Tag: magazine

Categories
Magazine, Freelance, and Copywriting

The Craft of Realism: Writing Authentic Medical Emergency Scenes in Fiction

Medical scenes can be a great way to explore the natural drama of life. These types of events frequently result in high emotions, life-and-death stakes, and even conflicts. However, it’s also vital to be authentic in your approach. When medical scenes strike a reader as realistic, it can pull them right out of the narrative, leaving you struggling to get them back into it.

Creating effective medical emergency scenes isn’t just about establishing a richly-described setting, with beeping electrocardiogram (ECG) equipment or malfunctioning vending machines. You also need to focus on making the characters and their actions as true to life as possible.

So, how can you go about this? Let’s explore a few things to consider.

Seek Expertise

Unless you are a medical professional, you’re unlikely to have many authentic insights into the professional side of medical emergencies. This is particularly important if you’re writing from the perspectives of doctors, nurses, and paramedics. Sure, many writers have been on the patient side of things, but this isn’t always the same as having the day-to-day technical knowledge to write convincing scenes.

So, what can you do? Wherever possible, seek a source of expertise. Look for medical professionals with experience in the situations you’re hoping to depict. Reach out to your immediate network and see if there are friends or family with connections that you can chat with. Even retired medical providers can give you some useful insights.

While authenticity is important, this doesn’t mean you have to overload your readers with dense medical jargon. That can certainly be off-putting. When you’re talking to experts, aim to get a good overall sense of the actions taken during procedures and the equipment being used. This ensures that you can paint the scene without leaning too heavily on accurate but ultimately meaningless technical data.

Write Empathetically

When you’re writing authentic medical emergencies, it’s essential to remember that professionals in these environments are people. Yes, they have technical knowledge and skills, but that isn’t the be-all and end-all of who they are. These are jobs in which professionals deal with pain, death, fear, and interpersonal connections every day. There’s a deep emotional component to the job that runs through everything they do. Therefore, you need to take an empathetic approach to writing about these characters.

Get into the emotional and practical mindset of professionals. You could consider the key components of thinking like a nurse to better understand their strengths, challenges, and coping mechanisms. For instance, while they are sensitive to patients’ pain and distress, their daily exposure to blood, wounds, and bodily fluids can make them less susceptible to shock in medical emergencies. Their regular handling of difficult circumstances may mean they’re always assessing the risks of a situation, even in their personal lives.

At the same time, these traits that make them effective professionals can also mean they experience too much emotional labor. They’re often putting the needs of others before their own. How they manage this and respond to it can make for great character depth and even be the source of some realistic flaws. Writing empathetically helps you avoid the tropes of the overworked nurse and dig a little deeper into the wider impact of their lives and mental wellness.

Consider Bystander Behavior

Medical professionals and patients are not the only people involved in medical emergency scenes. There are likely to be a range of bystanders such as members of the public at the scene of an accident or other patients in hospital waiting rooms. Being honest and curious about what their responses might be can add another layer of authenticity to your writing.

A good example here is bystanders at the scene of a medical emergency. It’s easy to fall into the trap of showing heroic and capable people who leap in to perform life-saving procedures until the ambulance arrives. This isn’t always accurate though. There are various emotional and practical reasons bystanders don’t attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The burden of responsibility for someone’s life can be too overwhelming or they might be afraid of doing it wrong and causing more damage. Others simply misinterpret the situation as being less serious than it is.

This multitude of responses provides you with resources to make sure even minor characters ring true with your readers. Indeed, the nuances here can offer additional opportunities for drama and high emotion. Will a bystander with a fear of disease or infection be able to overcome this to save a life? What’s going through the head of a civilian with CPR training as they use their skills for the first time?

Conclusion

Achieving an authentic sense of realism is key to crafting impactful medical emergency scenes. This involves not just seeking out experts for research, but also delving into the emotions people are likely to exhibit. Authenticity doesn’t mean you need to forgo elements of fantasy or melodrama; instead, you just want a good foundation to build your fantastic fiction on.

Amanda Winstead is a writer from the Portland area with a background in communications and a passion for telling stories. Along with writing she enjoys traveling, reading, working out, and going to concerts. If you want to follow her writing journey, or even just say hi you can find her on Twitter.

Categories
Magazine and Freelance

Slant – A Writers Secret Weapon for Multiple Articles

“Slant” is a commonly used, every day word. You can slant things to the left or the right or walk up a steep slant in the terrain.

In the writing world, slant means you write your article or book to a specific audience. Being aware of those audiences provides keys to multiple markets for your work. You have done your homework by reading the guidelines and several issues of the magazine or several books by the same publishing house. You have an understanding of what they are looking for, what their worldview is, whether or not the perspective is more conservative or liberal. Determining your slant also involves understanding the readers of the particular publication or publishing house.

For example, if you wanted to write an article on some aspect of parenting you might start out with a serious slant such as “The ABC’s of Parenting.”

A different slant might be “Parenting Teens – Life’s Biggest Challenge.”

You could use a variation on that slant such as “Create Boundaries to Keep Your Teens Safe.”

A humorous slant might be “When People Think Your Daughter is Your Little Sister.”

“Daddy Daughter Relationships” could be a good slant for men.

A women’s slant could be instructions on “How to Get Along with Your Mini-Me.”

You might consider a children’s slant like “Parenting the Early Years Well” or Six Fun Games for Painless Toddler Learning.”

