58: The 250-Word Secret to Turning Your Writing Hobby Into Cash
In this episode of the HobbyScool podcast, we dive into the world of freelance writing with our special guest, Amber Petty. If you've ever dreamed of seeing your byline in major publications or turning your writing hobby into a side hustle, this episode is for you. Amber shares her journey from acting to freelance writing and reveals how she's helped over 1,000 students get published and start earning money from their writing.
Get ready to discover how you can break into freelance writing, even without prior experience or credentials. Amber breaks down the process of crafting a perfect pitch, explains what editors are really looking for, and shares insider tips on getting published in unexpected places. Whether you're a seasoned writer or just starting out, you'll find valuable insights and practical advice to help you take your writing to the next level.
Key points with timestamps:
01:55 - Amber introduces herself and explains how she helps aspiring writers
03:37 - How to get started in freelance writing, even without experience
06:04 - The "250 words away from writing for money" concept explained
08:44 - Crafting the perfect pitch: what editors want to see
17:19 - How much money can you expect to make from freelance writing?
Mentioned In This Episode
Don't forget to join our wait list for the next HobbyScool online learning summit. Our summits are free to attend and you can be the first to know when the next summit launches by joining our newsletter here.
Amber’s gift: 250+ places that pay for your writing
Unlocking Your Writing Potential: How to Break Into Freelance Writing and Get Paid
Have you ever dreamed of seeing your name in print, sharing your stories with the world, or even making money from your writing hobby? If so, you're not alone. Many aspiring writers believe that breaking into the world of freelance writing is a daunting task, reserved only for those with extensive experience or impressive credentials. However, as our recent HobbyScool podcast guest Amber Petty reveals, the path to becoming a published writer might be easier than you think.
In this blog post, we'll dive into the insights shared by Amber, who has helped over 1,000 students get bylines and start earning money from their writing. Whether you're a seasoned hobbyist or just starting out, these tips will help you take your first steps into the exciting world of freelance writing.
You're Closer to Getting Published Than You Think
One of the most surprising revelations from our conversation with Amber is that you might be just 250 words away from writing for money. That's right – you don't need to write an entire article or have a polished portfolio to start pitching to publications. Instead, what editors are really looking for is a compelling story idea and a glimpse of your writing style.
To get started, Amber suggests creating a sample article in the style of the publication you'd like to write for. This doesn't have to be published anywhere fancy – a personal blog, Medium, or even a public Google Doc will do. The key is to have something that showcases your writing abilities and gives editors an idea of what to expect from you.
Crafting the Perfect Pitch: What Editors Really Want
When it comes to pitching your ideas to publications, Amber breaks it down into three key elements:
1. The story angle: What specifically is your story about? Be concise and focus on a particular aspect or moment.
2. Why it's important now: Connect your story to current events, seasons, or ongoing conversations in society.
3. Why you're the person to write it: Highlight any relevant experience or personal connection to the topic.
Your pitch should be about 250 words long and include these elements along with a brief bio. Remember, you don't need to have an extensive writing background – even mentioning an interesting fact about yourself can suffice.
Breaking Into Unexpected Publications
While you might think of pitching to traditional magazines or newspapers, Amber points out that there are many unexpected places looking for freelance writers. For example:
- Business Insider: Despite its name, they publish a wide range of content, including personal essays, travel stories, and parenting articles.
- Hobby-specific magazines: Look for publications centered around your particular interests, whether it's knitting, painting, or cooking.
- eHow: This website covers a broad range of topics and is often open to tutorials and how-to articles.
Don't be afraid to think outside the box when considering where to pitch your ideas. You might be surprised at the opportunities available in niche markets.
Overcoming Self-Doubt and Taking the Leap
One of the biggest obstacles aspiring writers face is their own self-doubt. Amber emphasizes that many people underestimate the value of their own stories and experiences. The truth is, everyone has unique insights and perspectives to share, and editors are constantly on the lookout for fresh voices.
