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Letters to the Editors: How to sell your expertise to magazine and newspaper editors

Written by: Lynda McDaniel

Article Overview: You're an expert, so get the recognition you deserve. Learn how to approach magazines to sell your articles. The recognition this kind of exposure can bring you is well worth the effort.

Letters to the Editors: How to sell your expertise to magazine and newspaper editors

Do you eye the glossy covers of business, trade and consumer magazines and imagine writing for them? You can. Learn a few tricks of the trade, and you’re on your way to headlines and bylines.

I’m referring to print articles rather than Web articles. These are two completely different mediums, each with advantages. Web articles? An easy, free way to spread your name around the world. Print magazines? Plenty of broad exposure and, with any luck, a paycheck to boot.

The nature of the beast
You’ve read hundreds of magazines, but now you need to look more carefully at the style of your targeted magazines. As you do your research, follow these steps.

1. Get familiar with the publication
Editor’s often state in their writer’s guidelines that they expect you to read at least six issues of their magazine before submitting. Not likely. But do review them and get a working knowledge of tone, style and types of articles. Also notice point of view. For example, some magazines do not accept first-person articles.

2. Study the cover, table of contents, and ads
The art on the cover and the cover lines (those attention-getting teasers that jump out at you) speak volumes about the tone and style of the magazine. The table of contents quickly illustrates themes and patterns; make a note of the departments (areas of the magazine that run in every issue) and the features. Study the ads and pay attention to the feelings they give you. What demographic are they appealing to?

3. Writer’s Guidelines
These days, you can find many Writers Guidelines on the Web or by e-mail. If not, send for them by enclosing a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) with your request.

4. Editor’s name and address
Call the publication to get the correct name, address and phone number of the editor. Publishing is famous for its revolving door, so no book such as the Writer’s Market (an excellent source for your research) can keep pace with changes. While you’re at it, be sure to ask if the magazine prefers queries by e-mail, snail mail or fax.

The masthead (the column that usually runs after the table of contents and before the editor’s page) lists editors and contact information. Large magazines often have key departments such as decorating, medicine or education; send directly to them if your ideas match those departments. Sometimes departments are staff written. Flip from the masthead to the table of contents and compare the bylines (the name of the author for each article) with the names in the masthead. This will give you an idea of which areas of the publication are written by the staff or regular editorial contributors.

5. Speaking of departments…
If you’re breaking into a new magazine, focus on the “front of the book.” That’s where the departments and short articles run. Longer features are in “the well” and are generally assigned to writers already established with the publication. But there are always exceptions, so if you feel your idea is strong, go for it. If you don’t get an assignment after several tries, you may need to scale back your ideas to the front of the book.

6. Slants and angles
A common error in querying involves ideas that are too broad. Magazines are looking for fresh ideas that come in around 1,000 words or less, so make your angles tight. . Narrow your topic and develop interesting details. For example, when an editor told a client he didn’t want yet another how-to-speak-in-public story, she wrote about the first five minutes of a presentation and the fear executives experience in these critical minutes.

7. Trade vs. Newsstand
Trade publications are a great avenue for your ideas. Advantages of trades include:
•There are hundreds of associations, many of which published topnotch, four-color magazines.
•These editors know their subjects, don’t make you jump through as many hoops, and often make assignments directly to you (no querying!).
•Legal departments at newsstand magazines can be a real buzz kill. They can require you to deliver elaborate proof of sources and all your research notes and tapes. Trade publications usually don’t.
•To learn more, check out:
o Writer’s Market
o Library databases
o Association directories
o Editor and Publisher International Yearbook
o Gale’s Directory of Publications and Broadcast Media.

8. Query letters
Query letters are industry jargon for a letter that tells editors what you have to offer. Very few magazines accept manuscripts. (Who has time to read all that?) They want a condensed version in a query letter.

The query letter needs to be every bit as good as the finished article you’re proposing. While this may seem like extra work, if you work smart, the query letter can serve as a jump-start on your article. Here’s how:
• Query letters make you organize your ideas and research.
• Usually, editors don’t want exactly what you’re offering. They might shift the angle slightly or ask for different sources. So in this case, the query saves time.
• Your headline and deck (the explanatory sentence or phrase just under the headline) for the query are often the same as for your manuscript. Be sure to look at the headlines and decks your magazine of choice uses and model yours after them.
• Ditto for the captivating lead paragraphs in your query—you can often use them in your manuscript. If you hooked the editor with it, then it’s bound to hook the readers.

Other points to consider in your query:
• Explain key elements of your article. Tell the editor what topics you plan to cover, who you plan to interview, and generally, why it’s a great idea.
• Remember the reader! You need to show the editor you are writing for his readers—not just to get publicity for yourself.
• Include nuts and bolts such as word count of article (writer’s guideline will help you understand each magazine’s format) and facts or figures that validate your angle.
• Refer to the department or area of the magazine most appropriate for your article. You’re not presuming to tell the editor how to run her magazine—simply showing you are familiar with the publication.
• Keep queries as short as possible (and still tell everything you need to). My queries average one-and-a-half to two pages. That said, other writers tell me they weren’t getting anywhere with one-page queries, so they began writing three- and even four-page queries—and got the assignment. Use your best judgment.
• Share your credentials. If you’ve been published (don’t worry about the size of the publication—they all count), list the magazines and newspapers, putting the most relevant to your query first. Don’t have any published credits yet? Write about your professional expertise, teaching experience and college degrees. Let the editor know if you have access to experts.
• End with words that create a lasting memory of you and your proposal. Write a summary paragraph and simple close. For example, “Next time your readers prepare for a speech or presentation, they will welcome the tips and techniques gleaned from this ‘Executive Advisor’ column. I look forward to discussing this idea with you, as well as other ways I can build a relationship with your magazine.”
• Today, most publications only respond if they want the article. In other words, no news is bad news. Magazines used to send out rejection letters if you supplied a SASE (self-addressed stamped envelope) but today, save your postage. If they want your article, you’ll get a phone call or e-mail.

9. E-mail queries
E-mail submissions are increasingly common—but check first with the publication (or writers guidelines). As for visuals, only include them if they are vital to the sale of the story. Never attach them. Paste them in the query letter.

Magazine writing can be challenging, but persevere. And never stop learning. You can always make your writing better. Learn from books, articles and everything you read. Every day the New York Times inspires me to be a better writer.

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Article Tags: business trade, bylines, consumer magazines, e mail, feelings, first person, mediums, name and address, nature of the beast, paycheck, point of view, print magazines, publication editor, s market, sase, self addressed stamped envelope, tone style, web articles, working knowledge, writers guidelines



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