Bright Ideas # 51 – Get Published 

Would you like to get f*ree advertising? How about a no cost ad that provides better Return On Investment than any single paid ad can? Then you should consider writing and publishing articles in magazines!

Why? Because articles get read far more often than ads. They position you as an expert. And, if you do it right, articles generate tons of leads and sales. Plus, it’s fun.

I’ll never forget the first time one of my articles was published in a national magazine years ago…

Since I’m an avid kayaker, I had decided to try writing for paddling magazines. So I picked up a book on writing and selling magazine articles and went for it. Before I knew it, I was hired to write a feature article for Canoe & Kayak Magazine.

Few things beat the feeling of seeing my name in print. Plus, since it was a feature, I even got my headshot and bio in the front of the magazine. What a thrill!! I immediately framed the check and hung it on my wall.

I was officially a published author.

Since then, I’ve discovered just how effective writing articles can be for marketing any business.

The best part is, there are magazine on just about every topic under the sun. And they are always looking for interesting new ideas to fill their pages. Many are even willing to take a risk on an unpublished writer—as long as you give them compelling reasons to hire you to do the job.

So if you’ve ever dreamed of seeing your name in a magazine, well, there’s no time like the present.

But don’t start churning out articles just yet. Because most editors don’t want to see finished articles. What they really want is a query letter.

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What, you ask, is a query letter?
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A query letter is a small sampling of the article you have in mind, plus an overview of what you want to write and why you are the person to write it—all on one page.

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So how do you put together a winning query?
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In reality, there is no right or wrong way to format a query. What really matters is that you tailor your queries to fit each magazine.
So the first step is to review magazines that might be a good fit for your idea. Then go to their Websites and download, or call and request, a copy of their writer’s submission guidelines.

This is beyond important. The quickest way to make sure your query hits the circular file is to not follow a magazine’s submission guidelines.

Once you’ve picked a magazine it’s time to put your query together. And the first and most important part of any query is the lead. Basically, this is the working title and first paragraph or two of your article.

The goal of your lead is to capture an editor’s attention with your title, hold it through the lead, then leave them begging for more. If they are dying to read on after the first couple paragraphs you can bet they’ll think their readers will be too.

After the lead, provide an overview of your intended article including:

• The anticipated word count
• What section you think it might fit in their magazine
• Any sources you might be quoting or using to support your story
• Whether or not you have professional quality images to go with the article
• Anything else you think might be pertinent

The rest of your query should explain why you are qualified to write the article.

That does not mean you need to have been published before. You just want to show you have enough experience with the subject to write about it effectively.

For example, if you are a business owner, you could write an article on training employees, or running a sale, or customer service, or anything else you’ve learned over time.

So whatever you do, don’t sell yourself short. And don’t mention it if you’ve never been published. If your writing skills are up to the task editors can tell from your query.

The final piece of the puzzle is to include writing samples. It’s best if they are published samples, even if was just in your own newsletter. But you can always send samples of other things you have written. Or even write something specifically to use as a sample.

Just make sure that what you send them is well-written. And if the style or subject matter is similar to the article you are pitching, even better.

Always remember, magazines don’t want boring articles, so don’t send out boring queries. Your goal is to get the editor’s attention, then hold it long enough to convince them your idea is a winner.

If they don’t bite the first time, keep trying new ideas. Or tweak your query and send it to another magazine.

Assuming your writing is good and you’ve done your research, eventually someone will offer to put your name in print. And before you know it, you’ll be framing you first paycheck as a published writer too!

©2002-2006 Success Stream. All Rights Reserved. www.success-stream.com

Do you have a marketing, advertising or writing question you’d like to have answered? Email me and you might see the answer in a future edition of Bright Ideas.

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