Right From The Editor's Mouth: What She Wants

Of course we spend time thinking about how to make articles more appealing to editors. Common sense (and a thousand writing books) say to write to the interests of imagined "readers," or on topics and in styles requested by publications.

But the email I received today from the editor of a regional parenting publication suggests a whole different criteria for how to pick good-selling article topics:

"Articles that lend themselves to being a "sell-around" for advertising are usually of greater interest. So, anything that would generate a business to advertise on an adjacent page would be great. An example may be a Tutoring Center, Children's Book or Craft Store, etc. for the article you will be sending." 

I'm not suggesting anybody should write articles simply to sell advertising space, and am not sure how I feel about this editor asking for articles in this way...but do appreciate her honesty. And also wonder now:  how many publishers of these RPP's and other publications don't say anything, but also look for topics that will appeal to advertisers?

If I have a helpful and informative article, and adding in a related sidebar or paragraph to sell ad space makes it more tempting to business-savvy publishers, I'm okay with that.

How about you?

Linklove,
Colleen

Related Posts:

My Emails With An Editor
Writer's Agreement (aka, They Want The Article!...Now What?)
Avoid Turning Off A Busy Editor
Tip:  A Simple Way To Start A Relationship With An Editor

An Experiment: Can You Mass Email Regional Parenting Magazines?

Emailing a simultaneous submission to 100+ different editors takes time. So last month, I channeled my physicist husband and experimented. Instead of emailing each editor individually and addressing them by name, I blind copied all of the editors in one email and nixed the "Dear Susan" line.

The result:  it's a month later, and I haven't heard back from any of them. Not even the one really sweet editor in New Jersey, who a few years ago always took the time to thank me - even when she couldn't use an article. 

Now, I know the mass email technique works for some writers, and the lack of responses could be just a coincidence. But I'd usually have heard back from at least two editors by now. I have a feeling that you need to be regularly submitting selling articles to editors before they trust that you're a professional. Then maybe they'll be willing to overlook standard etiquette.

Until that happens, it's back to the 100-emails grind.

Related Posts:
My Emails with an Editor

Writer's Agreement (aka, They Want the Article! Now What?)
Avoid Turning Off a Busy Editor:  Ask These Questions...
A Chat With a Successful Freelancer (the Art of the...
Rewrite, Reuse, Recycle Your Articles
Simultaneous Submissions Dilemma, Take 2

Rewrite, Reuse, Recycle

Note:  the original version of this post was published in 2008. 

How do we manage a lack of writing time? The same way we manage our paper and plastic:  reuse, rewrite, and recycle.

Rewrite:  Sell the Same Topic to Multiple Markets

There's nothing like double dipping to get the most out of your research. For example, I just did research for an article about "Preparing Your Child for Preschool." While doing that reading and interviewing, I learned about more than preschool prep. I also found out about ways to 1)help children handle the first day of preschool, and 2)help older children settle into a new school. These are two additional articles that I already have most of the information to write.

I used to do this more often when I had freelance clients who took up a lot of my writing time. I'd write the article for them, and afterwards, use the same research to slant it towards other markets I was interested in.  With the research already done and the writing foundation laid, it takes a lot less time to rewrite the additional articles.

This morning I brought Linda, the freelance writer I've been working with, an article I'd written for an insurance website. It's called "Summer Barbecue Safety." (not exactly a seat-of-your-pants topic, huh?) She suggested I now rewrite it, angling it towards parents who want to protect their kids and home from burns and fire; and then rewrite it again by getting some quotes from a couple of BBQ manufacturers & fire officials, and pitch it to magazines. While it's probably too late to pitch a summer BBQ article, I can think of several other articles I've already written that can be reworked this way.

Doing this reduces the time spent researching and writing three different articles from scratch, and makes it easier to keep up the continuous pitching.

Reuse:  Submit Your Reprints 

Why is it we always feel we need to produce new content for it to be valuable? There are tons of publications out there that take reprints. In fact, the regional parenting markets I submit to assume I'm sending them reprints, unless I specifically tell them otherwise.

As long as the article was initially published with first rights only, and you disclose that it's a reprint when submitting to a market that accepts reprints, there's no reason the same piece you published years ago can't generate current clips - and cash. Just make sure the new publication accepts reprints.

Recycle:  Update Old Articles with Timely Info

And speaking of old articles - even if aspects of the articles are outdated, who says you can't make use of previous research by recycling the old material into newer, updated articles? In scanning one of my old articles, I found that only the web listings had to be changed; on another, I needed to replace a few paragraphs - but the rest is fine as is.

Between research and writing, I usually spend three to five hours on one article, so I saved most of that time simply by sifting through old work.

If you've already sold exclusive rights to an old article, you can use still recycle it into a new submission. Use the content to write completely new articles with a different spin. And save research time in the process.

Over 200 Parenting Markets. For FreEEEee to One Subscriber

While many writers draw the line at sharing market listings they've spent EONS of time collecting and organizing, there are a few generous writers who are even willing to share that - and I can't believe I was lucky enough to find one.

Kerrie McLoughlin has been published in over 100 regional parenting magazines, and is one of those generous Teachers who goes out of her way to help other writers, posting writers guidelines updates on her blog and answering emailed questions at all hours of the day and night (although with 5 young children, day and night may have merged at this point). Oh, and she's also put everything she's learned along with over 200 parenting markets in an ebook called Get Published in Parenting and Family Magazines:  Get Paid to Write About Your Kids.

• Want the names of 100 regional parenting magazines, along with editor names, emails, pay rates and writer's guidelines? In the book. 
• Detailed advice and information about how to submit parenting articles? In the book. 
• A successful writer's cover letters, invoices, and submissions trackers? Yep, you guessed it. 

In May I'll be giving away one copy of Get Published in Parenting and Family Magazines to one of Kickstart's email subscribers. If you're interested and not yet subscribed by email, remember to do so before the May 31st giveaway. If you don't want to wait, it's available here (no, I'm not an affiliate. It's just that good).

linklove,
Colleen

Simultaneous Submissions Dilemma, Take 2

The nationals make it clear that they won’t take simultaneous submissions. But there’s a grey area when it comes to regional parenting magazines. While they’ll take simultaneous submissions, they also require “regional exclusivity” – which means they don’t care if you sell the same article to dozens of other publications - as long as nobody else in their area of circulation publishes it. So the question is, should you simultaneously submit your piece to publications in the same region?

Here’s what happened to a writing friend of mine:  she submitted her article to dozens of parenting magazines that took simultaneous submissions, and it was accepted by magazine #1 (who hoo!). The editor of that magazine asked that she not sell the article to any other publications in the same region – a standard request that ensures readers won’t see the same article in two different local papers. She agreed, and didn’t sell it to anyone else in the area. Or so she thought.

As they sometimes do, an editor at magazine #2 published her story without giving her a formal acceptance or any heads up. And it just so happened that magazine #1 and magazine #2 were in the same region. Needless to say, editor #1 was very upset, and ended up blacklisting the writer from future submissions – despite her attempts to explain what happened.

But should the writer have been on the hook?

This story and others like it had convinced me and others to avoid the problem - and the question - by only sending simultaneous submissions to magazines in different regions. However, doing so also means reducing the markets for any one article by about 1/3.

And so it makes sense to find a way around the dilemma, without jeapardizing relationships with editors. Some ideas:

• I recently sent an article to ALL of the parenting markets I have, and added a safeguard to the cover letter, specifically asking editors to “please let me know if you would like to purchase this article so that I can ensure regional exclusivity.” 

• I've also read advice suggesting that if you simultaneously submit and then get an acceptance, to send an email notifying involved publications that you're withdrawing your submission because it's been accepted elsewhere. However, I've only seen this advice in relation to poetry/creative writing publications.

What do you think? Do you follow the rules when it comes to simultaneous submissions?

Have you found additional ways to ensure regional exclusivity?

Savvy or Stupid?: Submit 3 Articles as a Series

When editors (of regional parenting publications) like a piece, they'll sometimes ask me for a list of other articles I've written - and suddenly, one article acceptance turns into two or more.

So what I'm considering doing with my next three submissions is offering them as a "summer series." This would give editors a preview of other similar articles their readers might be interested in, and guaranteed content for three months in a row. It's great for me too, because I might sell three articles in the time it takes to submit one, and get to contribute to one publication for several months.

It sure sounds good, but I haven't been able to find any information about submitting series to regional newspapers. So, an experiment it is.

I'll post on this again next month, hopefully with some good news!

Parenting Markets. As in 50. With links!

While searching for more places to submit my articles, I stumbled upon the motherload - a list of 50 markets with links. I've started visiting the different sites to get submission/guidelines info, and while not all of the links or publications are useful...who cares?!

It's a list of 50 markets with links. That you don't have to dredge up from the google depths. One keyword search after another. Thank you, generous freelance writer.

Tip: A Simple Way to Start a Relationship With an Editor

Today an editor emailed me with a simple question. At the end of the email, she included her phone number and said I could call her if I preferred the phone to email.

While my instinct was to email her so I wouldn't bug her with a call, my freelance writing mentor Linda suggested that I call instead. That way, the editor would hear my voice, and our relationship would form quicker. (I ended up getting her voicemail. But hey - she still got to hear my voice)

Linda's tip: be friendly, but keep the call under 5 minutes.

Avoid Turning Off a Busy Editor: Ask These Questions Before Sending That Email

When is it okay to ask for an editor's time and help? Below are questions I've used to reduce my 'nuisance' levels and determine the difference between:


Being a nuisance and turning off a busy editor
vs.
Being a professional and following up


If I do nothing, could the ball be dropped?
Let's say you fax something and don't hear back for several days. While following up to confirm that a fax has been received is adding to an editor's call volume and could be considered a nuisance - in general, it's just good business to make sure the ball hasn't been dropped on either end.

Can I find this info somewhere else, or is the editor the only person who can fully answer it for me?
Some might question how wise it is to ask newspaper editors for overlapping readership info, since it requires work on the editors' end and writers can find some of this info online. However, there's no way a writer can be 100% certain of what readerships overlap. Editors should already know this information and be okay with sharing it in order to ensure that they maintain exclusive use in their region.

How can I save the editor extra work?
Can things be done to save the editor additional emails or phone calls? For example, when confirming the fax was received, forego the phone call and sent a quick confirmation email instead. Ask the editor to respond only if she didn't get the fax, piece, etc.

My Emails with an Editor

It's one thing to read about setting prices and granting rights. It's another thing to actually deal with an editor. Suddenly a dozen small questions cross your mind. Some of those questions are answered by my below email exchange with an editor. Responses are based on advice from Linda, a freelancer who's written for regional parenting magazines, Family Circle, Women's World, and others.

Hi Colleen, These are some cute ideas! Thanks for sending them. How much would you charge to reprint this piece? Would you grant web-posting rights as well as print rights? I might be interested in publishing it in a future issue. Best,
If the editor asks what you charge, acknowledge budget issues and ask what their standard rate is. Once she'd been writing articles for awhile, Linda started asking what the "high end" of their budget was.

Hi Susan, Great! Both print rights and nonexclusive web rights are available. I realize you're working on a budget, and hoped you could give me an idea of your standard pay range. Thanks,
She used my first name, so I used hers.

Thanks for getting back to me. For something this length, we’d usually pay $35, payable on publication. (i.e., if we were not able to run this, I would not purchase it.) Would we be able to get geographic exclusivity in the north/central region? Let me know your thoughts! Thanks so much. Best,
Ask editors if they have overlapping readership to ensure you don't make a mistake and send an article to regionally close publications.

No question, you would have geographic exclusivity; I haven't submitted to any other publications in the state to ensure there is no overlapping readership. If you end up publishing the article, I'd love it if you could let me know what overlapping readerships you do have. Your usual payment is in line with my standard pay rate. Of course if the piece doesn't run, I wouldn't expect payment. Thanks,

At this point, I'm hoping the editor will let me know if/when she's going to use it. They may  just print it and send a check. That works, too. :)

Writer's Agreement (aka They Want the Article!...Now What?)

You're sitting there on the sofa, dutifully copying writer's guidelines of regional parenting magazines off the net and pasting them into your word document when the phone rings. At the other end of the line is a real, live editor interested in your article (yippee!). You know that she's already got your name, address, phone and email info. Isn't that it?

In fact, there's this form she needs filled out before she can print your article. It looks like this:

In order to use a freelance writer's work, we must have a copy of this writer's agreement on file. Please complete this form and return it.

Complete: Name; Mailing Address; Telephone; Email; Social Security Number

All articles submitted are subject to editing for style, clarity and space considerations.

In purchasing North American serial rights, we reserve the right to publish a piece one time in the publication and on our website, now and in the future.

If a piece is posted on our website, it will appear during the month the article is published.

By signing this agreement, you are giving us exclusive rights in the county market to the articles we purchased and thus, you will not be able to sell the same article within 6 months to any other local, free magazines in the county area.

Writers will receive a tear sheet and check upon publication of your work.

Writer's signature & date:

Note: the editor said they don't need my social security number, and the freelancer I've been working with said she never gives it out until her article is accepted, even when they specifically ask for it on submission forms.

Six Great Things About Regional Parenting Magazine Submissions

Here are six reasons why it's a great idea to write for regional parenting magazines:

1. You Can Simultaneously Submit the Same Article to 50+ Regional Publications, and Most Won't Care
Any poor sap who's had to telemarket (ahem) will tell you that getting a "yes" is a numbers game. Knowing this, there's nothing more frustrating than pouring your time into an article...and then submitting it to o-n-e publication. And waiting through six months of torture. As said article hangs in the Black Hole of No Response.

Enter:  regional parenting magazines.

Most don't care whether your article is printed somewhere else too - as long as you don't submit it to another paper in their area that might have the same readers, known as an overlapping readership. (Of course, it's a good idea to check their writer's guidelines to confirm this. There are always exceptions). In general, I'll submit an article to about 15 markets across the US and get back two acceptances. If I weren't so lazy was more aggressive, I could look up more markets and submit to more, for more acceptances.

2. Your Article Can Be Printed by 50+ Papers At The Same Time, & You Can Get Paid By Them All. At The Same Time!
It's true that their payout doesn't compare to, say, the glossies. In general, each one pays me between $25 - $50 per article. But if you have a very appealing article and are willing to do your work as far as finding markets, that figure is easily multiplied. In fact, my writing mentor told me the story about a man who sold one article every year, once a year, to hundreds of newspapers throughout the US. He made ~$20K just from his annual hot air balloon article. !

3. Publication & Editor Information Is Fairly Easy to Find
http://www.newspapers.com/ provides a list of newspapers for every state and includes links to their individual websites. Many have "staff" pages that list editors' names and departments, and some also have writer's guidelines.

Here's where the work comes in:  some of this information is missing or outdated, and it's not unusual to email a submission just to get it back as "undeliverable". At that point, it's more than okay to call the newspaper and ask for the name and email address of the editor in charge of ______.

*UPDATE 5/2012: I recently discovered an ebook listing over 100 regional parenting markets. (No, I'm not an affliate. It's just that good.)

4. Submission Guidelines Are Pretty Standard
So far, I've found submission information to be pretty standard: paste the article, single-spaced, within the email. While some suggest also sending the article as an attachment to ensure the editor gets it, I shy away from this because so many people worry about downloading viruses from unknown (and even known) email addresses.

A tip from the freelancer I spoke to this week: include your snail mail address in the email, because some papers simply print the article without telling you beforehand, and then mail a check. (Again, this is for regional parenting publications.)

5. Once They've Published One Of Your Articles, They're Likely To Publish Another 
They're always looking for new content, and this "pond" is smaller than in the glossy magazine industry. If you're writing for a local publication, residency and local knowledge is already on your side.

If you are chasing the glossies, that's even more reason to write for regional parenting magazines:  publish enough articles on a topic in enough papers, and you'll hold more weight when pitching that same topic to a magazine.

Related Posts:    My Emails with an Editor
                         Writer's Agreement (aka, They Want the Article! Now What?)
                         Avoid Turning Off a Busy Editor:  Ask These Questions...
                         Parenting Markets. As in 50. With Links!
                         A Chat With a Successful Freelancer (the Art of the...
                         Rewrite, Reuse, Recycle Your Articles
                         

The Art of How-To Writing for Regional Parenting Magazines

I recently met up with a freelancer who paid her kids' way through school with freelance income AND has been published in Women's World, Parenting, and enough other women's magazines to make me sufficiently jealous...and very attentive. Linda said that one of her steady markets has been regional newspapers and magazines. She wrote mainly parenting articles, and discovered that many of the family/parenting publications favor "how to" articles with a certain format and style:

The Art of the How-To Article
The articles Linda writes typically run around 700 words (the lower word counts start at 500 and go up to 1000 on the high end). The pay is around $25 to $50 each, which isn't a lot, BUT-- many regional publications take reprints and usually don't care if the article is published elsewhere, as long as the regions don't overlap. (For example, you can send an article to a publication in Fairfield County, CT, and another to Litchfield County, CT...but not to two different papers that BOTH publish in Fairfield County, because their readership might be the same.)

• Begin the Article with an Intro Paragraph  This can be as short as a sentence (but usually longer), and lets readers know what the spin is (i.e., "Earth Day is the perfect time to think about ways you can save energy--your own energy.") The last sentence introduces the list of tips. For example, "Below are a few fun and easy writing activities to try on your next road trip."  

• List Several Tips  List between three to five tips. Too few tips, and the article appears stingy; too many, and you'll either have too long of an article, or sections that are too short and not meaty enough. Each "tip" should have its own section with a header that plays off your article title. If the piece is about getting kids interested in gardening, and titled, "Grow a Gardener," one heading might be, "Weed Out Their Least Favorite Duties".  Each section should be about the same length, and when possible, flow logically into the next section. References to books or websites are bonus items that editors will appreciate

• Add a Concluding Paragraph at the End

• Include a Sidebar  This should average about 100 words, and offer information NOT covered in the article. For an article about science activities to do at home, the sidebar might mention a list of kids' science websites, or recommended science kits. This is also a good place to add the local touch that many regional magazines want.