Freelancing for Pleasure and Profit

Issue #26

Greetings, Gather writers, and welcome to this issue of Freelancing for Pleasure and Profit. When I first wrote this column, more than a year ago, I discussed a few tips to broaden a freelancer's chance at acceptance with good-paying print publications. I've updated the info a bit, and feel it is a lesson well worth considering once again. 

Let's face it.  The world of professional freelance writing is fiercely competative. Writers need every little edge they can muster to even keep up with the competition, let alone beating them out on assignments. What can you do as a freelance writer to put yourself in a contending position? How can you appear a bit more professional than the next writer? Certainly there are no guarantees. It's simply not that kind of profession. However, arming yourself with helpful hints and a bit of editorial lingo can't hurt your efforts. In fact they can only prove beneficial as you aim to provide your editor with a little bit more than they may have been asking for. 

Learn the definitions of the following terms. Practice recognizing them in the newspaper and magazine articles you read. Strive to incorporate these components into the next articles you plan to write, and mention their availability in your query. They will likely draw the attention of an editorial assistant at the very least; (hopefully a full-blown editor!) and may lead you to that ultimate goal of publication. 

Designed to draw a reader to its content, subheads draw the attention of one who might instead opt to merely skim an article. If these subheads are enticing enough, the reader may just indulge in the entire article after all. And that is, of course, what the writer, editor, and publisher are ultimately striving for.

Decks play a more vital role than providing a landscaped home extension upon which we watch the sunset and sip our wine. Instead, an article's deck is a lead-in to the substance of the story. Its intent is to make the reader want to know more. 

Callouts are not the words a writer shouts to an editor. They are, in fact, found within the very article he or she has written. Key words from within the article entice the reader to delve into the heart of the matter. 

Integrating these three terms into your freelance writing vocabulary can greatly increase your earning potential and your chance at gaining assignments. They are simple. They take very little time. They will undoubtedly magnify your image as a professional freelance writer. 

What Exactly Are They? 

Subheads-sometimes an article has one or two, sometimes more, depending on its length. Not all articles will have them. Most features will. Subheads for a newspaper article on a new business might have the following title and subheads:

Title: A Head of Its Own    (this will be an article in a newspaper ablout a new hair salon)

Subhead 1: (This will never be at the start of the article. An article must be opened and the readers given a hook. Then the subheads may begin.)

More Than A Hair Salon (This section will go into the other services the business provides; manicures, pedicures, waxing, etc.)

Subhead 2:  

New York Training (This will feature a couple of the employees and the prestigious schools where they trained. "Jane T. Stylist formerly ran Hair Plus where many local celebrities were found sitting under her hair dryers. Susan Shampoo graduated from Manhattan's Best Beauty School with honors and now awaits her new clientele.)

Subhead 3:

Location, Location, Location (The salon obviously is located in a convenient spot. Mention what's around it and what a handy spot it can be. After all, that famous coffee house is right next door!)

Callouts-These are a few words excerpted from the text. They are typically found spanning a two-page article, called a spread. If you've got a catchy play on words or line or two of colorful text, consider them as callouts.

Decks-Text placed between the title and the beginning of the text. The font is typically smaller than the title, but larger than the text. A deck gives a pretty good indication of what the article is about, and it should make the reader want to immediately know more.

Sound simple? It is. Once a writer has a grasp of the article he or she is writing, the implementation of decks, callouts, or subheads may even serve as an outline of sorts.

The inclusion of these in a query letter shows an editor you know your stuff, and puts you at an advantage for receiving assignments.

Try this freelance writing exercise:

Clip a few articles from newspapers or magazines. Determine and label the subheads, callouts and decks. Pull up an article you may have previously written or published. Try adding subheads, callouts and decks to the existing piece. Can you see how much these tools add to your article?

Get in the habit of doing this exercise while reading the daily newspaper or perusing your favorite magazines. You'll probably find ways to improve upon the original writer's choice of subheads, callouts, and decks; and once you reach this point you'll know you're ready to put your new skills to good use.

Kimberly Ripley is a freelance writer and published author from New Hampshire (presently creating mortal enemies by hanging out in sunny Fort Myers, Florida). Check out Kim's books Freelancing Later in Life, Lily's Gift, The Ghost of Useppa Island and Breathe Deeply, This Too Shall Pass: Thirty Tales of Trials and Tribulations of Parenting Teens. They are available at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble.com and other fine book stores. Contact Kim at writerip.gather.com.