If you have read numerous books and articles on how to write for national magazines as we have, no doubt you are already discouraged. There seems to be an unending stream of warnings about how hard it is to "break into" magazine writing. "The competition is enormous," they say; "The editor's slushpiles are the size of Mount Rushmore. It takes years; a degree in journalism; an expensive computer set up," and more.

We say you do not have to have these things, it does not have to take years, and worrying about the competition is a waste of time. Slushpiles, though large, are filled mostly with unsightly literary garbage that will not stand a chance against your work if you read, absorb and execute the instructions laid out on these pages.

Being a professional freelance writer, however, takes at least as much self-discipline as any other self-imposed endeavor. Sticking to the plans suggested in this section may, at first, seem difficult. But in the long run you will develop your own system, a set of personal rules and guidelines that takes over, sets your itinerary for you, does your scheduling, keeps you motivated, and leaves your mind free to do that most enjoyable of all things: write.

To access the various instruction pages, click on the page titles in the column to the right. If you are a beginner, we suggest that you start at the top and go through the pages in order.

Thanks for visiting. We sincerely hope you gain some valuable knowledge while you are here.