Magazine Markets
Notes from the Columbus Writer's Conference, presentation led by Lori Murray, Freelance Writer
Lori Murray began her workshop by saying that "Writing is the only thing that people say, they think they can do it, but they never start. Just put your butt in a chair and write!"
Lori writes primarily for magazines rather than newspapers, because magazines are more lucrative.
It's important to set goals: What are you trying to accomplish?
In the beginning, you'll be writing a lot of query letters. In order to break into the business, you'll have to work hard to get assignments - and worry about writing the actual article later. Once you start getting assignments, you can slow the flow of query letters to 2-5 per week.
The magazine business has frequent turnover. If you establish a relationship with one magazine editor, he/she might leave to work for another magazine. Or, sadly, the magazine might fold. So, you will need to continue building relationships all the time and keep on marketing yourself.
The important thing is getting your name out there. You are planting seeds.
1.) Study the Publications: What are they looking for? You need to know their publication. Each magazine wants to think that they are unique. Visit bookstores and the public library to look at the last six issues of each magazine that you are interested.
- The advertisers (tell you about target audience)
- The masthead (size of staff, amout of contributing writers/editors)
- What do the bylines say? Is the article's author one of the magazine's staff or a freelancer?
3.) Pick A Core Group of (4-6) Magazines That You'd Like to Write For:
- Study each magazine and know what they are looking for (don't repeat last month's idea!)
- Send a query letter to the editor, addressing him/her by name
- Use standard business letter format, pasted into an email
- Limit yourself to a one-page query, out of respect for busy editors
- Give them your pitch in a page; they will tell you if they need more information
- Include a working title for your article in the query: "tentatively titled"
- Show the editor that you have a good source
RULES OF THUMB:
1.) Don't query something that you can't deliver if the magazine editors says "yes." Lori keeps a tickler file with all of her research and ideas about stories that she wants to write.
2.) Consider "lead time" from the time you pitch an idea to when it's published. Timing is everything. Larger magazines are writing their Christmas articles in July!
Writer's Market will tell you the lead time for each magazine. Usually, the lead time for national magazines is nine months in advance. Regional magazines might only have a lead time of four months.
3.) Proof-read your query letter. It demonstrates skills as a writer and your familiarity with their publication. It shows them that you can be efficient and accurate. During the draft process, the body of your query letter might start out as bullet points that you later weave together into sentences.
Write your query in MS Word, and then paste into an email. Most editors will not open attachments, for fear of viruses. The hook from your query might end up being the first line in your article.
4.) "Writing clips available upon request" - Be prepared to send PDF copies of your previously published articles if an editor requests them. Demonstrating that you have worked with a certain publication more than once shows that you are able to meet deadlines and easy to work with...
The magazine will keep a copy of your clips on file for future assignments. If they forget, just remind them: "You already have my clips on file."
5.) When listing the publications you've written for, don't include the dates, unless requested. Consider creating a website with your clips.
6.) If you don't hear back from a magazine within two weeks, email them again, pasting the original query letter underneath. You are likely to receive a response the second time.
7.) Your acceptance letter will include all the information about the assignment, including the deadline, that you need. Your contract will spell out all your rights. Don't sell all rights to an artice.
Keep in mind that freelancers receive a lot of rejection letters, and try not to take those to heart. They aren't rejecting you as a writer, it's just that this idea doesn't work for their publication, or has already been done by someone else.
It's all about persistence. The magazine market is a small, tight-knit world. Many women work for a magazine, have a baby and then come back as freelance writers. They have the advantage.
Magazines have a quick turnover. If your first idea doesn't work, just go on to the next thing. Besides, they might contact you with something else down the road.
8.) Don't multiply submit the same pitch -- give it a new twist and change it! For example, Lori wrote one article on how to pick out a Christmas tree with your family, another on Ohio evergreen trees and a third for a national magazine titled "10 Fun Facts About Christmas Trees."
She was able to use her research many times, in creative ways. Fresh slants on old ideas are the best way to go! Look at the focus of a magazine to see how your previous research might work in terms of a story that would fit.
9.) Don't phone editors uninvited, and don't request meetings, appointments or personal critiques. Editors are busy, busy people. Once you get to know an editor, you can send them more than one pitch at a time.
10.) Turn down assignments that you are not comfortable with, and if a story takes a twist, let the editor know. When you interview people, the source can't review the story ahead of time, but you can fact-check your quotes with the sources (that will reassure them that they are not being misquoted).
And, don't forget to pay TAXES on your freelance work!
Book Recommendation: Query Letters That Rock!
Web Recommendations: http://www.freelancesuccess.com/
Lori Murray began her workshop by saying that "Writing is the only thing that people say, they think they can do it, but they never start. Just put your butt in a chair and write!"
