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Syndicate Your Articles For Greater Income
What Is Syndication?
Imagine that you write an article and after months of hawking that article and sending out query letters, it is finally published in a small magazine. You are paid fifty bucks for the publication rights and with your newfound riches you take your wife or husband out to dinner. You both celebrate and life is good.
Now imagine you write an article and sell it into syndication, and instead of being published in one magazine it is published in fifty newspaper markets across the country at $50 per publishing.
Forget about dinner and start making reservations for a vacation to the Bahamas!
Syndication, for lack of a better definition, is multiple publishings of one work, whether it be in magazines, newspapers or some other form of media. It can be quite lucrative and it is an avenue all writers should consider, especially those who wish to one day vacation in the Bahamas. In its most common form, it is a series of articles spread out over weeks and month. Picture in your mind recurring articles that you see in your local newspaper; often times those articles are syndicated and also appear in other newspapers across the country. Week after week, new articles appear with the same theme, and whoever the author is, he/she is probably lounging on a beach at this very moment.
If lovely beaches and tall drinks with umbrellas in them sound good to you, then read on as we look at the steps for successful syndication.
Have you tried syndication?
Step One: Get Published
Chances are excellent that you will never be syndicated unless you have been published, so send out those query letters and get someone to publish a piece of your work. I don’t care if you have to offer your article for free. We are after bigger fish than one payment for one article.
Find a niche and become the self-proclaimed spokesperson for that niche. Then get published. Check with local newspapers first and pitch the chance for them to sign on a local writer with tons of knowledge. Look at small, alternative newspapers and make sure you try the online newspapers as well. Keep at it until someone, somewhere publishes an article of yours. Once that happens your foot is in the door and we can move on to step two.
Directory of online newspapers
- Newspapers
The largest directory of online newspapers around the world, links to more than 25,000 newspapers listed by country.
Step Two: Option One Do It Yourself
You have decided to do it yourself. You don’t want to involve syndication companies and pay them a percentage to hawk your work, so now you are going to do it yourself.
Get a list of newspapers in your country and start sending out query letters pitching your articles and syndication efforts. It is best to pitch a series of articles about one subject. Editors and publishers want to hear about the total body of work, and they love it when inches of their publication will be filled weekly with an article that they trust. Pitch a ten-article batch to them, and include in that pitch reference to your previous publication. If you are sending queries by snail mail, then copy your previously published article, including the masthead of the publication, and send that along with your query letter as proof that you have been published. If you query by email then send your published article as an attachment or link to the publication.
This is tedious work. Sending out hundreds of query letters to hundreds of newspapers is time consuming and will test the mettle of any writer, but it may pay off big time.
Remember to promise exclusivity for each market. In other words, promise that you will only sell your article to one newspaper per metro area. Don’t worry about limiting your sales by giving exclusivity. There are a lot of metro areas in your country.
What will you get paid? It will depend on the publication and how large they are. Starting out I would not expect to get more than $25 per column.
Syndication agencies
- Syndication Agencies for feature writers | Writer's Contracts
A resource – and campaign – for freelance writers and journalists
Step Two Option Two
If you don’t want to do-it-yourself, then take the easier path and try to get on with a syndication company. There are hundreds of companies across the United States who sign on writers and then they find the publications to publish your work. In other words, all you do is write and let the syndication company find the outlet for your work….for a fee of course.
Although this may sound like the simpler route to take, remember that this is a competitive business, and syndication firms do not take on all writers. You will have to send query letters to the syndication firms pitching your idea and showing them your previously published work. If they decide that you have “game” in the writing business, they will gladly be your “agent” for syndication.
A realistic view of freelancing
Step Three: Keep Writing
There are millions of writers all after the same thing: exposure. Hot names will have their moment in the sun and fall by the wayside as new writers take their place. That is the nature of the business, and it is competitive as hell and it requires you to do your part in the process. You need to write.
You need to write as if your financial future depends upon it because, well, it does.
You need to ignore failure and laugh at defeat because those are a natural part of this writing gig.
