How to Write for a Professional Magazine

When you first become a writer, you will hear that magazines are the hardest publications in which to publish your work. But with the right samples and smart decisions, you can get your foot in the door. Follow these steps to learn how.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Study a specific magazine for which you would like to write. Familiarizing yourself with the types of articles they publish, will help you decide if your style of writing would fit their magazine.
2. Read the writer’s guidelines. It will give you an idea of how much and what you will write. Many times there is an editorial calendar to help you get ideas for appropriate articles.
3. Begin researching the top you have decided upon to determine if you’ll be able to meet the word count requirements for the magazine.
4. Write a query letter to the magazine’s editors, according to the writer’s guidelines. By not carefully following their instructions, you can get your submissions deleted or thrown away.
5. Have writing samples available in case the editor would like to see them.
6. Send a thank you note or email after the editor contacts you.
7. Write the article and make sure it meets the editor’s expectations. You may want to write for them again, so make a good first impression.

Tips & Warnings

• It is important to get your foot in the door with one magazine, as it will make it easier to get into others, so be persistent and get that first article under your belt.

Who Can Help:

• Earn an Associate's, Bachelor's or Master's Degree from the University of Phoenix
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