Each of these slants could be targeted to a different magazine, giving you multiple opportunities for publication.

The same process can apply to books. In fact, for books, this is a good way to brainstorm your subject and find the focus that works best for you. You might find that as you list possible slants, you may be creating an outline for your book.

Another word you might hear used interchangeably with slant is the word “angle.” The slant, or angle, of your article or book could affect your chances of having your article or book accepted. Knowing the way information is presented to an editor’s specific audience is sure to catch his or her eye.

Why not give it a try? Pick a subject and see how many slants you can come up with. You may find you have lots of articles to write from one subject you are familiar with. Or perhaps thoughts of book slants will yield chapter focus and clarity.

Linda Gilden is a wife, mother, and grandmother. She loves to take one subject and create multiple articles from her research. Linda finds great joy (and lots of writing material) in time spent with her family. www.lindagilden.com

A similar article first appeared on thewriteconversation.com in June, 2016.

Categories
Magazine and Freelance

MAGAZINE WRITERS WANTED – BY W. TERRY WHALIN

As a long-time writer for magazines and a former magazine editor, there are some basic truths about publishing in magazines. Through writing for magazines, you can build publishing credentials and make a valuable contribution to the publishing world and help many people. If you’ve never been published or rarely published, to enter the print magazine world can be scary. It doesn’t have to be frightening if you learn some straightforward truths.

Continue reading “MAGAZINE WRITERS WANTED – BY W. TERRY WHALIN”
Categories
Magazine and Freelance

How to Write What the Editor Wants: by Terry Whalin

When you boil it down to the basics, writers and editors are both seeking the same thing: excellent writing.  I’ve been writing for magazines for many years and I’m a former magazine editor. One of the publications (Decision) where I was Associate Editor reached 1.8 million people with each issue. While editors and writers are focused on excellent writing, I also understand what qualifies as “excellent” is subjective.

In this article, I want to give you three ways to improve your article or query submissions so you can improve your rate of publication success. One of the keys is to understand the role of the editor and how to write what the editor wants. The editor knows their reader and target market. When I was an editor, I read every submission or query with this question: “Is this article or query a good fit for my readers?’

  1. Read the magazine cover to cover with analysis before submitting. It may sound like a basic but you would be surprised at what writers pitch without ever reading the publication. As you read the magazine, study the details. Do staff members write most of the publication? Do they publish freelance writers who are not on the staff? Do they have regular features? Who writes these features and is there opportunity for you to write this material? You can learn a great deal as you study the publication. As a writer, find the publication and study the details.
  2. Target magazines which publish their upcoming themes. Many publications, such as denominational magazines, will plan their themes for an entire year. If you pitch or write an article on the editor’s list, you will get a closer look and consideration than someone who sends a random idea. Also know that seasonal and holiday pitches or articles are always needed. Think about the forthcoming holidays such as Valentine’s Day, Easter, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving or Christmas. Make sure you pitch at least six to eight weeks before the holiday to get consideration or your article may be accepted but not published until the next year.
  3. Read the magazine guidelines before sending your query or article. Many publications have their guidelines online but if not, take time to write for the guidelines and review them before you write the editor.

Every editor is actively looking for great writing to fill their publication. If you follow all or several of these tips, it will improve your opportunity to touch their readers and get published.

  1. Terry Whalin believes print magazines provide one of the best opportunities for writers. A writer and acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing, Terry lives in Colorado. A former magazine editor, Whalin has written for more than 50 publications including Christianity Today and Writer’s Digest. He has written more than 60 nonfiction books including Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams. His latest book is Billy Graham, A Biography of America’s Greatest Evangelist and the book website is at: http://BillyGrahamBio.com Watch the short book trailer for Billy Graham at: http://bit.ly/BillyGrahamBT His website is located at: www.terrywhalin.com. Follow him on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/terrywhalin
Categories
Magazine and Freelance

Dos and Don’ts of Magazine Article Writing

“Me, write for magazines? Never. I barely have the energy or expertise to write my book, let alone write for a publication. I am still re-learning paragraph structure, verb tenses and comma placement. I can’t even think about writing for a magazine.”

My entire attitude changed after attending the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference. I learned that there are thousands of Trade publications, children’s magazines and online companies looking for writers like you and me. The good news; we don’t have to be English teachers or New York Times Best Sellers to get published. We just have to be persistent.

Here is a short list of Do’s and Don’ts to get you started:

Do

Pray- God knows your writing style and will guide you to the perfect magazine that needs your talent. He will even help you pick the topics.  He may want you to write for Cat Fancy or National Geographic. Whatever the magazine, God will equip you for it. You may or may not write for a Christian publication.

Brainstorm. Make a list of topics to write about. You know more than you think. List jobs, classes, and previous education. Have you taken a specialized class? You can write about that. In my next article I will give you resources and ideas to find writing jobs.

Research Magazines– What magazine do you want to write for?   Study the magazine.   Research which editor to contact.   The more you know the voice of the magazine, the more likely you are to see your article in that magazine.

Learn to write a Query letter-A query letter is a formal, one-page letter, to propose writing ideas. It could also be called your pitch. There are many great free resources online to learn how to write a good query letter.   To get you started, check out www.freelancewriting.com.   A good Query letter will get you noticed, so do take the time to write it well.

