I rarely receive rejection letters to my query letters. Writers who do their homework rarely receive rejection letters either. So if you're able to paper your office with your rejections you might want to consider researching a magazine before querying the editor. How do you do that? Simple:
(1) Get a copy of the writer's and photographer's guidelines and editorial calendar (not all magazines have editorial calendars, but ask). Sometimes the photo guidelines are included on teh writer's guidelines. Every publication is different. Once you have them, study them carefully. Don't just "read" them. Study them. When they say they're not interested in poetry or short-stories, DON'T send them poetry or short stories! If they're looking for well-researched articles with quotes from national experts, they don't mean Wikipedia or your high-school science teacher - unless your high-school science teacher IS a national expert.
Many publications will have excellent, detailed and very specific guidelines, others will be a few sentences with very little information about what they're looking for. It doesn't matter, get the latest copy you can find and pay attention to what they're requesting. I've found the better the guidelines, the easier it is to pitch that magazine. Why? They know what they want and they're looking for it when they get a query letter. They don't have to wonder if it will fit or not.
Most guidelines can be downloaded from the magazine's website. You can also find great guidelines in the
2011 Writer's Market
, or through online newsletters for writers. If you're serious about writing, you'll buy a copy of the Writer's Market. It contains the writer's guidelines, pay rate, names and details for almost every market in America - from journals to newspapers, magazines and periodicals. It's the writer's Bible, so cough up the $19.95 and get a copy if you're serious about writing. If you can't find the guidelines online and don't want to buy a copy of the book, then simply send the magazine a letter addressed to "Attn: Editor" and on the side in block letters "SASE enclosed - Writer's Guidelines Request" so the editor can route your request to the proper pile. A simple index card or single page of paper that reads, "Enclosed is a SASE. Please send me a copy of your writer's and photographer's guidelines and your editorial calendar if you have one. Thank you." They don't need your life story, any personal note etc. so don't ramble on. Say thank you, sign it and enclose a SASE (Self-Addressed-Stamped Envelope- real stamps, not the dated strips you run off from the postage meter at work) so all he/she has to do is pop the guidelines in the envelope and drop it in their out basket. No SASE and chances are your request will go right in the can. Sorry. Follow ALL directions to the letter.
Most guidelines will list the publisher, how often they're published, their art/photo needs, how much they pay, when they pay (on acceptance or on publication), what rights they're buying, what kind of content they need, length of articles, how to submit a query, and so on. For instance, here's a great (but old - not updated since 2003) copy of writer's guidelines for Women's Independent Press:
Women's Independent Press
Publisher: Anna Marie Gire
Established: March 2002
Frequency: monthly
Circulation: 10,000
Accepts Email Submissions: Yes
Website URL:
http://www.womensindependentpress.com
Description: The Women’s Independent Press (WIP) is a new, general interest newspaper covering issues that pertain to the vast and varied interests of all women, regardless of race, class, religious/spiritual or political affiliation, age, or sexual orientation.
Editor(s): Linda M. Moore
Email: wip@fastmail.fm
Phone: 270 300 3625
Address: 1114 Brookline Blvd.
Pittsburgh , PA 15226
USA
Rights: 1st NA
Needs: Features/General: Entrepreneurship; issues regarding women in prison (i.e., effects on families, differences in female-male offenses and sentencing, demographics, etc.); effects of prostitution on women and their children; white baby-boomers vs. minority baby-boomers; women’s retreats; women and the media; women’s roles in other cultures; parenting--single vs. partnership/same sex parenting; women’s humor; domestic/sexual violence; divorce/child custody; juvenile crime; returning to school; travel; profiles of women of exceptional courage, talent, perseverance; women who provide excellent role models for other women/girls; women mentors; etc.
Focus on the World: Timely/Informative articles and thoughtful commentaries/opinion pieces about women nationally/internationally in the news.
