Category Archives: Magazine Writing

Magazine Writing — Gathering Intel

By on September 7th, 2012

So you want to write for a magazine? If that is the case–one of the most important things you will do is study publications that you want to submit material to in query form. But what is the best way to go about that? Let’s face it, buying tons of magazines can be really expensive. (Fun, but expensive!) So how do you do your research in the way that it makes the most sense? Gathering intel about a publication has some distinct steps, and before you decide what publications you want to pitch, you’ll need to narrow the field. Here’s …

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Home & Away: Writing The Travel Piece

By on August 7th, 2012

Have you always wanted to be a travel writer? Do you long to see your byline next to some great pictures and a narrative about a cool place to visit? Do you want to know how to get there? I’ve mentioned the first part of this before–but it bears repeating. In my humble opinion, writing about where you live is the best way to break into travel writing. Be it a glossy mag or a newspaper, there is still plenty of room for travel articles, and writing about an area you know is a good way to get your name …

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Magazines: Reading To Write An Essay

By on July 7th, 2012

Want to write for a nice glossy magazine? If the answer to that question is a “yes” – I have a question for you… How often do you read them? If you want to make a career out of writing for magazines reading matters. This is especially true if you are hoping to get an essay published in your favorite print publication. Think of it as homework. But the fun kind… I went to the hair salon yesterday, and rather than looking at all the cool fashion mags to dream about fun things to buy or wear, I spent my …

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Writing For Local Magazines

By on June 7th, 2012

Most magazine writers don’t start out getting published in Cosmopolitan or Travel + Leisure. Breaking into the bigger magazine market typically comes after you’ve built a stable of clips from smaller publications that show you have the “chops” to handle a big assignment. Although it is certainly possible to get a gig in a mainstream mag, local magazines offer a great opportunity as well. You may not even be aware of all the magazines that are in your area–and some places may have more than others. For example, I live just outside Chicago, so there are a ton of little …

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Print Writing: Getting The Goods

By on May 8th, 2012

Today we have a few tips for “getting the goods” in print writing. Let’s begin with finding guidelines so you can craft a query… Getting The Guidelines When you are writing for print, the guidelines for the publication are the golden rule you need to follow. Problem is…not every magazine puts these on the web for you. So where do you find them? Here are the two things I do most often: + Send an e-mail and ask for them. Keep this simple. Don’t go on about yourself or send half-baked pitches. Simply request guidelines and thank the person for …

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Combining Print And Web

By on April 7th, 2012

I’ve run into some interesting situations while doing print writing. As publications started to develop their presence online, there were some opportunities to make a little more money here and there. What? More money? Do tell, right? Some magazines also offer partial (or full) articles on the web as well as in their print version. And some of them will pay more for it. This is one example of how you can slant things in your favor and make some extra cash when writing for print. I had one mag pay me extra to run a shortened version of a …

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Writing For Print: Reader Expectations

By on March 7th, 2012

I was thinking about what to tell you this month, and really wanted to highlight what it is that I enjoy so much about writing for magazines and print publications. It is definitely a different experience to craft a piece for this medium as opposed to writing one for the web, but it was a challenge for me to explain exactly what I like better about authoring an article for a magazine… After some reflection I realized what it was. When I write for the web, much of my focus is on clarity and readability. I try to keep sentences …

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Writing For Print: Why Local Relationships Matter

By on February 7th, 2012

If you are a writer, chances are good that you already understand that relationships in this industry matter. If you want to write for print, this can actually be a subject that is even more vital. When you write for an online publication it is fairly typical to never meet the person you are working with. Most contact is established via e-mail and subsequent information/instructions usually follow in the same manner. With print, this is not necessarily the case–especially if you start local as so many print writers do. Getting clips usually means working for smaller publications in the beginning–such …

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5 Great New Year’s Goals For Print Writers

By on January 7th, 2012

Happy New Year to all of you out there! May 2012 be fruitful! Today we’re going to talk about setting some goals that relate directly to a career in writing for print. Starting the NY off right can set the tone for the entire year, so it pays off to do a little “leg work” on the front end of things. Here are five great goals to pencil into January that will help you get set up: 1. Re-tool your resume(s). Freshen up all of your resumes and include any print writing credits you haven’t yet added from last year. …

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Print Writing And The Holidays

By on December 7th, 2011

If you are trying to break into print writing, the holiday season can be friend or foe, depending on how you use it. Over the years it has been my experience that trying to query in the period from Thanksgiving until around the Superbowl is a huge waste of time. That said, you can use that time to get your foot in the door if you are smart. This time of year editors tend to work ahead or put things off until there is more time. Queries move to the bottom of the “important” list, and your chances are not …

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