Home
>
Writing
>
How I Became a Syndicated Columnist -- And You Can Too!

How I Became a Syndicated Columnist -- And You Can Too!

Real Estate has "Location, location, location," and writing has "Clips, clips, clips."

When people ask me how I became a syndicated columnist, I usually say, "it just snowballed." And basically that's what happened: one publication led to another, which led to another, and so forth.

I began my career writing for a small community paper in my neighborhood. To look back on those first published clips is quite entertaining! But how can I be ashamed? The work I did at The Julington Creek Plantation Press (the JCPP) became a springboard for my now nationally syndicated column "Shore Duty."

(If you read between the lines here, what I'm saying is, Don't be impatient, and don't expect quick success! Be willing to work your way up and focus on getting the coveted published clips.)

But a giant "snowball" was not all it took for me to become a writing success. Admittedly, it took hard-work, research and persistence too. Below are some things I learned along the way:

Never Submit Shoddy Work, No Matter How Small the Publication

When I was working for the JCPP I knew the interviews and spotlights I was writing were not Pulitzer material. In fact, I'd be surprised if even a hundred people ever even read those first pieces. Nevertheless, I made sure every submission was flawless and an excellent reflection of what I can do as a writer. (You never know who might read your work...even the small work!)

Providing error-free copy and meeting deadlines sets up a precedence of professionalism that will follow you throughout your career. Never forget the editors you are writing for now may be the ones writing your next referral or recommendation.

A great book for grammar and proofreading help is The Associated Press Guide to Punctuation by Rene J. Cappon.

Never Let Your Readers Down

Developing a relationship with your readers is the ultimate goal (editors only buy what their readers demand!), so it is important to make sure all your writing (however small or insignificant) is entertaining and consistent with your abilities.

Building a firm base of loyal fans and readers should be your utmost concern. Never let your readers down! When I write my column each week, I have in my mind the mother who will be sitting down to breakfast Tuesday morning and opening the Life section to see my submission. I don't write for editors (well, ok, so I do a little bit); I write for readers.

Building my readership base has paid off. Now I have loyal fans throughout the country emailing their local papers to request Shore Duty! And I'll say it again: Editors only buy what their readers demand!

Always Approach the Managing Editor

There are many benefits to querying the Managing Editor of a publication, as opposed to a section- or other editor. Ultimately, the Managing Editor makes the monetary decisions for the paper, which gives them the "last word." If you want a quick "yes" or "no" with few middle-men in between, direct your query to the Managing Editor.

Once you get the job, however, strive to build a good working relationship with the editor of your section. This will be the person you deal with on a regular basis. Always meet deadlines (in fact, be early and they'll love you!), and as much as possible, reduce the amount of work for your very busy editor: always proofread and "tighten" your writing before submitting it for publication.

Save Your Clips

As soon as you are published anywhere, start saving your clips. I always photo-copy mine because newsprint begins to yellow over time. Make sure the publication date is noted on the clip, then place it in a protective binder. Hopefully you'll be making more copies of these clips soon when you write your syndication proposal...or your book proposal!

Watch Your Contracts

Writers are artists at heart, but unfortunately, in the world of publishing, there's a lot of business-minded tasks to take care of. In particular, it's important to learn about contracts...or find someone to learn about it for you.

My husband is my personal "business advisor" who helps me to think with my "career" mind rather than my "artsy" mind when it comes time to sign on the dotted line.

Here's one very important thing I've learned (by error) about contracts: be cautious of a "Work for Hire" deal. If you sign a "Work for Hire" contract, you are basically signing away all the rights to your writing. In effect, the publication, not you, owns the article/column you produce. If you should ever want to reprint that piece (in a book, etc.) you then have to ask permission from the original publication.

A much better way is to sign a "Freelancer Contract". This type of arrangement assures you the rights to your work. You are actually only lending your work to the publication, and you still retain all rights to reprint or publish however else you choose (except that most papers will ask that you not publish in another competing local paper).

A good book to educate yourself about contracts is Understanding Publishers' Contracts by Michael Legat.

If You Have the Choice, Go With Self-Syndication

There are two ways to syndicate: through an agency, or on your own. Below are the pros and cons of both (as I see it).

Going through an Agency

The experts do all the business work for you (marketing, writing proposals, etc.)

Your mind is freed up to be artistic and write, write, write.

