When a magazine or newsletter editor tells you they want a 500-word article, what does that mean to you? When a website owner asks for a book review of 300 words, how do you interpret this? When your publisher asks for another ten pages or 2,500 words, how do you respond?
The correct and most reasonable answer would be, “I follow the editor’s/publisher’s request.” But not everyone does.
Many would-be freelance article writers hear the editor and they read the writers’ guidelines, but they submit a piece that is 250 to 1,000 over the requested word count. Why? Oh they have many excuses: “I cut it down as much as I could.” “I just didn’t want to leave anything out.” “It is a better article than it would be as a 500-word piece.” “If it’s too long, the editor can either cut it or run it as a two-part serial.”
No, no, no. In this time of extreme competition for freelance article writers, most likely the editor will take one look at your over-zealous attempt and stamp REJECT all over it!
Recently, we, here at SPAWN, asked for a 300-word article explaining how to write for a particular market. The writer submitted a 650-word informational piece with no how-to aspect at all.
Sometimes writers will be asked to write something in the 1,000-word range, but they can only come up with enough material for a 400-word piece. Again, this article will probably be quickly rejected and the editor will move on to a more professional writer who can and will follow directions.
Another problem I see, and I’m sure a lot of magazine and newsletter editors do as well, is the wrong article for the wrong publication. Recently, a client was asked to write a how-to piece for an online publication. She brought it to me for a final check. Of course, I asked to see the editor’s request email. What I discovered was that the article just did not match the request.
My client had not bothered to study the publication. Well, she said she did, but she missed the point of it. The publication used only strong self-help and how-to information on a particular topic. Each piece contained around 800 words. This writer wrote a 1,200-word essay sprinkled with personal experiences.
Do you know the difference between an essay, a profile piece, a personal experience account, a self-help article, a how-to, etc? If you plan to earn a living, pick up some extra spending money or gain exposure through article-writing, you’d better learn. Can you create a 2,000-word article on request? Can you produce a 250-word piece or expand it to 600 words on demand? If you want to enter into the hugely competitive world of freelance article-writing, you’d better train yourself to do so.
You’re not a writer until you can engage your readers AND please your editors/publishers.
Learn more about Patricia Fry, her writing path, her services and her books: