Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. Venomous
People have told me that I am a talented writer but I am worried about something. I am being asked to write for a national newspaper and magazine, both voluntarily because they’re non-profit, but I am incredibly nervous about this, since I have never had anything I have written published nationally like this. What if I write something really stupid or write it horribly? What humiliation that would be! It would be a wonderful opportunity for me but I am not sure how to proceed with it; to do it, or not to do it. Am I talented enough for this?
What should I do?
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I write several business columns for newspapers, Mr V., and my wife syndicates a cooking column. I think you should go for it! Write what you feel or what you know. Use spellcheck, and if you can, get a few people to proof it for grammar and "flow" or read-ability before you submit it. And write for your reader, not at the top of your knowledge. If they are the general public and yours is a very scientific piece, soften it up a bit, ya know?
Anecdotes, stories from personal experience, and simple examples are always good, too.
And as a personal thing that I do...I always end my articles with additional resources for my readers. For example...."If you'd like more information on small business grants, please visit my website at mysite-here.com, or see www.sba.gov".
Hope this gives you some ideas. Feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions.
PS. A good proof-reading trick is to read your article
backwards from the end to the beginning. You'll catch many misspellings and double words that way.
PSS. Ask them to send you a printed copy of the article/magazine/newsletter. It's called a tearsheet. Like tearing out the page. lol. Then you can reference this writing experience on your resume for jobs, or in other places when you're looking for writing work.