One of the best markets for freelance writing may be sitting on your kitchen table next to your coffee right now.

The most overlooked market for freelance writing is newspapers. If you scan The American Directory of Writer’s Guidelines, Writer’s Market, and other major market guides for freelancers, you will find that most of the listings are for magazine and book publishers. Yet newspapers constitute a huge opportunity for freelancers.

Pick up any big city newspaper and consider how many stories it takes to fill all those pages. How can any newspaper staff produce so many stories every day, every week, every month of the year, and keep up with breaking news too?

They can’t. They use freelancers. And you can be one of those freelancers. But how do you break in?

According to Sue Fagalde Lick who has been freelancing for newspapers for decades, “If you are looking to break into writing for newspapers start thinking about your work, hobbies, and personal experiences. Are there subjects that you are especially interested in or knowledgeable about? You can turn this interest into articles for your town’s daily or weekly newspaper—or even a national one.”

Lick is the author of the book Freelancing for Newspapers: Writing for an Overlooked Market, published by Qill Driver Books.

1. Tell me a little about your background.

Sue: I have always loved to write. Realizing early that I needed to earn a living, I majored in journalism at San Jose State University. My internship at the Milpitas Post turned into a long-term job. Over the years, I worked at numerous Bay Area newspapers as a reporter, photographer, copyeditor, and editor. I often did freelance and creative writing projects on the side. In 1987, I had a book contract and enough steady freelance work to allow me to quit my newspaper job. I freelanced full-time for seven years before assignments with the Metro newspaper chain in San Jose led to a job as editor of the Saratoga News, which I kept until my husband and I moved to Oregon in 1996. I have been freelancing ever since. In addition to countless articles and a few poems and short stories, I have published three nonfiction books and a novel. In addition to my writing, I teach writing workshops and perform as a professional musician.


2. How did you make the leap from staff writing to freelancing?

Sue: I had so much freelance work that I knew I could pay my bills for at least six months, and I didn't have time for my job anymore. I would not recommend that anyone quit his job thinking he'll make lots of money freelancing right away with no ongoing assignments or freelance contacts.


3. On an average day, how much time do you work on your writing?

Sue: Officially I try to work from about 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., but the truth is a writer is on duty 24/7. You do interviews, take phone calls and answer e-mails at all hours, and you never stop gathering ideas and taking notes.


4. Do you write exclusively for newspapers?

Sue: No. I love doing books. I also write for magazines, websites blogs. Diversifying increases the number of markets to which you can sell your work, broadens your audience, and keeps things interesting.


5. How do you get most of your assignments?

Sue: It happens in various ways. I have gotten assignments through query letters and through recommendations and referrals from friends and writing groups. I have answered ads from newspapers looking for freelancers, and when I could find no information on a publication, I have simply telephoned and offered my services. However the process begins, you will eventually have to provide a letter and samples of your work. Editors rarely hire writers whose work they have not seen.


6. What is the best way to contact newspapers for work?

Sue: These days, most editors prefer to be contacted by e-mail. You will hear people suggest that you telephone or drop in, but as a former editor, I urge you not to do that. Newspaper editors are extremely busy people. E-mail allows them to deal with you when they have time. Study the newspaper and send an idea that fits, along with links to samples of your work. If they're interested, they'll contact you.


7. What sections of the newspaper are most open to freelance work?

Sue: Staff and wire services cover most of the hard news. The best opportunities for freelancers lie in the special sections, such as arts, books, home and garden, travel, food, living, opinion, technology, and business. Small community newspapers and special-interest publications will use freelancers for every part of the paper, and metro dailies often put out weekly sections for various communities. These are great places to freelance.


8. What is the most challenging part of freelancing for newspapers?

Sue: The hardest part is keeping at it on those days when you can't seem to get an assignment, no one is returning your calls, you're running out of money, and parents, friends, and landlords think you ought to get a real job. Sometimes you just have to take a day off, reboot, and start again.


9. What character traits do you think are essential to succeed as a freelance writer?

Sue: You must be organized, persistent, confident and resilient. You need to be able to focus on your work no matter what is going on around you, and you need a tough skin for rejections and reviews. You need to be self-directed and able to multi-task.


10. You say in your book that a writer can increase her income by reselling articles to other papers. How does one go about that?

Sue: Some articles are so localized that you can't resell them to another paper without drastic revisions. But others, especially travel articles, how-tos and columns, can get a lot of mileage for the writer who takes the time to find likely markets and keep sending their stories out.


11. How long does it take to get a steady stream of newspaper clients?

Sue: This can vary so much, depending on your experience, your contacts and where you live. Far more opportunities exist in large metropolitan areas, and if you have an established record of successful publication, you won't have much trouble finding work in a few months. If you're just starting out or live in a rural area with few publications, you'll need to build up your clips and stretch out beyond your community. This could take years.


12. Can you make a living freelancing for newspapers?

Sue: Yes, but it's not easy. The key is establishing yourself as a regular contributor for several different publications, reselling as much as possible, and reaching into other markets besides newspapers. Most writers start out small, working just for clips or lunch money, but if you can build on each publication to move up to higher paying, more prestigious markets, you can definitely make a living freelancing for newspapers.