How to Become a Freelance Writer for Parenting Magazines

Today’s “I Want to Be” Series features Kerrie Solsberg McLoughlin who works from home part-time as a freelance writer for regional and national parenting magazines.  She also homeschools her five children and writes for her personal blog, The Mommy Kerrie Show.  Find out how to connect with Kerrie at the end of this article.

How long have you had your business?

Since late in 2009, when I was pregnant with my 5th child.

What led you to pursue it?  

I've always loved writing, and once I hit a certain point in being a mother I realized I had much to say and much advice to give! Also, it's the perfect thing for an attachment parenting mama to do ... nursing while typing is no problem! Plus, I now homeschool, so I can be with my kids and write.

Are you full time or part time? 

Part-time probably until all my kids are out of the house! 

How do you market your business?

The typical social media outlets: Twitter, Facebook, Google+, various blogs.

What is your favorite part of the business?

Too many favorites! It's portable and I can do it on my own time and do as much or as little as I want or am able to do (articles, ebooks, sales letters, Contently.com freelance work and more). For instance, right now I'm writing from Wyoming (I live in Kansas), where I am homeschooling the kids while being with my traveling-for-work husband.

What one question do you get most from people about your business?

How much money can you make? So I put that weekly on my blog, Make Money to Write about Your Kids.  I'm very honest. Some weeks I do well and make up to $40/hour and some weeks I get no work done and make no money.

What one myth or misconception do you want to dispel about the work you do?

That you can't make good money as a writer. If you have many balls in the air you can do it!

What advice do you have for others who want to get into a similar opportunity?

Keep at it and don't get discouraged and don't worry about rejection ... keep moving forward. If you have many queries and writing opportunities and ebooks in the works and are writing every day, you will get better and you will sell work. And please don't languish in the content mills! You are worth more money than that!

What is the first step?

If you want to write for regional parenting magazines for clips and money then work your way up to nationals like Parents, Working Mother and the like, get my ebook! I started offering the ebook for a higher price in conjunction with 3 article critiques to get people moving. I'm also working on a little email course you can purchase where I kick your butt with writing prompts and assignments and deadlines! 

If you want to write for other markets, definitely grab a current Writer's Market. Just get your stuff out there. There are so many different ways to freelance! For instance, my regional parenting work led to writing a marketing manual for an editor who had another business. It also led to Contently.com, where I write great-paying blog posts for companies.

What websites or books do you recommend for tips?

These are from the end of my ebook:

Books and Ebooks

•         TheBeginning Writer’s Answer Book edited by Jane Friedman

•         Cashin on Your Kids: Parenting Queries That Worked by Kris Bordessa, Teri Cettina and Jeannette Moninger

•         TheEverything Guide to Writing Nonfiction by Richard D. Bank

•         TheRenegade Writer by Diana Burrell and Linda Formichelli

•         StartingYour Career as a Freelance Writer by Moira Anderson Allen

•         TheWell-Fed Writer by Peter Bowerman

•         Writer’sDigest Handbook of Magazine Article Writing edited by Michelle Ruberg

Writer Mama by Christina Katz

•         Writer’sMarket by Writer’s Digest

Websites

•         The Dabbling Mum (thedabblingmum.com)

•         Dollars to Deadlines (Kelly James-Enger) (dollarstodeadlines.blogspot.com)

•         Get Published in Regional Parenting Magazines (GetPublishedParentingMags.com)

•         Make a Living Writing (Carol Tice) (makealivingwriting.com)

•         Mistakes Writers Make (mistakeswritersmake.blogspot.com)

•         The Well-Fed Writer (wellfedwriter.com)

•         The WM Freelance Connection (thewmfreelanceconnection.com)

•         Writers Write (writerswrite.com)

To learn more about Kerrie, stop by her personal blog, The Mommy Kerry Show or her freelance writing blog, Make Money Writing about Your Kids.  You can also connect with her on Twitter and Facebook.