Writing for Fun and Profit - Pt. 2

Getting an article published is exhilarating. The first time you see your words and photos in print is an absolute thrill. We write about sailing, cruising and the live-aboard lifestyle because that's what we do. You can write about any area of interest and it's pretty much guaranteed there will be a magazine that covers the topic.

Continuing with our ideas for getting published ...

1. Proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation are required. Need I say more?
2. Research your topic carefully. If you're using facts and/or statistics to give some depth and color to your article, make sure you document them well and provide the source, if necessary and where appropriate.

3. Many magazines will accept articles on “spec”. Others prefer you send a query. I call this a teaser. Write a short, succinct paragraph on your specific topic and why it will be of interest to their readers. They'll review what you send them and get back to you if they're interested. Send your best piece. Make the teaser irresistible. Then write the article. Make sure it's ready to go. Read, re-read and have someone else read it before you send it. Make sure it's as perfect as possible. If you don't hear from the editor within a couple of weeks, send a reminder, asking if there's any interest.

   Caution: Do NOT send the same query to several magazines at once. Be patient and submit to one publisher at a time. Most magazines want original, not previously published, material and want exclusive rights to it for some period of time (6 months or a year) in a specific geographic area (e.g. North America). If two or more magazines should happen to accept your article or idea and you have to tell one of them “no”, you probably won't get another opportunity at that magazine. If you don't hear in a month after a reminder, consider it dead and move on.

4. Don't be discouraged if you get a “reject” notice. It's common. Not every article received can be published. Find another magazine and send them the same teaser. We've had several articles rejected by one journal that were happily accepted by another.
5. If you get a bite and some interest in your teaser, respond immediately. Some will ask you to do a rewrite. Cut it down here...expound a little there. Get on it right away. We've had situations where the publisher delayed in responding and then we received an urgent email saying, “Oh, didn't I tell you? We need your article for the next publication. Can you send it and all the photos today?” Needless to say, having the article already written and ready to go was key. We scurried, but got it done.
6. A word about photos. A picture is worth a thousand words. Most magazines will want crisp, clean, high resolution, untouched images that help to tell your story. They will do their own cropping and editing. We usually send several and they choose the ones they feel are most appropriate.

I doubt you'll get rich from writing for magazines. We certainly don't, although we usually succeed in having about 10-15 articles published each year. An average article, depending on word count and number of photos, pays between $300-$800. You will, however, see your article in print, promote yourself, build confidence and polish your writing skills. Maybe that's enough!

Writing for Fun and Profit - Pt. 1

We must have at least four books in the works at the moment … all of them in various stages of “incomplete”. There's a cookbook which needs a rewrite and an anthology of sailing stories from down under. David's electrical handbook for sailors is coming together and we've been working on a novel idea for ages. We thought the long Atlantic passage would be great for concentrating on our books, but it's our magazine articles, not books, that help feed the cruising kitty. Relying on our sailing experiences, we're able to share our life aboard Nine of Cups and get paid for it. What a deal!

Want to take a stab at getting published in a magazine? Try these ideas.

1. Determine an area of expertise or interest. You don't have to be a sailor. Figure out what you'd like to write about. Do you have a hobby? Are you a parent? Do you like to travel? Do you have pets? Are you a farmer, a hairdresser, a welder, a 50+ retiree? Obviously, the more you know or care about your topic, the more it will show in your writing.

2. Research what journals or magazines cater to this interest. There are magazines out there for every interest imaginable. Don't forget to research regional magazines for your area. They're smaller and may be more interested in your articles than national journals. Think outside of the box. We tend to write for sailing magazines because we sail and live on a boat, but I've submitted articles to cat magazines because we used to have a cat aboard. I've submitted articles to travel magazines. I've even submitted funny anecdotes to Reader's Digest.
3. Obtain the Writer's Guidelines for those magazines of interest. This is key. Some magazines are very specific as to the length of the piece, the format in which it should be submitted, whether photos are required, their terms and amounts of their payment. The links below provide lists of magazines and their guidelines. These lists are not exhaustive by any means, but they'll give you an idea of what's out there.

   http://www.freelancewriting.com/guidelines/pages/index.php

   http://www.internet-resources.com/writers/markets/online-guidelinesMO.htm#MMM

4. Get a copy of the magazine(s) in which you're interested. Read it thoroughly. Determine what types of articles they publish and what types they don't. Good Old Boat, for instance, does not accept destination articles, but loves “how-to” pieces. Caribbean Compass only accepts articles concerning the Caribbean. Get a feel for the mood of the pieces. Are they serious? Whimsical? First person anecdotes? Determine what “departments” they have that might prove suitable for the article you want to write.

5. Figure out your angle. Magazine articles usually do one or more of these things: inform, persuade, instruct, or entertain. I tend to write informational/entertainment pieces on the places we visit. David writes how-to and technical pieces (instructional) on various topics relating to the boat. Which category fits your article? Which category fits the magazine?

   Stay tuned for Part 2 tomorrow …