Creating Magazine Articles: A Manual For Freelance Writers
As a budding freelance writer, it is only natural if you have the desire to write articles for one or more magazines. After all, you stand to benefit from having your articles published with your bylines and also receiving compensation for the good job done. It is not always easy to break into the business of writing articles for magazines but it can be done. The first step towards achieving this feat is ensuring that you know how to effectively craft pieces of nonfiction that sell. If you are not too confident of your skills, this article will help you with a few tips that should get you started as a magazine article freelance writer. Read on.
- Get an idea: This can be achieved by channelling your attention towards topics or issues you have hands-on experience on or enjoy. For example, if you are a nurse, you can get magazine article ideas from daily issues you encounter at the clinic. “10 Helpful Tips To Prevent Diseases” can be your chosen topic based on your expertise. This does not mean you cannot write on other topics you are not familiar with, especially if you have good research skills and always ready to explore. Watching interviews is also known to help you create ideas on topics you can write on.
- Create a new angle: There is the possibility that the topic you want to write on has already been published by a good number of other freelance writers. What do you do in such case? Simply present your article from a whole new angle. A good example is an article on how to stick to your New Year’s resolutions. Yes, it has been written severally but you can add a new twist to the tips and it becomes something new.
- Know your target audience: This is very important if you wish to make a head-start in the magazine world. If there is a particular market you are targeting, read some copies of a particular magazine, based on different issues. This will help you get a feel of their writing style and the audience they cater for. With the information found, you can then make needed changes to your idea so you can better cater for the intended audience. This is when you check out the magazine’s writers’ guidelines and send in your query. If accepted, you move to the next step.
- Research, research, research: This is where the major work of a freelance writer lies. Ensure that your researches are carried out through legitimate sources. If possible, depending on the topic chosen, you can arrange for interviews with the right experts on the topic. Including quotes in an article has a unique way of adding more authority to your piece, especially magazine features.
Other helpful tips include the following:
- Create outlines, breaking down the article into bits with headings and sub-headings.
- Start with a compelling opening paragraph which is called the lead.
- Craft the body of the article
- Let the article rest for a few days and revise for spelling and grammar errors
- Submit your articles, ensuring that you beat the deadline