Getting Published in Print

So now you’d like to see your article in print, hopefully with someone paying for it.  Ideally, you have already submitted a proposal to an editor of a magazine you are familiar with and had an invitation to submit your article.  If not, and you are working on spec, the road is much harder and relies on an editor having room for unplanned work. It’s harder but by no means impossible because sometimes this is how good new writers are discovered.

 If you believe you need to be paid for your effort because your article is topical and offers new information or a new angle, then begin by offering it to editors, but only to those whose magazines you know your article is in keeping with, meaning word count, style and subject matter.  It’s smart to also offer your credentials.

Accepted form is to email your target editor, enquiring after their interest in your piece.  The email should offer a synopsis of your article and point out why readers will want to read it.  Mention the number of words and whether you have images to accompany.  Images help to sell an article much quicker than an article without photos sells.

Ultimately though, it’s better to have pitched a query to a magazine who likes your idea and can offer you advice about the angle they would like.  You’ll get paid far more often, and once an editor accepts work from you, they are much more likely to accept it from you in the future.  You will have their attention.