travel with readers. And each used different strategies to research, write and publish, showing there are a number of ways for a writer to find success in the world of travel memoir publishing.  

    The 3 Core Elements that Every Memoir Has

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  • 4 Smart Tips to Help Take Your Freelance-Writing Career Full Time

    4 Smart Tips to Help Take Your Freelance-Writing Career Full Time

    Before I became serious about freelance writing, I was freshly out of school and still held the mashup of part-time jobs I’d stitched together to make ends meet work while I “figured things out.”

    Sure, I was looking for a full-time job, probably as a technical writer, because what else do MFAs do? But I wasn’t in any hurry to accept a job that would barely pay more than the three part-time gigs I had going on, and maybe part of me was terrified at the thought of getting pigeon-holed into a tech writing career.

    Then, my boyfriend had a horrible accident at work, leaving him in the hospital for five days and out of work for months afterward. To say we were struggling to make ends meet would be understated. Out of necessity, I started looking for freelance writing work.

    I landed my first few clients through Upwork, which, although it has its downfalls, is a great place to start looking for work as a freelancer.

    Slowly, one project turned into another, and then another, and before I knew it, I had a fourth part-time job and a big decision to make.

    Here are some of the tips I picked up along the way that helped me finally make the decision to become a full-time writer.

    1. Build a strategic client base

    As you begin to take on more and more freelancing gigs, don’t fall into the trap of sacrificing quality for quantity.

    While you may feel like you need to frantically acquire new clients in the beginning, it can be helpful in the long-run to hold out for clients who are looking to form a long-term working relationship with a freelancer. That way, you can build more stability as you invest your time in repeat clients rather than trying to juggle a string of one-time clients here and there.

    Of course, this can take some time. For me, the mismatched string of clients eventually lead to finding a few diamonds in the rough, but once you dig up these long-term clients, hang onto them.

    2. Don’t be afraid to take an unexpected path

    When you first set out to freelance, you probably have at least a basic idea of the services you can offer, whether that’s copy editing, content marketing, or digital marketing. But just because you had some success doing line edits for your first handful of clients doesn’t mean that’s the only line of work you should consider. Go ahead, accept the invitation to try a website rewrite or SEO writing, even if you’re not quite sure you want those types of projects.

    My first few clients were new authors looking for someone to copy edit their fiction novels. Now, I generate web content for plastic surgeons and dermatologists.

    It’s a far cry from anything my former self would have guessed I’d be doing, but had I not popped my head out of the editing door, I would have never discovered the entire basis for my freelance business.

    3. Want in? Just ask

    If you come across a potential client who you think could benefit from your freelancing service, shoot a friendly email their way.

    When cold pitching, you want to first explain who you are, what specific experience you have, and how you think your skillset could benefit their business.

    Make sure you back this up by demonstrating an understanding of their company and its unique needs. Then, end with an invitation for a phone call or video chat to discuss their needs and your services in more detail. The worst that could happen is that they tell you “no thanks,” but at best, you land a great client.

    4. Be real about your budget

    One of the last obstacles that kept me holding onto my office job was the fact that taxes were already taken out of my paycheck.

    Saving enough money to (maybe) pay the right amount each quarter can seem like an impossibly daunting task, but don’t let this stop you. Get tax advice from a professional who has experience working with freelancers, and don’t be afraid to pay for them to help you file.

    Then, draft a realistic budget for yourself based solely on your income from freelancing. Include your quarterly tax payments, accounting for the fact that some months might be more or less fruitful than others, and resist the urge, however great, to “fudge” numbers in your favor.

    Once your budget reflects a comfortable financial life without your day job, congratulations! It maybe time to put your two-weeks in.

    Make the switch to full-time freelancer

    If I’m honest, there are still times when I can’t quite believe I really did it.

    But all in all, deciding to leave my office job and write full-time has been one of the most rewarding, albeit challenging, things I’ve ever done.

    There were so many times along the way when I felt run-down, drained and downright exhausted from trying to balance so many responsibilities at once. But until my spreadsheet sang financial stability, I held out.

    There’s no doubt that breaking into freelancing can be a bit of a challenge at first, not to mention making the leap from a side gig to a career.

    But if you’re honest with yourself about your goals and how you can realistically accomplish them, becoming a full-time freelance writer really isn’t far out of reach at all.

    This post contains affiliate links. That means if you purchase through our links, you’re supporting The Write Life — and we thank you for that!

