How to Actually Get Paid For What You Write

Probably the coolest thing about LinkedIn is that you no longer need a platform. Anyone can publish a post hundreds of thousands of people might read.

But what if you want to get paid for what you write? What if you hope to land a slot at a major (or minor) media site?

That's easily the question I'm most often asked. Every week I get dozens of emails along the line of, "What is the process for getting a regular column on a business website or major blog? Is that even a possibility for someone like me, who isn’t high profile and hasn’t written for other sites?"

The answer is, it's absolutely possible. (I'm a prime example.) Obviously while already being a “name” helps (I was not and am not), lots of people only become "names" after they gain exposure writing for influential, high-profile sites in their industries.

But it’s also not easy, if only because the better the gig the more competition for that gig.

While I feel sure there are a number of ways to go about it, the only process I really know that works is the one I used:

1. Get a contact.

You'll need to reach an editor (or the person who manages the blog.) First do a little searching on and off the site. Contact info for blogs, even major blogs, is usually easy to find.

Direct editorial contacts for larger business sites are not always so easy to find. If that’s the case, contact a person who already writes for the site. Try to pick a person who recently started writing there; they tend to be less full of themselves and more likely to remember how it felt to be that person who hopes to write for the site. (My "in" was John Warrillow; he was the only writer who responded to me.)

Just remember, you are the one who needs the favor -- so act like it.

2. Determine your approach.

You'll have to prove yourself with your pitch unless you can say, "Hey, check out some articles I wrote for The Wall Street Journal."

So start by researching what the site may need; never offer more of the same when they already have plenty of the same. Then look at tons of recent articles to get a feel for what content tends to run and, more importantly, what content tends to be popular with readers.

And make sure you understand the site's editorial perspective. For example, Inc.com focuses on entrepreneurs. Articles from an employee's point of view, like how to get promoted, fall outside Inc.'s editorial scope. (That doesn't mean you can't write articles on employee issues; you just have to be creative.)

Remember, it’s not about you. What you want to write about is irrelevant. You need to show you can write about what the site wants... and will benefit from.

3. Create some awesome samples.

Since you probably can't share links to your work -- except what you've written on LinkedIn -- you’ll need to create some samples.

At a minimum write two or three new articles. Spend as much time as it takes to make them great. Do everything possible to make your samples sing; your first impression is the only impression you will get to make.

4. Craft your pitch.

Now you're ready to craft your pitch -- but again, recognize you’ll have to pitch a little differently than you would if you were already writing for major outlets.

That’s what I had to do. I’m a ghostwriter and sign NDAs so tight it seems my children are pledged as surety, so I was unable to provide much in the way of published samples. But I was writing a monthly leadership column for my (very, very small) local newspaper; at least I had that.

So I sent this to a number of editors (minus the stuff in parentheses):

I enjoy your site and would like to contribute small business/leadership articles.

Me: I've ghostwritten over thirty non-fiction books. (Note: that was then.) My wheelhouse is business, management, entrepreneurship, investing, and real estate, but I've also written books on subjects like pregnancy, breastfeeding, heart disease, and hydroponics, an experience I’ve tried to repress even though it did sell 80k copies. Before that I was a manufacturing supervisor and later ran production operations for a 250-employee book plant. I have a broad base of practical leadership, hiring/firing/discipline/motivation, process improvement, sales, and customer service experience.

I also have a solid range of business contacts, most of them very successful, since unsuccessful people tend not to hire ghostwriters. I can write about leadership from personal experience and can draw from the experiences of successful leaders.

As a favor to a friend I write a monthly leadership column for the business section of our local newspaper; I've attached a few columns so you can get a feel for how I write…

One editor responded. (The site was BNET, later folded into CBS MoneyWatch.)

4. Develop a list of potential articles.

It’s also important to show you have plenty of ideas so people will know you won’t be a one-hit wonder. Most sites want long-term relationships; not only is it easier from an administrative point of view, it also fosters site continuity and helps grow their reader base.

I didn't have a list ready so the BNET editor had to ask me for one. (Oops.)

Here are a few examples of articles I proposed:

• How to Fit a Star Peg Into a Team Whole. How do you maintain team balance and cohesion if one employee is a star, like an outstanding salesman, superstar programmer, etc? I’ll talk to Johan Bruyneel, the director of Lance Armstrong's cycling teams, and describe how he successfully built teams around an alpha-dog star. (Keep in mind this was long before Lance admitted to doping; at the time his name was still a huge draw.)
• Why Identical Treatment is Unfair. Treating employees identically does you and your employees a disservice. I'll toss in a little personality styles research regarding how people work, process information, etc. Bottom line, if you want to be fair you can't treat employees the same.
• Why Howard Stern is a Better Leader Than You. Howard is a polarizing figure, so some people will be interested because they love Howard, others because they can't believe someone would claim Howard is better at anything. The points I'll make: Stick to your vision, lead by example, work harder than your team, don't try to be everything to everyone, be willing to publicly praise your company, find the strengths in every employee and play to those strengths, don't let "no" hold you back since success is largely based on effort and persistence and not on an initial idea. Bonus if it gets mentioned on his show. (Which, in fact, I eventually was.)
• What Happens at the Crossroads of Creativity and Business? "Normal" leadership and business challenges are almost identical to those faced in the arts. And every business has a creative component, even if it produces a commodity. I'll get insight from Michael Hirst, executive producer of HBO series The Tudors and screenwriter of the two Cate Blanchett Elizabeth movies. (Now he's running the History Channel show "Vikings." And I still use him as a source.) He’s been on both sides of the creativity/business spectrum, sometimes at the same time.
• Five Things to Say Every Morning. Examples: I'm not that smart, I'm not that funny, I'm not that important, my work friends aren't my real friends, my employees and customers can't be my friends, and my employees will never and should never care as much as I do. The goal is to start every day focused on being the boss you would want to work for.

Before you develop your own list, consider the headlines and topics above. Each has a how-to component. Some are at the least mildly controversial. Some have a little “juice.”

All the headlines were improved later on. My editor changed “How to Fit a Star Peg in a Team Whole” (mildly clever but not attention-getting) to “Managing Lance Armstrong: An Exclusive Interview With His Team's Director.” The new headline gave readers a much better reason to click. With online writing, headlines are everything -- which is why all the above examples ended up with different headlines.

Also keep in mind that good articles provide valuable information, spark a little thought and sometimes a little debate... and most importantly draw an audience. Editors want to know you get that, so work really hard on your samples. (Besides, they'll naturally assume your ideas represent your very best ideas, so they need to be great.)

Editors want to know you have a lot more in you, and that you definitely have ideas for how to build an audience -- because building an audience your job, not theirs.

Then make sure you include your list of potential articles in your pitch.

5. Think about your terms.

Obviously you'll want to be paid for your work. But you might not be able to get paid right away -- and you might even offer not to get paid right away.

Take me. I recognized I was an unknown commodity so I told the BNET editor I would work for free so they wouldn't be "out" anything if it turned out I, well, stunk.

Should you take the same approach? That's up to you. I decided to take a chance on myself, figuring if I did well they would want to pay me in order to keep me (which is exactly what happened; within two months I had a contract.)

You may not want to take that chance. Or you may feel you should never work for free. (That's a position I don't agree with, though.) What was right for me may not be right for you.

Just make sure you know what you're willing to accept so when the time comes to talk compensation, you're ready.

6. And keep trying.

Your first pitches may not work. (I pitched ten different business sites and only one responded to my initial query.)

The problem may be your pitch. The problem may be your samples. The problem may be your list of potential articles. Or maybe the sites you pitch don't need additional writers (although that's somewhat unlikely since nearly every site needs more writers that can build an audience.)

So if you're struggling to even get a response, take an objective look at your samples. Think hard about your list of potential articles. If both are great, few editors will be able to resist you; if you're striking out, that's most likely the problem. Keep working to improve them.

And while you're doing that, consider landing guest posts on relevant sites -- after all, the more you manage to publish the more you can point to as examples of great work in your pitch... and the more you'll learn about what audiences respond to.

And most importantly, think hard about your approach. Sure, you want to get paid. Sure, you want to raise your profile. Sure, you want to be seen as a thought leader. Your motivations and goals are great... but your goals don't matter to the sites you pitch.

They want great articles. They want more readers. That's what matters to them -- as well it should.

So forget about all the stuff you might want. Make sure you focus solely on showing how you will help them.

Don't worry: when you do, you will eventually benefit as well.

More on writing:

• 32 Incorrectly Used Words That Can Make You Look Bad
• 50 Awesome Resources to Help You Be a Better Writer
• 39 Incorrectly Used Words That Can Make You Look Even Worse
• 10 Quick Tips to Become a Better Writer

And if you want examples of what audiences respond to, here are a few of my recent popular Inc.com articles:

• To Be More Successful, Marry the Right Person
• 10 Habits of Remarkably Polite People
• 9 Things Remarkably Successful People Never Do
• 7 Habits of People With Remarkable Mental Toughness
• 10 Things Exceptional Bosses Give Employees

Check out my book based on four years of personal and professional advice, TransForm: Dramatically Improve Your Career, Business, Relationships, and Life -- One Simple Step At a Time. (PDF version here, Kindle version here.)

Here's the deal: If after 10 minutes you don't find at least 5 things you can do to make your life better, I'll refund your money.

That way you have nothing to lose... and hopefully plenty to gain.