Health/Fitness/Recovery: Articles on peri-/pre-/post-/menopause/; midlife issues; herbal/alternative medicine; mental/emotional health; physical fitness (i.e., mind/body link); sexuality; substance abuse/recovery; eating disorders; health-humor relationship; nursing home care/assisted living, etc.
Teen/Young Women: Sexual harassment in schools; peer pressure relating to drugs/sex, etc.; social stratification within the school setting; racism/sexism/homophobia/bullying; hopes, dreams and goals among young women, etc.
Arts/Entertainment: Book, movie, theater and music reviews; profiles of women behind the scenes in the entertainment business, i.e., writers, directors, producers, cinematographers, etc.
Consumer: Positive or negative consumer experiences by women regarding local or other vendors, shopping tips, etc. Women in Sports: Accomplishments of female sports figures and teams; positive role models for young women; non-traditional sports/activities such as pool/billiards, bowling, skateboarding, etc.
Anything unique, interesting, and different from mainstream women's magazines.
Length: Usually 1,000-1,500
Art/Photo Needs: Any relevant graphics/photos will be requested from the author, if applicable.
Payment: Pays $25 per per article, column, review, essay, etc. We also forward copies of the newspaper to all writers upon publication.
How to Submit: Submit queries/submissions to wip@fastmail.fm. Microsoft Word is preferrable; .rtf format is also accepted. If using regular mail, please forward to ANNA MARIE GIRE, Publisher/WIP, 1114 Brookline Blvd. Pittsburgh PA 15226. Indicate on the outside of the envelope Query or Submission. When requesting submission guidelines, send SASE.
Response Time: 2-4 weeks
Tips for Writers: Please submit your final copy, not a draft. We greatly prefer email submissions but understand that not everyone has access to a computer. Please indicate word count, name, address, email address, telephone number. Please double-space all submissions.
This listing was lated updated on Nov-10-2003.
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Once you have that information ask yourself if your idea really fits their needs. If you think it does, go to step number two:
(2) Read the publication you want to write for. Read at least three issues cover to cover, even the ads and especially the "Letter from the editor" if the magazine has a publisher's or editor's note. I actually go to the library and read the last year's issues and for national magazine's - the last two to three years issues.
Go to your local library, or to a college library if you're close. If you're not close, consider taking one day off a week or month to drive to a library in a large city so you can spend the day researching your magazines. If that doesn't work, then order a couple of back issues, or request a sample copy (this info will be in the guidelines. Some magazines will send you a free issue if you send them a large, 9x12 stamped, self-addressed envelope (SASE) with a polite note. There's no need to explain you're a writer, or that you're planning to query them with an idea, and are doing research. They know. Just ask for the magazine and send the SASE.)
Take a pen and pad and write down things you notice about the magazine. Are the sentences short and to the point? Do all the stories sound like one person wrote them all? Or does each story have a personality? Some magazines like to keep a "voice" and most of their articles sound like one person wrote them. Others seek a uniqueness in each story. Write down the names of the cover stories and the main articles in each issue. Do any of the articles sound similar to what you're thinking of proposing?
What do you like about the magazine? What don't you like? Who advertises in the magazine? Who is their audience? Try to get a feel for the "average reader" of this magazine. If you read enough issues you'll get a sense of the publication's personality.
What you're looking for:
Types of articles: You've studied the writer's guidelines right? Are the articles you're seeing in line with what the editor says they want? For instance, if you're writing for a horse magazine who wants more training and health-related articles really running mostly training and health-related articles?
Credentials: Look at the by-lines and bios of the writer. Are most of the articles written by experts in the field or by freelancers? Not sure? Google the by-line and see what else this author has written. Do they specialize in the niche (travel, pets, clothing, etc) of this magazine? Or do they write a variety of articles about a lot of things? If the magazine or journal you want to write for is heavily populated with experts (medical, professional, degreed) and you're not any of those things, you might have a hard time breaking into the magazine unless you have a really unique idea.
