Would you like to write for magazines? You can, it’s a great way to build a writing career. Let’s look at three simple tips you can use to get started today.
It’s All About the Clips: Start Small
When you start in magazine writing, realize that there’s a definite hierarchy. You’ll start at smaller magazines, and will then gradually work your way up, until you’re writing for the top tier — those magazines everyone knows, and which are sold on newsstands.
You’ll begin your career at small local publications, just to build up some clips. “Clips” are just what they sound like: clippings from publications showing your byline.
When you’ve collected four or five clips from local publications, you can use these clips to get jobs from magazines which are a little higher on the hierarchy — trade and special interest magazines. These kinds of magazines pay reasonably well, and are easy to write for. They’re also constantly on the lookout for new writers and new ideas.
Once you’ve built your clips with local publications and trade magazines, you can start approaching national publications.
Read the Magazine You Want to Write for
Magazines spends thousands of dollars each year researching their audience. Even in the same niche, such as “fitness” for example, magazines are slanted towards the specific needs of their own audience.
So while magazines in the same area may seem the same, they’re not, so you need to read the magazines for which you want to write.
Read at least 6 to ten issues of a magazine before you send a query letter. Read everything in the magazine, including the ads. If you spend time reading the magazines for which you want to write, you’ll be way ahead of 99 per cent of writers, and you’ll start getting commissions quickly.
Be Persistent to Build Relationships
Most magazine articles are sold on the basis of a query. In essence a query is a proposal — you’re sending the magazine an idea, and you’re telling the editor how you intend writing that particular article. Expect to write many queries for publication before you get a nibble from an editor.
You shouldn’t begrudge writing queries, even if you don’t get a response, because you’re building a relationship. Your queries allow the magazine’s editors see your approach to writing, your style, the quality of your ideas, and your persistence will pay off.
Don’t be surprised if after months and even years of no response from a publication, one day, out of the clear blue sky the editor phones you and asks you to write a story for them.
About the author: Want to become a magazine writer ? You can. Angela Booth’s complete guide “Freelance Writing: Make Great Money Writing Articles For Magazines (In Your Spare Time)” at http://abmagic.com/magazines.html shows you how. Did you know you can make from $1 to $4 PER WORD?
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