Enjoy the process– The thought of writing for a magazine overwhelmed me. Am I good enough? Do I have anything to say? So far, the process has been amazing. I have met new people who have helped me and encouraged me.

Don’t

Get stuck in the learning process– Cecil Murphy and Jerry B. Jenkins are well-known award-winning writers. They are constantly striving to be better writers by reading books on writing and talking to other writers. Imagine if they’d waited until they thought they’d perfected the skill of writing?

Focus on weakness– We all have areas in our writing that are weak. Work on those areas; don’t be so consumed by them that you overlook your strengths.

Say no to an offer– You may be asked to write about a subject you know nothing about. With the World Wide Web at your fingertips you can research the topic. That is what I did for this article. It was fun and well worth the time.   The only time to say “No” is if it goes against your belief or you truly cannot do the topic justice even after researching.

Give up- The writers who succeed are not necessarily the best writers, but they are persistent. You will receive many rejections. Don’t take them personally. It is a business decision, not a personal attack. Some of the best article writers have a drawer filled with rejection letters.

Having your work in a magazine is an obtainable goal. In the next few articles we will discuss “How to write a Query letter”,” Resources to find writing jobs” and “Social Media tips for the Writer”

[bctt tweet=”“Me, write for magazines? Never.” #magpub #freelance #writer” via=”no”]

 

Categories
Magazine and Freelance

DON’T PANIC. INTERVIEW By: Terry Whalin

 

For most magazine articles, I need information beyond what I have myself. To gather this information, I will often interview someone. For more than thirty years, I’ve been interviewing different people. Some of them are well-known celebrities and bestselling authors. Some of them are unknown people.  No matter who I’m interviewing, I get a touch of panic right before the interview happens. Maybe it’s the same sort of adrenaline rush that I’ve read about in figure skating. I’m hesitant to admit it but it still happens. Whether well-known or unknown, each of these people have graciously answered my questions and provided the story material that I’ve needed for my magazine articles.

Whether you interview on the telephone or in person, it’s an excellent skill for every writer to add to their skill set and highly recommended. For beginning writers, I recommend you begin with someone familiar—such as a family member or a friend. Prepare a list of questions, establish a time to interview them and turn on your tape recorder. I recommend taping the interview so you can capture the quotations and don’t always have to be tied to writing notes. I’ve never been able to write fast enough (even learning shorthand in high school—and haven’t used it since) to capture someone talking at a regular pace. It slows down the interview process to continually pause and for the person to wait as you complete your notes.  I record mostly to make sure I get my quotations right.

If you are recording on the telephone, I recommend you use the Radio Shack “Smart” Phone Recorder Control.  For legal reasons, you need to tell the other person that you are recording and secure their permission on the tape (the rules are different in every state but to make sure it’s the best procedure). This device makes recording easy because it’s directly connected from your telephone line into any tape recorder. Telephone interviews are some of the most difficult—because you can’t see the other person for the visuals to add to the article. Also it’s a situation much more out of your control. For example, the other person can have an interruption, such as another phone call, and suddenly end your conversation—and sometimes you are stuck not getting your required information.

Whether on the phone or in person, make sure you prepare with a list of questions and a plan. It’s not a firm plan because other questions will develop during the interview. Like many of the skills that I’m highlighting in this series, interviewing is something to practice repeatedly and you will improve your techniques.

Over the years, I’ve been amazed at the people who forget about my tape recorder and will say to me, “I’ve never told this to anyone but…” Often this story material becomes some of the best in my articles.

During the interview, I always make sure to find out how to return to the person for possible follow-up questions or to give them a copy of the article. If you don’t, you will be shocked how you think of one important question as you write the article or you hang up the phone—and can’t get back to the person.  In general, the high profile the person, it’s more typical for them to call you—and not reveal their phone number—often for control purposes. Asking how to return to them is a critical question that everyone needs to include in their interview.

During my interviews, I’ve learned way more information that I include in my actual magazine articles and I recommend interviewing as a skill which every writer needs to develop and include in their skill set.

  1. Terry Whalin, a writer and acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing, lives in Colorado. A former magazine editor, Whalin has written for more than 50 publications including Christianity Today and Writer’s Digest. He has written more than 60 nonfiction books including Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams. His latest book is Billy Graham, A Biography of America’s Greatest Evangelist and the book website is at: http://BillyGrahamBio.com Watch the short book trailer for Billy Graham at: http://bit.ly/BillyGrahamBT His website is located at: www.terrywhalin.com. Follow him on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/terrywhalin

 

Categories
Magazine and Freelance

Ideas for Getting Info for Your Magazine Article

 

If you’ve never done an interview with someone else, the thought can be frightening.  I want to take away the fright factor and give you some ideas how to get this information and where to begin.

For your first interview, I recommend you use a family member or good friend. These interviews do not happen on the fly. One of the most important steps is to prepare a list of questions ahead of time. With your questions, you can be confident that you will gather information and add spontaneous and follow-up questions during the session.  The skill of interviewing others and asking good questions is something you can develop and improve as you do it over and over. Understand that everyone feels a little awkward the first few times and then like any other skill, it will seem natural and easy.

I’ve been interviewing others for many years—since I started writing sports for my high school newspaper. You can learn the skill of writing quotations from others, asking good questions and gathering the information you will need to write your story.

