Write it!

If you ‘ve ventured down the freelance writing path, you are either are sending your work out to hard copy markets or you are engaging in online writing. What are the differences between the two?

Hard Copy Markets

Sending your work out to magazines can be lucrative but it is a hit-and-miss undertaking. You can end up waiting months to hear if your piece has been accepted and then spend more months waiting for payment. In the worse-case scenario, you are told that your piece will be published and then it’s later dropped from the publishing que. If you have been waiting on payment, this can be particularly frustrating.

I had this happen with a piece that I had previously sold. I sent it to another publication and was told they wanted to run with it and I was offered $100.00. But, the promised payment never materialized–and I never heard back. I finally wrote and pulled the piece, which, by that time, was an effort in futility. Writing for hard copy, in the end, is a writer’s choice and it may be a good way to supplement your income if time is not a factor.

Online Writing

Many writers are transitioning or have transitioned to online writing because payment is so much faster and they can submit their work electronically, over having to mail it out. Online writing offers distinct advantages. If you have a PayPal account or some other payment method, you are paid almost instantly, upon completion of work. If you write reviews, blog, or write for content sites, you are paid every week, bi-weekly or monthly.

Some writers do both hard copy and online writing so that they have income coming in and have checks arriving in the mail. Whatever the process, this results in writing earnings.

• What kind of writing do you do?