Studio Blog

Whenever anyone asks me for a tip for new writers, I always recommend they research. I especially recommend they research the types of opportunities available to freelancers nowadays and the various formats for each.

This is something that surprises many new writers. There’s more to writing than just, well, writing. Different types of writing have different formats. For example, an ebook is formatted differently than a magazine article and an article for Demand Studios is formatted differently than a blog post. Also, each different client has a different format for submission.

It’s been years since I worked in publishing but I still remember one editor who wouldn’t read any manuscripts if they didn’t follow the proper guidelines for format. We though she was just cranky but she was also a stickler for following directions, and she’s not the only one. The reason many clients request a specific format is because it makes life easier for them. They’re not making you follow guidelines or sticking words and sentences on specific forms and spaces because they want you to jump through hoops. It’s because everything has to have a place for it to work properly.

Here are a few tips for adapting to new rules and clients:

1.       Always ask for submission and format guidelines

I’m not suggesting this to cause you more work or have you look like a suck up. It’s so that you don’t spend time on a piece only to have it rejected or sent back for rewriting because the format is all effed up. Also, sometimes editors forget to you tell you there’s a specific format. The last thing you want is to spend hours on something only to find out it won’t work out as written.

2.       Ask if there are any glitches you should know about.

Before starting to blog for you here, Mary sent me a laundry list of do’s and don’ts. She didn’t do this to be difficult, she did it because this blogging application can be temperamental sometimes and if I put something in wrong, you’d see all sorts of wonkiness.

3.       Ask about the platform itself

There are so many different types of blogging and writing platforms nowadays, and not all are created equal. There’s no shame in asking about the publisher’s platform before getting started. First, you want to be sure you’re experienced in this platform. If not, you’ll want to look up some tutorials. Also, you’ll want to be sure whatever applications you’re using are compatible with your client’s apps. I’ve been in situations where many clients couldn’t open my Open Office files and ended up having to break down and spend the money on Microsoft Office. Saving money wasted a lot of time.  Always check for compatibility.

4.       Formats aren’t difficult

Formats aren’t hard to learn. For most it’s a matter of margins and paragraphs. If a client asks for a specific format, look it up. If it’s something you’re not familiar with, it’ll be easy enough to learn, I promise. We don’t use typewriters anymore. Most online apps are self explanatory and those we have to format manually aren’t hard. It’s usually a matter of preference and ease on the publisher’s part.

To be honest…

Demand Studios has the strictest guidelines of any client I’ve ever worked with. That isn’t to say there’s anything wrong with this, but like the song says, if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere. Chalk it all up to experience. Following rules and submissions guidelines is important and no two clients are the same. Just don’t let it overwhelm you. If you mastered the Demand Studios stylesheets, everything else is gravy.

Deborah Ng is founder of the Freelance Writing Jobs network.