As the magazine industry is so widespread and growing, writing for magazines can be a rewarding and profitable venture. Moreover, with the growth of Internet technology, magazines find it preferable to use freelancers over the internet, rather than full time employees in an office. Office employees require various benefits and workspace, so unless it is absolutely necessary, freelancers can be a savings. Freelancers can be selected according to topics of interest and variety of writing styles. Writing for magazines is a good career, just keep in mind that it requires patience and ingenuity.
To take advantage of this freelance opportunity, all those who are interested can find these tips useful:
Query magazines: First you need to find out publications that would want the type of articles that you are writing. Once this is done find out what these magazines want in particular. Find what type of articles they expect – short articles, personal stories, academic and researched articles, or if they need it for a specific target audience like for parents or kids. You could enquire about their guidelines, their do’s and dont’s for freelancers. Sometimes they may in turn request you to mention specifics, like your expertise, your targeted word count, and so on.
Write to your strengths: Often writers will already be into certain areas of expertise. It is advisable and easier to write on what you enjoy writing about, according to your skills, background and knowledge base. Identify your forte and then start writing articles for the appropriate magazines. Many magazines publish articles on specific areas like science and engineering, photography, history related, home decor and so on.
Professionalism: Often many aspiring writers are willing to write at lower prices. Others do it as a hobby along with some other sources of income. You should present yourself as organized and efficient, but charge appropriately.
Communicate with the editors: Good writers make it a habit to communicate with the editors. In case you have a question about the article, you should have it clarified with the editor. Also, if the editor has anything to communicate to you, make sure that you contact him in a professional manner. Even if there is some issue relating to the deadline, it is better to tell the editor about it. The professionalism in your communication can be helpful for future assignments.
Research, follow guidelines, outline, write, revise and submit: Once you get an approval from the publisher, follow your normal writing procedure. Carry out necessary research on the subject, find out the factual details and countercheck them. Make an outline of the content on the subject. Based on the outline, write the article keeping in mind the guidelines and read it thoroughly before you submit.
While writing, make sure the guidelines about the word count and the usage of keywords are strictly followed. Be prepared to rewrite if necessary. Whatever guidelines that were given by the publisher need to be followed.
