Lesson from the Other Side of the Editor’s Desk: They Want What?
Posted: April 10, 2012 Filed under: article ideas, freelance articles, freelance writing FAQ, queries | Tags: article queries, editorial calendars, freelancing for magazines, pleasing magazine editors Leave a comment »You spend 20 hours researching a great idea, e.g., why kids join gangs, and it’s rejected. Three months (or six months or a year) later, the editor calls: Will you write an article on how to plan the perfect wedding?
Despite the way writing publications constantly encourage us to query with our great ideas, most magazines are planned in-house. Editors and staff decide what stories they want to have written, then find writers to do it. They have annual special sections and departments to fill, and they always have to think about their advertisers. The wedding story fits into their bridal section and will help sell ads to every business that deals with weddings. The gangs article may be fantastic, but it doesn’t fit anywhere, and it doesn’t sell anything. There are publications that handle serious issues, but most of them are newspapers or journals with private funding, not the slick magazines sold at Safeway.
Why did they call you to write about weddings? Your query showed them you were a competent writer. They decided you were worth a try. Pat yourelf on the back and start calling wedding consultants. Once they know you, they’ll be open to your ideas and might even find a way to work that gangs story into a future issue.
One way to get inside the process is to look at magazines’ editor calendars. These rough out the themes and featured topics for upcoming issues. They are routinely given to advertisers to encourage them to buy ads. Do a search for “editorial calendars” or, more specifically, your target magazine’s calendar and see where you can match your talents to their desires. For example, I just looked up the Horizon airline magazine’s calendar. It’s listed under its parent publication at http://alaskaairlinesmagazine.com/horizonedition/editorial. I see that they’re featuring Southern Oregon, the 2012 summer Olympics in England, and gourmet ice cream in July and doing a special section on Idaho in October. Hmmm.
If you really want to write for a specific magazine, study it so well that you know exactly what the editor is looking for and when, then offer to provide it. A good query may get your foot in the door, but the right query will have them inviting you in and offering you a chair.
Lessons from the Other Side of the Editor’s Desk: Response time
Posted: April 3, 2012 Filed under: freelance articles, freelance writing FAQ, queries | Tags: article queries, editor response times, freelance article submissions, manuscript submissions Leave a comment »I thought I knew a lot about magazines. When I agreed to substitute as editor at a local regional magazine a while back, I figured my years of newspaper work and freelance writing made me an expert on how magazines were planned, put together and published. Wrong!
Writers who think editors are monsters who mangle their manuscripts and laugh at their frustrations have not yet learned the lessons I learned working as one of them. In the next few posts, I will share what I found out. You may be surprised.
1. Why is it taking so long?
You send out the query or manuscript, wait a month, and start to get antsy. Geez, they should have responded by now; what’s holding this up? Maybe they like my idea. No, maybe they hate it. No, maybe . . .
The truth? Maybe nobody has even looked at it yet. It could have gone to an editor who no longer works there and now it’s sitting in a pile of letters nobody knows what to do with. The editor might have opened it, read it, and set it aside to deal with after deadline or until the story meeting, at which the editor, publisher and various staff members discuss content for upcoming issues.
If your submission arrives in the wrong part of the cycle, it could be two months before anyone gives it any serious thought. Or, maybe the editor likes it, but someone else on the staff has to approve it and that someone is too busy to look at it. Or, they like it, but your article on the new sea otter farm doesn’t fit into the special issue they’re preparing on June weddings, so they want to “keep it on file” indefinitely.
Lesson: Be patient. It seems like a long time, and it is, but you can’t change the system by nagging the editor. You can only annoy her until she rejects you just to get you off her back. Wait under the response time stated in their guidelines has passed, then send an e-mail or make a polite phone call to see what’s happening. If you don’t get a satisfactory answer and you have a better place to sell your work, tell the editor and then do it. Meanwhile, take your mind off the delay by working on other writing projects.
Next week: Why would an editor ask me to write something completely different from what I proposed in my query letter?
Your query: Take another look
Posted: August 29, 2011 Filed under: article ideas, queries | Tags: freelancing for newspapers, Oregon Coast Today, queries Leave a comment »I’ve got a new gig, writing for a local weekly paper called Oregon Coast Today. The editor knew my work, and when a need arose, she called me. All I did was keep myself visible, most recently at a free writing workshop she taught for our local branch of Willamette Writers. I honestly hate networking, but contacts will get you farther than anything else in the writing business. I know, we’d like to believe talent is the key, but it’s contacts.
