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Is there a nursing process that you have seen in hospital that really makes
things function like a well-oiled machine? If you have a computer and an
urge to write then you can definitely make some extra money merging these
two. It is extremely easy. You can write about anything you know. You can
even write about a hobby or about some new technique you have for keeping
your home organized. There is even a market for short stories and poems.
After writing your article and having it proofread by someone, send copies
of your writing to several magazines. For a quick poem or short article you
can get from $5 to $500. For a full-length article, perhaps with
photographs, you make anywhere from $20 to $3000. You have to pick the
proper magazines. Obviously, Ladies' Home Journal isn't going to buy an
article about malfunctioning forklifts, and Mechanic's Monthly doesn't want
a cartoon about jewelry. The only requirements are to make sure your facts
are accurate, and make sure your material is in your own words and ideas.
This can be done in two ways. Look at different magazine websites such as
Nursing2004, Ladies Home Journal, True Stories, Good Housekeeping, etc… and
find out what their needs are and find out what types of articles they
accept. You can find this information usually in "writing guidelines"
section on their website.
Don't send out just one article and wait for a fat check. It doesn't happen
that way. Instead, write, write, and write. Send twenty articles per week to
twenty different publications. Keep sending them every week. Some of them
will be purchased. After a while, you will become practiced at writing what
publishers want to buy and you will build a credential. The author who can
claim 300 published articles can command a higher price.
This writer has no problem writing after I get an idea, but sometimes the
ideas are rare. I recommend carrying around a small notebook at all times
and write your ideas as they come to you.
Don't worry about your writing style. If your information is interesting,
timely or of value, the editors can fix misspellings and errors of
punctuation, you can be a horrible storyteller, as long as your viewpoint is
unique or your information is fresh. Non-fiction seems far easier to sell
than fiction. Poetry is slow in the marketplace, but product reviews and
technical presentations sell well to specialty magazines.
If possible, send each article you have written to only one publication at a
time. If rejected, then send that one to another, etc. This way, you avoid
conflicts that could develop if two publishers try to buy it at
approximately the same time.
Get a copy of the book, "Writers Market," or do your research from the copy
at the Library. It is the definitive source of information about the
publishers who will buy your articles. Not only does this book list over
4,000 buyers addresses and editor's names, but it also gives a description
of exactly what type of material they want to buy.
On the top of the first page should appear your name, address, phone number,
social security number and the name of the article. The article name and
your name should also be at the top of each subsequent page. Always send
return packaging and postage with each submission.
Always do a follow up on your article. Right after you have sent the article
in, do a follow up email or call to make sure that they received the
article. Usually within four to six weeks you will receive some kind of
letter on whether or not they are going to accept your article.
As you travel, take notes, write your adventures down, make some extra money
and get some notoriety for being a nurse who wants to share the wealth of
her knowledge! |
