Writing for Magazines

9 Easy Steps to Follow

 

Stand out or sit Down

I take daily walks to the local news agency.  One day, I took a look around at all of the publications and I realized that most of the material was supplied by freelance writers.  That’s the good news for us freelancers.  The bad news is that due to the vast number of freelance writers, the competition can be tough.  The bar has been raised by the writing industry.  With the high number of freelance writers and the large number of article submission requests, the publishers can sit back and wait for that one article that fits their needs.  It’s now time to stand out or sit down.

I will be breaking down four major areas of interest with regards to writing an article for a magazine.  The areas I will cover are as follows; one, basic core knowledge of article writing two, knowing your audience three, writing a marketable article and four, selling your article.

§       Basic core knowledge of article writing

Everyone possesses the basic core knowledge of article writing.  We have all had those unique experiences in life that are story worthy.  How about getting through the grueling holiday dinners with your families?  I know we all have at least one good family holiday story.  How about watching your first child being born?  I speak from experience it’s truly amazing.  However, my wife has a different take on the subject.  I guess it has something to do with the pain involved with childbirth.  Every time I talk about our son being born, she grabs her stomach, gives me a dirty look, and walks away.  My point is we all have memories and experiences.  Our memories, experiences and research are the core of article writing.

§       Knowing your audience

Knowing your audience is knowing your publication’s demographic audience, style, and general tone they have come to acquire. 

The publication’s readers are accustomed to opening up the magazine and navigating through the pages in a predicable manner.  Every writing entry has its home and the readers take comfort knowing they can rely on the magazine’s staff to deliver that comfort on a regular basis.  

§       Writing a marketable article

Marketable articles are in high demand.  The idea is to grab the reader at the very beginning of your article, keep a firm hold throughout the article, and lastly end with a convincing summary.

To create a marketable article, you must begin by acquiring a set of editorial guidelines and follow them to a tee.

In order to grab the reader at the very beginning, you must shock them into not being able to put the article down until they get to the ending.  Insert an unusual unknown fact to keep their attention.

The middle portion of the article is filled with fact-based information, examples, and opinions of the topic at hand.  The boring writer will refer to this portion of the article as the simple list of facts.  The outstanding writer will add opinions and other colorful comments.

A convincing summary is the writer’s last chance to leave a long lasting impression of their work on the reader.  You are to link your first paragraph all the way through to the last paragraph.

A good system of writing marketable articles is to make your own outline or template and use it for every article.  I researched outlines on-line, took pieces from many sites, and came up with my own outline for a successful article.

§       Selling your article

Selling your article gives you a great feeling of accomplishment.  The publisher is saying, “I like your work, please except our money, and please write me more of your good articles”.

The first stage of selling your article is to create a query letter and submit it via email (sometimes by snail mail but usually email).  To write a successful query letter you must do the following:

• List your education and qualifications you may have in the writing, editing, or publishing fields.
• Explain why they should consider publishing your article(s).  What personal interests or direct experience do you have that may link you to their publication?
• Mention that you have a digital camera, digital voice recorder, a laptop and other technology that can assist you with your trade.

§       Magazine demographic & formatting research

You will find this section very helpful for identifying the magazines tone, theme, and overall content.  There are three aspects of a magazine’s format to take into consideration while educating yourself about the publication’s audience.  One is the cover, two is the table of contents, and three are the articles.

§       The cover

Study the pictures and text on the cover.  They communicate the magazine’s content and its overall tone and theme.

§       The table of contents 

The table of contents outlines what topics are currently featured in the magazine and what the future topics will be covered as well.  The page numbers of the contents can determine to what length selected topics are covered.  This vital information can assist you with future time management issues and to ensure that your efforts are properly disputed on time worthy topics.

§       The articles

Are the articles of the magazine specifically structured or generally structured?  By answering this question, you will determine the overall tone of the magazine.  Is it a hard hitting, in your face, serious magazine; or does it take a passive approach on its issues? 

Is the magazine more of an entertainment type of magazine or does the article fact checking take a considerably large amount of time?  What size paragraphs are used (small, short, long, in depth)?  The answers to these questions could change how you approach writing an article for the magazine or if you are a good fit for the magazine.  Are multimedia files or other inserts a good part of most of the articles?  If so, a digital camera with user-friendly software wouldn’t be a bad idea to acquire.  Are there many different author names listed on the bylines, or do a few authors write most of their articles?  Generally speaking, the more authors listed, the higher the chance you have for freelancing for them.

Supplemental Note: 

It is absolutely imperative that you purchase, Writer’s Market, published annually by Writer’s Digest Books.  It is the most comprehensive guide to the North American writer’s markets.