5/8/10
ATTEMPTING TO PUBLISH A MAGAZINE ARTICLE
Once again, I find myself moving into unfamiliar territory. It's not totally unfamiliar, as I have done some articles online, but one
thing I have never done is write non-fiction articles for an actual magazine. I can only imagine that to get your work published in a
print magazine is just as hard as getting published anywhere else. However, I have some ideas, some things that I have
learned, which I have shared on this blog already, that I think can benefit plenty of writers out there.
So, like everything a writer needs to send out, I'm starting with writing a query letter. Now, even for my novels and short stories, I
hate doing these things. I am, however, finding it even more difficult to do this one. It's not that the format is any different, it's that
the articles I have in mind are only 500 - 1000 words, which means that my query could potentially be half the length of the
article. When you think about it, how do you summarize a 500 word article into 200 or so words without just writing the article
itself.
It is a daunting task, I will admit, but it is one I must accomplish. Because, without a query, then no one is going to give my
article a second glance. Horrible to think about, but true.
With the query, it's always about the hook. Getting that editor to look passed the first sentence of your query is key. I'm not going
to say that you're sold at that point, but you're a step in the right direction. Then you need a short summary of the article, with the
length, and finally, and this is also quite important, your author bio needs to explain why you, and you alone, are perfect for
writing this article. For me, it's easy, since I'm writing essentially about writing. I am a writer and a teacher, which just screams
that I know what I'm talking about (at least in my mind, the editors could be another story).
An article though, just for those who are wondering why I would bother doing this when I have a book coming out, is essentially
another good way to get yourself exposure. Plus, depending on the magazine, it can get you hundreds or thousands of people,
looking at your work.
Anyway, once I have a good query, one that I am satisfied with, I will post it on my blog as an example, and I'll talk a bit more
about this process.
Until Next Time: Monkeys don't ride on llamas.
ATTEMPTING TO PUBLISH A MAGAZINE ARTICLE
Once again, I find myself moving into unfamiliar territory. It's not totally unfamiliar, as I have done some articles online, but one
thing I have never done is write non-fiction articles for an actual magazine. I can only imagine that to get your work published in a
print magazine is just as hard as getting published anywhere else. However, I have some ideas, some things that I have
learned, which I have shared on this blog already, that I think can benefit plenty of writers out there.
So, like everything a writer needs to send out, I'm starting with writing a query letter. Now, even for my novels and short stories, I
hate doing these things. I am, however, finding it even more difficult to do this one. It's not that the format is any different, it's that
the articles I have in mind are only 500 - 1000 words, which means that my query could potentially be half the length of the
article. When you think about it, how do you summarize a 500 word article into 200 or so words without just writing the article
itself.
It is a daunting task, I will admit, but it is one I must accomplish. Because, without a query, then no one is going to give my
article a second glance. Horrible to think about, but true.
With the query, it's always about the hook. Getting that editor to look passed the first sentence of your query is key. I'm not going
to say that you're sold at that point, but you're a step in the right direction. Then you need a short summary of the article, with the
length, and finally, and this is also quite important, your author bio needs to explain why you, and you alone, are perfect for
writing this article. For me, it's easy, since I'm writing essentially about writing. I am a writer and a teacher, which just screams
that I know what I'm talking about (at least in my mind, the editors could be another story).
An article though, just for those who are wondering why I would bother doing this when I have a book coming out, is essentially
another good way to get yourself exposure. Plus, depending on the magazine, it can get you hundreds or thousands of people,
looking at your work.
Anyway, once I have a good query, one that I am satisfied with, I will post it on my blog as an example, and I'll talk a bit more
about this process.
Until Next Time: Monkeys don't ride on llamas.
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