Starting at the Very Beginning
Thursday, October 1, 2009 ...because, as Julie Andrews would say, it's a very good place to start.
Question of the day: When submitting to a magazine, do I send the completed article? And do I send it out to several places at once or wait until I hear back from one to send to another?
To answer the first question: no, no, no! :) Please, do not write up an entire article and submit it to editors, this is the mark of a newbie. Editors want to hear the strongest, most persuasive nugget as to why the yet-to-be-written article should be assigned, and then, from there, you'll write it. Why? For one, they may want to tweak your idea/your angle, but for two, every magazine has a slightly different slant, and an editor wants to be sure that an article is written just for the mag. For three, it's a waste of your time to write an entire article on the very off-chance that an editor will buy it, and for four, working with editors is a collaboration - you don't just hand them the finished product without an input on their part. Frankly, I'm sure that there are dozens of other reasons you don't submit a completed article, but you get the idea. Write up the best possible pitch - with detailed, interesting, specific research, and that's enough for now.
The exception to this rule is essays, which for the most part, are usually completed before submission, op-eds, and to the best of my knowledge (though I don't write for this genre, so I could be wrong), travel stories. Other than that, stick with a query.
Should you simultaneously submit? Well, this is tricky. When I was actively pitching magazines, I tended not to, for a few reasons. 1) I had relationships with these editors, and so, not only would they usually get back to me pretty quickly (and thus give me time to get it out to someone else if they passed), but I also didn't want to risk pissing one of them off. It wasn't worth it when I could wait a week or so to hear back. 2) Even if they took longer than a week to get back to me, most of my pitches weren't time-sensitive, so it's not as if I had real justification - other than the ants in my pants - to send it along to multiple places. If it WERE time-sensitive, I would have written that in my pitch and said I hoped to hear back asap. Then, if I didn't hear back, no one could be annoyed that I moved along to someone else. 3) Like it or not, unlike agent queries, in which multiple submissions are actually encouraged, multiple submissions are frowned upon in the mag world.
NOW, that said, if you're just starting out, would I tell you absolutely not to query to a few different places? No. The odds of two outlets assigning a piece to a newbie (to them) writer are pretty slim, to be honest, so I don't think - except in very unusual circumstances - that you'd be faced with two editors clamoring for the same piece. Additionally, a freelancer obviously always needs to look out for number one, and if getting a few clips and making a little $$$ is your primary goal, well, then, go for it. A safer route might be to pitch different angles on the same idea to non-competing mags: don't pitch XYZ to Self, Shape and Fitness, but sure, pitch it to Self and Men's Health because no one will really care if you find a way to make it unique for both of them.
Any freelancers out there want to weigh in on this tricky situation?
Magazines
Reader Comments (5)
Now I have Do-Re-Mi playing in my head :) I agree -- don't submit the whole thing. Go the query route. I understand why some folks struggle to submit one at a time -- because it can take a while for the editor to get back to you. It may be easier to come up with many queries and submit them over time -- that way you you'll hear back spread out (at least, that's the hope!). It'll be tough in the beginning. I like your suggestion to pitch different angles of the same story -- that's the safest bet.
Miss Allison,
You are such a wonderful resource for those starting out in the writing world. These magazine tips are spot on! Query correctly all the way. How easy it would be for you to take your success and keep it to yourself. Thanks for being the outlet that is much needed in the freelance world.
I think it's very valuable that you advise not to write the article first, but to hone the query so that it reflects one's knowledge of the subject.
I agree, pitch the idea first -- but don't let that stop you from gathering information and doing research. If the first publication you pitch your idea to turns you down, you might have found out something new that makes it a better pitch for a different magazine.
One other suggestion I'd make if people are trying to break into the freelance market would be to pitch ideas to the alumni magazine market. Those publications are almost always looking for writers who are willing to spend a good chunk of time on a piece -- often a feature on an alum -- and it will get your feet wet. Another bonus is that editors of alumni magazines often have other connections in the industry, and it's a quick way to network.
Agree with your advice. Another way to break in is to write personal essays. Because you write the whole essay first and then submit it, it's a way to show off your writing and a great clip to get you started with if it ends up being published. Or you can write for a local alternative weekly newspaper and work your way up from there. Both of these tactics helped me get started with my writing career.