Know a Magazine Cover, Know Its Readers December 18, 2008
With the economic slump, the publishing world is taking major hits (and there are no signs of a bailout for writers). As more journalists get laid off the freelance market is becoming even more saturated with experienced writers looking for ways to stay afloat financially. For the newbie attempting to breakout the idea of sending a pitch to a magazine may be scary. But, that doesn’t mean that you need to wait to pursue your writing endeavors. Like many professions, the writing world is experiencing a tumultuous time. But, that isn’t stopping me from pitching my ideas and even setting my eyes on a couple of national magazines in 2009.
Part of my plan is to continue to learn more about writing for magazines. While, I’ve gained some success locally I am looking to pitch my ideas to national magazines. And in these tough times, sharpening my skills will help me improve my pitch to editors.
One of the first things I’ve done is to get to know the reader. What I’ve learned in pitching my ideas to magazines is that I have to show the editor I know the magazine’s readership. The bottom-line is to pique the readers’ interest by giving them what they want. Initially, when I started pitching ideas to magazine I would come up with an idea, write a query letter, and send it off to publications. The notion of learning the markets I was pitching was foreign to me – after all my idea was great, right?
Wrong. I wasted a lot of time sending out query letters to magazines that had no interest in my ideas. Who cares about a carefully crafted pitch when it doesn’t meet the interest of the readers?
Instead get to know the magazine’s audience. Writing a query letter for a magazine when you know the audience and have an understanding for the type of stories they like to see makes the process easier.
A simple exercise you can do to kick start the process is to get into the habit of judging a magazine by its cover. To start, view Amazon’s website (you can find loads of magazine covers there) or swing by the library or bookstore and select magazines where you’d like to be published. Create reader profiles for each magazine based on who and what you see on the cover. Here are two basic tips to get you going:
- Use the person on the cover to get a few details about the reader (i.e. age, marital status, household income)
- Write down the cover lines and figure out the readers’ interests based on the titles
These are really easy things you can do to make sure your targeting the right magazine for your pitch. Another thing you can do is check out the magazine’s online writer’s guideline or Writer’s Market. Using these resources may provide information about the type of articles featured and the readers’ age range and income. Avidly reading magazines you want to write for will keep your ideas fresh and you’ll remain up-to-date on what the readers want. I’ve posted a profile below for Glamour magazine, check it out:
PROFILE EXAMPLE: Glamour magazine, January 2009
The cover’s feature celebrity is Britney Spears which tells me that Glamour’s readers are in their 20s to 40s (I would have said 30s but Nicole Kidman is featured on the December issue).
From the cover lines below, I can deduce a couple of things about the readers’ interests. Numbers 2, 5 & 6 tell me that the readers are interested in keeping up with the latest styles and trends in fashion; they are also looking for ways to live a healthier life as well as great fashion-forward tips that’s easy on their lifestyles and bank accounts. Based on number 3, I know that the readers are looking for ways to spice up their relationships. Also, number 4 informs me that the reader wants information on good health practices.
And tying everything together, I can say that Glamour readers are mainly women and their relationship status varies (she can be single, in a relationship or married). As far as household incomes go I get the sense that the readers, while interested in ways to repurpose outfits in their closets, tend to enjoy shopping (“100 Perfect outfits”) and their wardrobe likely includes mainly designer labels.
1. Britney – Healthier at Last, She Opens Up About Her “Crazy Year”
2. Best Dos & Don’ts of the Year! – 76 Looks You’ll Love (and Laugh At)
3. The #1 Thing That Makes Sex Very, Very Good
4. 8 Slim-Down Tricks Smart Women Swear By
5. 100 Perfect Outfits That Are Already in Your Closet
6. WOW! 839 Little Breakthroughs for Your Hair, Health, Body, Money, Life
Why don’t you give it a try? If you already have a knack for this share some tips about what you do to familiarize yourself with a magazine’s readership?
Giving Myself a Laptopotomy December 10, 2008
Yesterday, my microwave clunked out right when I was about to heat up a bag of kettle popcorn and watch “PS I Love You” with Hilary Swank. I tried unplugging and plugging the microwave back into the socket and pressed buttons randomly hoping my microwave would miraculously just start working. I even took the time to move the coffee maker and plug it into the wall socket for the microwave. The coffee maker worked providing further proof that my microwave was in fact defunct.