If you meet rejection with your first syndication attempt then try again. If you can wallpaper your living room with rejection slips then try again because the bedroom needs wallpapering.
Keep writing!
And when you aren’t writing, imagine where you would like to vacation when you become syndicated.
2013 William D. Holland (aka billybuc)
Related
Comments
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Au fait, good morning and no, I'm not yet syndicated, but I keep trying. :) Thanks for the visit.
Are you doing this? Are you syndicated? I can see how your articles here on the simpler life and reflection would fit the bill.
Good information and suggestions. Voted up and useful.
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Thank you Dianna! You biggest problem is undoubtedly time, but hopefully one day you will be able to write full-time.
This is an excellent goal to set as a writer. Thanks for the suggestions. Perhaps someday I will delve into this option, for now I will file it for reference.
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Scraw, there is no pat answer to your question. Generally speaking, once you have gotten syndicated it is easier to get syndicated again....as for writing style, usually doing a column means you write in your own voice, but it would have to be agreed upon by the editor or publisher.
This article gave me some ideas, however I would like to know how often I could get these types of jobs once I get my foot in the door. I also wonder if I would have to change my writing style to fit those local newspaper agencies.
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LaDena, I would love for you to go to the Bahamas, too, so get to writing and maybe one day, right? In the meantime, keep wallpapering. :) Thank you my friend.
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Karen, that is so kind of you to say. Thank you and you can bet I'll let you all know if that day ever comes. :) Thank you!
Love this advice...especially where you say "If you can wallpaper your living room with rejection slips, keep trying because the bedroom needs wallpaper, too..:" (may have misquoted...but you get the idea!) I don't know if I want to be syndicated, but I would love to go to the Bahamas!!!! Voted up, across and shared!
billybuc,
From the way you wrote this hub, it sounded like you were already doing it. But I see you are attempting it and I hope it works out for you. This is a great idea and I didn't know it was even a possibility. Thanks for sharing all of this with the rest of us. And good luck to you. Please let us know WHEN, not if you are syndicated because if anyone deserves to be syndicated, it should be you. Seems you have been writing a column every day, never mind every week!!! This was a very enjoyable hub. Voted up, awesome, interesting and useful... and sharing!
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Glimmer, it's my pleasure. As always, thank you my friend.
This was really interesting. I never really knew what syndication was about. Thanks.
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You are welcome, Heidi! Good luck with your strategy.
Thanks for clarifying! I am looking into this type of content development strategy. Have a great week!
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Hi Heidi!
On syndication, as long as you only publish an article in one newspaper per metro area then you are alright with the duplicate content problem. :) Good question and thank you for the visit.
I'm curious (and maybe it's because I'm still figuring out the syndication game): Does having your syndicated content appearing on several websites cause a duplicate content problem? If you have insight, let me know. Thanks, as always, for your great content and support!
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Well, Phoenix, if you continue to be a writer then you'll have those walls covered over in no time. :) I consider a rejection slip a badge of honor. LOL Silly me!
My living room walls could do with a makeover. lol
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My pleasure, Martin! Thank you for your loyalty.
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Anna, thank you so much for your kind words. I am honored by them and you are greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Thank you for these tips.
You have a gift for providing essential information in an easy to read, yet entertaining format. You also seem to instinctively know the type of information needed and you deliver everytime.
Helpful, knowledgeable article, as always. I will bear in mind for future use :)
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wildove, the majority of writers fail on query letters because of the query letter itself. Make sure yours follows recommended guidelines and make sure your opening paragraph has a great hook. If you want to email me I can toss a few more things your way....holland1145@yahoo.com
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Thank you Jeff. I appreciate you stopping by.
Very informative Hub, I have only been writing regularly for the last three or four years and mostly as therapy. However I have written a children's picture story. I would love to see it published, even if it's only for my grandson. I recently sent out a few query letters to literary agencies. I did receive one response and they weren't excepting any picture book manuscripts, though they encouraged me to continue querying. If you have any guidance to offer on making my book a possibility I would love to hear it!!!
Great advice as always Bill! Here's to vacationing in the Bahamas
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Hi Career! I hope this finds you well. Yes, it is something that I am focusing on...just one more thing to do, right? I do think it is doable for those willing to lay the foundation and work hard.
Best of luck to you and thank you!
Billy, I love your ideas. I've often wondered about a syndicated column, but never really researched it. These are great tips. I'm definitely going to pin this article.
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Ruchi, I am glad to hear it and I hope you give it a try. Who knows, right?
Thank you my friend.
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Thank you Alicia! We are all learning together and I'm a big believer in sharing knowledge and helping each other.
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Paul, I agree with you and this will be my focus over the coming months. Good luck to you and I hope this works out for you in the near future.
Thank you!
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Joe, that voice you hear took years to develop. I look back at my earlier writings and it was nowhere to be found. I finally settled on a conversational voice because that is what I am most comfortable with. I want the reader to feel like we are sitting as old friends over a cup of coffee and having a talk. Thank you for the validation. That makes me happy.
I hope syndication works out for you my friend. I would love to hear that you are able to visit your parents more often.
My best to you and believe me, I am proud to be your follower as well.
Aloha from Olympia
bill
Syndication is something new to me and it is great read about it. Good and informative hub. Keep it up.
You are providing a wealth of information with your hubs about writing, Bill. Thank you for this interesting and very useful article about syndication.
Billy,
This is excellent reference material. The first step, however, is getting your writing published. With continued passion, good planning, and perseverance, I really believe that getting your writing syndicated is possible. Voted up and sharing. Also Pinning and Tweeting.
Bill, you've got me doing some serious thinking. My folks (Mom in Hawai'i, Dad in Maryland), are getting up there, and seeing them last month only whetted my desire to figure out how I can finance seeing them and the rest of my family of origin more often.
What you offer here is both a challenge AND an opportunity to tap into something that is definitely doable in the natural progression of writing.
But what's key to my enjoyment is the special writer's voice that I hear whenever I read your articles. You make that which might otherwise be mundane come alive like the NBC peacock proudly spreading its tail feathers during the early days of living color TV.
Thank you for the gifts of your time, talent, content, and instruction, Bill. I'm damn lucky to be a follower!
Aloha, and have a quality evening of macadamia...um...I meant to say, academia! Sorry, still stuck in the candy factory on the Big Island!
Joe
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Mary, it's good to see you again. I hope all is well with you my friend. Laugh at defeat...most of us spend a great amount of time laughing, don't we? :) Thank you Mary!
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Ruchira, that is indeed the whole trick to syndication. Find a nice and establish yourself in that niche...then start sending out query letters. :) Thank you my dear.
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Ruby, thank you so much. I'm just trying to help the community that I respect so greatly.
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Marilyn, I hope you do. You might be surprised by the results. Thank you for the visit.
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Michelle, I'm glad to hear it. I don't know what it is like in Singapore but here in the States this is a viable alternative to consider.
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Rajan, it is a path many do not think of but it can be lucrative. Just another avenue to consider my friend. If one of us makes it we all can celebrate. :) Thank you my friend, and blessings to your family.
I want to go to the Bahamas! "ignore failure and laugh at defeat "....that's what I'm going to do first ;)
Voted up, useful, awesome, interesting and shared.
Wow...did not hear about it until now.
Will look into it. Before that...gotta write on one topic...so far..I have been writing on various topics.
It never hurts to learn all about something you love doing. Thank you for another share. You are so giving as well as an excellent writer. We all learn from your hubs Bill..Thank you..
Well, never heard of this before. But will definitely find out more bout it ! Thanks Bill!!
Exactly what we need! Thanks for these!
Well! Frankly Bill, I'd no idea about this syndication thing being connected to one's writing; though I've been coming across the same article being published across many platforms. I understand now, thanks to this interesting and useful information.
Many thanks my friend, for this valuable lesson.
Voted up and useful.
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drbj, I greatly appreciate your loyalty....thank you so much for stopping by once again.
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Bill, who knows indeed. Keep it in mind for that travel series....you already have enough material. :)
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Deb, I would think Boomer Lake would be perfect for syndication. :) just sayin'
Thank you for the excellent advice about syndication, Bill. Good to know.
Hi Bill. Never really gave this a thought. Guess I wasn't even sure what syndication could do for a writer. This is interesting. Thanks for sharing this with us. Who knows, this could become part of the "plan".
I have seen some of this syndicated material. Always wondered about it, too. Thanks for showing me what it is all about and HOW it happens.
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I am happy to do so, Catmalone....thanks for stopping by.
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MsDora, I am very happy to do so. Thank you for your kind words.
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Shoot, Jo, as you well know, I'm just giving back to a community that has been incredible in showing me acceptance and love. I am the one who is grateful. Thank you!
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Lupita, it is my pleasure. I haven't seen you in awhile. I wonder if I missed a hub by you. I will check shortly.
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khmazz, new goals are a great thing, and I suspect you do not shy away from them at all. Best of luck to you and thank you.
This article is vey useful. Thanks for the professional advice. Another awesome hub!
Informative, Inspirational and Practical/Doable. Thanks for the great service you perform to all of us. Voted Up.
Bill, I haven't heard of this before, sound like a very lucrative gig, if one can get it; well worth looking into.
Many thanks for the useful tips my best to you as always.
Your articles are always so useful and motivating Billybuc, thanks for sharing your expertise on syndication! :D
Great information! I am so thankful to know about syndication for writing! I had no idea that was even possible! New goals have been set! :)
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Rhonda, I owe you a visit and I will be by to read your new hub shortly.
As for newspapers, I love this new series of yours about Monsanto. Extremely well written and so damn clever. I would pitch that series to the local newspapers. What do you have to lose?
As for getting published in the real world, it is very tough. In today's world you have a better chance of getting published on-line with some of the online magazines and newspapers. That is what I would try first. I would try tiny, local newspapers and tiny publications, all local. All you need is one byline and the door will open wider.
I'll write a hub about this just for you. How's that? :)
Thank you my friend. You have no idea how much I appreciate you.
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Marlene, once you find that niche you will be very good at it. I know about being all over the place. It has just been in the last couple of months that I have narrowed my focus. Now I feel I'm on the right track.
Thanks my friend.
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Lizzy, no, I'm not shocked. :) Hey, what can it hurt to try? Rejection is a way of life in writing, so you might as well get with it and join the rest of us. LOL
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Will, it is indeed! The prize we all seek. :) Thanks for the visit.
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penlady, I like that you tried it and are considering trying again. Best of luck to you. Don't give up. All it takes is the right piece at the right time.
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Ginger, I love that name. I hope I remember it...keep signing that way until I remember, okay? Thanks, and I'm sorry for being such a distraction. :)
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Melissa, it would be awesome indeed, for me or you or any other writer. Just something else to put on my to do list. :)
Thanks, Minnesota! I hope spring has finally arrived there.
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Peachy, Sha??? Glad to hear it. :)
I have never really tried to get published. I didn't think it was an option. That's what I get for thinking. There's a lot of useful information here, Bill and I thank you for sharing it. The local newspapers are sounding really good to me and not something I had thought of, other than a few letters to the editor over the years. Questions for some time in the future - How hard is it to get published in the real world over on-line writing? I have sold a lot of articles over the last few weeks flat out for others to put their names on. That was pretty easy though the money sucks. How do I transition to being able to sell them and keep my name on them? I don't really expect you to answer that. I'm thinking in print. But, if you were ever bored and wanting to write about it... we would all love it! I love reading your hubs for many reasons, but one of the strongest is that I get an educational experience every time. God bless!
Your tips are quite valuable. I would love to be syndicated, but like you suggested, I need to find a niche. I'm so all over the place right now and can't seem to light on just one subject. I'd better get busy with that as my number one priority and then follow that with the rest of your truly helpful advice.
Huh. I thought I commented on this one already. LOL
I've never pitched to anyone ever. I know you're shocked. I like the idea of writing for a local newspaper. That would be fun.
