One of the things I’m constantly amazed about is writers who only look for writing gigs in their own country or local area.

Anyone who’s known me for any length of time will know that I write for overseas markets more than I write locally. In fact, the magazine I’ve just begun to write for is my first publication in my own country!

Unless the magazine states otherwise, there is no reason you can’t write for markets outside the country you live in.

To prove a point, this first market specifically states telecommuting. (If you’re unfamiliar with the term, it means you work via email and are not required at the employer’s premises.)

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This next market doesn’t state telecommuting, but many regional papers are geared up for this. I wrote for a regional magazine in the US for three years and never once had an issue. It’s certainly worth enquiring.

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Niches are another good way to secure writing gigs. And from what I can see here, telecommuting will be acceptable in this instance as well.

We have a total of 3 releases for this year, several newsletters and need additional material written for our web sites. The successful candidate can potentially secure all projects.

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Tip of the Month: Craft your query as carefully as you do for the article itself. Spending a little more time on this aspect of your business may be the thing that wins you that job. When I send an initial email query, it’s pretty basic. I have a fairly generic query that I use, which I then personalise to suit the publication. I’ve highlighted the section below which has been added to suit this particular query.

Notice I haven’t begun ‘Dear Editor’. If I don’t have the editor’s name, I go straight into my pitch.

* This query is suitable only for email - don't use a query like this for regular mail.

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I am an Australian author, multi-published, with several awards for my writing. I have six published books, with more due for release in 2007, I write for magazines and websites, and have had lots of short stories published. In addition, my work has appeared in several anthologies, with more to be published soon.

I’ve had more than fifteen years experience writing newsletters, and have also written press releases. It may also interest you to know that I worked in the health industry for just over twelve years.

[If I were pitching a story or specific article, this is where I would add it.]

I look forward to hearing from you in the near future.

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Always check the call for submissions for hints that it’s not a paying market. Unless you’re happy to spend your time writing to make money for other people, never write for free.

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