Getting Down to Business Installment 2

So I've decided to take this freelance writing thing seriously, treat it like an actual job. Which is good, because I wasn't exactly doing any freelancing earlier. Er...I'm still not, but I'm making steps. Still, I'm young and the world is ahead of me...and the sooner I start making good money at this, the sooner I'll be able to stop scrounging for work at coffeeshops and burger joints.

I've been researching the Fiction Writing market for years, and understand the mechanics and the system pretty well. I also am mostly familiar with the basics of freelancing, but am not as comfortable with it. So I'm doing some in-depth research on the basics right now. (literally. I have another window open that I'm googling).

The thing about freelance article-writing is that it all seems a little bit backwards. You start with interests/skills/specialties that you have. Then you find a market that caters to those areas. Then you come up with an idea for an article--but don't write the article--and query them. Then they either agree to look at your work, or reject you. If they agree, you write the article and send it in for editing. if they reject, you find a similar market and query THEM your idea. The entire concept is very, very strange to me...especially that you query before you even get an article written. But I'm starting to understand it a little better.

This whole freelancing gig, moreso than my fiction-writing pasttime, requires some serious business-oriented thought. So I'm taking steps to make myself more...er...business-ey.

Step 1: Create a business-only email. Check.
Step 2: Create a business-oriented personal website with clips and contact info.
Step 3: Find a number of free newsletters and resources for writers and subscribe to them for useful articles and markets. Check.
Step 4: Find some books on home-business-owning and learn how to run the business end of things, including income tax.
Step 5: Find small, non-paying markets to practice querying and writing for to build up creds/clips. Preferably ones that still give you some rights so you can republish at a paying market after minimal editing.
Step 6: Start learning legalese, and preferably make a lawyer friend that you can buy a few drinks for in exchange of their reading over your contracts.
Step 7: Search paying markets and start sending crap. Rinse. Lather. Repeat.

So there we go. Right now, I've created a work-only account on my computer, where I'll logon to do writing without distractions from video games and IMs. I've started looking into my own areas of interest and expertise, and am slowly realizing that I have a little bit of street cred already (if I do a little bit of smooth-talking) that I can build a resume off of. I'm subscribing to e-mags and newsletters about Freelancing.

...now I just have to remember that in all of my freelance excitement, I still have a novel to finish and some short stories to write. But I'll fit it all in somehow.

Yep. I'm feeling productive already. A little scared...but productive. Baby steps.