You’re no idiot, of course. You have a reporter’s eye, a poet’s touch, and you absolutely love to write. Stories, journal entries, letters to the editor—you name it, you know you can write it. But when it comes to selling your ideas to magazines, newspapers and web sites, you feel like the less said, the better. Seeing your words and wisdom printed in black and white seems like a lot more trouble than it’s worth.
Don’t write yourself off just yet! The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Publishing Magazine Articles will help get you where you belong—in print. In this Complete Idiot’s Guide®, you get answers to all your questions:
- Who hires writers?
- What newspaper, magazine, and online editors want from freelancers—and how much they might pay for it!
- How to write effective query and pitch letters.
- How the Internet can help your writing career take off.
The Complete Idiot's Guide To Publishing Magazine Articles
PART 1: Welcome to Writerland
1. So You Want to Be a Freelance Writer?
Words 'R Us
The Perfect Occupation
The Ultimate Work-from-Home Career
Perfect for the Terminally Curious
Must-Reads
Travel Unlimited
What About Writing Books?
The Cool Stuff Writers Do
Dating for Dollars
Hitting the Hague
Getting to Know Gumby
Shark Attack
Queen Elizabeth, Too
Idol Chit-Chat
Cookie's Fortune
Fabulous You
My Calling Card
2. The Modern World of the Freelance Writer
The Olden Days
Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes
Welcome to the New Media Landscape
Hot Off the Presses
Sticky Eyeballs
Online Goldmine
Why Editors Hire Freelancers
Overhead
Variety
Finding the Best Sections for Freelancing
Publications 101: Learning About Op-Eds, Q&As, and Other Types of Articles
How Many Words?
3. Success Stories
Kim Wright Wiley
Mommy Washes the Clothes and Writes
Award-Winning Articles
"Back to Me!"
"It's Not Who You Know, Really!"
A Pocket Full of Expertise
Brooks Clark
Life Stories
You Gotta Have a Gimmick
Brooks Clark's Immutable Laws of Freelancing
Ilene Beckerman
Exciting and Horrifying Endeavors
Strumming to the Beat of a Different Drum
Medicine Man Jim Thornton
Pretty Fishy, Eh?
Cheap Advice: One-Sentence Tips from the Pros
4. The Editors Talk
The Heirarchy of the Gods: Learning Which Editor Does What
The Ladies Come and Go, Talking of Michelangelo
Regional Athena, Sacramento Magazine's Krista Minard
Magazine Stalkers
Islands Girl: Editor-in-Chief Joan Tapper, Islands
Who's That Girl?
Tapper's Truths and Answers
Where in the World Is Joan Tapper?
The Whole Kid and Kaboodle: Health Editor
Kara Corridan, Child
Insight from the Dark Side
A Peek at an Editor's Day
Rock-a-Find-Baby
Trade Tactics from Above: Editor-in-Chief Perry Bradley,
Business and Commercial Aviation
Into the Wild, Blue Yonder
What's That Noise?
Back to Basics—Writing!
5. So, Is This Really For You?
Enough of the Glitz and Glamour—Here's the Dirt
Help Wanted
Who Really Makes It as a Freelancer
The Organization
Ya Gotta Be, Like, Businesslike, Ya Know?
Biz School
Growing a Thicker Skin
"I Can't Go On This Way!"
Hello, Is Anyone Out There?
Who Pays What (and When)
Is the Check in the Mail?
Deciding Whether This Is the Life for You
PART 2: Learning the Basics
6. Studying the Market
Becoming a Student of Print
Reading Is Fundamental
In Cold Type
Chains of Gold
Magazine History
The Godfathers
Synergy
How You Fit In
Hanging Out for Fun and Profit
Learning to Read a Magazine
The Letter from the Editor
About the Contributors
Other Things to Look For
Reading the Papers, Too
Get the Kit
7. Generating Ideas for Articles
What Do People Want to Know?
Five Hot Markets!
