Is there some secret number that will unlock the door to your freelance writing career?
Well, if there is, that number is probably “twelve.”
INCREASE YOUR CHANCES FOR SUCCESS
Most writers who have been freelancing for a while are familiar with what is known as “the rule of twelve.” This rule suggests that you will greatly improve your chances of getting published if you manage to have at least twelve manuscripts and/or queries making the rounds at all times. Of course, you still need to study the markets and make sure you are sending your queries and manuscripts to appropriate publishers. But, if you have at least twelve pieces circulating at all times (to appropriate markets) and you have taken the time to develop your craft (by that I mean, you can write well), you can’t help but land some acceptance letters and publishing contracts.
KEEP THOSE MATERIALS CIRCULATING
The tricky part is consistently keeping twelve pieces circulating. Just as you manage to get your twelfth piece out in the mail, one of the first eleven comes back with a rejection slip. Dang!
Well, don’t waste time feeling bad about it. Find another market to target and send the piece back out again.
If a single manuscript receives five rejections (from five different targeted markets), then carefully reread those rejection letters to see if they offer tips for rewriting this piece. If they do, then think about using those tips to revise the story or article, then send it out again to another appropriate market.
CREATE SOME MOMENTUM
If you’ve never followed the rule of twelve, try it and see what happens. For the next twelve days, write something every day that you can submit – a query, a short article, a short story – then send them all out. When one piece is published, write something new to send out. When a rejection letter arrives in the mail, find a new market for that piece and send it out again, so you always have twelve pieces circulating.
Follow the rule of twelve and it won’t be long before you’ve created enough momentum to unlock that door to your freelance writing career and make it fly wide open.