Photos: The writer's guidelines will tell you if you're expected to provide photos - most magazines these days expect you to provide high quality, professional looking photos to accompany your article. Great photos can often help sell an average article. Most photos have a photo credit in the caption or on the side of the photo. Are the photos taken by the author or someone else? Are they better photos than you can take? Are they posed or candid? Are they color or black and white? All things being equal, most editors will chose the article that comes with good photos. If you're going to write, learn to take pictures or team up with a photographer friend. Most magazines pay little ($5 to $25 per photo) or nothing extra for photos, but you can often pay an up-and-coming-or-established photographer a portion of your earnings for photos.
If the magazine selects one of their photos (or yours!) for a cover they can also make more for that as most magazines pay extra for cover photos ($100 to $1,000 and up). I offer my photographers 1/4 to 1/2 of whatever I'm making on the article. If I'm getting $400, I offer them $100-$200 depending on the type and difficulty of getting photos of that particular subject. For instance, it may be difficult to get great shots of a horse getting new horseshoes, but fairly easy to get a photo of a horse standing in a field or in a barn. Professional photographers have thousands of well cataloged stock photos and will often sell a one-time use of their photos for $10 to $50 depending on the magazine. Negotiate a per photo or per package rate for each PUBLISHED photo, not for each photo the photographer shoots.
Style of Articles: If you read enough articles you'll notice what kind of style the editor likes. Is the tone heavy? Light? Is there humor or a playful attitude? Or is the tone very serious, academic and detailed? Your pitch should reflect the tone of the magazine and the articles. Are there first person, third person articles? Is there jargon? Is there narrative or more quotes? How many experts are quoted and in what context?
Themes and Past Stories: If the magazine has already done a story on what you're considering pitching to them, they're not likely to run another for at least another year, and usually not for 2-3 years unless it involves a celebrity, something really new, or something from a totally different angle. For instance, if you want to pitch a story to Southern Living on the fact the governor's wife grows all the herbs used in the governor's meals, and they just did that story, you'll have to either find another magazine to pitch it too, or find an angle they didn't cover in that story - like "the growing trend in celebrity gardening."
If your idea doesn't really ring true with what the magazine is looking for, either change your angle, or find a magazine that wants exactly what you want to write about. That's where studying the guidelines comes in. Is your idea new? Has the magazine already covered it or something like it?
Holes: Look for holes and patterns. This is a little tricky and takes time and practice. A "hole" is an area the magazine says they cover, but they don't really have a lot of articles on that topic. Holes generally indicate one of two things - that their needs and wants changed, but the guidelines didn't, or that it's really hard to find writers with good ideas in those areas. Patterns are, well patterns. Many times a magazine, or an editor, will have a preference for a certain kind of article and if you read 12 or 24 issues you'll notice what that preference is (if there is one).
Other things to note: Editors are picky. If they say they want a word file, or a rtf (rich text file), or a pdf, that's what they want. If they don't take email queries, don't send an email query. NEVER EVER CALL an editor to pitch them over the phone unless you've worked with them, know them and have asked (in writing) first.
Notice if the magazine has recently changed editors. If so, give the new editor six months to get up to speed and dig through all the queries the last editor left behind. Chances are they're busy learning the ins and outs of their new position and may be distracted for awhile. Then again, you may have a shot at sending them a WOW story that grabs them and keeps them coming back for more. Only you can tell for sure. But it's something to consider.
Read the publisher's letter, the letters to the editor and any comments by the editor. Many times an issue or theme raised in reader's letters, or the editor's musings may give you some insight into what the editor would like to see or is interested in. Reading the editor's musings over a year will definitely give you some insight into who they are as a person and as an editor.
Never forget that editors are people - usually talented, caring, sincerely looking for great articles and idea kinds of people. They have moods, good days and bad days. Many of them have families, friends and lives and stress, and just like you they don't want people spamming them, wasting their time or yelling at them. But they get that anyway. So when someone comes along who has obviously researched the magazine, knows what they're looking for and presents a carefully crafted query chances are very good they're going to snap it up.
If you want to get published you'll do your research. Coming up next - how to write queries that sell.
