Beginning in column writing

He has written many articles for websites, newsletters and now he has even conquered the territory of being published in a magazine. What is the next step, questions? How do I have the editor request my work weekly or monthly?

Enter: the column

Before going to an editor's office or sending an unsolicited email asking you to write regularly for a publication, learn everything there is to know.

A column is written weekly, monthly or bi-monthly, and should focus on a particular topic. You must be consistent in what you write, keep the same tone of voice and stay focused on the subject in question. If you are writing a column for the parent who writes, do not delve into parenting issues in general. You are readers who are likely to be parents who write, and will be more interested in learning how to find time to write, rather than how to care for their children.

I know of a writer who wrote a column in a leading newspaper for over twenty years.

If your topic is boring or uninteresting, you probably don't have readers, and the editor will soon finish his column with a short farewell note.

Be sure to keep the commitment. Writing a column requires more than just a brilliant idea and good writing. You need dedication, discipline and the ability to meet deadlines. If you cannot meet the deadlines, you will soon run out of work and without publication, forever. A columnist must ensure that he provides an article on the subject, interesting and timely each week (or month), interesting enough for the reader to read it again.

If you decide to go deeper into the world of column writing, your best option would be to start with a daily or weekly regional newspaper. Not only will it be easier to enter this market, but it will give you a lot of exposure. Columns for cooking, astrology, inspiration and living in the city appear frequently in newspapers and are the best places to start. However, try to avoid the issues that have been made to death. Give a unique and interesting twist to a topic, and you will surely attract the interest of the editor.

Websites are also starting to open in columns. Like their printed counterparts, websites, electronic journals and even online versions of printed journals request original material weekly or monthly. The biggest advantage of writing online is the short period of acceptance and publication.

The best way to consult an editor about how to write a column is by sending clips of your work and the subject of your column. If the editor likes your query, you will be asked to submit an article, and you will soon be on your way to posting glory. However, keep in mind that writing columns is not like writing an article: it is * not * your * convenience and * your * time constraints that matters. The only thing that the editor wants from you is a good quality article every week, sent on time. Do that and you will get a regular income from at least one source.