We have agreed that I will write a minimum of two features a month for a pleasing amount of money. So, I already have the gig. However, I still need to pitch my ideas. Here’s where we come to today’s lesson. What the editor wants is extremely specific. The stories must be local, happening right here in Lincoln County or south Tillamook County. They must promote something that is happening in the foreseeable future or something that people can do anytime. Readers must be able to take that story and do something.
There’s no coverage of things that have already happened. There are no free publicity stories about local businesses or local artists. Articles must come with photos, either mine or pictures that I am sure I can obtain from someone else. The writing must fit the breezy, let’s-have-fun tone. Overall, my queries must be very specific.
I pitched a story on an upcoming Art Walk happening over Labor Day weekend. Because I’m personally involved, I had contacts, access to pictures, and a lot of details. She bought it. I also pitched a story on an upcoming set of events around Sept. 11 on the theme of peace. I didn’t have much information, mentioned what I knew and said there would be “other cool stuff.” I would call the person in charge if she was interested. She said: Try again with more information. In addition, I pitched a “glass pumpkin patch” being displayed at a local gallery. It’s a business. I failed to mention the raising-money-for-Food-Share angle. She said: No.
I remind you that I already have the gig. We have enough stories already lined up to keep me busy. If you’re querying a publication that doesn’t already know you, you need to work even harder to make sure your query matches that publication’s mission and is as specific as possible. You need to know exactly what that story is going to contain before you ask an editor to let you write it. It works better that way for both of you because the editor knows what she’s getting, and you know you can provide it.
So, before you send that query, take another look. If there’s anything vague about it, make it specific. If it doesn’t quite fit the publication’s mission, try again.
That’s what I’m doing today.
Tell us a story–even in nonfiction
Posted: August 1, 2011 Filed under: queries | Tags: creative nonfiction, narrative nonfiction, queries, travel writing 1 Comment »Back in the olden days when I was in journalism school, reporters were taught to write straightforward factual stories with no personal comments or artsy asides. Just give the facts, backed up by quotes from interviewees and printed matter. Well, the times have changed. Even the most hard-news articles require a little fictional flavor these days. If you’re writing about the budget mess in Washington, we want all the details, of course, but they’ll slide down easier if you add a touch of humanity. Did the president look unshaven and haggard? Did the Speaker of the House sound hoarse because he’s been talking so much and getting so little sleep? Do you tell us about how they waited right up to the point of disaster before agreeing on a compromise that will keep the government from going into default?
Narrative. That seems to be the buzzword these days. Give us a character and a story. At last year’s Future of Freelancing conference, held at Stanford University, one of the panelists urged writers to see their articles as stories. Their queries should lay out the scenes their stories will include. Think of it as a little movie. Get the editor’s attention, then tell how you will structure the story. As with fiction, show the editor why the readers will care about what you’re writing. Why will they be interested and what will they take away from it?
My MFA is in creative nonfiction, a genre which specifically calls upon the techniques of fiction to tell stories. We use characters, dialogue, setting, suspense and all the other facets of fiction, except that we’re not making it up. Visit the Creative Nonfiction website for lots of great information on this genre.
It used to be that creative nonfiction and journalism were completely different things. Now narrative nonfiction techniques are appearing in feature articles everywhere, not just literary magazines. In an article on travel writing in the May/June 2011 Writer’s Digest, L. Peat O’Neil writes, “Try to experience your time on the road not just as a reporter, but as a traveler–because the days of conventional travel writing in a distant passive voice are long gone. Today’s writer participates in the narrative, sharing stories with readers in much the way a newly returned traveler tells friends about the journey.” O’Neil suggests that travel writers focus on telling a good story, putting details about locations, prices, etc., in sidebars.
When you’re reading articles and books, look for the narrative elements in nonfiction. Look for a personal narrator, settings, dialogue, a story arc, etc. See how the writers tell their stories, then try to do likewise.
Is your idea “actionable?”
Posted: June 28, 2011 Filed under: queries, Uncategorized | Tags: C. Hope Clark, freelancing for newspapers, Funds for Writers, newspaper freelance, Nikki Price, Oregon Coast Today, queries, Shoes Full of Sand Leave a comment »When I heard the word, everything just clicked into my place in my mind. Nikki Price, editor of Oregon Coast Today, a local weekly newspaper and webzine, was speaking to our chaper of Willamette Writers. It was a Tuesday night, so she was in the middle of her deadline, and she roped us into working on headlines and cutlines for this week’s issue. But she also talked about her history of newspapering and what’s she’s looking for in stories for her paper.
