This series offers tips and ideas for magazine publishing: a list of genres or categories and where we find ideas (posted 5.25.18), research tips, standard templates for essay and article pieces, query letters, formatting for submittal, and copyright definitions.
What’s the difference between an essay and an article? The essay is all about the writer. An article is all about the reader. An essay is an analytical or interpretative composition while an article is informational non-fiction prose.
Today, let’s talk about researching to find the best magazine for your articles—
Use these questions to evaluate the best path:
• Use a Marketing Guide to select the periodicals you want to study.
• Would you be proud to promote the magazine and your writing included there?
• What is the magazine’s specialty? Will your work fit?
• How long is its typical article—300-500 words and an occasional 1,000-word piece?
• Do the articles include the advice from experts? Is it an interview? What are the expert’s qualifications? How many quotes are included?
• Which magazine would increase your byline influence?
• Would the periodical send readers to your website or blog for more?
• Does the magazine have a good reputation?
• What is its readership base?
• Where is the periodical’s coverage; local, national or international?
• Would you consider working with a smaller magazine?
• Does the magazine offer online and print subscription? Where would your work run—online and print or just one?
• Check your market guidebook and the magazine’s website for detailed submittal requirements
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• Are the submittal requirements doable for you? Make detailed notes of the submittal process conditions missing no requirement, remembering the process varies from magazine to magazine. Don’t let a missed detail in your submittal be grounds for dismissal of your piece.
• Does the magazine accept simultaneous submittals?
• Avoid Wikipedia except for general information. Consistently double check the information to confirm it as a credible resource.
• Use data from governmental sources or from well-known organizations.
• Disclose your sources of information.
• Use your personal experience, be your own expert!
Please share your tips in ‘comments’ below.
Visit her web-blog: Deborah Lyn Stanley : MyWriter's Life .
“Write your best, in your voice, your way!
4 comments:
Deborah Lyn, thank you for this article about writing for publications There are two ways people can write for magazines. First, they can write whatever then want then try to find someone to publish it. Or they can follow the guidelines and write what the editor needs. This second method is much more likely to be published from my experience but it does mean the writer has to give the writer what they want. Not everyone can follow the rules.
Terry
Straight Talk From the Editor
Deborah, great tips on how to find the right magazine for your articles. If it's nonfiction, it's important to have credible sources. And, as Terry mentions, it's much better to write what a publication is looking for rather than what you feel like writing and then try to find it a home. If you're going to write, write to get published.
Or to make money!
I'm glad I remembered to check WritersOnTheMove to see this, Deborah! Writing for magazines is such a great way to increase our status as an expert and increase exposure for our other writing. (We do all include a nice little bio with links when we submit, don't we? Even if the magazine doesn't use it, it's a courtesy because it may give them information they may otherwise use for their own marketing, etc.!)
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