There are several methods to find markets that are open to freelancers. Finding places to submit your work is easy if you know exactly where to look.

Of course, your first stop is the Writer’s Market. The online version at www.writersmarket.com has some extra markets, such as newspapers and greeting card companies, and it’s more up-to-date than the print books. When an editor moves, contact information changes, or there’s a shift in the editorial needs, online markets guides like this one can make the change immediately, rather than waiting for the next print edition to come out the following year.

In addition, you can also use their handy submission tracker, which reminds you what you’ve submitted where and tells you when it’s time to follow up.

Another helpful guide is the American Directory of Writer’s Guidelines, which prints the guidelines that magazines send to writers verbatim. I wouldn’t advise buying this one first; buy Writer’s Market, and if you have extra cash, buy this one to supplement your efforts. Why? It often doesn’t list the important stuff like pay rates, rights, and response time, and half of the guidelines state the obvious things like “Read the magazine” that you really shouldn’t have to read a hundred times over before getting the picture.

But each articles contains information and markets that the other doesn’t have, and by using both, you are able to get a much more complete image of every magazine or publisher you would like to write for. The next best tools are online, and they’re free. The Internet is really a fabulous place to find new markets.

Not all sites are equal, though; some market guides online are rarely updated. Whenever possible, look for a date on any guidelines you find online. Newsletters and e-zines that are mailed to your email address tend to be more current than the market lists posted on the web.

You are able to even run a search for “freelance writers,” “writers wanted,” or “writer’s guidelines” on any major search engine, and you’re likely to come up with lots of listings. Try specifying if possible; add words that fit your wants (example: paying markets, romance, teen magazines).

If you want to find out more about what an article directory is.