Tips on How to Pitch Magazines Successfully

I had the honor of taking part in a panel discussion last night in Charlotte, courtesy of the local chapter of the Women's National Book Association-Charlotte (WNBA) and the Charlotte Writers' Club. I have to admit I was nervous about presenting on the topic of how to make money writing for magazines, but once I began writing down my talking points I realized I have a learned a thing or two  about magazine publishing over the years. The audience couldn't have been more attentive, and they had some great questions for all the panelists, which included Karon Luddy, Alice Osborn and Mica Gadhia. One thing I regretted was that I didn't have time to make copies of a handout. So, for anyone that was at the panel and missed any of the "Do's and Don't of Pitching Magazines," I've included them below:

Do's and Don'ts of Pitching Magazines

Don’t send out scattershot query letters. Meaning, don’t write up one query letter and send out to multiple magazine editors at once. Editors are much more likely to consider you for an assignment if you are familiar with the magazine you’re pitching and make your query personalized. Spend a little time skimming through some recent issues of the publication, and get a feel for how it is laid out. Mention recent published articles that you connected with to show your familiarity.

Do have an interesting lede (or hook) pertaining to your article topic that illustrates why it would make a good piece for a magazine. You only have a few seconds to catch an editor’s eye. Make them count.

Do pitch different types of magazines, both big and small. It’s a great experience, and over time, you’ll become more comfortable crafting your ideas and hitting the send button.

Don’t send your ideas to the wrong person. Study the masthead of the magazine you are hoping to query. Publishers typically focus on the sales side of a magazine and aren’t really connected to the editorial side. Your best bet is to address your query to a specific editor.

Do pick up a copy of the latest version of The Writer’s Market. You will find listings of magazines you never even knew existed, including editorial contact names, pay rates, and what types of articles specific markets are seeking.

Happy writing and querying, everyone!

From left to right: Karon Luddy, Alice Osborn, Me, Mica Gadhia

Benefits of Guest Blogging

Settle in at your favorite coffee shop and start writing!

A few weeks ago, I wrote a post at WOW! Women on Writing about guest blogging to grow your platform. I was researching some blogs for an author I was helping and came across so many opportunities I'm sure many writers don't know about. The majority of the time, guest blogging doesn't pay, but it does give you the chance to submit a bio where you can promote your writing, books, or products and services you offer. Plus, it's a great networking tool! Be sure to study all guidelines carefully as they vary in the types of topics they are seeking and word counts.

Check out the original post for five places you can submit guest posts, and I've included a few more below.

Writers on the Move
http://writersonthemove.com
Karen Cioffi welcomes articles on the topics of writing, author interviews, and book reviews. Posts should be 350-600 words, and Writers on the Move does not accept reprints.

Memoir Writer's Journey

http://krpooler.com

Author and blogger Kathy Blogger accepts guest posts on a variety of writing topics. She says she likes "to think of her blog as a kitchen table and the weekly posts as invitations to to join the conversation around the table." Posts can range from 500-1,000 words.

Women's Writing Circle

http://www.susanweidener.com

Susan Weidener accepts essays of 900 words or less. She prefers essays on the topics of memoir, fiction, poetry, writing techniques and tips, social media challenges and benefits, etc.

Have you had experiences guest blogging to grow your platform? If so, feel free to tell us where and share a link!

Own Your Accomplishments

© Freds | Dreamstime Stock Photos

I'm back from a full weekend at the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators Conference, where I learned some great tips for enhancing and improving my writing and got some great feedback on the first 10 pages of my contemporary YA novel with paranormal elements from both a YA novelist and a literary agent. In fact, I was so pumped I already worked on revisions yesterday. My goal is to be ready to start submitting to agents in the next two months, just in time to dive into National Novel Writing Month in November with a new contemporary YA idea.

I came away from the conference after an awe-inspiring closing keynote speech by New York Times bestselling YA novelist, Carrie Ryan. The thing that hit me hardest was when she told the audience,
"Own the things you've accomplished, not the things you haven't."

That was so what I needed to hear after a pretty rough past week. I often belittle myself when talking to other people about what I do by saying things like "I'm a writer and editor but I don't make enough money to support my family. The money I make basically pays for our groceries, and that's only on a month where we don't eat a lot!"