They don’t take much freelance, Price says. One reason is money. They can’t afford to pay much. But the other–and this is the one that hit home–is that too many writers don’t understand their mission. Every story must be “actionable,” meaning it gives the reader information which enables them to take action, whether it’s to attend a show, visit an interesting site, check out a new business, take a class or whatever. News you can use, I often call it.
That doesn’t allow much room for creative writing, but that’s the reality of her newspaper and of many others. So, next time you get an article idea, think about whether it’s actionable. What can the reader do with it?
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Continuing our series of sites where you can find writing work, have you been to fundsforwriters.com? Publisher C. Hope Clark offers two versions, plain old Funds, which is free, and Total Funds for Writers, which has more information and costs $15 a year. In addition to jobs, she lists freelance markets, publishers and agents, contests and grant opportunities. Give it a look at http://fundsforwriters.com
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My new book, Shoes Full of Sand, is available on Kindle right now and can be preordered at Amazon.com or directly from me at suelick@charter.net.
While you’re buying books, have you gotten your copy of Freelancing for Newspapers? It’s available in paperback and on Kindle and loaded with useful information for all kinds of writing.
>What makes bad clips?
Posted: September 21, 2010 Filed under: clips, queries, writing samples 1 Comment »>We were talking last week about clips—samples of your published work–and how to send them. Clips are essential to getting assignments. No wise editor will take on a new writer without seeing a sample of her work. If you have never published anything, they may ask you to send a manuscript or to write a piece for them without guaranteeing that they’ll publish it.
But let’s say you have published something and you’re choosing clips to send out. You want to pick the best clips, the ones that you’re especially proud of. Ideally they will also have some connection to the story you’re pitching.
Unfortunately, some clips are not so good, and it’s not all your fault. For example:
• No byline or a misspelled byline. It happens. I have had editors leave out my name or mangle it so badly even my mother wouldn’t recognize it. That lessens the value of your clip. To help prevent this, always type your name in your manuscript as you want it to appear. These digitized days, stories get sent through the process only slightly altered. No one retypes them, and the editor may not notice the byline isn’t there. Protect yourself and make sure your byline is right under the title/headline of your story.
• Bad editing. Most editors are good, but sometimes they ruin your clip with editing that turns good writing into bad or fact into fiction. Ask to see a copy of the edited version before it goes to print. Your wish may not be granted, but always ask. It only takes a minute for them to e-mail you a copy, and you can save a lot of grief.
• Stupid headlines, stupid art, stupid pull quotes or sidebars. We have only minimal control over these editorial decisions, but you can help by making suggestions. Give your story a strong headline, supply or suggest good art, possible quotes and effective sidebars.
• Big dumb ads next to your story. You can’t do anything about the ads that show up with your words, but when you assemble your clips, you can cut out the ads and scan the story without them.
A couple more points:
Old clips are not as good as new clips. Send the best and most recent work you have. But if everything you have is old, send it and don’t say anything about the date it was published.
Everyone tells you to study the publication before you submit anything. The main reason is so that what you send will be appropriate. But another good reason is to make sure you want your work to appear there. Don’t wait until you’re published to discover you’re embarrassed to have your work in that publication. Would you be proud to show off that clip?
As always, your questions and comments are welcome.
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Have you purchased your copy of Freelancing for Newspapers yet?
>Got clips?
Posted: September 17, 2010 Filed under: CanoScan, clips, Freelancing for Newspapers, queries, scanners 1 Comment »>Queries and clips go together like bagels and cream cheese. When you approach a new editor with an idea, he or she is going to ask to see samples of your published work. If you have never published anything, then the best you can do is offer to send a finished manuscript. But once you have published, you’ll want to send clips.
Ideally those clips will be your best work and be related to what you are proposing to write. If you’re querying for an article about dogs and all you have is that piece you wrote on baby quilts, go ahead and send it, but if you have something about dogs, that’s the best.
Now how do you do it? Back in the olden days, people sent “tear sheets,” pages torn out of the actual magazine or newspaper, along with their letter and SASE. Then we got good photocopiers, and we could send copies. I have done that for many years. In fact, I have a file drawer stuffed with alphabetized copies of past published work.
