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Garber on Business: Breaking in to Trade Magazine writing

Written by: Anne Garber

Article Overview: No matter how much experience one has as a journeyman writer, any new area of expertise presents certain challenges...

Garber on Business: Breaking in to Trade Magazine writing

Breaking The Paper Ceiling:

To break into magazine writing, start with trade magazines. They are much more likely to hire a person coming out of college or making a transition from another profession. And try to define the two or three areas in which you want to become expert. Make these areas your own by turning them over and over again with different stories and slants.

A staff writer at a magazine will work under the tutelage of an editor. The staff writer is expected to come up with ideas as well as accept assignments.

Unlike newspapers, magazines are published weekly or monthly to allow more development in feature stories. A staff writer could write an investigative piece one month and do an interview with a celebrity the next month.

I've mentioned internships in the past and one reader wrote in to tell me about her experiences in New York City. "In my case, I just asked! They seemed happy to hire someone who would work for practically nothing." It should be noted that many writers' and magazine organizations have very respected internship programs.

For the freelancer, it's often more of an uphill battle. On the one hand, editors are working under financial constraints right now unequalled in the past, so a surprising amount of highly confidential assignment work is going out to free-lancers -- even in the sensitive Public Relations sector.

For trade magazines, it makes even more sense to hire freelance instead of using staffers, as the savvy editor can tailor the assignment to a specific writer's skills set.

Newspaper STRATEGIES:

Some ideas: Obtain a summer job or internship with a community newspaper. Work with a college newspaper, yearbook, or alumni publication. Take an active role, preferably leadership, in journalism organizations. Demonstrate curiosity, high energy level, an ability to produce under pressure and withstand criticism. Develop excellent grammar and writing skills. Create a portfolio of writing samples, especially those items and features that have been published. Seek opportunities for recognition and networking through writing contests and freelance writing submissions. Build relationships with campus and community leaders as well as athletes for interview opportunities and experience.

Magazine STRATEGIES:

Some ideas: Secure an internship with a local publisher. Work on campus publications. Find part-time or summer job with newspaper, magazine, or print shop. Obtain sales experience. Join a professional journalism organization. Demonstrate creative spirit, writing skills, verbal skills, and proofreading ability. Create a portfolio of writing samples. Consider obtaining a minor in photography for photojournalistic specialty.

Trade Magazine STRATEGIES:

Attend a summer publishing institute to sharpen skills and build contacts. Become familiar with word processing, desktop publishing, and Web page design. Gain knowledge of printing and production. Work with local or regional magazines and campus publications. Work as sales clerk or book buyer in campus or local bookstore. Supplement coursework with technical writing courses for opportunities with technical, scientific, and medical publications. Complete internship at market research firm. Hone public speaking skills.

Why work as a freelance writer?

I have to tell you: Working at home as a writer is one sweet deal. I have a ten-second commute from my bed to my office, I set my own schedule, I make enough money to live very comfortably, my work is fun and mentally stimulating, and I get the thrill of knowing that thousands -- even millions -- of people are seeing my name in print every month. I work fewer than 40 hours per week and spend the rest of my time pursuing hobbies, doing volunteer work, travelling, reading, going to movie and enjoying family-and-spouse time.

The actual WORK of selling yourself:

Coming up with a saleable idea

• Finding markets that would be interested in your idea

• Finding the right editors to send your idea to

• Interviewing people for the query letter (the proposal that sells the editor on your idea and yourself as a writer)

• Writing a winning query letter

• Getting your query out the door

• The best tip I can give you: learn to write short.

Starting Out: Settle for Less:

Magazine editors try out freelancers in their front-of-the-book sections because they'll lose small if the writer tanks the assignment. Worst case scenario, the editors can write it themselves. Best case scenario for a freelancer is the editor likes how you handle the short item and listens to your ideas for a full-length story. Next assignment: a longer piece. Be aware that many of those little "front-matter" pieces are written by the magazine's staff. For insight on whether the items are freelance written, compare tag lines with the names on the masthead.

