Magazine Writing

Can't emphasize how much it helps to have a truly unique story for your initial pitch. I get queries all the time from people that give me obvious story ideas that we've either already done or decided not to do months before.

If someone asks you to submit a full story before you're guaranteed anything, I'd move on right away.

Most of all, be professional in your pitch...and contrary to some earlier advice, I wouldn't nag or pester an editor. If your story interests me, I'm going to follow up. If you continually push an idea that I had no interest in, I'm going to shut the door completely.

If you do get a hit, don't be afraid to push a little then. An editor might pigeonhole you into a certain topic, geography, etc. Let them know your interest/expertise outside of your first story.

 

Perhaps my use of the word "pest" wasn't a good one. But I do think it helps to be persistent -- to follow up on an initial query -- and to look for another idea, or another place to pitch, if an editor says no. It's been my experience that editors like Blue_Water are rare. They don't tend to get back to you quickly, because they have a lot to worry about.