Remember that editors need a constant stream of content to keep up with the demands of the internet. This means they're often willing to take chances on new writers, especially for one-off articles. So don't let fear hold you back – take that first step and send out a pitch. You never know where it might lead!
The Financial Side of Freelance Writing
While passion is often the driving force behind writing, it's natural to wonder about the financial aspects of freelance work. Amber shares that payment can vary widely depending on the publication and type of article. Here's a general breakdown:
- Personal essays: Around $125-$175
- Tip-based or informational articles: $300-$500 on average
- More heavily researched pieces: Up to $1200 or more
Keep in mind that even lower-paying articles can lead to valuable exposure and opportunities. Some of Amber's students have been featured on TV shows or news programs as a result of their published work.
Taking Your First Steps into Freelance Writing
As you embark on your freelance writing journey, remember that everyone starts somewhere. Don't be discouraged by rejections – they're a normal part of the process. Instead, focus on honing your ideas, crafting compelling pitches, and putting yourself out there.
Remember, the world is waiting to hear your unique voice and perspective. So take that first step, craft your pitch, and who knows? Your byline might be just 250 words away.
Follow Us On Social:
Keep Listening:
Pin this and save for later
Transcript:
Dr. Destini Copp [00:00:04]:
Welcome to the HobbyScool podcast. Whether you're a seasoned hobbyist or just getting started, HobbyScool is the perfect place to learn something new. My name is Doctor. Destiny Cupp, and and I'm your host of the podcast. But before we jump into our episode for today, the only thing I ask is if you enjoy the episode, please share with a friend and give us an honest review on your favorite podcast platform. This helps us get out the content to more people. I also wanna invite you to get on our wait list for our next HobbyScool Online Learning Summit. These are free to attend, and you can find the link to join at hobbyscool.com, which is also in our podcast show notes.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:00:49]:
Now sit back, relax, and enjoy the episode. And my special guest today is Amber Petty. Amber helps creatives get by lines and build audiences. After acting for 13 years and getting tired of waiting around for auditions, Amber moved into the freelance riding where she worked with the New York Times, Parade, Bustle, and a bunch more. For the past 3 years, she has helped over a 1000 students get by lines, start writing for actual money, and build a platform for their creative career. Now, Emer, I am super excited to chat with you today because I know that our HobbyScool audience is very much interested in writing as a hobby and, you know, possibly even making some money from it, which I know that is your area of expertise. But before we get into all the questions I have for you, can you tell them just a little bit more about you and how you help people?
Amber Petty [00:01:55]:
Yes. Absolutely. Hi. Thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited to be here. I'm Amber. And, yeah, I have classes and memberships to help people write more, to finally put their ideas out there, to build audiences so that they can have that creative freedom to write whatever they want and also get published. So they get bigger stories.
Amber Petty [00:02:20]:
They get their name out there. They get to share little things. And some of what pitching does that's cool about that is it's a thing you can do even if you don't have professional writing experience or an MFA or anything like that. You can write up a short piece, a short pitch, send it, and get started writing right away sometimes. So it's a really accessible thing and great for hobbyists because it lets you start working quickly, put stuff out there for free or paid. And then if you like it, you can do more. If you don't, you still have your work out there.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:02:57]:
Now, Amber, we have a quiz on our website, which basically kind of walks people through, you know, what are some hobbies you may want to explore. And I know that folks are interested in it because riding comes up as one of the top hobbies that people are interested in exploring. So let's say that somebody has had in the back of their mind, you know, I really want to write, you know, whether that is an article for maybe a magazine or maybe they're thinking about their next, you know, their not their next book that they wanna write or or whatever it is out there. How would you suggest that they get started in exploring them?