Those little items can be lucrative. Once you internalize the structure of a 250 to 500 word piece, you can knock them off quickly at proportionately better pay than a longer researched story. Pitch the idea as you would any other, after finding out which editor assigns for the "front of the book" department. If you're good, editors will be calling you and asking if you could dash off 600 words, pretty please, by Tuesday. If you plan to produce material for websites, you'll have to write the story in fewer than 700 words.

The Right FIT:

Target your story to the right publication or circulation market. Study various industries -- beyond the obvious.

Trade magazine stories with a service focus are hot right now. These are relatively easy to research because you use quotes from experts to "tell" the story. You will usually be given a list of contacts to track down, but sometimes you have to be resourceful and fill in the blanks yourself.

Another source of inspiration is to keep abreast of news in your targeted Trade area. If new legislation impacts an industry, what will conscientious editors tell their readers? For example, as restaurant no-smoking policies are enforced and expanded, what kind of advice would be useful to the restaurateur to keep customers happy in changing times ?

Aim for realistic markets to start. Sorry, but you're probably not going to start your freelance travel writing career in Travel & Leisure magazine. Find your level and work your way beyond it, using those small items to convince editors at magazines that you can handle assignments on contract.

In the long run, you'll earn a steadier part-time income and advance your career faster if you focus on regional, trade and special interest magazines. Find those magazines on newsstands, on the internet, on a friend's coffee table. A Local Chamber of Commerce, neighbourhood business guides and even the good old Yellow Pages will yield subject areas galore.

How do you break in?

Send a smart query about a place within the scope of the magazine's stated objective, then follow up with a phone call and have three other ideas you can discuss casually. Show how you know the industry.

Be realistic:

Scale back your expectations. The Trade Magazine writing genre has particular stylistic demands and often caters first to its advertisers. You don't want to write "advertorial," but Trade Magazine writing may well be the next thing to that!

Which brings me to another point. Submit work on many fronts. Trade writers who only have one story circulating aren't likely to succeed. Designate some of your industry stories for self-syndication, that is, send the story to multiple newspaper markets in non-competing circulation areas, advising the business editors what you are doing. If the business article is particularly unique -- unusual subject, great story line -- then send the piece to one paper at a time.

Freelance Writing For Trade Magazines:

The most visible magazines are mainstream magazines sold on newsstands and in bookstores to the public. Trade magazines, on the other hand, are more exclusive; they are not sold to the public at retail chains and they usually circulate to the magazine's elite class of subscribers and members. Just as there are countless mainstream magazines on sports, pets, travel, weddings, and lifestyle, you can also find just as many trade magazines that cover the same subjects. Writing for trade magazines pays well (sometimes higher than mainstream magazines) and they regularly use freelance writers.

Breaking into trade magazines as a freelance writer can be tricky. Many editors of trade magazines choose not to list their writer's guidelines. Editors of trade magazines are extremely busy and short-staffed. These editors avoid having an open call for submissions to avoid a ceaseless cycle of reviewing, critiquing and rejecting unsolicited articles and query letters sent in by writers, non-writers and their moms. You will not find their writer's guidelines in Writer's Marketplace and they may not post their guidelines online at their website. Many freelance writers break into trade magazines by pitching an idea to the editor or contacting the editor directly. These freelance writers pitch brilliant article ideas, they've reviewed the magazine in advance, and they aggressively market themselves and their work with confidence.

Here are some frequently asked questions about freelance writing for trade magazines:

Question # 1: What are some advantages of writing for trade magazines, as opposed to writing for mainstream (newsstand) magazines?

Answer: The first advantage is the smaller number of competitors (other freelance writers). Many writers, especially amateurs, don't routinely research trade magazines for potential writing assignments. However, this also means it's often up to you, the writer, to educate an editor on the advantage of using your work.

The second advantage is that trade magazines are usually understaffed. When an editor finds a good freelancer, they not only accept the initial story but also ask the writer to accept future assignments.

A third advantage is the reputation you develop when you write for trade magazines within that industry. As your reputation builds, you often experience unexpected opportunities, such as referrals and writing assignments from other editors.

Question # 2: What's the best research method to uncover hard-to-find trade magazines?

Answer: The best method is to find the Canadian Advertising Rates & Data for business publications (usually available in your public library). This directory contains virtuallyt every trade magazine published in the Canada. Second, find out what your friends and neighbours read in their business. Do they have any copies you can borrow? What about the mechanic who just fixed your car? What trades are on his waiting room table? How about the barber? How about the manager of that gift store near your house? How about the restaurant manager? A real estate agent? A roofing contractor? A bricklayer? A computer programmer? Your tax accountant? The third way is the Internet. Find trade magazines at Freebizmag.com, tradepub.com and freetradepubs.com.

Question #3: What's the best way to pitch an article to a trade magazine?

Answer: Call the editor, tell him what you have in mind, and get feedback. Otherwise, you can send an e-mail query. Once you have some credits, the best approach is calling the editor. Even if the editor doesn't need the story you are pitching, he may have one he would like to run, but hasn't yet found anyone to do it.

Question #4: What do you do if the trade magazine doesn't have writer's guidelines?

Answer: Fewer than 10 per cent of trade magazines have writers' guidelines. If you don't have a copy of the magazine you want to pitch to, find a way to get one and then go through it to see how the headlines are put together and how long the articles run. Check the masthead for full-time staff and the number of contributors. Are the contributors industry gurus or independent writers like yourself? How much of the magazine is staff written? If the trade magazine has one editor and he's written more than 60 per cent of the magazine, then he probably needs a good freelance writer from time to time.

Question # 5: What are some challenges freelance writers might face with trade magazines?

Answer: The first challenge is finding the people with the right information. Specialization is a good idea for a trade journalist just as it is for a mainstream journalist. You write based on "who" you know. A second challenge is learning to leverage what you've developed. If you specialize in writing about the architecture and construction industries, you can also tie this topic to other businesses, such as restaurant management, small hospital management, manufacturing, hospitality, real estate, golf course management etc.

Another challenge is to learn discretion. Businesses have secrets they don't want their competitors to know about; they do have techniques or practices or processes that give them an edge. To maintain your contacts' trust, you must develop good judgment about just how much information you can pass along in your article and how much you can't. Never cheat your contacts. Be fair with them and they will be fair with you. They may get mad occasionally when they get called on a mistake, but as long as it's a fair call, then you'll keep them.

Remember that restaurant conundrum about no smoking policies? Well, how many of your good restaurant contacts are going to help their competition by sharing a great idea? Instead, see if someone at a training facility (such as SFU, BCIT, or VVI) or a cooking school can pass along some ideas. Sometimes the enforcement people (in this case, Health Inspectors at various City Halls) may have some quotable quotes to offer.

Question # 6: What other types of articles do trade magazines find popular?

Answer: The most popular type of article in trade magazines is: "Who did what, and why?" Readers love to get ideas by seeing what others in their industry are doing. They also want to see who's doing what so they can decide if the article subject might be a potential customer. "List" articles are another favourite. Trade magazines are where people go to talk shop and to see who's who, who's new, and what's new.

Plan to adopt different writing styles for different projects. For example, a writer with a healthcare background could use industry-specific terminology in a trade publication, but not in a mainstream consumer magazine. For writers with scientific or clinical backgrounds, sometimes their greatest strength also winds up being their greatest obstacle, since having insider knowledge can work against you if you stick to insider jargon and forget you're writing for people who don't have the same background as you do.

Writing for Trade Magazines:

You've written for consumer magazines, but you'd like to break into trade magazines. That may not be a bad move -- it'll add heft to your portfolio. It'll also expose you to high-level contacts in whatever industry you cover. Yet, you may have some concerns that keep you from going down that path:

"How can I write for a trade magazine if I'm not involved in that trade?"

"Don't I have to be an expert?"

"What type of material do trade magazines use?"

"How does writing for trade magazines differ from writing for consumer magazines?"

The answers to these questions may surprise you. First, understand that trade magazines are narrow in scope. Also, they tend to be technical because their audience consists of trade practitioners. Yet, you don't have to be an expert to get published. Let's look at why that is, and how you can get started as an author in the trade of your choice.

