Start by really reading the magazine. With this, I mean going beyond the articles and analyzing every aspect of that publication. Open up to the beginning and take a look at the cover. What volume and issue number is it? The volume number tells you how many years the magazine has been publishing, the issue number tells you how many have been issued this year. Newer publications have a greater need for freelanced material.

Sometimes, the focus of the magazine is on the cover, in small print (Parents: “America’s #1 Family Magazine;” American Baby: “For Expectant and New Parents”). Pay special attention to the headlines. These tell you what kind of articles the editors like to run and what they expect to see in submissions. Is this a magazine with a tips emphasis or with meatier topics?

Take Parents, for example. The cover of the July 1999 issue reads: “Teaching Manners in a Rude World,” “Buy the Best Stroller,” “Discipline for Every Age.” That same month, American Baby ran these headlines: “Down with Diaper Rash,” “Why Parents Argue” and “Get Your Body Back After Baby.” The articles in American Baby are clearly related to new parent issues, while the emphasis in Parents is for advice that fits a wider range of children’s ages, addressing concerns of working and stay-at-home parents.

Open to the beginning pages and read the letter from the editor. This is a great place to determine the overall tone of the magazine, the types of contributors he has highlighted in this issue and the personality of the editor himself.

Move on to the profiles of the contributors for that issue. Are they experts in their field? Are they new freelancers? Many times, a short interview is included in this section, providing readers an inside look at how this particular article came to be.

Now compare the masthead (the list of staff members) with the bylines of the articles. Which sections did staff members do? How many pieces did the contributing editors (often hired as long-term, usually contracted, freelancers) write? Which articles did freelancers do?

Before you analyze the articles in the magazine, take a close look at the advertising. This will tell you an incredible amount about who reads this magazine. Are the advertisements geared to an upscale audience or middle-class people? Do you see more ads for household products or investment firms? What does this say about the average reader for this magazine?

Is the publication heavy on advertising and light on copy? Do the articles only use advertisers as resources for article interviews and profiles? Although this type of article seems more biased, it’s an economic reality for some publications that rely on their advertisers, more than newsstand sales, for income.

Now study the articles inside for tone and style. What words would you use to characterize it? Hip and irreverent? Serious and intellectual? Breezy and personal? This is the tone you should apply to all your submissions to that particular publication.

While the writer’s resource books provide wonderful overviews and detailed information on each market, nothing can replace studying the last few issues of a magazine. To be safe, you should study the last six issues, to see what material they have used in the past and to avoid duplicating a recently run article. This is a time-consuming practice but it is one that is most often skipped by writers. By studying a publication and matching your articles and queries to their needs, you’ll have a dramatic impact on your selling chances.

 

 

Let’s compare two magazines currently on the market that address similar audiences in slightly different ways, Family Circle and Woman’s Day. Starting with the cover of the October 3, 2000 issue, readers can see both magazines sell for the same price, publish issues every three weeks, and are targeted toward ordinary women. At first glance, there are a number of similarities. The key to selling to each is in finding those differences, whether minor or major.

·         Both cover tips-type articles, offering recipes, crafts, and organizing information. Woman’s Day has “5 Steps to a Stronger Family” while Family Circle has “The New Naturals: 25 Decorating Ideas.”

·         Family Circle is in its 68^th year while Woman’s Day is in its sixty-third. Ads are similar in both magazines; each offers a Website for readers to visit.

·         While both are filled with tip articles, the differentiation comes in the types of pieces carried. Family Circle leans toward profiles of women making a difference. Note the sections called “Women Who Make A Difference” and “Profiles in Love.” Woman’s Day is heavier on advice articles such as, “How to Make A Good Marriage Great” and “Is it More Than Just the Blues?”

·         Family Circle offers more personal essay columns, including a humor column, one on “Words to Live By” and one called “Full Circle.”

·         Family Circle is comprised of mini-magazine sections: “Consumer Guide” and “Family Answer Book.”

·         In terms of style, most Woman’s Day articles open with a first person account of the writer’s experience with the problem solved in the article. In Family Circle, introductions to articles are short, with the meat of the story divided into usable tips.

·         According to the resource guides, the best opportunities in Family Circle are found in the profile sections and personal essays. Woman’s Day buys more short pieces and tip-type articles from freelancers. A comparison of the masthead with the bylines confirms this information.

Learning to do an in-depth analysis of a magazine will take you a long way toward selling to that outlet. Over and over again, successful freelancers say they made sales only after learning the publications inside and out.

Excerpted from: How to Publish Your Articles: A Complete Guide to Making the Right Publication Say Yes, copyright 2001 by Shirley Kawa-Jump. No part of this excerpt may be reprinted, reproduced or distributed without express permission from the author.