Sources for Your Magazine Article

Where do you locate experts to interview? Who has the information that you need to write your article?  You can use Google to find experts on a particular topic. Also, understand that many companies have a public relations department or a publicist who is eager for you to interview their experts.  The PR people will work with you if you are writing an article on speculation but they definitely prefer writers who have a definite assignment. You get an assignment with a magazine when you write a a query letter which gets their attention.

These publicists and PR people will be able to provide you with background information, press releases, books and other research material to help you pull together the information for your interview and eventually for your article.

Has this “expert” written a book? Then your best course of action is to set up an interview through their publisher. Call the publisher and ask to speak to someone in publicity. It’s one of the few times I recommend people call the publisher. Tell the publicist about your assignment and ask for background materials (review copies of the books, other articles, etc.). Then ask the publicist to set up your interview and give the person the times when you are available. Wise authors who want to sell books take advantage of these interview possibilities.  You will quote this “expert” and mention their book in the article and get to tap their expertise and quotes for your article. It works as a package and everyone has something to gain from the experience—you, the expert and the publisher.

With increased publishing experience, you can expect to write more on assignment and less on speculation (spec).  Even an assigned piece can sometimes not work out for a particular publication. Maybe the editor sees it and thought the query was a good idea—but the execution is wrong for their publication. I’ve not had this experience often but it does happen. In these cases, the magazine will often pay a “kill fee.” It’s a token payment for the writing work you poured into the article. Believe me, it’s better than nothing but pretty disappointing.

Many years ago, I interviewed Dan Quayle on a magazine cover story. It was a challenge to reach the then-Vice President but the article was perfect—a November cover story during an election year. (This publication doesn’t exist any longer—another common occurrence in the magazine world.) Unfortunately, the Vice President was running late and crammed my 30 to 45 minute scheduled interview into about 15 minutes. My assigned format was a Q & A — which means the interview has to have something worthy of his actual words appearing as the main text of the article. I got nothing but clichés and pat answers in the crammed time frame. I wrote my article, turned it in—even turned in my transcribed interview. It resulted in a kill fee for vast amounts of time and energy.

Just remember, on the road to publication there are many possible junctures where it can fail.  Some are in your control and others are completely outside of your control. You control what you can and you work with the other details. It never gets published until you hold the finished magazine article or book in your hand.

Terry Whalin, a writer and acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing, lives in Colorado. A former magazine editor, Whalin has written for more than 50 publications including Christianity Today and Writer’s Digest. He has written more than 60 nonfiction books including Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams. His latest book is Billy Graham, A Biography of America’s Greatest Evangelist and the book website is at: http://BillyGrahamBio.com Watch the short book trailer for Billy Graham at: http://bit.ly/BillyGrahamBT His website is located at: www.terrywhalin.com. Follow him on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/terrywhalin

 

 

Categories
Uncategorized

Crafting The One Page Magazine Pitch

As a former magazine editor and someone who has written for many publications, I’ve got good news. Every magazine editor is always looking for the right material for their magazine. Even if you are getting rejected, you should be encouraged with this information. Magazine editors (like book editors) have many more responsibilities than simply reading unsolicited manuscripts.   Most of the higher paying magazines prefer to receive a single-page pitch letter called a query letter.  Within a few minutes, the editor can determine if the idea is appropriate or not for their publication. Because of the volume of submissions, many editors will never respond if the answer is “no thank you.” Just knowing this practice is a reality check for writers.

As a writer, you are looking for an assignment or a “go ahead” or a “yes” response from the editor. One of the most important skills for writers to develop is to craft a query letter.  To succeed at writing queries requires repeated practice.  As you write these letters, you will refine and improve your technique.  Sometimes at writer’s conferences, I will teach an hour on this topic and give detailed examples and a checklist in my handouts. I continue to recommend Lisa Collier Cool’s excellent book, How to Write Irresistible Query Letters (Writer’s Digest Books).

What’s a query letter? A query is a single-page letter which sells your story idea. It has a four paragraph formula.

The first paragraph is a creative beginning for your article. You don’t write the entire article–only the first paragraph which captures the reader’s interest. The purpose of this first paragraph is simply to capture the editor’s attention. I won’t walk you through the day of an editor, but since I’ve been one for years, I know they are involved in a multitude of tasks. For editors to read query letters, it is often done at the end of the day, late at night or in a car pool on the way home. You must begin with something interesting.

The second paragraph includes the main points of how you will approach the article.

The third paragraph gives your personal qualifications for this topic and your writing credits (if any). It answers the question, why should you of all the writers get this assignment? Highlight your area of expertise in this paragraph.

The final paragraph says how soon you could write the article (give yourself enough time for example, “three weeks from assignment”) and says you are enclosing a self-addressed, stamped envelope and looking forward to their reply or they respond via email. I often send my query letter to as many as ten different publications at the same time.

Within the magazine business, there is an on-going discussion about simultaneous submissions (where you send the same finished article to several publications). If you do this, you may end up on the black list of authors. Each publication has a list of people that they will not work with. You don’t want to be on that list. Also each publication has a list of authors they use regularly and call with ideas. Your goal is to get on this particular list of regular contributors.

A simultaneous query is not the same as a finished article. Go ahead and query several magazines at the same time on the same topic if you think you can write several different articles on the same subject. One magazine may ask for 500 words on the topic while another may approach it from an entirely different viewpoint and ask for 2,000 words. Your illustrations and information will be considerably different. If you send it to ten magazines, you may get ten rejections. On the other hand, perhaps you will get an acceptance or two, or at least a request to see the entire article on speculation. “On speculation” means that the editor is not under obligation to purchase your article if it doesn’t meet the periodical’s standards or expectations.

A word about rejection of your queries and manuscripts

An article or query may be rejected for many different reasons. Maybe the publication has already purchased an article on that topic. Maybe they’ve recently assigned it to another author. Maybe they have an article on that topic coming in an issue which is already in production but not printed. There are many different reasons for rejection which are out of your control as a writer.

Sometimes even out of rejection comes an assignment. Several years ago, I had queried a number of magazines about writing on listening to the Bible on tape. I targeted the January issues of publications for this short how-to article. Every magazine rejected it.

Several weeks later, I received a phone call from a new editor at Christian Life magazine. They too had rejected the idea earlier. “We’re sorting through some old queries,” she explained. “Would you be able to write 500 words on the topic in the next three weeks?” No problem. That little article turned into one of my most popular articles for reprint in other publications.

I prefer writing on assignment and you can snag magazine assignments as you learn how to write a riveting query letter. You want the editor to read your letter and be compelled to pick up the phone and call you for more information or an assignment. Or you want that editor to open an email and write you immediately asking when you can have the article ready for their magazine. I hope you can see the importance of this skill as a writer.

Because I’ve been published repeatedly in different magazines, many mistakenly believe I was born this way. Wrong. I garner my share of rejection in this process.

Years ago in college I took a magazine writing course. We were required to write several ten-page magazine articles. My key mistake was a lack of understanding of the market or the audience for the publications. When you write your query letter, you have to focus on both of these aspects. You want the idea to be perfect for that particular publication and you want to think about the publication’s audience when you write the query. If you don’t handle these two basics, then I can almost guarantee rejection. My writing and my research for the college articles was right on target—yet these articles were never published because they had no market or audience in mind. Don’t make that same mistake.

  1. Terry Whalin, a writer and acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing, lives in Colorado. A former magazine editor, Whalin has written for more than 50 publications including Christianity Today and Writer’s Digest. He has written more than 60 nonfiction books including Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams. His latest book is Billy Graham, A Biography of America’s Greatest Evangelist and the book website is at: http://BillyGrahamBio.com Watch the short book trailer for Billy Graham at: http://bit.ly/BillyGrahamBT His website is located at: www.terrywhalin.com. Follow him on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/terrywhalin

 

 

Categories
Magazine and Freelance

Ideas for Magazine Articles are Everwhere

Over the last twenty-five years, books have been my passion and the bulk of my writing life. It’s not where I began and I write much more than books.  Please don’t misunderstand. I love books but I continue to believe many writers are missing golden opportunities by not practicing the short form—magazine writing.

In the article format, I’m able to practice many of the techniques I use in my books, yet in a more compressed form.  It’s a sharpening process for my writing life and important. If you’ve strayed into only writing books, then I recommend you return to writing magazine articles. It will build something into your books.

Ideas are one of the most fluid and free-wheeling part of the writing process. I love to have new ideas—and they come constantly. Sometimes the waves of what I want to write spring into my mind so fast, it’s like standing under a waterfall. You can’t possibly catch everything—and like a waterfall,  you can only stand the spray for a tiny bit—before you get washed away.

Conversations with people can stir ideas. You may be taking a break at work and listening to someone’s story and decide a much-changed version of the story could be part of a novel. Or possibly from the conversation, you see your friend struggling with a personal crisis and discovering a unique solution to this crisis or handling it in a different way. You decide that experience could be the beginnings of a how-to article.  I’ve given only two examples of how we can find ideas from our conversations with others.

Other times we read the newspaper and learn about a new product. Because we read magazines and other types of print or internet publications, the idea comes to write about this product. You take this idea and pitch a magazine (more about this aspect for another article) and you snag an assignment to write about the product. Reading stimulates your idea process.  Can you take the idea and twist it in a different fashion and reveal the product or service to a new audience and a different publication?

Years ago, I was reading the Orange County Register and living in Southern California. In the business section, a small news item announced Disney was printing Disney Dollars. I was fascinated with this bit of news and wanted to learn more.  As a part of the experience of being in Disneyland, they have Disney Dollars which are the same quality of regular currency. I pitched a numismatic magazine with the article idea and received an assignment.  In a matter of weeks, I was on the back lot of Disney — where no “guests” are allowed and interviewing one of the Vice Presidents about this new currency.  For me the process began with a small news item in the newspaper. You can find ideas in the same way.

Almost anything can stir ideas—family activities, walking through the mall, visiting a historic monument or _____ (you name it).  I’ve learned to always carry a piece of paper because ideas will strike me at odd times. I have to write it down or it will pass through my mind and be forgotten. (In general, I ignore the ones that come in the middle of the night).

OK, now you have an idea. What do you do with the idea? It will be key to whether you get it published or it disappears.

 

  1. Terry Whalin, a writer and acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing, lives in Colorado. A former magazine editor, Whalin has written for more than 50 publications including Christianity Today and Writer’s Digest. He has written more than 60 nonfiction books including Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams. His latest book is Billy Graham, A Biography of America’s Greatest Evangelist and the book website is at: http://BillyGrahamBio.com Watch the short book trailer for Billy Graham at: http://bit.ly/BillyGrahamBT His website is located at: www.terrywhalin.com. Follow him on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/terrywhalin

 

 

Categories
Magazine and Freelance

Can I Write for This Magazine?

 I love print magazines and I take a number of them as a subscriber. When they arrive, frequently I read them cover to cover. While I enjoy many different types of publications, as a writer, I also take a deeper look to see if there is an opportunity for me to write for the magazine.

In this article, I want to give you some of the benchmarks and resources you can use to evaluate your magazines and see if you have an opportunity to write for this publication. As a former magazine editor, I know every editor begins the issue with a blank magazine filling the pages. These empty pages spell opportunities for freelance writers.

First, look at the age of the publication. If a new magazine, often the editor is open to working with new writers because they haven’t built a stable of contributors. If the magazine has been around for years, notice who writes the articles. Are their names listed on the masthead as “contributing writers?” If so, then the magazine may be mostly staff written and does not use much freelance material.

Next use Google to search for the magazine online. Do they have writer’s guidelines? If so, then they are normally open to freelance submissions. Read and follow their instructions. Does their website list themes for forthcoming issues or have a “themes list?” If you pitch an idea related to these themes, then you will get more interest from the editor.

Go to your local library and use the latest Market Guide. Use the index to look up the  entry for the magazine. What percentage of their magazine is freelance? The higher the percentage the more likely there is opportunity for the writer.  Do they pay on acceptance or publication? As a writer, I prefer publications that pay on acceptance. Magazines that pay on publication may hold your article for many months before publishing (and paying).

As in book publishing, the magazine world is constantly changing. For example, I noticed recently Architectural Digest has a new editor because each month the editor writes a little column in the front of the magazine. Change can spell opportunity for the writer because a new editor may be open to new ideas and new pitches for the publication.

If you want to write for magazines, learn how to write a query letter or one page pitch. Then craft appropriate pitches (from the guidelines) to the editor. Yes you may garner rejection but repeated rejection is not necessarily bad. Maybe your article is rejected because someone else pitched a similar article or the magazine has already purchased a similar article. Yes these situations happen and I’ve seen it as an editor. The repeated pitching of appropriate articles also gets you positive attention from the editor. The editor also assigns articles to freelance writers and you want to be one of those people who gets an assignment. To gain an assignment, you have to be on their radar. As a freelance writer, you get on their radar through professional pitching.

Every magazine is looking for dependable, professional writers who can deliver excellent writing on the editor’s deadline.  You will have to prove yourself but as you deliver quality writing repeatedly, then you will gain the editor’s trust and become someone who is a part of their regular writers. The procedure is a process and begins with studying the publication then pitching appropriate articles.

Opportunity is everywhere. Use these tips to begin writing for publication.

  1. Terry Whalin, a writer and acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing, lives in Colorado. A former magazine editor, Whalin has written for more than 50 publications including Christianity Today and Writer’s Digest. He has written more than 60 nonfiction books including Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams. His latest book is Billy Graham, A Biography of America’s Greatest Evangelist and the book website is at: http://BillyGrahamBio.com Watch the short book trailer for Billy Graham at: http://bit.ly/BillyGrahamBT His website is located at: www.terrywhalin.com. Follow him on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/terrywhalin

 

Categories
Magazine and Freelance

Writing Your Magazine Article: The Details

 
How do you write your magazine article? Let’s explore the details in this article. As a long-time journalist writing for different publications and a former magazine editor, I’m intimately acquainted with the elements for these articles.

[bctt tweet=”If you’ve written a query letter, then you’ve already written the opening for your article.” username=”@terrywhalin @A3forme”] Otherwise, the first step in the writing is to create a motivating opening story. The key phrase is to make it motivating. The opening has to propel the reader into the rest of the article so they can’t stop reading.

Here’s one example from my own personal story: “I’ve gone to church most of my life but I lived off my parent’s faith until half way through my sophomore year in college.” How is that? Would it propel you to keep reading? Probably not.

Here’s the way my story began in a published article, “I slapped the snooze alarm for the third time and finally opened my eyes at Chi Phi, my fraternity house. Last night had been a late one. After covering an evening speech and interview for the school paper, I worked frantically on the story until just before midnight, when I dropped it into the hands of a waiting editor.”

Compare these two examples. Notice the detail in the second version. I am not telling you about the experience, I am showing you. Repeatedly the writing books and teachers say, “Show don’t tell.” They are saying to include dialogue and the type of detail for a story which will propel the reader into the article.

After writing the opening for the article, how do you continue? If you’ve done your research for the article, you will not write 2,000 words for a publication that only takes 500 word articles. Because you have a target length for your article, this word count helps give definition for your plan.

Also if you’ve done your research, you’ve thought about the article and focused it. Can you summarize the point of the article into a single sentence? Complete the sentence: My article is about _____. After you’ve written this sentence, never wander away from this goal. Sometimes in articles, I saw at Decision, the author would begin well then wander around and finally conclude. The articles lacked focus and the sentence statement will help you keep the article on track.

For each magazine piece, I write from an outline. Normally my article will have a number of points or illustrations. A standard outline would be: the problem, the possible solutions and your solution. If you’re writing about a person, your outline might include different aspects of the person’s life such as childhood, life before Christ and life after Christ. Write out the different points for your outline. When I write a short story, I use the same approach. What is the beginning, middle and ending? An outline keeps the writer focused on the goal of the article.