Why do I say things like that? Why do I put myself down? Why don't I mention that I've published hundreds of articles in both print and online publications, including the Walt Disney Internet Group, and that I've won awards for both non-fiction and flash fiction?

Why do I say I'm an "aspiring" children's book writer and not that I have MG and YA manuscripts that are almost ready for submission?

I walked away from Ryan's speech telling myself that I'm done putting myself down. Every word I've written, every piece I've had published, every blog post that's been retweeted on Twitter or repinned on Pinterest and every messy rough draft I've waded through are all going to help me build the platform I need when I do publish a book.

When I do publish a book, not if I publish a book. There's a big difference.

What accomplishments are you going to "own" today? Share in the comments! 

How Do You Know When You're Ready to Submit?

I'm *this* close to beginning the book submission process. There, I said it out loud. Maybe that will finally convince me to spring into action. I've been thinking today about the question, "how do you know when you're ready to submit?" For writers, this could apply to a number of different things, such as:

• applying for a copywriting gig
• submitting a national magazine query
• finishing a novel
• starting a blog
• taking a writing class
• entering a writing competition

Over the years, I've prepared myself for various income streams. In order to gain more experience as a journalist, I've worked as a stringer for a metro newspaper and began writing parenting articles for regional parenting magazines and websites. I've held editing positions with regional magazines to learn more about how the magazine publishing industry works. I've conducted countless interviews in order to hone my interviewing skills and learn how to tell a better story. When I decided I wanted to take a stab at writing fiction, I wrote and revised and revised. And revised some more. I practiced writing in different lengths and genres, in different POVs and sharpened my voice. I entered writing contests. I wrote book reviews for my blog for extra practice. I shared my work with others and attended conferences. I had my worked critiqued. I picked up books on craft and researched agents through blogs and marketplace listings. 

None of this happened overnight. And rarely does success come easily for any writer. When I first started out, I expected to snap my fingers and make it all happen instantly. Of course, it didn't. And I'd be lying if I said I'm not afraid of the inevitable rejection notes, of hearing that "your project just isn't what I'm looking for." But I know it's all part of the process, and I'm ready for whatever comes my way.

In what ways have you prepared yourself for submission?

Review: The Shy Writer: Reborn

I picked up the book The Shy Writer: Reborn because, for the most part, I consider myself an introverted writer, especially when it comes to writing fiction. I've had to take a long, hard look at my career in the past six months and I came to a realization--I could be doing so much more!

I've admired author C. Hope Clark for quite awhile. I subscribe to her weekly newsletter, FundsforWriters, and have even sold a few articles to Hope for use in the newsletter. I was curious to find out more about the self-proclaimed "introverted" writer and how she found success, all while handling the minute details of a writing career, such as pitching and querying agents, presenting at conferences and handling publicity for her mystery book series.

Here's a synopsis of the book:

As an introvert and a writer, you feel stretched to choose between the lesser of two evils – marketing to people who’ll most likely criticize you, or putting your writing on the back burner. Introverts have strengths that make them marketable, creative, and successful. Forget those people who tell you to change, to put on a different personality, to dance like a monkey before crowds. Here is the support to be a writer and remain who you care to be . . . genuine.

I've personally worked as a successful freelancer for more than 10 years, but fear has kept me from cracking many of the national markets, querying a host of agents and publishing houses with my projects and attending large-scale writing conferences. The Shy Writer: Reborn has helpful advice for  writers in all genres, whether you are a seasoned writer struggling with making personal appearances or a writer trying to pitch your first article to a magazine or newspaper. I found the chapters on "Passion and Platform," "Priorities, Preparation and Promotion," and "Blogging" especially helpful. I even finally had an epiphany about what I should use as my platform!

I've been slowly getting braver with my work (there are days when even hitting the "publish" button on this blog terrifies me!) but I know there are steps I need to take if I want to become a published author. This book helped push me to revamp my blog and website, register for my first writer's conference and make the decision to sign up for an online class/critique group so I can get feedback on my YA novel. I would highly recommend this book for any writer (not just the introverted) trying to determine what the next step in her career should be.

Thanks, Hope!