Writing Personal
Essays for Profit
By Pamela Occhino
You'll find them in almost every local, regional and national newspaper.
You've probably read them in your favorite women's, men's, travel, parenting or
inspirational magazines. You may have even said to yourself after reading one,
"I could have written that!"
The personal essay column is one of the most popular articles today. The topic
can be about anything you've experienced in a day, but often centers around a
triumph, a heartfelt moment, a lesson learned or nostalgia. The personal essay
is written in first-person and involves your reader at an emotional level. It's
a short piece of writing that has to do with your interpretation of a slice of
life.
The key to being chosen over other submissions is to write around a theme
(message), painting a picture with colorful words that shows rather than tells.
Today, more than ever, people like reading about people. That means material is
everywhere, from the supermarket checkout line to your own neighborhood. To find
useable material you need to be in the "now" mode, observing and
eavesdropping.
Nothing, however, can take the place of reading the genre you want to write for.
Part of the reading includes studying the different styles of the various
columns authors. Yes, it's time consuming. Yes, it seems unreasonable because
when starting out, the essay columns in smaller local communities pay only
thirty-five to seventy-five dollars. And yes, you will draft, rewrite, and make
a final revision that may take you days if not a week. The light at the end of
the passage way is that the same essay can be revised and expanded upon, then
submitted… without query or editorial permission, to national magazines that
pay from hundreds to over a thousand dollars. Secondly you will be paid for what
will become a clip, that cherished piece of paper that says you are a paid
writer, and here's the proof.
This market is easy entry for anyone who is competent in focusing on the
objective of the work (to inspire, educate or entertain), has good grammatical
mechanics and, most importantly, is likeable.
You not only have to write about the event or experience, but you need to tell
how you felt, what you thought and what really is in your heart. In other words,
you are revealing something about yourself, something that makes you real to the
reader and stimulates strong feelings toward your subject matter. The most
popular essays are about everyday people who have discovered something about
their strengths or weaknesses, a new truth, or a humorous incident that the
reader can relate to. More often than not, the topic is time-sensitive. A sense
of urgency serves the writer well because capturing the trend or that newsworthy
season also increases awareness and relevancy to the reader. Not only will your
article grab their attention, you'll be desirable to the editor.
Creating a reservoir of personal experience material comes from your everyday
life. But because the daily business of life can be distracting, we can miss
those golden experiences to cash in on. By starting and committing to personal
journaling, you'll slow yourself down long enough to capitalize on the day's
events and interactions. Learning to identify that relevant material for
personal essay articles is cultivated. By keeping a journal, you'll train your
awareness to spot unique essay material for a variety of markets. Also, as you
record in your journal, you can practice the kind of writing skills needed for
this genre.
Prioritizing this special time for reading, studying, journaling and reviewing
can be likened to taking a writing course, with a very limited investment.
Practice makes one proficient, eventually.
The best place to start writing for personal essays columns is in your own
backyard. Call or email the op/ed (the opinion page) editor in your city or
town's newspaper. Inquire if they have a paying personal essay column and ask
for the submission guidelines. Visit your local library and study back issues of
the newspapers in your surrounding areas as well. Copy the columns that you most
enjoyed reading, and then when you are home, begin to study them. Ask yourself
these questions as you re-read them:
* What is the purpose or theme? Is it summarized in a single (lead) sentence?
* How did the writer develop his/her story?
* What imagery was used to show the story as opposed to just telling it?
We learn not only by doing, but also through observation and reflection. Each
publication has its own style, and you are the one responsible to decode it and
emulate it, through study and observation.
The best source for finding essay markets in general is the Writer's Market
book: (www.writersmarket.com).
A few links to get to you started now are:
1. The Christian Science Monitor: http://www.csmonitor.com
2. The Lutheran: http://www.thelutheran.org/writers.html
3. Good Housekeeping: http://goodhousekeeping.women.com/gh
4. GRIT: http://www.Grit.com
All Rights Reserved. © 2003 Pamela Occhino. Originally
appeared on Freelancing4Beginners. Reprinted with permission.
Pamela is a freelance writer, speaker and consultant. In 1998 she started
Success by Design, a priority management and communication consulting company.
Her articles, poems and short stories have been published locally, nationally,
in Canada and on the World Wide Web.