[bctt tweet=”Also be realistic with yourself and your writing life.” username=””] Can you only write for thirty minutes a day or maybe it is only ten minutes? Are you motivated to write the entire article in one session? Possibly you write only one point from your outline during aeach session. Whatever your writing goal, the point is to write consistently and keep moving the article toward completion.

After you’ve written the article, put it away for a period of time. If you are on a tight deadline, that might involve eating lunch and then returning to it. If you have the time, you might want several days or a week. When you return to your article, read it out loud. The ear is less forgiving than the eye. Reading it out loud, will point out areas for you to revise and rewrite.

The focus of your entire article will be that single sentence and keep your article in a tightly written story. It is just what the reader (and editor) needs.

 

________________________________________

  1. Terry Whalin, a writer and acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing, lives in Colorado. A former magazine editor, Whalin has written for more than 50 publications including Christianity Today and Writer’s Digest. He has written more than 60 nonfiction books including Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams. His latest book is Billy Graham, A Biography of America’s Greatest Evangelist and the book website is at: http://BillyGrahamBio.com Watch the short book trailer for Billy Graham at: http://bit.ly/BillyGrahamBT His website is located at: www.terrywhalin.com. Follow him on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/terrywhalin
Categories
Magazine and Freelance

How to Increase Your Publications Odds-Terry Whalin

WTerryWhalin

by Terry Whalin

The bulk of my magazine writing is done on assignment. How do you get an assignment? Which magazines do you read on a consistent basis? Your familiarity with these publications and the types of articles that they publish gives you some needed background.

Pull out the magazines that come into your home.

Organize them with several months from the same publication. Then study the contents. What types of articles do they publish? How-to articles? Personal Experience? For example, at Decision, where I used to be an editor, almost every article is a first-person, personal experience story. If you send them a how-to article which is not written in the first person, you are asking for rejection. Or if you write a story about someone else in the third-person, you will again invite rejection.

After you have studied the publications, then write the publication for their writers’ guidelines. Almost every magazine has guidelines for their authors. You can also use google and often find these guidelines online.  Write a simple letter asking for guidelines and enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope for the response. You can find the address for the publication usually on the masthead of the magazine under editorial offices. Or use The Christian Writers Market Guide by Jerry B. Jenkins. This guide is a critical tool if you are going to write for the Christian marketplace. After reading through the guidelines, you will have some additional information. Does the publication accept query letters or prefer full manuscripts? Some magazines have a query only system. This means that you have to write a query letter (one page) and get a letter of request from the editor, before sending the full manuscript. Other publications like Decision do not look at query letters but only completed manuscripts.

What’s a query letter? Entire books have been written on this topic and one of the best is Irresistible Query Letters by Lisa Collier Cool (Writer’s Digest Books). A query is a single-page letter which sells your story idea. It has a four paragraph formula. The first paragraph is a creative beginning for your article. You don’t write the entire article–only the first paragraph which captures the reader’s interest. The purpose of this first paragraph is simply to capture the editor’s attention. I won’t walk you through the day of an editor but since I’ve been one for years, I know they are involved in a multitude of tasks. For editors to read query letters, it is often done at the end of the day, late at night or in a car pool on the way home. It must be interesting.

The second paragraph includes the main points of how you will approach the article. The third paragraph gives your personal qualifications for this topic and your writing credits (if any). It basically answers the question, why should you of all the writers get this assignment? Highlight your own area of expertise in this paragraph.

The final paragraph says how soon you could write the article (give yourself enough time for example, “three weeks from assignment”) and says you are enclosing a self-addressed, stamped envelope and looking forward to their reply. I often send the letter to as many as ten different publications at the same time.

Within the magazine business, there is an on-going discussion about simultaneous submissions (where you send the same finished article to several publications). If you do this, you may end up on the black list of authors. Each publication has a list of people that they will not work with. You don’t want to be on that list. Also each publication has a list of authors they use regularly and call with ideas. Your goal is to get on this particular list of regular contributors.

From my perspective, a simultaneous query is not the same as a finished article. Go ahead and query several magazines at the same time on the same topic if you think you can write several different articles on the same subject. One magazine may ask for 500 words on the topic while another may approach it from an entirely different viewpoint and ask for 2,000 words. Your illustrations and information will be considerably different. If you send it to ten magazines, you may get ten rejections. On the other hand, perhaps you will get an acceptance or two, or at least a request to see the entire article on speculation. “On speculation” means that the editor is not under obligation to purchase your article if it doesn’t meet the periodical’s standards or expectations.

[bctt tweet=”No one gets magazine assignments just by thinking about it” username=”@A3forme @terrywhalin “] As a writer, you have to take action and be regularly pitching your ideas to editors and writing query letters. Then when you get an assignment, write an excellent article and submit it on or ahead of the deadline. As you learn to write a query letter and take consistent action, you will increase your odds of publication and get published in magazines.

