So you want to be a beauty writer. Good choice. Writing about fashion and beauty is a lucrative business. Freelance beauty writers are in high demand as the market for beauty trends and techniques continues to expand at lightning speed.
Consider these 5 natural remedies for the writer who wants to break into the beauty industry.
1. Know the audience. At first glance this may seem obvious. What writer doesn’t have a healthy appreciation for knowing the basic facts about her audience? And yet, it may surprise you to learn that the average reader for beauty-related articles ranges in age from 18 to 60. Writing to today’s fun and fearless 18-to-35 crowd is overlooking the majority of the beauty population.
2. Know the topics. Certain subjects will always be in high demand by the beauty-reading crowd. Consider these staples of the beauty industry: beauty solutions, fashion accessories, hair styling, and shopping guides. Successful freelance beauty writers study these topics and know them like the back of their properly-manicured hand.
3. Know the trends. Successful beauty writers know the seasonal trends like baseball fans know their summer stats. Possessing a deep appreciation for pop culture is helpful. Beauty writers can spout facts about this season’s hair cuts and lip colors and nail polishes without batting a false eyelash. (And they all know the fountain of youth really does exist! It’s called sunscreen.) Knowing the trends is essential for breaking into the market and clutching the coveted freelance opportunity.
4. Know the field. Freelance beauty writing is unlike any other form of journalism. And remember watching The Devil Wears Prada? Forget everything you saw. It is far more important that freelance beauty writers know how to write than how to run in heels. Being a fashionista is only beneficial in the beauty writing industry if you are also a good writer. Good writing is the first priority. At the end of the day, readers have no idea if you wrote the article in sweat pants or a pencil skirt.
5. Know the job. Beauty writing requires freelancers to be detail-oriented, self-motivated, and fashion-forward. The only thing that remains constant in the beauty freelance industry is the fact that nothing is constant. Trends and opportunities move at the speed of light. Spot a trend? Write about it now or risk missing the opportunity forever. Beauty writing is all about innovative and fresh products.
Writing about fashion and beauty is a lucrative business. Freelance beauty writers are in high demand as the market expands. Unfortunately, the competition is tough and the standards are high. Where one freelance opportunity exists, multiple freelance beauty writers are jumping for the chance to snag the assignment. Knowing the 5 remedies and being prepared will place you head and shoulders above the crowd and could score you the freelance project you desire.
Trisha P is a wife, mom, writer, editor, and former water polo champ. (Seriously.) She spent several years in the publishing business and now serves as social media coordinator for a New York Times bestselling author. In 2011 she published her first book and will publish her second in mid-2015. Don’t be fooled. She spends the majority of her time doing laundry.
