Freelance Writing Tips to Write Your Best Feature Articles
68If you are writing articles or feature stories for a newspaper , magazine or an ezine , you will find that article submissions go more smoothly when you follow a few rules.
One problem you might encounter, when using interview sources for your story, is having people -- the people you interview -- wanting to preview or "approve" your story before it is submitted for publication. This is a bad idea for several reasons, and it is not considered to be professional.
Legally, giving a preview, waives your rights against prior restraint, and sets a legal precedent which could compromise anything you have written before it is published. Presumably, even a government agency could edit your words or facts, if you have previously given up your rights.
Even more likely, is that an interviewee may want to 'clean up' their quotes, to the point that the language sounds stilted and unnatural (everyone's an editor).
Getting "approval" from your source gives the appearance of writing FOR that source, rather than being objective and neutral.
It causes delays. Your editor has given you a deadline because the editor has a deadline. You story may be held or killed if the deadline is missed.
If an interviewee is concerned about his quotes, you might offer to read them back over the telephone, but don't give them something in writing.
If you have doubts, yourself, about something you have written, it's always a good idea to check back with the source to confirm technical or sensitive details. Again, this can be done verbally.
Other things to keep in mind when writing for Newspapers, Magazines and eZines:
Do your own pre-edits.
Use spell check.
Follow grammar rules.
Stay objective--don't write about yourself or express your personal opinions.
Be familiar with the AP Stylebook.
Many editors are willing to help you learn, but sloppiness will get your articles rejected fast.
Names are important. Double check the spelling of all names. Ask any person you interview, how their name is spelled even if it seems common. The name you think is "Sue", could be spelled Sioux or even Su. If you are referencing the name of a celebrity, politician, band, organization, song, etc. Check internet sources. People hate it when you get their names wrong.
Check your facts and don't invent tales. If you make up backstory details, or use your own assumptions -- especially about real live people-- they will come back to bite you. Not the people, the falsehoods.
Remain neutral and objective. If you are taking on the role of reporter, and interviewing a local official, for example, it is not appropriate to share your own views either in person or in writing. You are reporting their opinions and information. Even if they ask for your thoughts on their position, you should politely turn them down.
The " five W's", Who, What, When ,Where, Why, should all be in your article, no matter what kind of story you are writing. (Sometimes there also should be a 'How.")
Most editors look for a "nut graf" or a summary paragraph that concisely tells what the story is about. This doesn't have to be the lead of your story, unless it is a short news piece, but it should be somewhere near the beginning. In long stories it might be a little further down.
SOURCES: People, Documents, Statistics, Published Reports
One source is not enough for a credible article. Almost every feature article or news-related story needs at least two sources, and preferably three, to give a well-rounded view of a subject. Background information sources should be identified as coming from a particular documented source, either a person, organization, publication or website.
Using anonymous sources is usually not allowed. If such information is used, the source identity must be disclosed to, and approved by, a top editor.
If your story source is making some sort of an allegation or accusation, an opportunity for response must be given to the other side. Make sure you understand libel and slander laws.
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Getting More Opportunities by Knowing the Rules
Once you have the attention of an editor who approves of your writing style and skills, you can run a story idea past them to gauge their interest in a particular person or subject.
Editors will have to see some samples of your work , and will want you to understand the basic rules. If you convince them that your writing is good, informative, interesting and has integrity, you will have a place to sell your writing on a regular basis.
After establishing this relationship, you can approach people who are the subject of your article (or the people who know about a certain topic) by telling them that the editor of (whatever publication) is interested in their story. It will open doors to writing opportunities all around you.
Finally, don't accept gifts. The winemaker will want to give you a bottle if you write about his vineyard. The B&B owner will offer a free night's stay if you write about her lovely inn. People will offer, tickets, meals and merchandise in appreciation for the attention you are bringing to them and their business. Sometimes it can be hard to turn these down, but you will have to learn to do it graciously and let them know that you appreciate the thought.
If you feel you need to eat a meal at a restaurant to give a fair review, pay for it yourself. You might seek reimbursement from the publication, especially if you have made prior arrangements and indicated to the editor that there might be some expenses involved in completing your article.
No one should be able to say that your article showed someone in a good light only because you got some kind of kickback. Don't make yourself feel obligated to any source. Don't sell your integrity and your reputation.
authors note:
I learned most of this while freelancing for Sierra Gateway Neighbors and Sierra Gateway Living (Weeklies of the Fresno Bee) during a couple of years when Ruth Hill was Managing Editor. She was always helpful and encouraging, pushing me to be better. At the time of this posting she is a Copy Desk chief at The New York Times. Thanks, Ruth. I learned most of this from you.
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Than you, Lorlie6.
