Write An Evergreen Magazine Article by W. Terry Whalin

What if you could write a magazine article which could be published year after year in different publications? These types of articles are called evergreen because they can be used over and over. To write such an article takes a bit of planning on the front end of the process.

Years ago I was actively listening to recordings of the Bible. If you listen to the Bible 20 minutes a day, you can hear the entire Bible from Genesis to Revelation in four months.  There are numerous audio versions of the Bible with various styles. Some versions include different voices for each character while others use the same reader for the entire Bible. Reading through the Bible is a common goal for many Christians. This topic can be an evergreen magazine article. To write an evergreen article here’s several points you need to consider:

1. Rights: What rights are you selling to the publication? An evergreen article is something you want to publish repeatedly. Some magazines will acquire all rights when they purchase an article. For an evergreen article, you want to avoid these publications—or negotiate with them for “First Rights.” When they purchase first rights, after the article is published, then the rights return to you. Ultimately for an evergreen article, you want to have “reprint rights” where you can recycle the same article.
2. Format and Contents: Your article can include personal stories and how-to information yet as you write it, the contents need to be timeless or something that will work year after year. For example, an article about how to make a new Christmas tradition can be specific yet this how-to information can be easily recycled.
3. Publications: The world of print publications is constantly changing with new magazines starting and long-lasting ones disappearing. I recommend you get the latest version of the Christian Writers Market Guide. The 2018 version is available and use this reference book to find appropriate publications for your reprints.
4. Publications Log: Keep a simple publications log with a page for the particular article, the date you sent it to the publication and the response from the editor.

            My article about Listening Through the Bible is something I have had reprinted many times and will be reprinted again for the years ahead. With some careful planning as you write, you can create an unlimited supply of evergreen articles which you are getting out into the market—and continuing to earn from it—as well as have the exposure and publication experience.

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