Home   >   Writing for a Living   >   How To Market Magazine Articles

How To Market Magazine Articles

By on May 10, 2016

If you have a great idea for a story then you’ll want to find a publication that best suits it, and gets it read by appreciative audiences.

However, having a great idea is one thing, but getting a magazine to publish it is another.

Understanding how to present your ideas, finding the best publication for your story, and gaining insight into how to successfully pitch and sell your writing is important, as well as knowing what happens after your proposal is accepted by an editor.

The bet place to start is by doing your research. If you have a great idea then research it as much as possible. Not only will this help you when it comes to writing the article, it will also help you make sure that your idea is unique and that you can present it in a way that will be of interest to your target audience. If you find your idea has been done to death you may have to come up with something else, or at least find a fresh angle that will make it exciting to read.

Find out what kind of publications talk about the subject matter you are writing about. Make a list of these and then go out and buy them or read online copies. Get a feel for the magazines style and tone, do they like to keep their content casual and chatty, or do they have a formal or educational style? Knowing this will help you adjust your idea and write your pitch accordingly. Think about the goals of the magazine, and what are they trying to achieve. What kind of information do they want to get across, how do they want to be seen, and who is their target audience? Being able to prove to an editor that you firmly understand the readership, aims and style of the magazine will impress them and make them more likely to believe in your idea.

When submitting your magazine articles make sure you follow guidelines exactly. Publications will usually have a section on their website with details of how to format your manuscript, as well as instructions on how to submit. Don’t ever veer from these - they are there for a reason and your magazine article will more then likely be dismissed immediately if not presented in the correct way.

Make sure you are flexible. If you do get a positive response from an editor they may well want further information, or ask you to write your article in a way that you had not originally intended. If you can be flexible when it comes to content, and deadlines, editors will appreciate this and want to work with you again.

You contract should detail your fee as well as your rights to sell, i.e. where they stand on selling reprints and simultaneous rights. Make sure you read through this carefully to ensure that you are happy, and fully understand all the terms.

Once you article has been published it will be up to the magazine how they market it - they may be happy for you to do your own marketing too however, i.e. sharing on social media and adding it to your portfolio of work. Make sure you always check this first however, as some publications will not want the article to exist outside of their publication.

Marketing your magazine articles is all about meticulous attention to detail. Do your research, know your submission guidelines, understand your contract, make sure you have all the details and direction you need, and you are sure to successfully sell your articles, and build a good relationship with the publication too!

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

About Ty Cohen