Three weeks ago, a writer (let’s call him Jack) e-mailed me asking for the contact information of the editor at a magazine I wrote for. I told Jack that I no longer write for the magazine and that the editor had changed since I last worked for them — but that the magazine was published by 123 Custom Publishing, and he could contact them for information. I didn’t hear back from the writer with a thanks (or anything else).

Fast forward to yesterday. A friend of mine who writes for the same magazine told me that she heard from this same writer asking for information on who to pitch.

There are two ways Jack could handle the situation of not knowing who to pitch:

1. He could go to 123custompublishing.com, get their phone number, call, and ask for the name of the editor at X magazine. He could then call or e-mail the editor to introduce himself. Time elapsed: 10 minutes.

2. He could ignore the valuable information I shared, wait three weeks, and then contact another writer for the magazine, hoping that since I failed him, this writer would be able to hand him the editor’s contact info on a silver platter. Time elapsed: Three weeks.

If he had chosen course #1, Jack might have had an assignment by now. But since he chose course #2 (and my writer friend also didn’t know the name of the new editor), he wasted three weeks, still has zero information, and will need to either contact yet another writer from the masthead or simply give up.

The writers who win assignments are those who are willing to show a little initiative and research ability to get them — that is, the ability to look up information online and pick up the phone. For example, a few months ago I wanted to pitch a custom health publication I saw at a friend’s house. The only contact information listed on the masthead was the editor-in-chief’s phone number. I called her and introduced myself, and she asked for clips, which I sent. I forgot all about this exchange, and then last week the editor called out of the blue to offer me a $1,000 assignment. All because I had picked up the phone. Would I have gotten an assignment if I had relied on other people to hand me the information I needed (and ignored the clues they did provide)?

Now, I’m not saying you should never ask other writers for editors’ contact information, but it should be a last resort after you used your research skills to try to find that information yourself. I know that it’s scary to call an editor or a magazine’s editorial department, but for us writers who have something to sell, the ability to fight the fear and go after the sale is a worthwhile skill to develop. [lf]

If you know me, you know that the articles I write are typically service pieces with subheads and bullet-pointed tips for magazines like Health, Oxygen, Writer’s Digest , and many trade and custom publications. In my mind, moving up to the next level as a writer would be writing more complicated pieces. And I recently did it: I sold and wrote my first narrative piece for a business magazine on a cage-fighting entrepreneur. To write the article, I learned how to set scenes and how to smoothly move from the business aspect of the subject’s life to the martial arts aspect, without the aid of subheads for transitions. I also learned how to move seamlessly from past tense to present tense, how to drag personal information from a source, how to interview in person while trailing the subject, and lots of other techniques for narrative writing. I was proud of the article I turned out, and look forward to writing more like it.

For some writers, moving to the next level means going from unpaid to paid work, or from a dollar a word to two dollars a word. Whatever it means for you, here are some tips to moving on up in the writing world.

1. Start where you are. My buddy Jennifer Lawler is a very successful magazine writer, book author, and now, and agent. When she started out writing, she concentrated on her expertise: martial arts. She wrote for Black Belt magazine and other fighting titles. When she wanted to move into more popular and better-paying consumer magazines, she sent them pitches rooted in the martial arts; her first consumer magazine piece was an essay for Family Circle based on the mindful aspect of martial arts. She also ended up writing on self defense for Oxygen and Cooking Light. Later Jennifer garnered several clips from Family Circle that were not about martial arts because the editor liked her work. If you have an expertise, use that to help catapult you to the next level. Once you’re at the next level, you can gradually expand your topics.

2. Don’t go all or nothing. Don’t burn bridges with your current markets as you try to make the leap to bigger and better; it makes more sense to drop them slowly as you develop relationships with the more desirable magazines. For example, when I decided I wanted to write more complicated pieces, I didn’t start turning down service pieces — after all, those are still my bread and butter! You may be tempted to drop all of the work you want to move out of so you have time to pitch the better markets, but if you do that you could end up without an income. The only exceptions are magazines that pay nothing or that pay ridiculously low fees: Those you can safely drop.

3. Get help. When I got the assignment to write the narrative piece for a business magazine, I was clueless. So I asked my buddy Elaine Grant for help since she’s done many of these types of pieces. I took Elaine out to lunch, and all of those things I said I had to learn in order to write this article? She taught me. She even helped me by critiquing my first and second drafts. So approach a writer you know who writes for the markets you’re aiming for — and ask for help.

4. Ask. If making it to the next level, for you, means moving up to a higher pay rate, try asking your current editors if they can give you raises. This can be a lot easier than breaking into higher-paying markets, though of course you should try to do both.

5. Help a buddy. When I started earning bigger paychecks from better magazines, I didn’t just drop my old clients saying “Don’t let the door hit your ass on the way out!” My husband was just starting out as a freelance writer, and I recommended him to these editors. They were thrilled to have another good writer, and I still had a positive relationship with the magazines even though I didn’t write for them anymore. If you don’t have an aspiring writer waiting in the wings, you can offer to find writers who are willing to work for the editor’s rates by posting in writers’ forums you frequent.