Trade involvement:

Trade magazines, as the name implies, are about business. In fact, the largest trade magazine publisher recently changed its name from Intertec Publishing to Primedia Business. If you have a particular business interest -- whether that's raising beef bulls or wiring electrical systems -- a trade magazine covers it.

Trade magazines are not professional journals. The professions (e.g., law, medicine, accounting) produce journals that are usually too technical and too complex for a layperson to write for. The trades, however, are different. Also, while professional journals rely heavily on theoretical content and long articles, trade magazines focus on the basics and short articles.

Because of this characteristic of trade magazines, you don't need expertise in a particular trade to be an author. If you have that expertise, you can present yourself as a subject matter expert. If you don't have that expertise, you must find a subject matter expert to represent.

Trade magazines look for two types of experts. One is a vendor or manufacturer, and you are not likely to snag an author of this ilk unless you go through a PR agency. The other one is a consultant or independent expert, and that's the person a beginner should seek out.

Where do you find these people? That's where trade involvement comes in. An all-purpose writer won't survive in the trade magazine arena. But, a writer who hobnobs with folks in a specific industry -- at trade shows, trade organization meetings, and the occasional technical seminar -- will have the credibility and background to thrive.

If you don't know anybody in the trade you're targeting, use a search engine or the local Yellow Pages to come up with a list of trade organizations and local chapters. If the trade doesn't have an online presence, visit a supply house (distributor) and start your search for an expert there. Many distributors have their own publications and may provide you with experience ghost-writing for them.

Get on as many industry e-mail lists as you can -- especially those of local chapters of trade organizations. Attend local meetings and get to know some folks. Ask what trade magazines they read. Mention that you are a writer who'd like to work with someone who doesn't like to write but would like to be published. You can probably convince an organization's newsletter editor to give you a free mention because you aren't selling anything -- just providing an opportunity.

Pitching the article:

Once you have an expert agree "to do an article," ask your expert for an article idea to pitch. Once you have a short author bio and a short outline representing a 1500 word article, begin contacting the trade magazines. Try to find their author guidelines online, before you call -- any advance information helps. You've probably read about how bad it is to phone an editor. Forget this advice when it comes to trade magazine editors. Most of them are on the phone quite a bit and don't mind a call -- if you are considerate with their time. Here's a sample pitch:

"My name is Anne Garber, and I'm a writer working with Margaret Helgenberger. Marg is a licensed Crime Scene Investigator who specializes in forensic evidence and I understand your readers are interested in that subject." Then, ask the editor to send you a copy of the magazine and the latest author guidelines. A good editor won't care about your credentials, but will care about those of your expert. Let the editor know you are pitching the article to other magazines. No editor wants to run the same article a competitor runs. You can say, "We are submitting the same outline, but we will not submit the same content and graphics." Good. You've now established that the topic is hot but the article is unique.

Don't directly ask the editor about the audience -- this makes you sound like you won't bother reading the magazine to find out. You might ask, "Do you want this article to be more hands-on or theoretical?" Ask the editor to identify some key issues or points the article should address. Observe the Golden Rule . . .

The Golden Rule of trade magazines:

No yellow journalism. Trade communities are small and incestuous. You can't insult any of the players or even hint their products or services are flawed. Big names in trade publishing have been banished for doing this, so avoid text that gets you even close to thin ice. If an editor pushes you to do yellow journalism, decline the assignment unless you are very well-connected and very astute technically in the area being addressed by the article. Even then, soft-pedal any criticism.

Do not promise (or even suggest) prominent or "cover story" treatment. I was once misquoted by a chef who told her own PR people (erroneously) that the little blurb I was doing about her new salad dressing -- for a Trade Magazine aimed at grocery managers -- was going to be featured on the cover of the magazine. Where she got this impression was anyone's guess. This little scenario really came back to haunt me (in the editorial sense), and the PR person in turn was really obnoxious and demanding with me. Needless to say, I will never approach that chef OR her PR people again!