Amber Petty [00:03:37]:
So you can get started a lot faster than you might think. So when it comes to nonfiction writing, so writing for the New York Times, Huffington Post, Business Insider, any newspaper you can think of, magazine, that kind of stuff. So what editors really need is they need to see a pitch, which is a summary of your idea, and we can get into that in a little bit, and then they need to see an example of your work. Now, the great news about writing is that you can make an example of your work on your own. You can write your own article that's in the style of something in one of those publications you'd like to be published in. You write that up. You can post it on Medium, post it on a blog, on a sub sec, just somewhere that's online so people can see it. And that's all you need.
Amber Petty [00:04:28]:
That's it. That's all you need to get started. And reading. You know, read the places you like, start to get a feel for what their headlines look like, all that. But by reading the places you like, seeing what ideas kinda come to mind for yourself, making that sample article, and then pitching, that's it. That's all you need to get started, and I've had lots of students get their first byline with just a sample they made themselves. They were published in Huffington Post, Business Insider, and people in The Guardian even where that was their first byline ever. So the editors are more interested in your story idea and then just kinda, like, you know, seeing what your writing style is like.
Amber Petty [00:05:12]:
Then seeing that you've got, you know, a huge resume of writing experience. They kinda don't care about that. They want what is the story idea. If the story idea is a little bit interesting, a little bit helpful to the audience, then that's what they want, and they're happy to work with people from all kinds of different backgrounds.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:05:33]:
And I love that, what you just said. They're they're more interested in your story. And I think all of us have some sort of story, right, that we or message that we wanna get out in the world. And your thing is you say that you are only 250 words away from writing for money. I love that. So, basically, we don't have to write the entire article that we wanna pitch them. We're just gonna give them a sample and send them maybe a pitch email. Is that the 250 words that you're referring to?
Amber Petty [00:06:04]:
Yep. That's exactly it. So so just a tiny bit of background, and then I'll tell you exactly what that pitch is so you could even do this today if you felt like it. You know? So with this and when I'm saying story and, like, we all have a story. We all have a message. Absolutely. And then what's cool about these kind of freelance articles is that we're actually telling then just a little piece of it. So you don't have to tell your whole life story.
Amber Petty [00:06:31]:
You don't have to only talk about, you know, big traumas or huge ideas. Look at the Internet. There is a whole lot of stuff out there and editors are looking for all of it. So it could be as big as, you know, a story about a really, hard time in your life. I had a student who wrote about, you know, losing a child, having a stillbirth. Obviously, huge story, very important time in her life. That was in Huffington Post. It was incredibly popular story.
Amber Petty [00:07:07]:
But then I've also had students write about things like lists of candy and things to do to make it easier to declutter your house. So the whole range is there. So you can start thinking about what's like a tiny piece of my message that I would wanna share or what am I good at? Like, what do people ask me about? Oh, people are always asking me for tips on keeping my kitchen clean because I'm just so good at it. That's not me.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:07:36]:
I I understand.
Amber Petty [00:07:37]:
Nobody's asking me that. But let's say you're that magical person, you know, talking about, like, oh, actually, this one thing I do, how I just use lemons in the kitchen keeps it fresh all day. Like, that that can be a story idea. So there really is a lot of room here. So then the yeah. Go ahead. No.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:07:56]:
I'm sorry to talk a little much. No. I love that. I love that. It just I I really think almost everybody listening has something that they could pull upon or some type of story or some type of tip or something that they could do there. So we have this, you know, pitch that we need to send out, and we have this writing sample that it sounds like we could put almost anywhere, right, on substack or or medium or whatever. Mhmm. When we go to send it out to our ideal publication or the, you know, the person that we wanna start writing for.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:08:31]:
Tell us a little bit about what exactly are they looking for from us. What needs to be in that pitch? What do we need to say to them? Are they do they wanna make sure we have all these crazy credentials? Or what what are they looking for there?