Your town paper will probably be happy to have you. I was rather new to my new home when I started doing this... It was a wonderful experience and it gave me a chance to meet a lot of interesting local people.
Yes, the rules are pretty general-- I think most editors will appreciate these guidelines.
Wonderful advice Rochelle! Actually, this was just the kind of information I was looking for as I really want to write for newspapers and journals, esp. on sensitive issues that involve interviewing/using all kinds of different 'sources' for information, which can be quite tricky and difficult. So, I'll keep all these things in mind...thank you for this.. :)
I love writing & write quite a few each week--It's good to see valuable information about writing!
Hi Rochelle - Good Stuff ! It may well be that your editor, Ruth Hill, got into the "big time" because you were so diligent in following your own advice.
Those who know me understand that I want everyone around me to be smiling. Probably I am a would-be comedian, but I like to think that I write with a smile so that folks will come back for more of the same. So, while I do keep the "I," the "me," and the "we" stuff out, I try to put some personality into even what might otherwise be totally sober-sided articles, like this one for a 5-day air quality forecast... http://tinyurl.com/yycy97w .
You were correct about keeping yourself out of your articles. That was one of the first things my editor people cautioned - "Don't make the articles about you." Their reasoning was that no one is interested in YOU. How true.
Thanks for sharing your professional writing wisdom.
Gus :-)))
Actually Gus-- I learned all of this stuff from her. Perhaps I needed to make this fact more clear. All of her suggestions made me a bit better. She is an excellent editor.
Keep 'em writing!
Thank you MOW- You are such an excellent writer. If you show some of your hubs to a sympathetic editor I'm sure you talent will be recognized. You will need a close working relationship if you are doing things which might require some anon. sources. It would be quite understandable, if you are talking about abuse victims and children, for instance. You have a great way of making people care.
Gogijuice-- thanks for commenting. If you want to write, it's good to keep doing it consistently.
Richard-- thanks again. Keep 'em speaking, too.
Another tip I should have included is to print out your final copy and read it on paper-- even if you are sending it to the web.
It is often easier to see your mistakes on a printed page when it looks perfect on the computer screen.
Great hub! All freelance writers should take these basic rules to heart. One writing tip I'd like to add is that most editors tend to prefer specific details. They don't like vague phrases, such as "some experts" or "recent studies." I'm not sure if all editors are like this, but my editors are. So it's better to describe in details who the experts are, when the studies were conducted, etc.
You are right, Om Paramapoonya. And studies show.....
Thanks for commenting.
Interesting to learn that you give up your rights the minute you let the 'interviewed' review it first.
Thank you for sharing your expertise, I appreciate learning from those willing to teach Rochelle Frank
I'm only passing along what I learned, Duchess. A lot of this is not taught in journalism classes, well, maybe some of it is, but going through the experience makes it real. When I interviewed the lady with the beautiful B&B, it was hard to regretfully decline a free night's stay.
Rochelle - this was a very thorough examination of some of the pitfalls a beginning writer should be aware of and avoid.
Thanks for sharing your expertise.
You are welcome drbj-- it was advice given to me. I have to share it.
I am not sure I understand the part about “giving a preview waives the rights against prior restraint”.
Publishers will usually want to see the writing abilities of a journalist and the potential of a story in terms of being or not interesting or appropriate for the type of business they are conducting.
Could you please elaborate on this point, thank you, Petra
Yes, you are right that publishers and editors will want to see examples of your work, which is understandable. I am not talking about that.
I am referring to the specific situation where you go to interview a private person or a public official on a certain subject. Usually you will have an OK from an editor, who knows you are working on the article.
If the interviewee asks to see (approve) the article before it is published, and copyrighted, any person or agency should have the same right. It is a technical detail which could circumvent "freedom of the press".
I have given some suggestions about why and how this can be avoided. If in doubt-- especially if dealing with a sensitive subject, check with the editor or publisher you are working with.
Thank you so much Rachelle, I really appreciate this clarification
Thank you for your question. I have edited the article in hopes of making my point more understandable.
This is good advice. It took me a while to nail down all these helpful tips and a lot of trial and error, freelance writing for newspapers, magazines and eZines is a great resource. I'll remember this the next time someone ask me for help.
Thanks, katiem2. I was just very lucky to get an editor who was REALLY focused on helping her new writers learn the ropes. I don't think it was required in her job description, but she was smart enough to know that passing along suggestions was beneficial to everyone.
I'm not a committed writer here but I enjoy reading lots of hubs. Perhaps it's simply because I want to learn from what I read. You are one of those who inspire me to write. Thanks for the wonderful tips.
I think you are a very good writer. Thank you for the wonderful comments.
Rochelle, good reminders for we writers!
great information, Thanks!
Donna, Nice to hear from you! Hope all is going well.
