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Getting Started in Column Writing
by Mridu Khullar
You’ve written many articles for web sites, newsletters and now you’ve even
conquered the territory of getting published in a magazine. What’s the next
step, you ask? How do I make the editor ask for my work weekly or monthly?
Enter: the column.
Before you march up to an editor’s office or send her unsolicited mail asking to
write regularly for a publication, learn all there is to know.
A column is written weekly, monthly or bi-monthly, and must be focused on one
particular topic. You have to be consistent in what you write, maintain the same
tone of voice, and stay focused on the issue at hand. If you’re writing a column
for the writing parent, don’t delve into issues of parenting in general. Your
readers will probably be parents who write, and they will be more interested in
learning how to find time for their writing, rather than how to take care of
their children.
A column can last from three to four months, to ten or maybe even twenty. I know
of a writer who wrote a column in a leading daily for more than twenty years.
When you decide to write a column, make sure that the topic you choose is of
interest to readers and will keep them coming back for more, week after week. If
your topic is boring or uninteresting, chances are you’ll have no readers, and
the editor will soon wrap up your column with a short goodbye note.
Make sure that you can keep the commitment. Writing a column takes more than
just a bright idea and good writing. It needs dedication, discipline and the
ability to meet deadlines. If you can’t meet deadlines, you’ll soon be out of a
job, and out of the publication—for good. A columnist has to make sure that she
provides an on-topic, interesting, timely article each week (or month),
interesting enough to make the reader come back to read it.
If you decide to delve into the world of column writing, your best bet would be
to start with a regional daily or weekly newspaper. Not only will this market be
easier to break into, but will give you a lot of exposure. Columns for cooking,
astrology, inspiration and living in the city run frequently in newspapers and
are the best places for starting off. However, try to avoid topics that have
been done to death. Put a unique and interesting spin to a topic, and you’re
bound to get the editor’s interest.
Web sites too are now beginning to open up to columns. Just like their print
counterparts, web sites, ezines and even online versions of print magazines ask
for original material on a weekly or monthly basis. The biggest advantage of
writing online is the short acceptance and publication period.
The best way to query an editor about writing a column is by sending clips of
your work and your column topic. If the editor likes your query, you’ll be asked
to send in an article, and you’ll soon be on your way to publishing glory. Keep
in mind though, that column writing is not like writing an article—it’s not
*your* convenience and *your* time constraints that matter. The only thing the
editor wants from you is a good quality article each week, submitted on time. Do
that, and you’ll have a regular income from at least one source.
About the Author
Mridu Khullar is the editor-in-chief of
www.WritersCrossing.com, a free
online magazine for writers. Sign up for the free weekly newsletter to get a
complimentary e-book with 400+ paying markets. Also check out her ebook, "Knock
Their Socks Off! A Freelance Writer's Guide to Query Letters That Sell,"
available at
http://www.worldwidefreelance.com/queriesthatsell.htm
© Copyright 2005 Mridu Khullar.
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