Amber Petty [00:08:44]:
Right. So so when you pitch, you wanna pitch to an editor. Often, just Google the publication you're looking for and pitch guidelines or submission guidelines. Sometimes they just tell you exactly what they want, exactly what to do right there. Now a lot of other times they don't, but the good news is they all want basically the same thing. So you're gonna send an email. You're sending it to the editor or to the email they give you to submit pitches. Then in your subject line, you put the word pitch and then colon, and then give your pitch, you know, your story a title.
Amber Petty [00:09:22]:
Give it a headline that looks kinda like the headlines that they have in that publication. So if you're pitching something to Huffington Post, for example, if you're pitching a personal essay, you don't wanna give it a title like the beauty and the sadness, you know, or some kind of, like, vague title that might be a very pretty book title. But if I see the beauty and the sadness, I don't know what that's about. And when I look at Huffington Post, I'll see, oh, that doesn't look like their titles at all. You know, their titles are, like, my 3 year old said something and it changed our lives forever. You know? So you wanna put it in the kinda style that that publication uses. Don't worry about matching it exactly. Just give it your best shot.
Amber Petty [00:10:11]:
It's really great to do that because it shows you know what's interesting about your story, and it shows you're a little bit familiar with that publication. Then in the email itself, you're not attaching anything. You don't you're not linking to Google Docs or anything. You're just putting the pitch right in the email. You can just say, hi, editor's name. Sometimes you don't know the editor's name. You can just say, hi. It can be just, hi, hello, any regular greeting.
Amber Petty [00:10:35]:
It doesn't have to be like, dear sir or madam. Nope. Just, hi. Then you can even go as simple as, here's a pitch, and go into your pitch. So, you know, here's a pitch and then here's the main thing. You're gonna answer 3 questions. Not literally, but you're gonna answer them within the sentences here. You're gonna answer what is the story angle, why is it important now, and why are you the person to write it.
Amber Petty [00:11:05]:
So what is the story angle? That's just what specifically is the story. So talking about the child loss essay, it wasn't a story that was about losing that is really a huge story. That could be a whole book. But instead, it was about her 3 year old, because she had a 3 year old at the time, telling everybody at the hospital when they said, hey. How are you? She would say, our baby just died. Just telling them for I'm using a very sad example here, but it was, a very good story. So by honing in on that moment, she still talked about grief, but it was very specific. Another less sad example of this is somebody who, used to be a professional a professional organizer.
Amber Petty [00:11:55]:
She said this 5 a day organizing habit can declutter your house easily. So she wasn't talking about how to declutter your house. Too big. Too much there. But she instead talked about how taking 5 things out of your house every day can help you declutter. Super specific. So that's where you're gonna say your story angle. That's the story angle.
Amber Petty [00:12:18]:
That's gonna be 1 or 2 sentences depending it might be 3. Usually it's one real good sentence there. And why is it important now? This is a really key piece. So it doesn't have to be why is this the most important story in the world right now. No. But why would people wanna read it right now? Is it related to a holiday coming up? Is it related to a season? Is it related to something in the news or something in pop culture? That those are great ways to show, hey. People are talking about this right now, so they're gonna wanna read about it. If it's not seasonal or there's no timely news piece around it, then you can just make a case for why people wanna read it.
Amber Petty [00:13:03]:
So for the piece about organization and decluttering, at the time she pitched that around springtime, so she said, as people are trying to do spring cleaning, this is a way to make it easier. Also, she could do that even if it's not in springtime, she could say, as the holidays are coming up. People are decluttering their house to make room for new things, so this is popular. Or if Marie Kondo came out with another book, she could say, oh, as people are looking, again at Marie Kondo, it's another great time. So you just find reasons for why might people be talking about this, why do people need this help right now, and talk about that in your pitch. And that last part is why are you the person to write it? This is actually not scary. This makes it sound like you've gotta make a case for yourself as the greatest writer. Not at all.
