April 12, 2005
A JustMarkets Publication

Welcome, writers!

Variety is not only the spice of life, it's necessary to your success as a freelance writer. If you don't learn the basics of copywriting or tech writing, for example, you're losing a lot of highly-paid work every day. Jeff Carr, experienced technical writer, gives us newbies a helping hand with solid advice on how to get started in his field of expertise.

As for this issue of JustMarkets, from fiery food lovers to Christian teenage boys and baby boomer travelers, readers are out there waiting for you.

Good writing everyone!

Stephanie Olsen
Publisher/Just Markets
http://www.justmarkets.com

P.S. TELL A FRIEND! What a nice gift a year's subscription to
Just Markets makes! Your writer friend could benefit from the fastest markets online, saving countless hours of searching and scrounging all over the internet for paying freelance markets for writers.

GUEST ARTICLE

The New Technical Writer

By Jeff Carr

Technical writing is all about making the complex, simple. For that reason, some of the best technical writers are people who don't have degrees in computer science, but instead have a natural curiosity about how stuff works. It's a field that welcomes those of us who like to learn new things, and then figure out how best to present them to other new users so that they can learn as well.

Technical writing is a field that had a huge influx of new writers in the late nineties during the dot com boom, and then suffered tremendous fallout in 2000 and 2001 during the dot com implosion. Fortunately, things are picking up for us once again. Whereas last year I could count the total number of calls I received from technical recruiters on one hand, this year I receive two or three each month. Technical writing is still a great way for freelance writers to make a good income, even though it's not the "fun" stuff that we all would prefer to be paid for.

If you want to break in to the field, you need to create a body of work on spec. Pick something that you're already interested in, like computer games, PDAs or cell phones, and research the latest technological innovations for that market. In cell phones, for example, perhaps it's the use of GPS chips in providing the exact location of a 911 call from a mobile phone. Research how this is being done and write a technical review about one or two approaches towards solving that issue.

Another approach is to download a piece of shareware or freeware and create a Help program for it. A visit to www.download.com will quickly show you just how much free software is available, and a lot of it is sorely in need of documentation. If you choose to take this approach, be sure to download the latest version of Macromedia's RoboHELP Office X5. Macromedia offers a 15-day free trial, and it is the industry standard for online help.

Prospective employers are more willing to take a chance on new technical writers if they can see the quality of your work beforehand, so make your samples as impressive as possible. The Society for Technical Communication ( www.stc.org ) is the professional association for technical writers. Membership dues are relatively low and they offer a variety of excellent support materials for both the novice and experienced writer. There may be a local chapter in your area, and most members are happy to help you learn how to improve your marketability.

Good luck and good writing.

AUTHOR BIO
Jeff Carr explores the dual worlds of technology and mythology from his home in the Pacific Northwest. He is a published author (The Nahualli Animal Oracle, Bear & Co., 2003), technical writer and instructional designer, and can be reached at caelum_rainieri [ at ] yahoo.com

Markets

Breakaway

Monthly Christian publication, 25-50% freelance written, from Focus on the Family, for pre- and teenage boys 12-18. Accepts humor (fiction stories not needed at this time); and non-fiction content including biographical; how-to; Q&A; adventure articles and devotionals.

Pays 12-15 cents/word on acceptance.
Prefers queries; response time 4-6 wks.

SASE Michael Ross, Editor
Focus on the Family
8605 Explorer Dr.
Colorado Springs, CO 80920
Email breakaway [ at ] family.org
Website: http://www.family.org.
PDF Guidelines: http://tinyurl.com/6e7jh

Minnesota Golfer

Bimonthly print covering golf in Minnesota, 25-50% freelance written.

Accepts non-fiction book excerpts and reviews, humor, interview/profile, new product, opinion, personal experience. Length: 400-2,000 words.
Columns: Q Notes (news and info); Great Drives (Minnesota golf courses); Punch shots (golf news and notes).

Pays $50-750 on acceptance or publication, all rights, byline.
Query published clips snail-mail; 3 mo lead.
No sim-subs.

Contact info:
W.P. Ryan, editor
6550 York Ave. S.
Suite 211
Edina   MN   55435
Phone: (952)927-4643
Fax: (952)927-9642
E-Mail: editor [ at ] mngolf.org
Website: www.mngolf.org

North of 50

Monthly regional lifestyle news magazine for the mature reader. Looks for history and lifestyle pieces, travel articles, regional personality and business profiles. P refers to publish articles that have a Thompson / Okanagan / Shuswap / Similkameen slant.

Pays for features only. Max pay is 5 cents/word
Accepts reprints.
Submit to: tjwallis [ at ] telus.net

Guidelines: http://www.northof50.com/guidelines.htm

Writer and Editors, take note: On March 31, 2005, a JustMarkets Daily subscriber (who requested anonymity) wrote in: I just wanted to let you know that I have landed 9 writing and editing assignments (3 are long term) from the listings you've provided...and I only signed up in late January! I also posted an ad in craigslist for writers for a particular project; that yielded poor writing from people who responded to the craigslist ad the same day, but it yielded many really good writers the next day when you picked up the ad and included it in your newsletter. I really appreciate your services! Thanks! Regards, A long-time freelancer Subscribe to JustMarketsDaily Writers: save time - exclusive markets Editors: free listings - great writers

 

Wish

Published eight times a year, Wish is a new magazine for urban Canadian women, styling itself as the "Shopping List for Life," offering shortcuts, time-saving tips and the best deals and trends in fashion, beauty, food and home.

Welcomes queries for Fashion, Beauty, Home Décor, Food, Family, Relationships, Health & Wellness, Fitness, Environment.

Query with clips to dwallace [ at ] wish.ca
Responds in 2 weeks
Pays CDN $1/word on acceptance.
Guidelines: http://www.wish.ca/wb/cms/public/Page.aspx?PageId=62

FunTripsLive.com

Online interactive site for travellers, seeks tightly focused travel articles of interest to baby boomers with a focus on cultural, heritage, sports, action, adventure or eco-tourism.

Pays 10 cents/word for articles between 500-700 words on acceptance, one time rights.
Sim-subs okay as long as they are not sent to competing markets.
Photos must accompany submission. Pays $10 per photo.

Query must be sent in the body of an e-mail--no attachments--to
djj [ at ] funtripslive.com

Guidelines: http://www.funtripslive.com/common/writers_guide.htm

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Fiery-Foods & Barbecue Magazine
and www.fiery-foods.com

The bi-monthly magazine and site cover the entire realm of fiery-foods and barbecue, including gardening, spicy products, cooking, barbecuing, and travel, presenting interesting information, articles, photos and recipe.

Query chile [ at ] fiery-foods.com with clips.
Pays from $250 (web site only) to $350 (web site plus magazine).
Pays within thirty days of publication.
25% kill.

Guidelines: http://www.fiery-foods.com/guidelines.htm