Editors juggle a lot of balls in finding literary material for publications. They have multiple deadlines for multiple editions and all the administrative nuts and bolts that come with putting a publication together. When finally obtaining the ear of an editor, keep your moment(s) brief, because others just like you are vying for that editor’s […]
Four Important Lessons About Magazine Writing
/ 2020-06-05Having worked in the book industry my entire career, I decided that 2020 would be a great time to not only broaden my writing repertoire but also add another revenue stream by writing for magazines. So, in January, I pitched article ideas to a local magazine publisher. I felt confident about the topics and assumed […]
Backing Into Large Publications
/ 2020-04-24Freelance writers have to be motivated to reach for the brass ring. To some of us, that means publishing in a major magazine or national newspaper, a difficult achievement even with a substantial number of clips. A plethora of authors vie for the top spots, and once they’re in, they hold onto them. Fortunately, there […]
Writing for University Publications
/ 2019-10-24Universities produce tremendous amounts of written material—magazines, newsletters, websites. These publications rarely post guidelines for interested freelancers, but some investigation can pay off. First, dive into the institution’s website. Links for “alumni” and “alumni relations” will lead to alumni magazines. To find the institution’s regularly updated news site, try “university news” or “public affairs.” Search […]
Writing for Hobby and Leisure Activity Magazines
/ 2018-10-19When I began my freelance writing career in 2007, I would never have believed I’d end up writing dozens of articles for hobbyist magazines. But today, my bylines include more than 20 special interest magazines for hobbies as diverse as gardening, gold prospecting, ham radios, four-wheel drive vehicles, classic cars, art and sculpture, wine tasting, […]
The Good Ones: Hitting the Higher Paying Markets
/ 2017-12-01By Alex J. Coyne One of my first high-paying features sold to The Investor for $170 (Six String Stocks, October 2015). I’ve sold others since, including a piece for Catholic Digest that earned $500. I sure didn’t think it was possible when I started out with $20/article rates. Here’s how I got to higher rates […]