Handbook of Magazine Article Writing NOOKbook

258 Pages·2008·1.43 MB·English

by  Writers Digest

W R I T E R ’ S D I G E S T
H
ANDBOOK OF
M
AGAZINE
A
RTICLE
W
RITING
ALL NEW SECOND EDITION!
EDITED BY MICHELLE RUBERG
INTRODUCTION BY BEN YAGODA
WRITER’S DIGEST BOOKS
Cincinnati,Ohio www.writersdigest.com
Writer’sDigestHandbookofMagazineArticleWriting.(cid:1)2005byWriter’sDigestBooks.
ManufacturedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica.Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbook
maybereproducedinanyformorbyanyelectronicormechanicalmeansincludinginfor-
mationstorageandretrievalsystemswithoutpermissioninwritingfromthepublisher,
exceptbyareviewer,whomayquotebriefpassagesinareview.PublishedbyWriter’s
DigestBooks,animprintofF+WPublications,Inc.,4700EastGalbraithRoad,Cincinnati,
OH45236.[phone].Secondedition.
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09 08 07 06 05 5 4 3 2 1
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Writer’sDigesthandbookofmagazinearticlewriting/editedbyMichelleRuberg;introduc-
tionbyBenYagoda.—Allnew2nded.
p. cm.
Includesindex.
ISBN1-58297-333-4(alk.paper)—ISBN1-58297-334-2(pbk.:alk.paper)
ISBN-13: 978-1-58297-687-7 (EPUB)
1.Journalism—Authorship.2.Featurewriting.I.Title:Handbookofmagazinearticle
writing.II.Ruberg,Michelle.III.Writer’sDigestBooks(Firm).
PN147.W67 2005 2004043079
808(cid:2).02—dc22 CIP
EditedbyMichelleRuberg
DesignedbyTerriEubanks
CoverdesignedbyNickGliebeatDesignMatters
ProductioncoordinatedbyRobinRichie
FOREWORD BYKRISTINGODSEY vii
INTRODUCTION BYBENYAGODA 1
CHAPTERONE: FINDINGIDEAS 6
GreatWaystoGenerateIdeas 6
IdeaMatrix 10
TheArtofAnniversaries 12
EvergreenTopics 14
LookforIdeasinNewWays 15
EditorsandIdeas 18
CHAPTERTWO: QUERYING 22
KnowtheMagazine 23
WritingEffectiveQueryLetters 26
OtherQueryConsiderations 29
E-Querying 31
FinalE-QuerySuggestions 35
TakeCover 36
Follow-UpQueries 40
CHAPTERTHREE: SELLINGREPRINTSANDREWRITES 44
Reprints 44
FindingMarketsforYourReprints 45
SendingYourOriginalArticle 47
WritingaReprintCoverLetter 47
MakingChangestoYourOriginal 50
Rewrites 50
LookingFromtheRightsPerspective 52
HowtoSetYourselfUpforaReprint 53
CHAPTERFOUR: FINDINGMARKETS 56
MagazinesMostOpentoNewWriters 56
AGrowingMarket 58
WritingforLocalvs.NationalPublications 61
MarketstoConsider 63
Women’sMagazines 63
TradeJournals 66
TravelWriting 68
CustomPublications 72
HistoryMagazines 73
HealthMagazines 75
HomeandGardenMagazines 76
In-FlightMagazines 78
EthnicMagazines 79
Children’sMagazines 80
E-Publishing 84
CHAPTERFIVE: RESEARCHING 87
TacklingAnyTopic 87
FindingExperts 89
MakingYourResearchGotheDistance 94
OrganizingInformation 94
CHAPTERSIX: INTERVIEWING 97
InterviewingStrategy 97
SchedulingInterviews 98
ConductingtheInterview 100
HandlingDifficultInterviews 104
E-Interviews 109
PuttingItAllTogether 114
CHAPTERSEVEN: AVOIDINGPROBLEMS 115
FoolproofingYourProcess 115
AvoidingPlagiarism 118
Libel 120
RulesforQuoting 121
AFinalCheck 123
CHAPTEREIGHT: WRITINGTECHNIQUESANDREVISION 126
TheOverview 126
FocusandStructure—InDepth 127
HowtoCraftaSuccessfulLead 130
WritetoGrabReaders’Attention 135
UsingAnecdotes 137
EndingYourArticle 142
RevisingBeforeSubmitting 147
RewritingYourArticle 151
WritingforDigitalMedia 155
CHAPTERNINE: HOWTOWRITECOMMONARTICLES 158
WritingProfiles 158
WritingtheRoundupArticle 162
WritingTemplates 167
HowtoWriteHow-ToArticles 171
ServiceJournalism 175
Shorts,Sidebars,andQuizzes 178
Art-of-LivingArticles 183
CraftingPiecesforChildren’sMagazines 188
CHAPTERTEN: WORKINGWITHANEDITOR 193
YouandYourEditor 194
KeepingYourEditor 197
DamageControl 199
ProblemEditors 200
WritersEditorsHate 204
CHAPTERELEVEN: BUSINESSANDRIGHTS-RELATEDISSUES 209
MakeMoneyWriting 209
GettingPaidonTime 214
FinancesandTaxes 216
Tax-DeductibleExpenses 217
GettingProfessionalHelp 220
RightsandtheWriter 220
ContractNegotiations 223
Copyright 228
FairUse 230
ThePublicDomain 231
AFinalWord 235
CONTRIBUTORS 236
INDEX 244