  • Would You Call Out a Bad Client? This Freelance Writer Did. It’s Glorious.

    Would You Call Out a Bad Client? This Freelance Writer Did. It’s Glorious.

    It’s been 30 days since you sent a big invoice to that big client for the work you performed, and they still haven’t paid.

    So you send a polite reminder note despite the panic and frustration rising up inside. (You don’t want to burn a powerful bridge, after all, and maybe it was an honest mistake?)

    They apologize for their oversight and say the money is on its way.

    Another month passes with no payment. You send a another reminder that’s a tad firmer, but still far more polite than the, “Where the $&*% is my money?” you’d prefer to send.

    Still no payment, although they do offer a myriad of excuses as to why they can’t pay you.

    You begin to consider things like small claims court, social media intimidation tactics…or the more likely fact you may never see that money you were counting on to pay your bills.

    If you’ve been a freelance writer for any significant amount of time, there’s a good chance you can tell a similar story.

    Sadly, there are plenty of bad clients out there who have no qualms about giving you the runaround (or, worse yet, ignoring you altogether) rather than ponying up the money you both agreed they’d pay for a job.

    It’s nerve-wracking, rage-inducing, and it can throw your entire life into disarray.

    Which is why Simon Owens decided to do what many freelancers have only dreamed of, and publicly call out the big-name client who stiffed him more than $2,000.

    Why he did it

    Owens wrote that his delinquent client is Leslie Sanchez, an analyst, author, CBS News contributor and regular guest on CNN. In other words, the kind of person whose clout could easily scare a freelancer into rolling over and accepting defeat.

    Insummer 2015, Owens agreed to write a business plan for Sanchez’s new digital media company. The final bill for his services came to $2,662. At the time he published his tell-all piece on Medium.com, he’d been attempting to collect payment for this bill for 15 months.

    In the piece, he lays bare every dirty detail of his issues with Sanchez, even going so far as to include screenshots of their emails illustrating her ever-evolving excuses for non-payment.

    Now, $2,662 is no small chunk of change. (“This person had chosen to essentially steal from me the equivalent of two months’ worth of rent,” Owens writes.)

    Still, going public with a grievance against a well-known client is a risky move for any freelancer.

    So why did Owens decide to take this risk?

    “Well,” he writes, “At this point in my career I feel secure enough that any reputational damage will be minimal and I’ll continue to get work. I’ve also given up on the notion that I’ll ever receive payment from this person, so the least I can do is warn off any other freelancers who might consider working for her. I might even teach a few future freelancers some valuable lessons along the way.”

    These lessons, which he elaborates on in his post, include lessons like watching for red flags, getting everything in writing and asking for a deposit before you start your work.

    He also wanted to send a message to delinquent clients everywhere:

    “We’re not just line items on a spreadsheet, and no matter how you rationalize your actions, what you’re doing is theft, plain and simple.”

    To which we say: hear, hear!

    You can read Owens’ full piece on Medium.

    Your turn! Would you ever publicly call out a client who hadn’t paid? Why or why not?

    Kelly Gurnett is a freelance blogger, writer and editor; follow her on Twitter @CordeliaCallsIt.

  • 7 Ways to Handle a Freelance-Writing Client Who Won’t Pay Up

    7 Ways to Handle a Freelance-Writing Client Who Won’t Pay Up

    It’s every freelancer’s nightmare.

    You send an invoice, and wait. And wait.

    After your standard term is up, you send a reminder. And wait.

    Crickets.

    You’ve got a non-paying client on your hands. Every attempt to communicate with them is ignored, or brushed off. Perhaps they make excuses (“cashflow problems”) or ask you to wait just a little longer.

    What should you do next?

    1. Persist: Keep up the pressure on your client

    Chances are, that non-paying client might be secretly hoping you’re going to eventually give up on your money.

    Don’t.

    Keep the pressure on: set a reminder in your calendar to email/call/text/etc. on a weekly basis.

    Yes, it might annoy them: good! They’ve got your money!

    If they’ve told you something like “I can’t pay you this month, but I’ll pay on June 30”, then follow up straight away the next day if they don’t pay. And keep following up.

    2. Contact other people who’ve worked with them

    If you think the non-payment might just be a blip (e.g. your client really has had an awful month), then it’s worth contacting other freelancers who’ve worked with them.

    Have they been paid? How promptly? Did they need to keep the pressure on to get money out of the client?

    This can give you a sense of what type of non-paying client you’re dealing with.

    Getting in touch with fellow freelancers can help you feel in a stronger position: you have a better picture of what’s going on, and you may well have the sympathy and support of other people who’re in a similar position to you.

    3. Ask them to take down your content

    If you’ve written something for a client’s website and you’ve not been paid, ask them to take it down. They may well not do so — but if they do, at least you can rework the piece and use it elsewhere.

    If you are in a position to take down their content (e.g. you host their website), then tell them that if payment isn’t provided by a specific date, you will be taking that content down.

    This may result in them suddenly finding the money for you…

    4. Decide when to let it go

    If you’ve lost out on a relatively small amount of money, at some point, you’ll probably decide it’s no longer worth your time and energy to keep chasing.

    Write it off as an unpaid invoice (you should, at the very least, not have to pay tax on the money you haven’t earned!)…and move on.

    I did exactly this with one non-paying client several years ago. It still rankles a bit, but I got half my money out of him, and it simply wasn’t worth the continued effort of chasing the rest.

    5. Don’t blame yourself

    When a client refuses to pay, you might start to think that it’s somehow your fault.

    Maybe you weren’t using a contract: it might have helped if you did, but there’s certainly no guarantee of that.

    Maybe you had a nagging sense that your client was going to be trouble, right from the start, but you ignored it. Next time, you might want to trust your instincts; that doesn’t in any way make the lack of payment your fault.

    Maybe you should’ve asked for half the money up front. Don’t beat yourself up over it, but do think about making changes next time.

    Maybe your invoicing system is, by your own admission, a bit scrappy. If you want a quick primer on creating invoices, check out How to Create Your First Freelance Invoice.

    Maybe you’re worried that your writing simply wasn’t good enough. That’s not the case! If a client took you on in the first place, that means you were good enough. Even if they weren’t 100% happy with your finished piece, they still should’ve paid you. (I bet you’ve paid for plenty of sub-par services in the past.)

    Whatever happened, it is not your fault. You deserved to be paid.

    6. Call them out publicly

    This can be a scary move: what if a client reacts angrily? What if other freelancers take you less seriously as a result?

    Sometimes, a client who has ignored every email, voicemail, text … will miraculously spring into action when you call them out in public. That could be with a single tweet (“Hey @deadbeatclient, my invoice is now 100 days overdue!”) or with a whole blog post.

    If you are going to take this tack, it’s probably worth priming a few friends to be supportive (particularly anyone else who’s been screwed over) and being very clear about the facts.

    As Deb Ng puts it (in her final update to her detailed post on The Sad, Strange Story of NMX — a post which, after 18 months, finally resulted in her being paid in full):

    The moral of the story? Sometimes you have to take extreme measures to get what you’re owed — even if they’re measures you wouldn’t normally take.

    7. Take legal action

    This is likely a last resort. But if you’re owed a significant amount of money, you’re well within your rights to pursue it. Even a letter from a lawyer may be enough to prompt action: you’re not necessarily going to have to get into court action.

    Do seek legal advice before starting down this route (find out whether it’s going to be more hassle than it’s worth). You may need to be very careful about your communications with your client, if you want to avoid jeopardizing your case — check out this cautionary tale for more on that.

    Have you ever had a non-paying client? What steps did you take? Did you eventually get your money? Let us know about your experience in the comments!

  • Grants for Writers: 8+ International Opportunities

    Grants for Writers: 8+ International Opportunities

    Getting a grant can be just the thing a writer needs to ease financial stress and focus on his or her work. But landing one can be tough — particularly for international writers.

    Fortunately, there are some really great organizations offering funding to writers all over the world.

    Here are eight awesome grants for international writers, along with a whole slew of resources to help you find grants more specific to your region or niche (like journalism or academia). Now, go put your best foot forward and apply for funding for your writing!

    1. Speculative Literature Foundation

    The SLF currently offers four grants, all open to international writers: The Older Writers’ Grant, the Travel Grant, the Working Class Writers Grant, and the Diversity Grant. The amounts are small — all under $1000 — and are designed to be a “gateway grant” for speculative fiction writers.

    Deadlines vary according to each grant.

    2. The Awesome Foundation

    Kristen Pope noted The Awesome Foundation in her list of grants for U.S.-based writers.

    The Foundation consists of fully autonomous chapters committed to giving out $1000 micro-grants to “awesome projects” each month. There are chapters throughout the world, and artists are also welcome to apply for “worldwide” grants if they don’t have a local chapter.