Thanks for reading, alexandriaruthk.
Rochelle, these are great tips for folks who may want to move beyond HP. A lot of things I bet folks don't even think about!
Some of them were a surprise to me, even though I had taken a lot of journalism classes, I hadn't thought of them.
You are very kind to share this advice from people who influenced and taught you things about the correct ways of writing. While the vast majority of us may never write for newspapers, this is something to enrich our writing styles no matter where they may end up being published.
The 'rules' can change a bit, depending on your editor or your goals, but most of them are good to keep in mind. Thanks for commenting Peggy W.
You know what, I really love reading your articles. They are always informative and inspiring. Thanks for a wonderful article. :)
Thank you for your kind comment, couponalbum. You must not have gotten to my 'just-plain-silly' ones.
Rochelle - thank you for this very informative hub. A good guide for those aspiring to write for newspapers and magazines!!
Also, agree with your tip about printing out your work and reading it to catch errors. That does work!!
Thanks again, Rochelle, for this informative hub :)
I appreciate your comments. Oddly enough I don't think I printed this one out to re-read-- that'll teach me. I just went back and corrected a few typos.
I absolutely agree that you should never accept gifts. Your tips and advice are terrific and your writing style is wonderful. Your rules are all something we need to keep in mind when wrtiting.
Thank you, KKGals. I found the tips helpful when someone gave them to me.
Nice articles, do you know more sites, where I can get paid for freelancing jobs. Asides the ones you listed here, I know Odesk.com and I registered there already. But just to widen up my chances, I will really appreciate it if you can share on more of those sites
There are several writers on Hubpages who write freelance features for the internet. I have not really done that except for HubPages, and am not really familiar with the ones you are seeking.
I learned most of this when I was doing human interest and local interest pieces for a newspaper. The same principles apply, I'm sure, but there are many others here who do work for internet sites. Do some searching and I'm sure you will find lots of them.
Thanks for commenting.
Informative hub Rochelle...thanks for your valuable tips.I am new here and still learning how it works but your experience in writiing published here give us an opportunity to learn faster!!i hope you accept my follow request!
thank you!...;)
Thanks, eafblog. As I said, I'm just passing along things that helped me.
I always thought it a bad idea to allow an interviewee to preview the article - that you were asking for trouble (and, probably, interminable rewrites) but I hadn't realized that you were legally granting them right of approval. Thanks for that one ;)
Yes, since learning that one I've always just told people that it is against the policy of the publication I am working for-- (for legal reasons) but, I also let them know I would be willing to answer any of their particular concerns, or check facts with them.
Previews open a can of worms.
In relation to that, I had a chance yesterday (at our county fair) to visit with an artist I had written a story about. I had visited a class she was teaching at the time and had done more observing and chatting with the students, than actually talking to her. This was at least six or seven years ago.
When I reminded her about the encounter... she began to tell me how much she enjoyed the article and began reeling of certain details I had long forgotten.
One point of this is-- Your subjects will remember, long after you have forgotten. Getting it right-- making it truthful, lasts along time.
about six or seven years ago.
This is truly a great hub to read. These tips are really tricky and informative as well.
Thanks for reading, D. Virtual.Doctor. I'm glad you found it informative. I'm sure it's way easier than surgery.
Valuable information. I could use some of these information. Thanks.
I'm glad you found it helpful, anglnwu.
Rochelle Frank,
I consider myself a compiler not a writer but this is really helpful stuff - thank you very much! Love your avatar - I reference owls often - magnificent creatures.
I'm glad you found it useful, GmaGoldie.( And I'm sorry, but you ARE a writer.) The owl image was captured by my friend Linda Gast who found it dozing under her deck. We made a children's book out of her photos. Saw-Whet owls are one of the smallest N. American species-- about the size of a soda can.
Very helpful information, Rochelle. Thank you.
You are welcome, Phyllis Doyle. Thanks for reading.
Hi Rochelle - Another very fine article with tons of sound advice. One piece of advice is so very important - not to have even the smallest appearance of being "bought" by the subject people of your writings.
Back in the 1950s and 1960s I was assigned to "Project Apollo" in the USAF. We were inundated with merchant's reps, most of whom wanted to "buy us a lunch, etc." It was a strict order that we never take so much as a cup of coffee or a cigarette from the sellers. I had many friends among them and so I was the one who had to buy them a cup of coffee or a lunch. Ordinarily, that was a shock to them, but it kept things mighty clean.
Gus :-)))
Yes, you are right. It can be very tempting, but you can't get "clean" back again, once you accept the gift.
I have found myself almost going overboard in assuring them that I reeeeeely appreciate their offer, and it was soooo very kind... but I couldn't compromise the rules I agreed to.
