If you have any desire to write for magazines, then I hope this article will serve as a good summary of what you need to do. An excellent book on the subject matter, where I found most of these notes, is the WRITER’S DIGEST GUIDE TO MAGAZINE ARTICLE WRITING by Kerrie Flanagan. Essentially, the steps in writing for magazines include: good writing, good querying, and understanding contracts.
FIRST, GOOD WRITING:
Let’s first start with a basic vocabulary regarding magazine writing. A BYLINE is a line in an article that identifies the writer and how to contact him or her. A CLIP is the electronic or print copy of a published article. LEAD TIME is the number of months ahead of which a magazine is working. The LEDE is the introduction to an article (usually followed by 3-4 examples, called a “nut-graph”). Finally, SLANT is the specific angle to a magazine article.
Regarding writing the article, there are several things to keep in mind. Use strong verbs, tight writing, and specific language. Smaller paragraphs are more visually appealing. Avoid empty words. Similarly, avoid helping verbs, including was, am, is, are, were, being, been, and be, because they signify the passive voice. The best writing provokes an emotional reaction, such as laughter, sadness, joy, or indignation. Above all, always think of your audience.
In Windy Lynn Harris’ book, called WRITING AND SELLING SHORT STORIES AND PERSONAL ESSAYS, she dubs personal essays as a great way to break into the world of magazine writing. Personal essays do not require a query; a Cover Letter will suffice. Good essays share a story with a beginning, a middle, and an end. There must be a lesson learned or a revelation. The most effective essays take a smaller moment and let it become a microcosm of a larger truth.
SECOND, GOOD QUERYING:
When querying magazine editors, much is the same as when querying editors of other genres. Study the magazine which you are querying by reading their online presence and back copies. Address each query to a particular person. Find this editor by reading the masthead (the column of editorial information, usually at the beginning of the magazine). Check the editorial calendar to see if your topic fits the magazine’s agenda, or if it’s been already been published. Learn about the typical readers by scanning the advertisements, because through ads you can identify what is important to the reader.
Query, query, query; it’s a numbers game. It is especially important to query the same editor after completing an assignment with him or her, rather than letting that good relationship go to waste.
Start the query with a good hook. Note whether the article will inform, educate, inspire, or entertain. Tell the editor why your topic is important and why it is important now, as well as why you are qualified to write about it. Also identify how long the article is and into what section of the magazine it fits (i.e.: FOB, listicle, feature, etc.). Highlight your previous clips with links to your website. Follow up with the editor in about two weeks.
THIRD, UNDERSTANDING CONTRACTS:
As far as contracts are concerned, payment and rights are two of the most commonly negotiated areas. Many magazines do “one-time rights,” which means they can publish the piece one time and the writer retains the rights. If there’s no contract, create an email which includes the deadline, word count, payment and rights and make sure the editor replies and agrees.
I hope you learned some helpful tips from this article on how to write for magazines. For more information, I highly recommend reading Kerrie Flanagan’s WRITER’S DIGEST GUIDE TO MAGAZINE ARTICLE WRITING.
Have you written any articles for magazines? If so, please share your experiences in the comments section below! Thank you!
Here is the link to one of the magazine articles I’ve written: https://www.reviewofoptometry.com/article/what-has-your-residency-taught-you
Respectfully submitted,
Sarah A. Hetu-Radny