Shorts are 500-700 word articles that are generally found in the front part of a magazine or as a blog post. If you’re new to a publication, the editor will probably assign you a short rather than a full-length feature. Once you’ve proven yourself, you’ll get the longer and better paying 3000-5000 word assignments or blog jobs.
Some people love writing shorts, and I’m one of them.
My natural style tends towards shorter pieces, so the more shorts the better. True, some writers feel that shorts aren’t worth the money, but in my experience I can research and write a short piece quickly enough to keep my “pay per hour” rate high.
In his book for freelancers (that includes information on marketing strategies), Michael Sedge relates the story of a fellow-writer who wrote nothing but shorts, without decreasing his annual income.
Sedge’s friend said “ I’d say that 80 percent of today’s magazines use short news, humor, and human-interest items. For a lot of editors—including those at top-paying publications—this is an area in which they are desperate for material. . . I can put out one or two short items a day, in most cases with little research. The best part is I normally make $1 a word.”
When writing the short article, keep in mind that every word counts. This is the time to use your editing skills and chop every unnecessary word you find. Shorts require the skill of pulling out the most important points of the story—there is no room for flab.
Once you hone your “shorts” skills, you may be surprised at the broad subjects that can be written as a short. Some of mine include the Lewis and Clark Expedition, Wild and Wacky Collectibles, Keeping Fit With Your PDA, and Collecting Elvis.
Structuring the Short
You can easily write a short (500-700 word) piece by following a simple structure.
Allow yourself approximately 100 words for a dynamite lead, and 100 words for a wrap-up.
What’s the most fascinating fact about your short? Find it, and then pop it up to the lead sentence.
Next, figure out how many points you want your article to cover.
For example, if you’re writing about a new handheld computer and you know you want to include information about its capabilities, software, and price structure, then you need to cover three points.
Give each of those points 100 words, and you’ve got a 500-word article. Or, give two of the points 125 words, and 50 to the third. Just divide wordage depending on the importance of a particular point.
A short doesn’t give you the luxury of four paragraphs to get into the body of the article. You’ve got room for a few sentences at best, so make them count.
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