In a chronological zig-zag, it's time to look at the very first steps a writer might take when doing freelance work.

Before you get started doing anything, you should engage in a bit of self-evaluation. Can you write a paragraph of at least three sentences, one of which is the topic? Can you spell words correctly without the use of your spell-checker? Do you know the rules for comma use, the difference between a dependent and an independent clause, and can you maintain consistent point of view throughout a manuscript?

If the answer to any of these things is "no", have no fear. I can point you toward a couple of publishers who will buy your work. However, you won't get the best rates.

Myth-Conceptions

Okay, Robert Lynn Asprin did that one already, but you should discard some unprofessional baggage before you start.

"They'll Steal My Ideas"

This one stems from a misunderstanding of the writer's job and the publisher's job and how they interact. Everybody has ideas, and they're worth the paper they're written on. If you think your idea is unique, you probably aren't very well-read. The publisher is paying you for development. Turning an idea into a well-developed game, supplement, or bit of crunch requires a certain skill. That's the skill that you want to hone.

"I Don't Need to Follow Guidelines"

No, I don't need to follow guidelines-certain guidelines, that is, and with certain publishers. If you're just starting, YOU need to follow guidelines. It is a fact that there are more people writing than there is good work available, and if a publisher holds two manuscripts in his hand of equal quality, the one that didn't follow his submission guidelines gets the "no thanks."

Having said that, many RPG publishers are small offices run by one or two guys and they're very flexible compared to mainstream publishers. You might be able to get away with it. Why take the chance? Make sure the deck is stacked in your favor and follow the rules. After you get in, ask about exceptions to the rules.

"Editing is for Jerks"

If you are content with the bottom of the barrel, you can probably get away with submitting a first draft. If you want to sell to Dragon or anywhere else that pays well, edit, edit and edit some more. Some exceptional writers turn in copy that's good enough to use the first time around, but they usually put that work into prep in the form of outlines, notes, and planning. Robert Louis Stevenson said "When I say writing, believe me, it is chiefly rewriting that I have in mind."

"Editing is for Jerks, Part 2"

Some writers suffer from a malaise called Golden Word Syndrome. A writer with GWS refuses to make changes to his work based on an editor's suggestions. He thinks his writing is flawless, his ideas are brilliant, and his prose is perfect.

I call these people idiots. Let's say GWS is right, and his words are semi-divine in their beauty, but the editor just can't see it. And, strangely enough, neither can any other editor. He becomes known in the industry as unpublished, which means he's not a writer, he's a wannabe.

Editors are not perfect, and sometimes you might find that your skill exceeds your editor's. Make suggestions. Insist if you like. When it comes down to it, however, remember that you and the editor each have the decision to not buy/sell the work. I recommend that you comply over the first couple of disagreements you might have with an editor. Once you gain experience, you'll have more authority and more bargaining power, and (hopefully) better judgment, too.

If you're up to speed on all that and ready to crack your knuckles and get to work, here are four avenues for finding that work.

Finding a Market

Now that you're confident that you can write to a semi-professional standard, it's time to look for some work that needs doing and somebody to buy it.

Open Calls

Publishers sometimes offer an open call, in which they advertise their willingness to consider any submission, usually for a specific project. They might intend to take the best out of the batch or use several for an anthology-style project. In either case, your submission competes directly against other writers' work to attract the editor's attention and interest.

Publishers announce the open calls on various websites, usually RPGnet, ENworld.org, and the publisher's own website.

Contests

Contests are similar to open calls in that they're open to (usually) any interested party, and the result is publication. Sometimes the prize of a contest is product, not cash. Unless you plan to work for that company in the future, and you want the prize for its research value, that's usually a bad deal.

Pyramid magazine has run an interesting type of contest in the past. In their "Iron Ref" contest, several writers draw up a short adventure and the readers choose which writers progress to the next round. Essentially, you "win" additional writing gigs, at 3 cents/word.

One advantage to open calls and contests is that you don't have to do as much research. Also, they have already done the critical and difficult job of topic selection for you. The searching is also easy; just bookmark a couple of websites and check for new posts every day or two.

Query First

You don't have to wait for a specific event to send in a submission. If you want to write for a game or a particular setting, identify what that game needs and plan it out. After you write an outline (to make sure you have enough material to justify an article or book), find the publisher's submission guidelines on the company's website and submit a query that follows those guidelines.

If you have done things backward and already written a work, then you have a different kind of work to do. Find a publisher who publishes something similar to what you have written and query that publisher. I say you've done it backward because you didn't make sure you could sell your work before you wrote it. Here is one of Lloyd's Rules of Writing: design follows marketing. If you write a great story, article or book but can't sell it, then you have wasted time and effort. At that point, one might argue that it wasn't so great after all.

Cold Submissions

Some publishers skip the query step and prefer to read the whole submission. Their point of view is that the query might not be an accurate description of the project, or the project might change enough in development that the one-paragraph synopsis in your query no longer applies. While it's more convenient for you in one respect (quicker response), it could be more harmful in others (more work done for no result if they choose not to buy it).

When I've said in this column that people have decided to be a freelancer and signed contracts within hours, I'm not exaggerating. It really is that easy to get your first couple of jobs. You could repeat that step endlessly, writing for almost nothing. For the next step, though, you should see Min-Maxing Your Freelance Career.