    Feeling philanthropic? You could start your own chapter, too!

    3. Don and Gerel Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting

    Open to new or amateur screenwriters based anywhere in the world, this competition has been running since 1986. It awards up to five fellowships of $35,000 each year, and fellowship winners are expected to complete one full screenplay during that time.

    To enter, screenwriters must submit a feature-length screenplay and pay an entry fee (scaling from $45 to $82). The final deadline for 2016 was in May; check back for 2017 dates.

    4. Brown University International Writers Project Fellowship

    This fellowship is presented each year to an established international poet or fiction writer unable to practice his or her craft with free expression in their home country. The fellowship, worth $45,000, pays travel and living expenses; it also provides an office on the Brown University campus for 10 months. The deadline for 2016 was in February; visit the website for 2017 details and guidelines.

    5. FT/OppenheimerFunds Emerging Voices Awards

    This award offers a prize of $40,000 to a writer in Africa or the Middle East of “extraordinary artistic talent” for a work of fiction published in English.

    The 2016 awards were granted in September; check back on the website to find submission deadlines for 2017.

    6. Miles Morland Foundation

    The MMF awards a small number of writing scholarships each year, with the intention of allowing the receiving writer time to complete the first draft of his or her book. The grant is available to anyone who was born in Africa, or both of whose parents were born in Africa.

    The writer must be working in English. This year’s applications are due by October 31, 2016.

    7. John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation

    The Guggenheim Foundation offers fellowships to mid-career writers, open to citizens and permanent residents of the United States and Canada. Approximately 200 fellowships are awarded every year, and the amount of the grants vary according to the number of awards given. Applications for 2017 were just due; mark your calendars to visit the site next year for 2018.

    In years past the award has been available to citizens and permanent residents of Latin America and the Caribbean; with any luck they’ll reopen that category again.

    8. NSW

    This early career fellowship awards $30,000 to a new Australian writer to allow him or her to “ undertake a self-directed program of professional development.” This includes travel, mentorships, workshops and courses, research, collaboration, and “experimentation.” The deadline for 2016 was in March, but keep your eye on the website for next year.

    More international grant resources and niche writing resources

    Looking for more opportunities to apply for grants? Check these resources:

    International:

    • TransArtists: Run by Dutch Culture, this website lets you search for international artist-in-residence programs.
    • Global Investigative Journalism Network: Maintains a list of grants and fellowships for journalists throughout the world.
    • Funds for Writers: A list of funds (mainly residencies) around the world. Many of the opportunities listed are open to international writers.
    • Creative Resistance Fund: Grants, prizes, and emergency help for writers around the world facing persecution for their art.
    • European Cultural Partnership: Lists writing contests, residency opportunities, and more available both internationally and to EU residents.

    Africa:

    Australia:

    Canada:

    • Canada Council for the Arts: Lists a variety of grants available to residents of Canada. This includes grants especially for professional writers, aboriginal peoples, and spoken word artists, and others.

    International writers, which opportunities would you add to this list?

  • 231 Publications That Actually Pay Freelance Writers

    231 Publications That Actually Pay Freelance Writers

    So, you’ve invested in all the right writing tools, and The Elements of Style has a permanent spot on your desk. You know how to write the perfect pitch. But when it comes to growing your freelance writing career, it’s time to take it up a notch.

    That’s right. I mean going for the big bucks.  Let’s go.

    Here’s a round-up of all The Write Life’s posts on great places to write that actually pay.

    31 Travel Magazines and Websites That Pay Freelance Writers

    19 Websites and Magazines That Want to Publish Your Personal Essays

    Calling All Foodie Freelancers: 20 Dining and Food Magazines to Pitch

    Where to Submit Short Stories: 23 Magazines and Websites That Want Your Work

    29 Free Writing Contests: Legitimate Competitions With Cash Prizes

    28 Parenting Blogs and Magazines That Pay Freelance Writers

    Get Paid to Write Articles: 10 Magazines That Pay $500 Or More

    Get Paid to Write Personal Finance Articles: 18 Outlets to Pitch Now

    How to Get Published by 19 Health and Fitness Magazines

    Get Paid to Write: 17 Great Grants for Writers

    Get Paid to Write: 17 Fantastic Writing Fellowships for Authors, Journalists and Poets

    And don’t forget about our ebook, 71 Ways to Make Money as a Freelance Writer

    What amazing publications would you add to these lists?