Focusing the article:

The ideal article is one a reader clips out and files. Ask your expert to look at his/her files and come up with three reasons why those articles were such keepers. You'll hear "Because it was useful" repeatedly. The yardstick trade magazines live and die by is "usefulness." The reader always asks, "How will this help me?" Answer that question, or your article fails.

PhDs who write are wonderful on the theory part, and both consultants and expert witnesses give great case histories. But, trade magazine readers just shrug their shoulders at such information. They want practical advice they can apply to their own business, not pie-in-the-sky academic theory. What they want to know is, "Which steps should I take?' For example, an article about a disease affecting beef cattle is interesting. Show what ACME Ranches did about the disease, and it's instructive. Add a sidebar "Five steps you must take now" and it's useful. Just make sure the sidebar doesn't look like an afterthought.

Rules of content:

In addition to the usefulness mantra and the "no yellow journalism" rule, trade magazines have other requirements for content:

Use of quotes is usually not a plus. Readers don't care about what some executive or PR rep says. They want to know what an expert says about how they can do their jobs better, or run their business more profitably. They want an inside pipeline to what their customers are thinking, and where the industry is headed next year, five years or ten years down the road.

Don't write product pitches. While many trade magazines publish re-warmed product releases, don't byline such a piece just to get your foot in the door. Doing so will brand you as a "press release slut" -- someone who isn't an objective writer and who will run anything if it's easy.

Don't try to sound "professional" by using long sentences and passive voice. Trade magazines occupy a niche between general interest/magazines and professional journals. They must be as accurate as the professional journals, while remaining as understandable as the consumer magazines.

Trade magazine graphics are hard to acquire. Ask a manufacturer for help, and you'll get product shots -- which the better magazines won't run in their stories. Use your industry contacts, especially the service vendors, to assist you in getting a photo-op. Lunch and a photo credit will usually persuade them. If a technical drawing "makes" the article, ask your subject expert to produce a hand sketch, at the very least. Your editor will probably accept it, but an image done in PowerPoint would be better. On occasion -- when I am overseas at a Trade Show, for example -- I will gather more appropriate photos myself (companies are getting smarter about putting nice large-format shots on CDs), or take my own shots.

Repeat assignments:

Expand your stable of subject matter experts. Your first expert will probably want to stop after a few articles. The magazine's fee rarely justifies an expert's time -- once the expert achieves the status of "being published," the carrot is gone and the stick remains. Or, the publicity has left the expert swamped with new work. Either way, industry contact development is an ongoing effort.

Once you've been published, you can tell an editor, "I co-authored an article on How the Slow Food Movement affects Restaurants in the January Issue of Food Today Magazine." Even that will change, with time. Eventually, you can be an expert. One writer, who is not an electrical engineer or even a licensed electrician, writes authoritatively for electrical trade magazines and has even published a book on wiring. Because he has long-standing relationships with industry experts and editors, and because he has a reputation for accuracy and good writing, he can charge a premium rate.

So, you don't need to be an expert to break into the trades. But if you spend enough time with experts, your articles make you look like one.

How to Write a Query Letter:

One of the most comprehensive sets of advice about queries is free for the taking at Writing.com: How to Write a Query Letter. Author Kim-Merry covers queries both for magazines and books, suggesting actions in a Do/Don't format and providing examples of good and bad queries. She covers a lot of ground with explanations of her advice tidbits:

• Don't use exclamation marks, bold, or caps.

• State what enclosures are attached.

• Proofread your letter.

• Don't tell them you're new to this.

I like the last two, especially. Even now, after decades of writing, I tend to rush off an email without checking it, other than an automatic spelling check that the software does. And I know I'm prone to writing "Thank your" or "Thanks you," instead of "Thank you."

I would add to that to familiarize yourself with the Canadian Press Style Guide. Nothing looks worse than a query with syntax or spelling mistakes.

Remember: You don't get a second chance to make a good first impression.

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Article Tags: assignment work, college newspaper, curiosity, energy level, feature stories, financial constraints, free lancers, freelancer, high energy, investigative piece, journalism organizations, magazine organizations, savvy editor, slants, staffers, summer job, trade magazines, tutelage, uphill battle, writing skills



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