Play the Percentages
Keeping Your Eyes and Ears Open
What To Avoid Like the Plague
Surefire Brainstorming Techniques
News Clips
Custom-Fitting Your Ideas to Your Audience
8. Writing a Winning Query
Walk in My Shoes
The Seduction: Approaching the Editor
Be Prepared
Don't Come on Too Strong
Let the Flirting Begin
Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours
The Waiting Game
Sound Effects
A Query to Aspire Toward
Serial Dating: The Multiple Approach
E-Mail Etiquette
Getting Clipped
9. Your First Assignment
The Envelope, Please: Your Idea Has Been Accepted!
I See a Vision—the Editor's!
You Want What?
An Assignment Sheet Sample
All Work and No Play: Research
Give Good Research
Variety Is the Spice of Life
Credibility: A Final Note
Dead Man Writing: Meeting Deadlines
Turn Off the TV
Take Time to Smell the Coffee
Honey, I'm Late!
Stupid People Mistakes: Copyediting and
Fact-Checking
"Roger, Copy That!"
Lights, Camera, Action, Ship Out!
10. The True Gen: Interviewing
Be Prepared
There Is Such a Thing as a Stupid Question
Been There, Done That!
Curiosity Saved the Cat
Tooling Around
My Kingdom for a Pen!
The Notebook (Not by Nicholas)
Be Kind, Rewind
Freeze Frame
Got E-Mail?
Pack 'Em Up, Move 'Em Out!
The Full Monty: The Interview
Unbutton the Blouse: The Open
Taking Off a Little More: The Five W's (and an H!)
Take It Off and Open Up
Take It Slow and Maintain Control
Drink In Every Detail
Can We Do It Again?
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Interview Sources
PART 3: Who's Gonna Buy Your Stuff?
11. Newspapers: What They're Looking For
Less Filling, Tastes Great!
A Penny for Your Thoughts
Back to the Future
Teen Fever
Supply and Demand
One Fish, Two Fish, So Many Fish
National Pride
The Daily Grind
The Weekly Warriors
It's Black and White: What Newspapers Want
No News Is Good News
Like Way Trendy
Local Yokel
Pique This
If I Were a Rich Man
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Great Ways to Get Inky Without Squeezing a Squid
Let Your Fingers Do the Pitching
12. The Glossies: What They're Looking For
Flash in the Pan: A History and Overview
A Mag Is Born
What's Happening to Our World?
Here Today, Gone Tomorrow
All That Glitters Isn't Gold: What the Glossy Gods Want
Pick a Magazine, Any Magazine
Stack 'Em and Rack 'Em
Exam Time
Curve Ball, Knuckle Ball, Change Up, Fast Ball, Slider, Fork Ball—Pitch!
Going Up: In the Door and Up the Elevator
Meet with the Editors
Yes, Sir, Thank You, Sir
Hurry Up!
Johnny on the Spot Meets Girl Friday
Stalkers Will Be Prosecuted: Ten Ways to Turn Off an Editor in Seconds
13. Trade Magazines: What They're Looking For
The Army Wants You!
What Do You Know?
Don't Pigeonhole Yourself
What the Trades Buy
Getting Your Foot in the Door
Who You Know
I'll Call You
The Best Things in Life Aren't Free
Q&A with Amy Hamaker, Executive Editor, Today's Image
PART 4: Online: The Newest Frontier
14. What's on the Web
Welcome to Web-World
Business-to-Business
Why Web Sites Need Writers
Just How Long Is This Market?
Shameless Commerce Division
Help Wanted
Persnickety Editors
No Special Language Required
Start on the Web and Move on to Print
What's Next?
15. Online 'Zine Scene
A Brief History of 'Zines
Commerce Intrudes
Meet the Major Players
Salon.com
Slate
Word
Cybertimes.com
Epicurious.com
ParentSoup
Shewire.com
Travel Magazines on the Web
Hot Stuff
Nerve
genrEZONE
Instant Gratification
16. Contentproviders.com
"Content" and Other New Words for Words
Web Style Writing
A Real Live Example!