However, the world has changed. We’ve gone digital. Most newspapers and magazines and certainly all web zines want queries and clips sent by e-mail. It’s hard to send a piece of paper through cyberspace.
So what do we do? We computerize our clips. If your article was published online, you can make note of the URL and include it in your query. But you can’t count on that article always being there, so copy it into your own file. I use the Adobe PDF program, but there are others. Search online.
If your article is only on paper, have it scanned onto a CD or flash drive, or onto your hard drive. For a long time, I rarely needed to do this, but the world has gone digital. I recently bought my own scanner (Canon CanoScan 8800F). It’s a complicated beast, and I’m still figuring it out, but I have already put some of my best clips on my hard drive, so next time I send out an e-query, I can send my e-clips. I can also clean out that file drawer.
Some editors still work by snail mail, so do keep paper copies, if you have them, or be ready to print out your computerized file, but first priority is to get them into your computer.
A writer’s clips are essential tools. Keep them handy and ready to send out with your great ideas.
Questions and comments encouraged.
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Have you purchased your copy of Freelancing for Newspapers yet?
>Ever Try a Q and A?
Posted: July 1, 2008 Filed under: interviews, Q and A articles, queries 3 Comments »>Interviews published as question-and-answer pieces are popular these days. You see a lot of them in newspapers and magazines. As a writer, I feel they’re a copout because they don’t require you to put the whole picture together as a real story with setting, dialogue and beginning, middle and end, but as a reader, I enjoy them. Why? They’re easy to read.
How do you do them? Record the interview, type it out and turn it in? Nope. I tried that the first time I got a Q and A assignment. The editor bounced it right back. She said: This is an educated man, but he doesn’t sound like it here. I want you to smooth out the language, remove the excess verbiage, and generally edit it to read better. Gasp. Change what the man said? That’s not kosher in other types of articles. But yes, that’s what the editor wanted, and I suspect that’s what most editors ask for in a Q and A. After all, few of us speak in perfect sentences unless we’re reciting a memorized speech.
So, transcribe the recording, but then use it as the raw material for your piece, revising and rearranging to make it work. Usually you’ll have pages more than you need, so you’ll have to pick the quotes that offer the most value to the readers.
How do you get Q and A assignments? First, look for newspapers or sections of newspapers that use them. If they never publish a question-and-answer piece, they’re not going to start a new trend for you. But if they do use them, come up with an appropriate subject and e-mail them a query. If time is short, say George Clooney is going to be in town for one day–and they cover things like visiting movie stars–telephone the editor. He’ll probably still want to see a written query, but you can save yourself some time by asking if he’d be interested.
If you’ve never done a Q and A before, start looking for them and studying how they’re put together. What kinds of questions are asked and how many questions are there? How much introduction precedes the questions? Try doing an interview and putting it into Q and A form just for practice. Who knows? You may be a natural at it.
>Mine stories? Query now
Posted: August 17, 2007 Filed under: Freelancing for Newspapers, op-ed pieces, queries Leave a comment »>The news is full of the Utah mining disaster. If you happen to have any connection, special knowledge or story ideas about mining and mining disasters, e-mail your query to your newspaper of choice immediately. You don’t have to be in Utah. If you’re in another area that has underground mines, I’m sure people will be thinking about their safety, just as when the bridge collapsed in Minnesota, officials in every state started looking at their own bridges.
If you’re not up for an article, how about an opinion piece? One question that nags me is how much people should risk their own lives in emergency situations, especially when the people they’re seeking are probably dead. Should they go into the mine? Should they dive into the polluted water to look for bodies in the cars that came off the bridge? Should they go into a building that’s about to collapse? Who makes the decision to stop or to keep going and how do they live with that decision? Look at all the people who died trying to save victims of the 9/11 attacks. Now some of the rescuers who survived are sick from all the junk they breathed in. I don’t have the answers, but these questions could become excellent op-ed pieces. Again, don’t wait. News gets stale fast.
Here’s are a couple other questions: Hundreds of people died in the earthquake in Peru. More than 200 people were killed in Iraq the same day. How come CNN went on and on for hours about the 9 people hurt in the mine? And why were they so obsessed with knowing which miners went to which hospitals? Meanwhile, the streamers under the main screen told of terrible death and destruction elsewhere–which good old Anderson Cooper didn’t even mention. What does that say about the priorities of our news providers?
Thoughts to ponder.
Sue