I have had some people say they didn't want to insult someone by declining their offer, but that's a cop out. If you explain it correctly they will respect your integrity.
I could have had a nice case of wine from the vineyard owner I interviewed, but could not have enjoyed drinking it.
I did buy a couple of bottles-- and the price must have been his wholesale rate-- but that was ok, I think.
Great advice. YOu're the first person I ever saw say outloud not to let sources see their quotes. That's actually really awesome advice, and I'm going to take it (I write up stuff for marketing advertorials and that has been an area that I felt was squishy... like I really should let them see it. No more.!)
I remember one interview subject who really wanted to see my article before publication. I can understand his concern because he was in the medical field and had previously had the experience of being misquoted in print.
I had to do a lot of re-assuring and I even read some of his quotes to him on the phone. All turned out well and he was happy with the article.
It also would depend on who you are writing for and who is paying you. If you are quoting the person who is paying you, it's a different game.
Oh, there you go, complicating it just when it was getting simple. What if they aren't paying me for the article, but they are a client that I'm quoting. lol.
That makes it a little more tricky. If someone is paying you to publish, you might ask for advice from the payer.
Your client should believe that you are not going to be negative. You could read the clients parts that you think might bother them, or else try to reassure them that it all puts them in a good light.
Thank you for these helping words. Very useful. voted up
Thanks for commenting, MoneyCreator24. I'm glad you found something helpful.
Great hub!! It was a great refresher from the Print Journalism course I took, My professors could not have said it better themselves. Would you say having 3 sources, etc. should apply to a hub article as well?
Thanks, LyndaD.
The "having three sources" was a requirement from this particular editor for human interest and feature articles.. However, I think it is a good standard to follow as it does add credibility, interest and depth to your article.
It also indicates that you have 'gone the extra mile' to round out your story. It is much easier to be lazy about this, but I think people notice when you take that additional step.
Great tips! I may want to get into article submissions and found your hub to be very helpful. Thank you!
Thanks Song-Bird-- I'll bet you have a lot to write about.
Intersting about the interview and the gifts. Never thought of it before but it does make sense. Good hub.
Thank you, Jeff May. I know you are an experienced writer, and I'm sure fiction has its own set of rules. I guess one advantage is that your characters don't ask for a fact check. I appreciate your comment.
Really helpful. The only interviews I've done have been via email, but these are all things to consider for down the line. I like your author's note at the bottom. A lot of hubbers and writers in general forget about that little P.S. at the bottom, which is one of the most read areas of a web page (I'm guilty of forgetting that little tidbit myself).
I take interest to write the good article.You tell the best tips to write the article.I feel easy and improve to write the article in performance.Thanks for this hub.Continue your work.
Thank you, dusy. I'm glad you liked the suggestions and I hope they help with your continuing improvement.
Wow, what a great informative hub. I remember learning a lot of this in college. You have added more to it than I learned and I am grateful. I can use this to help brush up some rusty writing skills. Thanks.
Though each editor may have their own "rules", I think that most of these apply in most situations. Thanks for reading. Michael Willis. I appreciate the comment.
Hi Rochelle, backatcha with the up and useful. This is more of the kind of helpful information that should encourage HP writers looking to earn, to test themselves on a wider playing field than the 'publish and pray' world of open platform article sites. Cheers.
Thank you, writer. I was lucky to have a patient and enthusiastic editor.
Very useful information, thank you! I bookmarked this one.
Thank you, Mrs Menagerie. I'm glad that so many people find this useful. I know it helped me.
Great advice and very useful :-)
Thanks, scoop. Glad it helped.
Great advice. Thanks for sharing your insights.
It's always fun to share something that was given to you. Thanks, leann2800.
very useful information i might won using this kind of a very useful words you have written to let everyone enhance their abilities and know more about writing a good feature article....
i looked at all of this because will fight on wednesday--thursday[august31-september1] thanks for your informative words you have adviced to us who can read this wonderful words writen...........
I hope all goes well for you. Good luck.
a wealth of information, well-written and organized. Thank you.
Thank you for your comment, ytsenoh.
Very informative. Thank you.
Thanks so much for all this really informative hub, particularly for those of us that are just starting out! Love the boundaries you set - hmm need that in more areas than just writing!
Thanks Rochelle! What a great resource. I have bookmarked it so I can use it for reference. Thank you for sharing your considerable professional knowledge and experience with hubpages!
Thank you. I am glad you found it helpful.
This is not something I came up with on my own. It was passed along to me by an experienced editor. I thought it made good sense and am happy to share the information.
lorlie6 Level 3 Commenter 2 years ago
Thanks Rochelle, for such a concise and informative hub. I am considering writing articles for our small town paper and believe that no matter what size the place, the same rules are bound to apply!