What Does It Take?
Read, Read, Read
Sell, Sell, and Sell It Again
Finding Work on the Web
Craigslist
Help Wanted
Free for Nothing
Sitting on the Dock of eBay
A Word to the Wise
17. Build It and They Will Come
Matt Drudge and Other Web Celebs
Ain't It Cool?
Playing the Links
Small-Town Success
What Do You Have to Say?
Niche Player
The Payoff
Setting Up Your Web Site from A to Z
Web Style? Which Style?
Online Newsletters
Dual Approach
Getting the Word Out
Building on Your Web Site Success
PART 5: A Short Course on Writing Effective Articles
18. The Parts of the Article
Everything Organized and Ready to Write
The Host's Checklist
Forget-Me-Nots: An Outline
Serving Appetizers: Brief Openings and Titles
Soup's On! A Winning Intro/Lead
For the Meat-and-Potatoes Man: The Body of the Piece
Some Additional Pointers
Dessert: The Perfect Closing Paragraph
Writing Headlines and Titles
19. Hook 'Em Early, Hook 'Em Hard
We're Following the Leader, the Leader, the Leader
Types of Leads
Just the Facts, Ma'am: A Summary Lead
Steinbeck Is as Steinbeck Does: A Descriptive Lead
Good Golly, Miss Molly! An Astonishing Lead
Short Work: A Staccato Lead
Play With Me: A Parody Lead
"I Did Not Have Sexual Relations with That Woman": A Direct Quotation Lead
What Is a Question, Alex? A Question Lead
Extreme Sports: A Contrast Lead
20. Machine Gun Writing
We're All Part of a Ritalin Nation
Break-Dancing for Dollars
The Department Store
Ratatatatat: Machine Gun Writing
Let Me Speak! Using Quotes
Placement of Your Information or Word
Use It or Lose It: Keeping Active
The Tension Is Killing Me!
Off with Her Head: Editing
PART 6: The Business of Freelancing
21. Building a Specialty
Niche and Grow Riche
Market Research Department
Learn the Publications
Learn the Editors
Learn the Competition
Looking for Holes
A Niche of One's Own
Building a Reputation
Writers Talk About Their Niches
Books 'R Us
22. Hey, Is This a Book?
The Lure of the Book
In General, Generalize
Make Friends with an Expert
The Magazine Writer's Guide to Writing Books
Finding Ideas in Your Friendly Neighborhood Bookstore
Virtual Thinking
Eureka!
Book Proposals
Okay, Now What?
Getting an Agent
Approaching an Agent
Agents and Articles
Success Stories
Sally Richards
Richard Poe
Heidi Evans
23. Setting Up Your Business
The Basics of Freelancing
Booting Up
Hardware
Software
Cool Tools
From The Crazy Mixed-Up Files of
How Long Do I Keep It?
Secret Files
Time Management
"As Long as You're at Home All Day ..."
Self (Yawn) Starting
Learning To Deal with Sporadic Income
Is the Check Really in the Mail?
What Else Is in the Mail?
24. Taxes and the Writer
Setting Up Your System
Folders Galore
Records, Records, Records
Writing It Off
Writing It Off: An Example
No Hobby Here
Scheduling Your C
Do It Four Times a Year
Home Office Deduction?
So, Is This Vacation a Business Expense?
Tracking Your Money Before the Tax Man Does
Writers Talk Taxes
25. Contracts and What They Really Mean
Beggars Can Be Choosers
Rights: A Primer
Here a Right, There a Right, Everywhere a Right, Right
First Serial Rights
One-Time Rights
Second Serial Rights
All Rights
Electronic Rights
Dramatic, Television, and Motion Picture Rights
Showdown on the Electronic Frontier—Writers and Their Rights
A Paragraph-by-Paragraph Explanation
Some Final Words
Appendixes
A. Glossary
B. Recommended Books
C. Sample Contracts
D. Sample Writer's Guidelines
E. Great Web Sites for Writers
Index