Terry Whalin, a writer and acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing, lives in Colorado. A former magazine editor, Whalin has written for more than 50 publications including Christianity Today and Writer’s Digest. He has written more than 60 nonfiction books including Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams. His latest book is Billy Graham, A Biography of America’s Greatest Evangelist and the book website is at: http://BillyGrahamBio.com Watch the short book trailer for Billy Graham at: http://bit.ly/BillyGrahamBT His website is located at: www.terrywhalin.com. Follow him on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/terrywhalin

 

 

Categories
Magazine and Freelance

How To Drive a Magazine Editor Crazy by Lori Hatcher

Professional, friendly and witty are words I use to describe Lori.  I met her at the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference last year through a mutual friend.  Lori was part of the staff at BRMCWC and needed volunteers to do a mock Toastmasters meeting. Toastmasters is an international speaking organization.   As a Toastmaster member, I volunteered.  We became fast friends over e-mails and working together at the conference.  I consider it an honor to have her  as a guest on Write With You.  I know we all will glean from her vast knowledge as a magazine editor.

How to Drive an Editor Crazy, Part 1

By Lori Hatcher

As the editor of a print magazine, I receive submissions from writers in every stage of their writing journey. Some have impressive portfolios, and others are just beginning. Wherever you are on the spectrum, the tips I’ll share in this two-part series will help you submit polished, professional work so you WON’T drive your editor crazy.

How to Drive an Editor Crazy

  1. Paraphrase Bible verses.

This is true confession time, friends. A book editor once threatened me with death and dismemberment when she double-checked the Scripture references in one of my devotional books and discovered I’d used the LHV (Lori Hatcher Version) of the Bible. Because I’d depended on  my memory, which was a mishmash of the King James, New International, and Holman Christian Study versions, there was no way she could check my Scripture references for accuracy in punctuation and quotation. My carelessness and laziness caused her hours of extra work and slowed down the editing process considerably.

 

After a humiliating time of confession, repentance, and restitution (I sent her Trader Joe’s Chocolate Covered Almonds with Sea Salt and Caramel Cashew cookies by overnight mail), I had learned a valuable lesson. When quoting Scripture, choose a translation, then copy and paste EVERY Bible verse, with its appropriate reference, from your Bible software into your article. Even if it’s John 3:16, don’t rely on your memory.

 

  1. Lowercase the word Bible.

I’m always a tiny bit shocked when a writer fails to capitalize the B in Bible. Whether you revere or believe in the Bible is not the issue that determines this rule. All style manuals require a writer to capitalize any holy book, whether you’re citing the Qur’an, the Talmud, or the Bible. You should also capitalize common epithets for the Bible such as the Word and Scripture, but not adjectives indicating the Bible, like biblical or scriptural.

 

There are many rules governing the correct way to quote Scripture, capitalize books and parts of the Bible, and handle religious terminology. The Christian Writer’s Manual of Style is my go-to resource to keep it straight. It’s helpful, user-friendly, and relatively inexpensive. Whatever resource you choose, remember—NEVER quote a Bible verse from memory or fail to capitalize the Bible. If you do, you’ll drive your editor crazy.

 

Lori Hatcher is the editor of Reach Out, Columbia magazine and the author of the devotional book Hungry for God…Starving for Time, 5-Minute Devotions for Busy Women. A blogger, writing instructor, and women’s ministry speaker, her goal is to help women connect with God in the craziness of life. You’ll find her pondering the marvelous and the mundane on her blog, Hungry for God…Starving for Time. Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter (@LoriHatcher2), or Pinterest (Hungry for God).

 

Lori HatcherHeadshot

Categories
Magazine and Freelance

Query Letter Basics

When I first heard the phrase, “Query letter” I was confused and embarrassed.  I did not know what a query was or even how to pronounce it.  The correct pronunciation is (kweer-ee).   I referred to my friend “Google” for information.

The definition of query from Dictionary.com

 An inquiry from a writer to an editor of a magazine, newspaper, etc., regarding the acceptability of or  interest in an idea for an article, news story, or the like: usually presented in the form of a letter that outlines or describes the projected piece.

The query is your calling card; it is also called a pitch.   It is your sales letter that includes the subject of the article, who you are, and why you are qualified to write the article.

There are necessary steps to take before you write your query letter.

  • Read 3-5 issues of the magazine to get familiar with the voice and audience of that magazine. Many magazines can be read online or at your local library.
  • Go to website or call the magazine to get the name of the correct editor before you send the query letter. Make sure the name of editor, magazine and address are spelled correctly.
  • Gather all the research and education that makes you the expert on this topic.
  • Always check the website or call the magazine for guidelines.

General guidelines for formatting your letter.

  • Times New Roman and 10- or 12-point type.
  • One-inch margins.
  • Single-spaced page.
  • Block paragraph format (no indentations).
  • Include your name, address, phone number, e-mail address and web site, if possible.

The body of the query should:

  • Hook the reader -Grab the editor’s attention with the first line. It is a great idea to begin the query exactly how you will begin the article.
  • Be specific. – The topic should be precise. Note where the information will come from.
  • State your qualifications – This is your biography. Why you know what you know; why you are the one to write about this topic.  Be yourself.  Don’t compare your writing to others.
  • Thank the editor for considering your query.
  • Exclude the discussion of rates in the query letter.

Include self-addressed, stamped envelope when sending query by mail.

There are many informative web sites with examples of a good query.  To avoid reinventing the wheel, my friend Vonda Skelton has allowed me to share her blogs on query letters.   Please check out her bio while you are at the page.  She is one amazing woman.

taking the question out of query letters part 1

When it comes to your query letter, don’t over think it. Sell it.

I would love to hear your stories.  Please connect with me here or email me at

godsfruit@juno.com.