Agencies have contacts and networks you do not.

Selling a syndicated column can be a full-time job; if you want to write full-time, leave the business of promotion and sales to an agency.

However, an agency will take a hefty chunk of your profits.

An agency creates a middle-man through which you have to work.

An agency takes "control" of your career.

Self-Syndicating Your Column

You retain control and direction of your own career.

You don't have to share profits with an agency.

You don't have to work through a middle-man.

BUT, you do have to work really hard to market yourself and your column.

Self-syndicating is like taking on another job. (You will be solely responsible for sales, promotion, understanding contracts, creating invoices, etc.)

For me, however, the biggest benefit of going the self-syndication route has been the satisfaction I get from knowing I am in control of my own career and that I've gotten here through my own talents and hard work.

A good book for understanding the differences between self-syndication and syndication through an agency is Successful Syndication: A Guide for Writers and Cartoonists by Michael H. Sedge.

If you work hard enough, have patience and collect lots and lots of clips, you are well on your way to being a columnist.

I wish you luck, no writer's block, and many days of writing success!

About The Author

++You may reprint the above column on your website so long as the following is included the URL address is actively hyperlinked back++

www.sarahsmiley.com

disinfecting cleaning services Arlington Heights ..

In The News:

Android rolls out Emergency Live Video for 911 calls, letting dispatchers see real-time scenes during emergencies. Great for holiday travel safety.

Malicious Chrome and Edge extensions collected browsing history, keystrokes and personal data from millions of users before Google and Microsoft removed them.

Google's new Call Reason feature lets Android users mark calls as urgent before dialing, displaying an urgent label to recipients using Phone by Google app.

Medical history made as surgeons successfully restore sight to legally blind patient using world's first 3D printed corneal implant grown from human cells.

Data brokers aggressively collect your holiday shopping data to fuel scams and targeted ads. Learn how to delete your digital profile before 2025 starts.

Scammers are sending fake MetaMask wallet verification emails using official branding to steal crypto information through phishing links and fraudulent domains.

Learn what background permissions, push notifications, security updates, auto-join networks and app refresh mean to better manage your phone's privacy settings.

Criminals test stolen data by applying for deposit accounts in victims' names to prepare bigger attacks. Learn why banks won't share fraud details.

New study of 10,500+ kids reveals early smartphone ownership linked to depression, obesity, and poor sleep by age 12. Earlier phones mean higher risks.

A phone phishing attack compromised Harvard's alumni and donor database, marking the second security incident at the university in recent months.

AutoFlight's zero-carbon floating vertiport uses solar power to charge eVTOL aircraft while supporting emergency response, tourism, and marine energy maintenance.

A new phone return scam targets recent buyers with fake carrier calls. Learn how criminals steal devices and steps to protect yourself from this fraud.

New Anthropic research reveals how AI reward hacking leads to dangerous behaviors, including models giving harmful advice like drinking bleach to users seeking help.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Holiday email scams, including non-delivery fraud and gift card schemes, spike in November and December, costing victims hundreds of millions, the FBI says.

Holiday visits offer the perfect opportunity to help older parents with technology updates, scam protection and basic troubleshooting skills for safer digital experiences.

Swiss scientists create grain-sized robot that surgeons control with magnets to deliver medicine precisely through blood vessels in medical breakthrough.

Researchers exploited WhatsApp's API vulnerability to scrape 3.5 billion phone numbers. Learn how this massive data breach happened and protect yourself.

Travel companies share passenger data with third parties during holidays, but travelers can protect themselves by removing data from broker sites and using aliases.

Xpeng's humanoid robot moves so realistically that crowds believed it was fake, marking a major advancement in robotics technology ahead of 2026 commercial launch.

Researchers discover phishing scam using invisible characters to evade email security, with protection tips including password managers and two-factor authentication.

iPhone and Android users can reduce battery drain and data usage by restricting Background App Refresh to Wi-Fi connections instead of mobile networks.

Scammers nearly stole an Apple account by exploiting the support system with authentic-looking tickets and phone calls, users can protect themselves with safety steps.

FoloToy restored sales of its AI teddy bear Kumma after a weeklong suspension following safety group findings of risky and inappropriate responses to children.

Threat intelligence firm Synthient uncovers one of the largest password exposures ever, prompting immediate security recommendations.

How I Became a Syndicated Columnist -- And You Can Too!

Writing