Lori writes primarily for magazines rather than newspapers, because magazines are more lucrative.
It's important to set goals: What are you trying to accomplish?
In the beginning, you'll be writing a lot of query letters. In order to break into the business, you'll have to work hard to get assignments - and worry about writing the actual article later. Once you start getting assignments, you can slow the flow of query letters to 2-5 per week.
The magazine business has frequent turnover. If you establish a relationship with one magazine editor, he/she might leave to work for another magazine. Or, sadly, the magazine might fold. So, you will need to continue building relationships all the time and keep on marketing yourself.
The important thing is getting your name out there. You are planting seeds.
1.) Study the Publications: What are they looking for? You need to know their publication. Each magazine wants to think that they are unique. Visit bookstores and the public library to look at the last six issues of each magazine that you are interested.
Make sure you know if the magazine allows freelancers to contribute to "front of the book" pieces. These are short pieces, but they make it easy for new writers to break in.
2.) Look At the Sections in Each Magazine:
- The cover (featured stories)
- The advertisers (tell you about target audience)
- The masthead (size of staff, amout of contributing writers/editors)
- What do the bylines say? Is the article's author one of the magazine's staff or a freelancer?
3.) Pick A Core Group of (4-6) Magazines That You'd Like to Write For:
- Study each magazine and know what they are looking for (don't repeat last month's idea!)
- Send a query letter to the editor, addressing him/her by name
- Use standard business letter format, pasted into an email
- Limit yourself to a one-page query, out of respect for busy editors
- Give them your pitch in a page; they will tell you if they need more information
- Include a working title for your article in the query: "tentatively titled"
- Show the editor that you have a good source
RULES OF THUMB:
1.) Don't query something that you can't deliver if the magazine editors says "yes." Lori keeps a tickler file with all of her research and ideas about stories that she wants to write.
2.) Consider "lead time" from the time you pitch an idea to when it's published. Timing is everything. Larger magazines are writing their Christmas articles in July!
Writer's Market will tell you the lead time for each magazine. Usually, the lead time for national magazines is nine months in advance. Regional magazines might only have a lead time of four months.
3.) Proof-read your query letter. It demonstrates skills as a writer and your familiarity with their publication. It shows them that you can be efficient and accurate. During the draft process, the body of your query letter might start out as bullet points that you later weave together into sentences.
Write your query in MS Word, and then paste into an email. Most editors will not open attachments, for fear of viruses. The hook from your query might end up being the first line in your article.
4.) "Writing clips available upon request" - Be prepared to send PDF copies of your previously published articles if an editor requests them. Demonstrating that you have worked with a certain publication more than once shows that you are able to meet deadlines and easy to work with...
The magazine will keep a copy of your clips on file for future assignments. If they forget, just remind them: "You already have my clips on file."
5.) When listing the publications you've written for, don't include the dates, unless requested. Consider creating a website with your clips.
6.) If you don't hear back from a magazine within two weeks, email them again, pasting the original query letter underneath. You are likely to receive a response the second time.
7.) Your acceptance letter will include all the information about the assignment, including the deadline, that you need. Your contract will spell out all your rights. Don't sell all rights to an artice.
Keep in mind that freelancers receive a lot of rejection letters, and try not to take those to heart. They aren't rejecting you as a writer, it's just that this idea doesn't work for their publication, or has already been done by someone else.
It's all about persistence. The magazine market is a small, tight-knit world. Many women work for a magazine, have a baby and then come back as freelance writers. They have the advantage.
Magazines have a quick turnover. If your first idea doesn't work, just go on to the next thing. Besides, they might contact you with something else down the road.
8.) Don't multiply submit the same pitch -- give it a new twist and change it! For example, Lori wrote one article on how to pick out a Christmas tree with your family, another on Ohio evergreen trees and a third for a national magazine titled "10 Fun Facts About Christmas Trees."
She was able to use her research many times, in creative ways. Fresh slants on old ideas are the best way to go! Look at the focus of a magazine to see how your previous research might work in terms of a story that would fit.
9.) Don't phone editors uninvited, and don't request meetings, appointments or personal critiques. Editors are busy, busy people. Once you get to know an editor, you can send them more than one pitch at a time.
10.) Turn down assignments that you are not comfortable with, and if a story takes a twist, let the editor know. When you interview people, the source can't review the story ahead of time, but you can fact-check your quotes with the sources (that will reassure them that they are not being misquoted).
And, don't forget to pay TAXES on your freelance work!
Book Recommendation: Query Letters That Rock!
Web Recommendations: http://www.freelancesuccess.com/
posted by Lisa | 5:58 AM
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