Amber Petty [00:13:57]:
This is where you just say, hey, do you have any background in this that might be different than another writer? So again, Julia used to be a professional organizer. So she said, hey, I was a professional organizer. I've used this with clients. I've seen it work. Great. That's all she needed to say. I once wrote a piece about Eurovision, which is a European song contest. I didn't have any professional, you know, Eurovision experience.
Amber Petty [00:14:24]:
So I just said, I am a huge fan of this. I am always a fan of all the British shows and have watched Eurovision for the past 10 years, which is a little unusual for an American, and that's it. I just had to say, hey. I care about this. So why are you the person to write it isn't about why you're the greatest writer in the world. It's just if you were a parent and you have firsthand experience or you used to have that as a job. Just any of that information is good. And the last thing is you're just gonna also give us some specifics.
Amber Petty [00:14:54]:
So for Julia's story example with the decluttering, she would she went ahead and explained a little bit on what that 5 a day habit meant, that it meant decluttering as little as even taking one bobby pin that you didn't need and throwing it away and counting that as one of your 5 and explained briefly how that helped. You actually declutter. So you're doing all that information in about 250 words. And the last tiny little thing is just a little bit about you. Just your name, where you live, just because sometimes editors will assign you stuff because they need somebody in Nashville to cover something or they need somebody in Seattle. So that can kinda help. And then you just say a little bit about your writing background. If you don't have a writing background, just say something about yourself that's interesting.
Amber Petty [00:15:48]:
That's it. It can be totally unrelated. It could be about your experience in a similar field. You could even just say, hey, I'm Amber. I'm a writer from LA. Here's a sample of my work and then link to that sample you made yourself. Link to that. It could even just be that and that's totally fine.
Amber Petty [00:16:10]:
So that whole email is about 250 words, and that's all you need to write. That's all you need to send, and that's it. So it's working on these takes a little practice, of course, but you really are about 250 words away from getting a byline. And lots of students have done that. They sent that out. That's all they did. Hey. We want it.
Amber Petty [00:16:31]:
Here's $300. You know? It's pretty cool.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:16:35]:
Well, it honestly, I think you answered a lot of my questions. So one of my questions was, do I need, like, a website or a social media profile to send them to? And I'm thinking you answered that. Right? You don't have to send that.
Amber Petty [00:16:46]:
You don't. Yep. You don't need to. If you have a big following, go ahead and put that in there. If you have a website, go ahead and put that in there. If you don't, you don't you do not need it. For this, for just pitching stuff, your social media following really doesn't matter at all. So that is that does not hold you back.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:17:07]:
And then you answered my question on the money. So, you know, in terms of how much somebody could expect to receive for one of these articles? Does it vary by publication, or how does that typically work?
Amber Petty [00:17:19]:
It it varies a lot for sure. So, like, for example, Huffington Post personal essays doesn't pay that much. It pays, like, $125 usually. But sometimes those articles get really big. I've had students get invited to the Tamron Hall show from it. Another student appeared on NBC News. Like, it can have a a big impact, but you're not paid a ton for those. I would say the average I would say the average right now I'm seeing is about 300 to 500.
Amber Petty [00:17:52]:
If it's a personal essay, so a personal story, those are more in the, like, a 125, 175 range. And if it's more of the, like, you know, tip based story, you know, something where you're kind of helping the reader understand something or do something or learn something or put something into practice, then those can be more like 300 to 500. And then with some stories that are more heavily reported, you know, there's just more interviews, research, and stuff. Sometimes, you know, I've had students make $1200 from a single story. So I'd say 3 to 500 is kind of the more average you'll see.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:18:35]:
And you've talked about some of the publications, newspapers, magazines. Are there any kinda unique type of places that people could send these pitches that we might not normally think about?
Amber Petty [00:18:47]:
One interesting one is Business Insider. Cause I feel like you hear Business Insider and you're like, okay. Well, I guess a business thing. But they actually do lots of personal essays. They do travel stories. So travel is a little bit of a harder market to break into, but they do travel stories a lot and can be an easier way to get kinda your first travel story. So they do travel and personal essays and parenting. So they do just a lot of stuff and they put out a lot of stories.
