Student Writer

Hello everyone and thank you for taking the time to read this thread.

I am a twenty-seven year old who has returned to school to finally get my degree. I would like to take the opportunity, while in school, to chase after those dreams of writing I had as a teenager.

After spending the good portion of the last few months researching where to begin writing professionally I find that I have become awash in a sea of information overload. My main area of interest is non-fiction writing and the non-fiction market place.

I don’t have any clips to my credit and know I need to start off small. Unfortunately, there is not a student paper to hone my article skills on at the college I am attending.

Any suggestions, advice, or anecdotes you could impart in regards to where to submit my first query and how to get over the hump of writing that first article would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,

Josh

Welcome Josh.

When you're at the starting gate a pretty good rule of thumb is write what you know. If you have a particular interest, hobby or field of study; that's a natural area to focus on.

If you don't know anything study an area that interests you enough until you do.

Magazines and some newspapers are always on the lookout for fillers; short items with a tip, a joke or maybe a new way of using an old item. That's another way to get your toe in the door.

But if you have a passion, write about it. I still think that's the #1 way to get nonfiction pieces published.

Thanks Eraser!

Well, according to my wife, if I start off by writing what I know romance tips would be out of the question. Geeze, I don't know why she didn't think a new set of snow tires with matching floor mats wasn't romantic!

Actually, my main area of interest is public policy. In particular governmental policy concerning information technology and physical security. I can see it now...the same blank stare my wife gives me when I start to chat with her about this topic...hehe.

I was thinking about writing a query to the editor of my local paper and possibly starting off with an article concerning how students on my college campus are responding to this election year from a student's point of view. I figured it would be a nice starter piece.

Now all I need to do is get over the jitters of submitting the query.

While I have a chance I want to thank this forum's moderators and posters. I have had a chance to glance through only a minor portion of this board and have found so much good information and helpful suggestions.

Thanks again!

Josh

Welcome to AW, Josh.

Not much I would add to Eraser's comments, other than to recommend the magazine markets. Choose a target and have at it!

Best of luck to you.

Josh, I'd consider writing the piece before querying or maybe even include it with the query. The editor won't commission a piece from an unknown based on a query. At best he/she will say "show me - then we'll talk." It's best to have it in the bank so you can say "ok" while it's fresh in the editor's mind.

Josh,

One of the freelance writing books I read (forgot which one) talked about a writer who paid her way through college by writing about what she was learning in school. She found magazines that were interested in the sort of stuff she was learning, she wrote articles on the topics (with up-to-date quotes from the professors who were teaching her) and sold them to appropriate markets.

By the time she graduated, she not only had a degree, but a well-established writing career and an area of expertise.