With no workable microwave, a bag of popcorn, and a free evening to relax I wondered if this was some sort of karmic payback for something I did. But, no sooner was I about to give up my buttery snack when it dawned on me that I could use a frying pan to make the popcorn. So, I opened up the bag and did the unthinkable – I popped my treat right there in a pan. And it worked too. There’s was something oddly familiar about popping the yellow kernels of corn this way. Oh, yeah. It’s because that’s what my mother used to do back in the 80s when she refused to bring a microwave into our home (something to do with not being the way she was bought up and other things about health hazards).
I had spent about ten minutes being annoyed that my microwave had run its course as I tried to plug in cords, click buttons, and move my coffee maker. Why did it take me so long to think of just popping ‘em in a pan? It got me thinking about all the other electronics in my life that started out as conveniences and then somehow became bodily appendages that I just couldn’t live without, except when I’m asleep of course.
Even while walking I’m on my phone checking my text messages and emails. But, I do look up when I’m crossing the street and to prevent bodily collisions with other pedestrians. There are those times when I’m on the phone with a friend and I’m just clicking away on my laptop at the same time. How did I become that person? You know the one who is asked what they’d bring to a deserted island and they ask, “Is there WiFi?”
As a writer, having these items are great for communicating, getting work done and researching online. But, a friend jokingly pointed out to me that I need to be surgically removed from my laptop. It was a Saturday evening and I was in the living room kind of watching TV and chatting with her while checking my inbox. After she made that comment I started using my less conspicuous, smaller than a computer, so-no one-will-notice-me-working Smartphone.
As I polish off my writeResolutions for 2009, I’ve decided to make tech-free hours a part of my goals. These hours are set to keep a balance between my work life and personal space. Until now, there’s been a lot of gray areas and overlap between the two; so I’m giving myself a laptopotomy. Instead of checking emails and browsing the web for markets and writing gigs at anytime, I’ll be using my laptop in the daytime only for work-related matters (between 9am – 5pm) to:
1. Send out queries
2. Complete writing assignments (includes interviews when necessary)
3. Blog and contribute to social networking sites/writing communities
4. Manage my emails
5. Research
6. Work on my novel
These hours aren’t written in stone as I realize with most things in life you have to be flexible. The point is that I need to become more focus-driven and time efficient. I am being anything but effective when I’m watching CNN while trying to look for markets to sell my articles (although I am a bit more aware of the happenings in Mumbai). And although this is part of my 2009 resolutions, I’m implementing this rule effective today. I need time to practice.
Happy writing!
WriteResolutions December 3, 2008
Well, the year is almost over. And 2008 was all about overcoming my fears and facing the writing world head-on. Here’s what I’ve learned this year:
- Writing isn’t some fantasy, whim or hobby. I love researching, writing and learning new things. Writing has become a part of my life. It’s something that I enjoy doing. In spite of all the difficulties I have encountered I still persevere.
- The market only appears to be saturated and impenetrable. My motto: “There’s always room for more.” I don’t try to emulate anyone else’s writing style. I have a unique voice, style of writing, and fresh ideas that I can offer to publications. The key is learning which markets are the best match for me and those are the places where I can thrive.
- I soak up information and feedback on my writing to improve and grow as a writer. I believe that constructive criticisms of my work have allowed me to grow vertically. I am open to criticisms because staying in my comfort zone hasn’t been all that productive. I’ve learned to become more professional and keep my emotions in check. When it comes to abrasive critiques I apply what I call the “mirror-effect”- it’s my belief that harsh feedback is not a reflection of me but of the person delivering the critique. So, I am able to quickly move on without absorbing that kind of negativity.
2008 has been a yo-yo year for me with all the ups and downs I’ve experienced. But, as I reflect on the past months and anticipate the New Year I see greater and better things in store for me.
The New Year is going to be my time to break into national magazines (I’ve targeted my wish list already), create monthly query submission goals, set a freelancing income objective, enroll in writing classes, and formulate a plan from start to finish for my novel.
I have bigger plans for 2009 and I don’t think it should be any other way. I’ve started writing and there’s no turning back now. My mind, heart and fingertips simply won’t allow it.
What are your writeResolutions?