6. Get moving! So many writers tell me they’ll pitch their dream markets as soon as they build a good selection of clips from [insert name of non-paying magazine here]. Smarten up: You need only one clip to say you’re a published writer, and if you get bogged down writing for free (or super cheap) to build clips — that’s your fear talking, not your logic. Just pitch your dream markets — you lean more by doing and experiencing and making mistakes pitching your A-list markets than you do by stalling with the non-paying markets. You don’t even have to let go of the apron strings of the magazines you want to eventually ditch (see “Don’t go all or nothing” above). Just pitch! [lf]

Of course, I’m very willing to help them. I’ve written for dozens of newsstand magazines, from Family Circle to Fitness, and I have a pretty good idea of what they’re looking for. However, I don’t know anyone who makes a full-time living writing only for these types of magazines, for one good reason: They’re very difficult to work for. It seems pretty sweet to make $2 per word and up writing for a newsstand magazine, but let me tell you — you work your ass off for that money.

Because ideas have to go through multiple layers of acceptance, it often takes months to hear back on a query — and then, when you do, sometimes the editors need the article turned around very quickly. Then, once you turn in the article, the multiple rounds of revisions start. Finally, once the article is finally accepted, you have to wait to get paid. One newsstand women’s magazine accepted my idea in June, the article wasn’t accepted until November, and I wasn’t paid until the following April.

Now, I’m not saying that it’s not worth it to pitch and write for national magazines. Not at all. They make excellent clips that can help open the door to other magazines. And the per-word rate is a factor: I definitely felt like I had “made it” when I got my first assignment that paid over a dollar a word. Finally, I’ve developed relationships with many wonderful editors at national magazines.

But if your goal is to make enough income to freelance full-time, I’ll tell you what I tell my students: You need to write for other markets as well, and trade magazines are a great, often overlooked market for freelance writers. Trade magazines are publications that are created for the members of a certain industry. For example, Credit Union Times is for execs in the credit union industry, In-Plant Graphics is for people who run on-site print shops, and you can probably guess who reads Sheep! magazine.

Here are some of the benefits of writing for trades:

* They’re easier to break into than national magazines. I’ve written for more than two dozen trades, including Funworld, Multi-Channel Merchant, and Call Center Management Review, and I broke into almost all of them with letters of introduction. While many trades are happy to receive pitches, they also often come up with ideas in-house and assign them to freelancers.

* They’re less competitive than national magazines. So many writers overlook this great market that trade magazine editors tend not to be overwhelmed with pitches like their national magazine counterparts.

* They make great clips. A clip from a trade magazine can help open the doors to other magazines. I used mostly trade clips to break into national magazines.

* They’re fun to write for. The people I interview for trade magazines are usually excited to share information about their industries, and that excitement is contagious. You may think it’s boring to write about, say, how to set up a cleaning schedule for your restaurant (which is a topic I wrote on last year), but I disagree. A true freelance writer can find interesting nuggets in any topic.

* They can pay well per hour. The per-word rates can look stingy compared to national magazine rates — anywhere from 5 cents per word up to say $1 per word, but usually somewhere in between — but the editing process is so much easier than at national magazines that you can end up making more per hour. For example, many of the trades I’ve written for in the last few years have paid around $.50 per word, but my hourly rate has been around $250.

So how do you break into the trade market? Here are some tips:

* Seek them out. You can find trades in many places. For example, tradepub.com lists thousands and includes links to their websites, where you can read the archives and find the editors’ e-mail addresses. Writer’s Market (which is a pay service) lists many, though their directory is by no means exhaustive. The American Society of Business Publication Editors costs $50 per year to join and gives you access to their membership list. And of course, you can always Google your chosen industry plus “trade magazine” or “trade journal.” The only problem is that outside of Writer’s Market, it’s hard to determine how much a trade magazine pays — or if it pays at all. It’s really hit or miss.

Look for trade magazines that address topics you have some expertise in. For example, if your full-time job is as an HR manager, look for trades in that industry. It seems that almost every industry has at least one trade magazine. Don’t believe me? My husband once wrote for Indian Gaming Business — and this magazine actually has a competitor.

If you have a general area of business expertise like small business management, employee relations, or marketing, this can play well in trades across all industries.

* Script your LOI. Your letter of introduction should make it clear that you’ve read through the magazine, or at least the online archives. Ask the editor if she assigns articles to freelancers, and then tout your credentials in the trade’s target industry. End by asking if you can send the editor some clips (if you have them; if you don’t, don’t mention it — just ask if there’s anything you can do for the editor).

* Craft a pitch. Alternatively, you can pitch an idea to the magazine with a query letter. Make sure you thoroughly read through the magazine’s online archives. And keep in mind that trade magazines target businesspeople, not consumers. So a trade for the travel industry might have an article on how readers can market their services, but it would never run an article on the best wineries in Napa Valley.

* Follow up. Always follow up on LOIs and pitches! I usually give it two to three weeks before sending a quick e-mail note to check on the status of my LOI/pitch.

* Build a relationship. Your goal is to build a relationship with trade magazine editors so that they think of you when they have an assignment. I wrote a whole blog post on this in September.