Amber Petty [00:19:19]:
So they have a pretty high demand. So Business Insider is kind of a surprising one that has a lot of opportunity. So that's a good one. And do look around even simple things of you know, because as hobbyists, you know, there are magazines on on crafting, knitting, crochet, painting, everything. So even just googling something as simple as, like, okay, knitting magazines, and you'll still find some surprising magazines you may not have heard of. It's very likely they take pitches. And the last one I'd say is EHAW. They also pay more in the $150 range, but they eHow, just e and how, they do all kinds of kinda crafty stories.
Amber Petty [00:20:08]:
I I think for hobbyists, I know I'm kind of focusing on crafts here and hobbies are bigger than that. I think that would be a good one for your audience of they do lots of different tutorials or just different insights on on a lot of hobby range, maybe a little bit more to the crafty side, but also cooking, stuff like that too.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:20:30]:
So, Amber, thank you so much for all of your wonderful tips. You've I'm actually going through here. I'm like, should could I do some of this? Because I love writing.
Amber Petty [00:20:38]:
Absolutely love writing. You absolutely could. Oh my gosh. You could write about being a successful podcast host, how to interview people, how to you know, there's all kinds Yeah. That's just from this, of course, you know, much more.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:20:52]:
Before we wrap it up here, any last minute tips for the
Amber Petty [00:20:57]:
Sure. My biggest tip, honestly, is you just don't know until you try. And I know that sounds simple, but I know a lot of people who think, no. There's just gonna be so many better writers out there, and better stories and la la la. But editors need stories all the time because of the Internet. They have to put out a lot, And so they need a lot of stories, and most editors are happy to work with new people because they're not hiring you forever. They're hiring you for one story, so it's easy for them to take more risks, and they want to hear from different people. They really honestly want to.
Amber Petty [00:21:37]:
So it's there is opportunity out there, and, yep, there's lots of rejection and all that too. But if you have an idea, just give it a try. We tend to over we tend to undersell our own stories or think, oh, I don't know. I'm not interesting enough or whatever. That is just not true. Everybody has so much interesting information and stories and wonderful things to share. And especially for all of you, you've already got so much great stuff going on. And then, hey, it's a bonus.
Amber Petty [00:22:09]:
If you get published and you like it, what a fantastic thing to have. And if you don't, you can always go, hey, I got all these other hobbies and work to do. I'm cool. So I it's it's really not as scary as it might seem.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:22:25]:
Now, Amber, I definitely want people to know where they can find you, and I believe you have a free gift for them also. Can you let folks know where they can find you?
Amber Petty [00:22:35]:
I do indeed. So you can find me on Instagram at Amber n Petty, and like Nicole, on Instagram. And then I do have a newsletter where every week I send out pitching opportunities and writing jobs, so it's a good way to just kinda see what's out there. Maybe something will inspire you to pitch. But the best way to get on my list is to also get my list of 250 places that pay writers. So it's 250 publications. They all pay. So it makes the searching part of it a little easier, and that's yours for free if you just go to amberpetty.com slash 250.
Amber Petty [00:23:16]:
So just 250, the numerals. And, yeah, you'll get that 250 list you can keep and, you know, check that out. You might see some publications that surprise you that you wanna check out.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:23:29]:
Well, I'm definitely going to sign up for that today, and we will make sure that all of those links are in the show notes so everybody can connect with you. And thank you so much, Amber.
Amber Petty [00:23:40]:
Thank you so much. This is great.
Dr. Destini Copp [00:23:46]:
Thank you so much for listening today. Don't forget to sign up for the wait list so you'll be the first to know when our next free HobbyScool Online Learning Summit launches. The link is in the show notes for this episode, or you can go to hobbyscool.com, and that's HobbyScool with school without an h in it. Talk soon.