The Complete Idiot's Guide to Publishing Magazine Articles

by Bykofsky, Sheree; Basye Sander, Jennifer

• ISBN13: 9780028638355
• ISBN10: 0028638352
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-06-14
• Publisher: DK Publishing, Inc.

Summary

Yours"re no idiot, of course. You have a reporterrs"s eye, a poetrs"s touch, and you absolutely love to write. Stories, journal entries, letters to the editor-you name it, you know you can write it. But when it comes to selling your ideas to magazines, newspapers and web sites, you feel like the less said, the better. Seeing your words and wisdom printed in black and white seems like a lot more trouble than itrs"s worth. Donrs"t write yourself off just yet! The Complete Idiotrs"s Guidereg; to Publishing Magazine Articles will help get you where you belong-in print. In this Complete Idiotrs"s Guidereg;, you get answers to all your questions: Who hires writers? What newspaper, magazine, and online editors want from freelancers-and how much they might pay for it! How to write effective query and pitch letters. How the Internet can help your writing career take off.

Table of Contents

Part 1: Welcome to Writerland	1	(62)
So, You Want to Be a Freelance Writer?	3	(12)
The rewards of being a freelance writer.
The Modern World of the Freelance Writer	15	(12)
Why magazines hire freelancers and what freelancers do.
Success Stories	27	(12)
Freelance writers share their success stories and show you what works.
The Editors Talk	39	(14)
Editors talk turkey about what they look for in new writers.
So, Is This Really for You?	53	(10)
A reality check on what life can be like as a freelance writer.
Part 2: Learning the Basics	63	(58)
Studying the Market	65	(12)
How to learn the market and how best to break in.
Generating Ideas for Articles	77	(10)
Brainstorming techniques to keep the ideas flowing.
Writing a Winning Query	87	(10)
How to catch an editor's eye.
Your First Assignment	97	(12)
What to do when your article idea is accepted.
The True Gen: Interviewing	109	(12)
The ins and outs of conducting an interview.
Part 3: Who's Gonna Buy Your Stuff?	121	(32)
Newspapers: What They're Looking for	123	(12)
How to sell your ideas to the newspapers.
The Glossies: What They're Looking for	135	(8)
How to sell your ideas to glossy magazines.
Trade Magazines: What They're Looking For	143	(10)
Opportunities for freelancers in the trade publications.
Part 4: Online: The Newest Frontier	153	(40)
What's on the Web	155	(8)
Learn about the online writing scene.
Online 'Zine Scene	163	(10)
Meet the major players in online print.
Contentproviders.com	173	(10)
How to find freelance work with Web sites.
Build It and They Will Come	183	(10)
Raise your writing profile by building your own site.
Part 5: A Short Course on Writing Effective Articles	193	(34)
The Parts of an Article	195	(12)
The different parts of feature articles and how to write them.
Hook 'Em Early, Hook 'Em Hard	207	(8)
Grabbing your readers by the throat and reeling them in for the read.
Machine Gun Writing	215	(12)
How to write the short, 250- to 500-word pieces prevalent in magazines today.
Part 6: The Business of Freelancing	227	(74)
Building a Specialty	229	(10)
Create a career in one area so that editors call you!
Hey, Is This a Book?	239	(10)
Developing a magazine article into a book proposal.
Setting Up Your Business	249	(10)
Establishing good business habits for the freelance life.
Taxes and the Writer	259	(10)
What working writers need to know---and need to pay!
Contracts and What They Really Mean	269	(32)
How to decipher all that tiny print.
Appendixes
A Glossary	281	(6)
B Recommended Books	287	(2)
C Sample Contracts	289	(6)
D Sample Writer's Guidelines	295	(4)
E Great Web Sites for Writers	299	(2)
Index	301