How to Grow a Successful Freelance Writing Career Using Resources: Part One

I love information - -researching for it, learning about new sources of it, and spreading my compiled information to others who can make use of it to do great things. It’s why I became a writer. To me it’s a form of public service. So, I’ve always tried to make sure I have all of the resources I can amass ready at my fingertips. If YOU want to make it as a magazine or newspaper writer, it’s vital that you have current information to market your work and that you have it at hand when you need it. 

Writer’s Market
I’ve been purchasing a copy of Writer’s Market, the bible for freelancers, since 1981. When I get my new one this year, I’ll write a column devoted just to this source, as well for its companion magazine: Writer’s Digest.
The fact is, no matter how good it is as a resource, it's outdated when it goes to print. It's as good as it can be, and the best in the field for overall information, but the limitation is that it's a book, so there will always be that publishing lag. 

Newsletters
I’ve uncovered some great newsletters along the way. And again, I hope you will write in and add your  finds. This is definitely a field in which support, job leads and resource leads are vital. 

I will certainly include information on newsletters I’ve used over the years as I write upcoming columns, but I’m finding newsletters are generally highly specialized.  A few generalize, but it's tough to find one that isn't really a lead in for a book the newsletter pbulisher is hawking.  I found a great one years ago that almost exclusively gave expanded information on the fantasy and horror fields, neither of which I wrote in - -ever. They ran special sections devoted to various genres monthly, however, which made the newsletter subscription invaluable. Then they can become invaluable.