Every time you
pick up your favorite magazine you pour over it, looking through every article.
By the time you are finished many of the pages are dog-eared and you’ve
discovered that so many of the articles are in line with your own personal
interests and writing style.
As a writer you find yourself considering
the possibility of submitting something for the magazine to consider. You have
even written an article or two, but never had the courage to send them on. You
have dozens of ideas, but they never go any further than the dream you have
every time you look at the publisher information and see the word
‘Submission’.
Most magazines have a certain amount of
freelance material they accept for publishing. These freelance positions can be
a one-time shot at publishing; however there have been many instances where a
dependable freelance writer may be called upon to write for the magazine on a
regular basis. Should this happen you will likely receive greater compensation
for your articles.
Typically magazines pay either by the word or by
the article. Predictably, publishers do not generally accept fully written
articles unless they ask you for them.
The method most magazine
publishers use to select freelance work is to read through queries provided by
freelance writers. In its simplest form a query is an outline of the article
you are interested in writing. A query actually serves a duel purposes, the
first is to allow the publisher the opportunity to consider many different
article possibilities and, secondly you are not required to actually write the
article unless the publisher specifically asks you to follow-up your query with
an actual manuscript.
A query for magazine publishing should include
the following:
A brief introduction.
An outline of the
subject you with to write about and the angle you wish to take with the story.
A succinct list of writing credentials that may relate to your
interest to write for the publication.
A sense of appreciation to the
publisher for taking time to review your query.
Your query letter
should take no more than two pages and should convey the idea that your story
would be unique and compelling.
Because magazine writing is most often
speculative (no guarantee the work will be published) a query is a timesaving
and door-opening method in gaining the attention of a publisher.
ABOUT THE AUTHORScott Lindsay is a web developer and
entrepreneur. He is the founder of FaithWriters (www.faithwriters.com) and many
other web projects. FaithWriters has grown to become one of the largest online
destinations for Christian writers. Please visit the website at:
www.faithwriters.com
