Notes from 46th International STC Conference
Cincinnati, Ohio, May 16-19, 1999

Expand Your Income by Writing for Magazines

Beth Agnew
Insystems Technologies, Inc., Markham, ON

Agnew has been extremely successful in getting articles published in a wide range of periodicals.

Session Description: Technical writers are masters of the "how-to," an article type in demand by magazines. Learn how to sell your writing to this market.

• Versatility is definitely a key factor in success when it comes to being published in magazines
• Practical writing = writing that communicates information to help someone answer a question, perform an action, or solve a problem.
• There are more than 4,000 magazines, including 4 or 5 on how to smoke cigars; 2 on pens; 4 about teddy bears; 3 about Beanie Babies; and at least one about divorce.
• Trade magazines are ubiquitous, including such creatures as Thanatos for funeral directors, Paper and Glass for the recycling market, and Occupation Health and Safety Digest.
• Consumer and lifestyle magazines such as Family Circle
• Special interest magazines
• Opportunities abound: business, education and training, traveling, publicity and promotion, scientific, ghostwriting, fiction writing, genre writing, Web publishing.
• The ability to write clearly and simply spans a wide range of genres and audiences, from hardware and software users to teens.
• Part time or full time? Part time can be done in spare time, eliminates financial worries, lets you accept pay on publication, gives you freedom to choose assignments, lets you work "on spec," and provides tax breaks. However, you may not have enough spare time, it is difficult to contact sources and editors outside the regular workday, and you can't "gain momentum."
• Full time provides flexibility in hours and working conditions, lets you be your own boss, has large earning potential, and gives you mobility. On the flip side, you cannot always choose your assignments, you must exercise strict self-discipline, you cannot afford to work "on spec," you may face an uncertain cash flow, you must pay for your own benefits, and you must take all the risks.
• Qualifications... tech writers have most of them already
   
• Reasonable command of language
• Ability to create: "clean copy"
• Storytelling ability
• Logical or sequential thinking
• Enjoyment of reading
• Enjoyment of writing
• Willingness to learn
• Discipline to meet deadlines
• Thoroughness in researching: if you have done enough research, you typically might use 10% of the material you gather... if you don't do enough research, it will show in the article. You simply won't have command of your subject.
• Basic administrative skills
• Basic financial skills
• Audience analysis
• Interviewing skills
• You have to be rhinoceros-hided when it comes to rejection slips and extensive editing/changes.
• Determination, perseverance, and persistence are essential. "Steadiness and toil serves you better than brilliance."
• How to begin
   
• Set realistic goals
• Research a market
• Write that first piece
• Send it to the magazine
• Repeat steps 3 and 4 until you are published.
• How to build on early publications
   
• Set goals
• Assemble portfolio of clips
• Send queries, with a brief sample from the article (usually the lead)
• Reasons for rejection
   
• Subject not suited to market
• Subject not timely... note there's about a 6-month lead time; in May or June, you have to write Christmas, not summer.
• Already something similar in the works at that market
• No reason at all
• Note: Typical rejection rate is at least 80%.
• Simultaneous submissions: not generally a good strategy.
• International supply coupons are worth one first-class stamp in a country: useful for SASEs on international queries.
• 6-8 weeks is a typical wait time on a query.
• E-mail queries... most magazines accept them.
• Getting ideas
   
• Establish an "idea-seeking consciousness"
• Use idea mapping
• Maintain a writer's notebook
• Shape the ideas with a slant
• Link the idea to a possible market
• Write a sample lead
• The best writing often comes from areas the writer is already knowledgeable in; if you write in an area you are unfamiliar with, you need to work with an SME to ensure your article rings true.
• Idea sources
   
• Newspaper
• Other publications
• Personal interests
• Library
• TV
• Web
• Observation of the human condition
• Famous people are often more accessible than you might think. With the exception of Hollywood stars, who are usually well insulated, many of them can successfully be approached for an interview/article.
• Writer's Market and Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature are useful tools in searching for magazines in which to publish.
• Photos are often easy to sell along with articles.
• Illustrations: Don't pay for them; the editor will usually have an illustrator on staff... you can suggest, however.
• Analyzing the market
   
• Scan the magazine... The Table of Contents shows regular departments and columns. Titles of articles are also indicative of what type of stuff they publish.
• Also be alert for a new angle that would be relevant to their niche.
• Send to Managing Editor, Senior Editor, or a Department Editor... you want an "assigning editor," i.e., somebody with authority to buy the article.
• Find the address... it might be buried somewhere in the magazine.
• Fact-checkers will thoroughly check all the facts in your article; provide clear attribution for sources that you cite, etc.
• Questions about magazines
   
• What rights do they buy?
• Lead time?
• Due dates for seasonal material?
• Means of notification?
• Sample copy and writer's guidelines?
• Pay?
• What types of material do they prefer? (Writer's Market)
• Get a sample copy... read the magazine!
• Do they publish previously unpublished writers?
• Resources
   
• Writer's Market
• The Writer's Digest Handbook of Magazine Article Writing
• Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature