Online Markets for Writers: How to Make Money by Selling Your Writing On the Internet (Paperback)

by Anthony Tedesco (Author), Paul Tedesco (Author) "So here's the story in brief: You got the government in the late '60s and you got a few computers scattered around the country that..." (more)
Key Phrases: paying online market, query with published clips, query before submitting, New York, Ticketmaster Online, East Colorado Blvd (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
In 1993, Anthony and Paul Tedesco published one of the first 'zines on the Web--the Trincoll Journal (HotWired was the other). Now, a mere seven years later, the Tedesco brothers have produced the "first-ever database of pay-and-policy information for more than 200 paying online markets." Whew--we've come a long way, fast. The Tedescos' Online Markets for Writers is an indispensable resource for anyone wanting to write for the Web, not to mention anyone wondering how to recycle all those yellowing clips. While some of the book's listings are more thorough than others, all include basic contact information, and most describe a given publication's editorial needs. The best listings offer pointers from editors, as well as inside scoop from contributors (it would be nice if there were more of the latter). Duly armed, you'll know what you're up against when you submit to Epicurious ("We have never accepted an unsolicited submission"), Family.com ("It will be a rare exception if we respond at all"), or Business Week Online ("Not worth all the aggravation," says one writer).

Accompanying the listings are hints on writing for the Internet (make it short and personal, and provide links); profiles of Internet writers and editors; a sample Internet writing contract; the contract the National Writers Union would like to see used; and the Tedescos' 10 favorite places to be published online. At book's end, online writers and editors divulge their favorite Web sites--as if we needed more excuses to procrastinate.

The problem with all this burgeoning technology, I hear you thinking, is that so much of it is fleeting. By the time a book like this is released, half the data is obsolete. Perhaps. But the Tedescos are one step ahead of you. They plan to update the book via a free e-mail newsletter. --Jane Steinberg

From Booklist
The Writer's Market has advised freelancers and would-be authors how and where to hawk their wares for years. As the Internet has become a viable publishing medium, this venerable guide has added tips on writing for and selling to online publications. This year's edition includes a chapter by Anthony Tedesco, who--with his brother--founded Crisp online magazine. The pair also run their own Web site [http://www.marketsforwriters.com]. Now, with contributions from members of the American Society of Journalists and Authors and the National Writers Union, they offer usable advice on writing and selling material online. They suggest how to adapt writing for online publications and explain how to tailor and target e-mail inquiries. Sample contracts and negotiating guidelines are also included. The heart of this book, though, is its detailed listing of 200 paying online markets that includes pay and policy information for each. Entries are alphabetical, but there is a subject index, and the Tedescos intend to update this information on their Web site. David Rouse
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Holt Paperbacks; 1st edition (June 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805062262
• ISBN-13: 978-0805062267
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #684,821 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Newcomer's Guide to Writing Online, June 1, 2000

By A Customer

I found this book to be extremely helpful. I think that Paul and Anthony Tedesco explain all the ins and outs of actually earning a living by writing for online markets in a way that is very easy for even the most inexperienced freelance writer (ie. ME) to understand. I especially appreciated all of the contact information for various online markets that they provide--so many "writer's guide" books stop after explaining HOW TO WRITE for the intended market and don't explain HOW TO FIND the intended market. The legal/contractual information and contacts they include are really valuable too--I could have jumped headlong into this writing arena without knowing my rights and been taken advantage of rather easily... Their conversational, quirky style also makes what might be intimidating to computer-insecure writers seem familiar and accessible, as do their down-to-earth reviews of the online markets. Best of all, they offer FREE market updates in a newsletter!

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy it!, July 18, 2000

By	David Pascal (NY USA) - See all my reviews

Online Markets For Writers is just about the best book on getting online writing assignments I've come across. Listings of hundreds of markets, sites, resources, advice and examples on how to query, contracts, negotiating payments - the works. Maybe the best thing about it is the interviews. The Tedesco brothers decided to go right to the source, online editors and successful working writers, and ask, `How do you do it? How did you break in? What's hot? What are editors looking for?' The result is not just a book listing places to send your submission but a collection of sound solid advice from dozens of people directly involved and making it in the new media.

If there's one thing to fault about the book - apart from the fact that I wish there were more of it! - it's that the writers do so much listening they don't do more writing of their own. Paul and Anthony Tedesco's writing is a perfect example of `wired style': hip, clean, fast, funny, to the point - exactly what most editors seem to be buying. I wouldn't have minded a more expanded edition, just to hearing more from them about their own experiences.

But this is nit-picking. The bottom line is, this book should be on the shelf of every writer who writes or wants to write for an online publication. It gives you hundreds of places to go, tells you what the editors are looking for, and shows you what to do and what not to do in clear quick easy-to-understand language. It's the book to get, period: I did, and believe me, it's worth every cent. Stop reading this review, and go buy it.

David Pascal

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Essential Source for the Online Writer, February 24, 2001

By	Maura A. Badji (VIRGINIA BEACH, VA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If only I had purchased this book before I sent out my first query letter! I managed to stumble through the negotiations of my very first contract/assignment, but it would have been much less nerve-wracking if I had read ONLINE MARKETS FOR WRITERS first. The format is excellent: informative and easy to use. It includes a brief history of the Internet with a crash course in "the only HTML you actually need to know", interviews with online editors and writers, how-to tips (electronic queries, net style, contract negotiation, etc) and an online market database packed with essential information.

The writing styles of both the Tedesco brothers, while distinct, are conversational, easy-going and not without humor. It's like getting advice from more experienced friends who are trying to save you some trouble.