Of course, step one is always the hardest. Good advice though. *shared*.
Great advice! I tried syndication years ago with no luck. Now I might try again. Thanks for writing this hub.
Voted up and useful.
I might need to stop reading your hubs for a few days. You get me all distracted from raising the kids and interested in writing and getting published! Thanks for the motivation and the advice! -Ginger
Great information! I had never thought about syndication, via newspapers (either on the web or in print). That would be such a sweet gig! I wish you the best of luck with your endeavors--I could see a "Living the Simple Life" weekly column in my newspaper, written by Bill Holland. That would be awesome!
I'm peachy as always, Bill! Thanx for asking.
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Pearl, good for you my friend. I get excited knowing that others are branching out and trying new things like this. Good luck and keep me posted.
Billy, connecting with a local newspaper never occurred to me! I have bookmarked this excellent information for future reference, and I am looking at travel brochures as I write LOL! Voted UP++
;) Pearl
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Sha, just one more thing to think about, right? LOL I hope you are well my friend.
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Thank you vkwok! It's always nice to have you visit my site.
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My Cook Book, thank you and I hope you have success in trying this.
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cygnetbrown, I'm happy to hear that. Good luck to you!
I never thought about syndication. Interesting and very lucrative, I would imagine. Are you syndicated, Bill?
Great advice! And it's easy to understand. Nice hub!
Good hub with nice information. I like this, thanks for sharing. Great work!
This is information I can really use! I bookmarked your link! Thanks!
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Suzette, thank you! I think it is worth trying for any writer. Who knows when lightning will strike and we will be discovered?
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jainismus, true words my friend. You have to share the fee with the syndication service but it is still guaranteed money multiplied over a number of sites. Worth the effort I think.
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Carol, it would be a dream come true and I'm going for it. The thought of writing one article per week and making money from it is worth the effort. Who knows, right? All things are possible if there is the willingness to try.
Thank you as always! You really do walk your talk here on HP.
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Hey Mike! How is life today? This is a new direction I am trying. The odds are great but what the heck, buddy, beating the odds is oh so sweet, right? You and I have already beaten some pretty formidable odds and here we are thriving in our business.
Thank you for stopping by my friend. I hope you are well and happy.
Another great article, Bill, with some great suggestions on how to get started! Your advice is golden. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Great advice. There are many syndication services world over and one should try some of them, if he is lazy about sending his writings to many editors.
This would be a dream come true for all of us..and today the publishingworld is inundated with new writers..as we all know. Many years ago I sent out letters to different syndications..I had some advice from Bill Kean and Liz Smith..had the pleasure of meeting them...I got syndicated with a small syndication that sold to small newspapers such as pennysaver etc...and got paid a flat fee. I had hoped that would lead to more. Today I would figure a way...I actually had two columns in the syndication. GOing through Writers market and like books can be very helpful. Thanks for bringing this dream out that many of writers think about. Sharing and pinning...
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Janine, it would be a dream for sure, and it is one I am going to go for. Wish me luck as I do to you, and thank you for being here. Have a great week, Mom!
This is very useful Bill wow, I never knew all or even some of this information about becoming a syndicated writer for a news paper or for anything related to any publishing company. Maybe I will go at this very hard, and for sure I will make sure my grammatical errors doesn't get in the way LOL :) if I do choose to go such a route.
I love to write my ass off as many folks know already and like so many of us dedicated hub authors, whom are quite determined to take multiple vacations and maybe even be able to pay off a few debts if anything.
You my friend seem to have been there and done that, I wonder how it would feel to actually be a news paper editor, and to be able to report some of the most vital news reports worldwide. Now that would be a wonderful gig indeed, and so writing and writing and writing is what needs to be done as you pointed out here, I agree 100%.
Nice hub bro! Now your talking up some good game here, and many folks will seek to benefit from your wisdom for sure and experience. Thanks a great deal Bill, thumbs up and sharing for sure!
This would be a dream come true. Maybe someday, but thank you so very much for giving all the necessary steps here in one place to try one's hand at this. Just awesome Bill!! :)
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