Writing experience is one of the most important criteria needed if you want to become a syndicated columnist. The ability and desire to market yourself and network with others in order to make connections in the journalism industry also can be helpful. It is a process that is possible to do on your own.
To become a syndicated columnist, you generally should have a good deal of writing experience. This does not have to be professional writing experience. Some ways to accomplish this are writing a blog, writing for a website or doing other regular writing. This gets you used to writing with a specific topic in mind, producing focused work, and might even help you build a readership.
It also is possible to gain writing experience by going to school for journalism. You will gain a formal education in journalism and might be exposed to newsrooms and other professional resources. Writing for the school newspaper, blog or website also might give you experience with focused writing.
After you are able to gain writing experience and possibly a loyal following of readers, you might submit articles to local newspapers. Format a cover letter with your article submissions and send them to several local daily papers. It might be easier to make your break into newspaper writing by starting locally. Local editors also might be able to connect you with valuable contacts in the industry.
When you have had several articles published, you might try packaging them together with a cover letter and sending them to a national daily newspaper. The fact that you have been writing regularly for a local daily might give you more credibility in the eyes of the editors. Contacting national daily papers might give you the break you need to become a syndicated columnist.
Attempting to contact current syndicated columnists also might help you in your quest to become a syndicated columnist. They might be able to offer insight into the process, helpful pointers and other information that might be of use to you. To become a syndicated columnist, knowing how to network might be extremely advantageous.
Knowing how to market yourself also can be useful. People are not able to read something if they do not know it exists. Being vigilant in marketing might help you gain a much more diverse and plentiful readership. This, in turn, makes you a more appealing candidate for a syndicated column. Newspapers want people writing for them who will bring more readers to the paper.