Don't be afraid to contact publishers for work

To succeed as a freelance writer, you have to market yourself like crazy. It's unfortunate, then, that many writers tend to be shy folks.

They don't like bugging people. And that can be a problem when you're trying to dig up freelance-writing jobs.

The key to nabbing new jobs is to be aggressive. Sometimes you have to chase down editors and publishers to get new assignments. This is especially true in the world of content writing. The publishers who work in this field often work with dozens of writers. It's easy for them to forget about you, even if you turned in good work and met your deadlines.

So make sure they don't forget you. Don't wait for these publishers to contact you with assignments. Reach out to them: Send them an e-mail today asking if they have any work for you.

They might actually have a few assignments for you to tackle. Maybe they don't have work now, but they will next week or next month. If that's the case, you've just increased your chances of getting that extra work.

So put aside your natural tendencies and be a bother. It just might help you pay the bills this month.

I'm beginning to dislike the editors at Suite 101

Don't the editors at Suite 101 know that most writers at the site make peanuts every month? I mean, I have 33 stories up at Suite 101, and last month I made $21.16 off them.

That's not exactly riches, right?

Why, then, do some Suite editors act like I'm writing for the Atlantic Monthly?

I actually put a story up on Suite that had real comments from real sources that I spoke to by phone. I soon received a message that the channel editor had some suggestions to improve my story. Her thoughts? She wondered if I could put in the date when I interviewed each source.

Really? She wants me to date the interview in my copy? For $21.16 a month?

Sorry, I'll be leaving that story alone. In fact, I find that I've been ignoring much of what my Suite editors have to say. Maybe that's a bad attitude on my part. But the only way -- and even this way isn't guaranteed -- to make content writing even remotely economically feasible is to crank out stories in record time. I'm not going to be able to do that if I'm dating my interviews now, am I?

When the new editor doesn't seem to like you that much

I had a great working relationship with an editor at a trade magazine devoted to those goofball temporary shops you see at malls. You know the type: They set up in kiosks in the middle of the mall floor and sell everything from hermit crabs to remote-controlled airplanes.

You know, the stuff that's not good enough to be sold from a real store.

Anyway, I could count on regular assignments from the magazine, and praise from its editor 99 percent of the time. Nice, right?

Unfortunately, the editor left the magazine earlier this year. I've been trying since to get some work from the new editor. But nothing. I do get return e-mails when I send over a quick message asking for work. But so far, it's only been "I'll keep you in mind."

What happened? Does the new editor not like my writing style? Maybe.

Unfortunately, there's not much a writer can do in a situation like this. I suppose I could ask to speak to the new editor by phone, but begging so hard for assignments makes me feel a bit creepy.

So, I'll probably wash my hands off this new editor for now. Maybe she really is keeping me in mind for stories. I doubt it, but you never know.

In the meantime, it's back to looking for more work from more print publications. You never know what you might turn up if you keep chipping away.