Magazine Writing

[In Exile]

Ike was right about word counts - pitch size, then be ready to adapt to what they might want. If you are pitching a big story, try to anticipate a smaller version ahead of time, in case they say, "Love the idea, but we don't have 2,500 words." Maybe that large feature then turns into a small profile based on one or two people. And always have a second idea. A number of times I've had idea number one turned down only to be asked "You got any other ideas?" Anticpate this question and have a couple in your back pocket just in case. And never put yourself in the postion of finishing an assignment and then start going after the next one. As soon as I get an assignment I start pitching the next one. Droughts can be a career killer in free lance, forcing you back into the 9-5, which the makes it even more difficult to write.

I'll also add that in my experience, once you've kicked one door open, there is always another door, and it is often just as hard to kick that one open. You never just arrive and are suddenly set for life. It takes an incredibly short period of time to go from "young kid" to "old news," and if an editor who likes you suddenly loses his job, guess what? The next one may already have his or her stable of writers and suddenly you are no one. Same thing can happen during a recession, when ad pages drop and and so do the number of available assignments.

You do, however, get to spend more time with your own kid than just about anyone else and work at home with about a ten second commute. If you get up early it's a great life.

 

[Smasher_Sloan]

I'll also add that in my experience, once you've kicked one door open, there is always another door, and it is often just as hard to kick that one open. You never just arrive and are suddenly set for life.

Nobody ever "arrives," but when they want to see your work, a GQ feature on Tom Brady carries a lot more weight than a really good takeout you did for the Des Moines paper.

 

[HeinekenMan]

I'll also add that in my experience, once you've kicked one door open, there is always another door, and it is often just as hard to kick that one open. You never just arrive and are suddenly set for life.

Nobody ever "arrives," but when they want to see your work, a GQ feature on Tom Brady carries a lot more weight than a really good takeout you did for the Des Moines paper.

Regarding the whole wanting to see my work, I'm not clear on how to approach that. Should I wait until I hear back before including a clip? Or is it okay to include one or two with the proposal? And is it better to include a medicore clip that is related to the topic/sport? Or should I just go with my best clips?

 

[Cadet]

The website www.mediabistro.com has a subscription service that lets you read their "How to Pitch to [insert magazine here]" articles... gives a lot of insight on what the editors are looking for, what the mag's target audience is, what type of pieces (service, profile, etc.) pieces they want.

 

[Blue_Water]

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.

 

[Ike Broflovski]

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.