F
OREWORD
By KristinGodsey
AsfarasIknow,youcan’tmajorinfreelancewritingatanycollege.But
that certainly doesn’t mean there’s not enough to know on the topic to
fill four years’ worth of course study. First, there’s all the journalistic
background you need on constructing compelling stories, finding
sources, getting good quotes, compiling your research, etc. Technique
andcopyeditingskillsareamust.Youhavetoknowwheretofindmar-
kets for your work, be able to construct query letters and pitches that
editorswillnotice,andtailorideastoaspecificmagazine’sneeds.Then
therearethoseworking-well-with-othersskills:understandinghowedi-
torswork,knowingwhattoexpectintherevisionprocess,anddetermin-
ing what you should—and shouldn’t—take in terms of payment and
rewriting.
Thatsoundslikealotofwork,Iknow,butfreelancewritingcanbea
sweet gig. This is a great business to be in if you’ve got the drive, the
writingtalent,andtheindustrysavvy.Andallthreeofthesecomponents
are equally crucial; don’t let anybody tell you otherwise. In fact, I’ll go
asfarastosayyouneedtheminthatexactorder.Driveiscritical.Ittakes
the soul of a hustler to break into this business, and—especially if you
don’t have an address book full of contacts—the stamina to crank out a
relentless onslaught of queries and ideas, all delivered cheerfully and
professionally. Writing talent, under which umbrella I include learned
skills and journalistic instincts, is what will keep you in this business
for the long haul. As for industry savvy, it’s all about getting past the
gatekeeperssoyouhavethechancetoshowoffthatwritingtalent.Proper
queryprotocol,knowingtherightpeopleintherightpositions,andhon-
ingyourprofessionalismwillprovetoaneditorthatyou’renotgoingto
bemoretrouble thanyou’reworth.
This book is packed with practical information you can put to use
today,whetheryou’rejuststartingyourfreelancecareerortryingtokeep
pace with changing expectations and opportunities. As someone who’s
workedonbothsidesofthetable,asamagazinefreelancerandaneditor,
I can tell you that the advice between these covers can save you years
worthofrejectionslipsandfrustration.Mostofuslearnedthisstuffthe
hard way, through trial and error (after error, after error . . .). Who
wouldn’tpreferalittle shortcuttosuccess?
Don’t get it into your head, though, that there’s just one prescription
forarewardingfreelancecareer.Considertheadvicecompiledonthese
pagesasastartingpoint,butdon’tneglectyourgutinstincts,either.Read
thisbook,findyourvoice,thengetoutthere andstartpitching.
—KristinD. GodseyiseditorofWriter’sDigestmagazine.