* Happy writing! I hope you score lots of assignments with trade magazines. Let me know when you land your first assignment with one! [lf]

However, I DO “honor the season” on a day-by-day basis. We all have days when we feel down and dragged out, and we just can’t bring ourselves to work. We haul our butts into our ergonomically-correct chairs and try to will ourselves to write, but all that happens is that we spend the day in front of the computer surfing the web. Then, at the end of the day, we still feel down and dragged out — only now we feel guilty, too.

I’ve learned that when I have a day like this, it’s best to just go with it. Here are my tips for “honoring the day” so that tomorrow, you can feel rejuvenated and ready to get back to work.

Get an Early Start

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, as soon as I get an article assignment I start lining up interviews and doing research. That way, I’m not knocked off track if a key source is unavailable or some snag crops up; I have plenty of time to deal with the snafu. There’s another reason to start early, though: If I have a down day, I can take the day off and it won’t affect my current deadlines. Unless it’s the actual day before deadline and my article isn’t done, I can usually take off a day and pick up the thread again the day after.

Make a List

It’s hard to honor the day if you’re feeling guilty and frantic about all the to-dos that are running through your brain. Yesterday, which was a down day for me, I took a few minutes to make a list of all the things I needed to get done the next day. Then I was able to relax.

Ban the Computer

If you have a down day, use it to really relax and rejuvenate. Don’t veg in front of the computer all day trying to work and not succeeding, or Facebooking other people who aren’t working. Turn the computer off. The e-mails can wait until tomorrow. Instead, read a book, call a friend, watch a movie, or do some light exercise (more on that below).

Get Moving — Slowly

I always find that light exercise helps me relax, take my mind off the work I’m not doing, and feel more positive. I prefer yoga. A local yoga studio offers gentle yoga classes, so that’s what I opt for when I’m feeling down. Also, if I have personal training scheduled that day, I ask my trainer, who’s also a certified yoga instructor, if we can do yoga instead of weight training that day. Another option is to get outside for a casual walk (no power walking!).

Sleep

Okay, I’ll be brief with this one: If you need to sleep, sleep!

Meditate

At the end of a down day, I like to do a guided meditation from my iPod. The Meditation Podcast offers free — guess what? — meditation podcasts. My favorite is the one titled “Positive Thinking.” Another good source for free podcasts is Meditation Oasis. When I do my favorite guided meditations right before bed, I usually wake up feeling refreshed.

Ditch the Guilt

We all have down days. The good news is that as a freelancer, you have the flexible schedule to turn a down day into a relaxing day that helps you feel more motivated and positive. You’re your own boss, so as long as you’re turning your work in on time, no one can stop you from honoring the day! Taking an occasional day off will help you be more productive and do better work in the long run — so don’t feel guilty about it. [lf]

My mind spun as I tried to figure out how I’d juggle my other commitments to accommodate this request. I groused to my husband about clients who sit on copy for two weeks and then need changes in a day. I called a friend and did some more kvetching. Then I sent an e-mail to my editor with three words:

“I’m on it.”

I then worked my ass off to make the requested changes. At the end of it all, my editor looked like a hero to her client. Even better, she doubled my fee without my asking.

Another editor e-mailed to let me know that a product my source picked for a product review piece –which I turned in over two weeks ago — was no longer in production. Could I get another recommendation and write up a description today?

I complained to my poor husband (he hears a lot of it), then sent my editor a three-word e-mail:

“I’m on it.”

Then I had a back-and forth via e-mail with the source until we found a product that was a good replacement for the original one. My editor, who was rushing to meet a deadline of her own, was grateful. A week later, I had another assignment from her, and I noticed that my payrate was slightly higher.

When an editor makes a request, you have three choices:

1. You can decide that it’s unreasonable and that you can’t (or won’t) do it, and let the editor know.

2. You can decide that you can do it, but because of the rush/extra work outside the scope of the original assignment/etc., you’ll need a bump up in your payrate.

3. You can tell your editor that you can help her — and tell her with a smile.

All three of these options are valid and you’ll use all of them in your freelance career. But if you know you’re going to do it, even if you really don’t want to, it doesn’t make sense to complain to the editor, use passive-aggressive language in your e-mail, stall, or otherwise make yourself into a PITA. Grouse to your significant other, call a friend to bitch, punch some pillows to get the frustration out of your system, and then tell your editor you’re on it and apply butt to chair to get it done.

I’m not talking about major work here, like rewriting an article with five additional sources and 800 additional words. You should certainly say no to any attempts to take advantage of you. I’m talking about requests that are inconvenient because they disrupt your schedule, that may seem a bit unfair because they’re so last-minute, but that in reality don’t take a ton of extra work. When I get requests like these, I often get a little upset because I have to get back into the assignment mindset when I finished the copy weeks ago and have moved on to new things. But I suck it up and get it done. Maybe that’s why I get assignment after assignment from a core group of great clients.

I guess it’s all about attitude.

When an editor comes to you with a last-minute request, decide which of the three options will work for you, And if it’s #3, tell the editor, “I’m on it!” [lf]