The Good Ones Hitting the Higher Paying Markets

The Good Ones Hitting the Higher Paying Markets One of my first high-paying features sold to The Investor for $170 (Six String Stocks, October 2015). I’ve sold others since, including a piece for Catholic Digest that earned $500. I sure didn’t think it was possible when I started out with $20/article rates. Here’s how I got to higher rates and why you should. Searching terms Use search engines to find work, contacts and guidelines. Use quotes (â€Å") to search for specific terms, minus and plus-signs (â€Å"-â€Å") and â€Å"+†) to include or exclude them and asterisks (â€Å"*†) as wildcards. Include terms like â€Å"pay†, â€Å"rates†, â€Å"$200† and â€Å"guidelines† to dig for new markets or add terms like â€Å"co.uk† to search abroad. Try other engines like DeeperWeb, DogPile,GigaBlast and DuckDuckGo. Get out of the rat race Say no to content mill-like rates of $5 per 1, 000 words, even when desperate: Your time is more valuable elsewhere, and realizing that early on will ensure that you get to writing for better rates and stronger markets sooner. Going up Many markets offer low starting rates, but higher rates or bonuses with more exposure and experience. These are worthwhile over time, but don’t put all your eggs in only this type of market. Also, consider discussing a rate increase with your regular clients/writing markets, but no more than once a year. Exchange rates Break into international markets with better exchange rates: Yes, you could write for readers outside your country if you keep an eye on breaking news, popular publications, and local quirks. Mind your language: Americans say hood, Brits say bonnet. While South African-based, most of my articles go abroad (where it’s 13.26ZAR to one US dollar) my first, in fact, was sold to FundsforWriters! Chasing the niche Features and longer-form pieces often pay more; the same is true for niche markets.. Tai Chi Magazine pays $500 for 3,500 words, writing for The Sun Magazine can earn up to $2,000 per feature. Fine Woodworking, on the other hand, pays $150 per page. What can only you write? The pitching process A higher-paying feature is pitched like any other, but you can make it easier Writing on-spec Many markets, especially (though not just) high-paying ones, prefer a fully completed article over a pitch. Write on-spec a lot and you’ll have a higher success-rate, period. Articles that are rejected go into what I call â€Å"The Article Pit† and are sold elsewhere, usually with minor edits. Negotiate your rates Be prepared to negotiate when a publication asks you to state your rate first. Reply It takes time While higher-end features pay more money, don’t expect quick money. On average, these pieces can require more research, several rewrites and may take time – sometimes more than a year – from pitch to publication and payment. Do you have ideas that could sell? Best of luck!

Reducing and preventing obesity (through proper exercise, nutrition, Research Paper

Reducing and preventing obesity (through proper exercise, nutrition, and lifestyle changes) - Research Paper Example Obesity is a growing epidemic in the United States that affects two-thirds of the adult population (American Obesity, n.d.). Not only is it physically unappealing, but the health risks involved with obesity should be everyone’s concern. Obesity has been linked to cardiovascular diseases, Type 2 diabetes, and increased morbidity (Flegal, Carroll, Ogden and Curtin, 2010). The statistics on obesity over the past few decades have been staggering. Obesity is preventable through proper nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle changes. Obesity is classified as a chronic illness of extreme relevance that appropriate government agencies have included it as one of its priorities under the national agenda of Health People 2020. Categorized under ‘Nutrition and Weight Status’, the program’s goal was to â€Å"promote health and reduce chronic disease risk through the consumption of healthful diets and achievement and maintenance of healthy body weights† (Healthy People 2020, n.d., par. 1). Defining obesity necessitates understanding the important element of using the body mass index as the framework for computation. The body mass index â€Å"determines whether a person’s weight is appropriate for height by dividing the weight in kilograms by the height in meters squared† (Delaune and Ladner, 2006, 345). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has officially provided separate definitions of obesity for adults and for children and teens, to wit: â€Å"An adult who has a BMI between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight. An adult who has a BMI of 30 or higher is considered obese† (CDC: Definition for Adults, 2010, par. 2).... ory to obesity, presenting the consequences, prior to delving into the suggested interventions to address the dilemma through proper nutrition, exercise and lifestyle changes. Scope and Nature of the Problem The World Health Organization (WHO) has acknowledged obesity as a global problem. According to its official website, â€Å"once considered a problem only in high income countries, overweight and obesity are now dramatically on the rise in low- and middle-income countries, particularly in urban settings† (WHO, 2011, par. 1). Data and statistics provided by CDC indicate that despite the goals identified under the Healthy People 2010 program to reduce the proportion of adults and children who are obese (CDC: Healthy People 2010, n.d.), the recent report revealed that â€Å"in 2009, no state met the Healthy People 2010 obesity target of 10%, and the self-reported overall prevalence of obesity among U.S. adults had increased 1.1 percentage points from 2007† (CDC: Vital S igns, 2010, 1). The alarming outcome and the continuing increasing trend have proven the need for intensive efforts to focus on interventions that would create a positive impact on preventing and reducing obesity. The WHO (2011) published relevant facts pertinent to global statistics on obesity and overweight, as cited below: â€Å"1.5 billion adults, 20 and older, were overweight. Of these 1.5 billion overweight adults, over 200 million men and nearly 300 million women were obese. Overall, more than one in ten of the world’s adult population was obese† (par. 7) Despite the disturbing figures and statistics, WHO indicated that obesity can be prevented. Aside from identifying changes in factors contributory to obesity, lead agencies, social work and health care practitioners have specifically detailed