Summary

The web content provides guidance on how to successfully pitch feature ideas to magazines and turn it into a profitable venture.

Abstract

Writing for magazines can be a lucrative side gig, especially for those with specialized knowledge. The article outlines the process of pitching ideas to magazine editors, emphasizing the importance of presenting a compelling pitch that aligns with the publication's audience and timing it with relevant events or seasons. It suggests providing images with copyright clearance and maintaining records of pitches for future use. The piece also advises on the lead times for different types of publications and the rarity of magazines accepting speculative submissions, recommending to always query first. It concludes with a call to follow the author for more advice and a shout-out to Katie Michaelson for the pitching topic suggestion.

Opinions

The author believes that writing for magazines is rewarding and can be a beneficial side job, particularly for those with niche expertise.
A compelling pitch should explain why the writer is the best choice for the story and how it fits the publication's readership, including a 'hook' to make it timely and relevant.
The article suggests that persistence in pitching ideas can lead to commissions and that recycling ideas can be effective during less inspired periods.
It is noted that most publications prefer to receive pitches rather than completed articles on spec, with a mention of 'The Oldie' as an exception in the UK.
The author encourages writers to look for submission guidelines online and to write articles only after receiving a commission, unless the publication explicitly requests speculative submissions.
The author offers additional resources for writers seeking to make money through writing, including links to their other articles and books.

How to Sell Feature Ideas to Magazines

And make money, obviously

Writing for magazines can be very rewarding. It’s a nice sideline for many people, especially if you have a specialist niche or knowledge that editors value.

A lot of academics and trade professionals write journal articles to support their professional roles. Model Railway enthusiasts write for ‘Model Railways Monthly’, and your local white witch might write for ‘The Pagan Journal’.

I made those up, but you get my gist! 😁

If you’re interested in approaching a magazine or journal editor, here’s how to proceed…

A compelling pitch

Email the editorial team outlining your idea, why you’re the best person to write the story, and why you think it would suit their publication. Why would the publication’s readers enjoy it? Provide a ‘hook’ — a link to an upcoming event, season, or newsy topic. This will make it current and newsworthy.

Make the idea compelling. Be able to provide pictures if you can (copyright cleared, obviously). With any luck, you’ll get a commission if you keep doing this repeatedly, and for long enough!

Many monthly print publications have six-month lead times, so you need to be thinking about new year features in July, and Christmas features in June.

Weeklies have a shorter lead time of perhaps three months. It varies between publications. The daily press can theoretically get your time-sensitive stories in more quickly, but they don’t always publish as quickly as you might think.

Keep a copy

When I write a pitch, I keep a copy of it and record who I’ve sent it to, so that when I’m uninspired, I can return to my previous ideas and see if I can use them to generate more work. I have hundreds of pages of ideas that I recycle with every new season.

In terms of sending completed articles on spec, there are a handful of magazines that ask for articles to be submitted on spec. Most prefer to receive queries first.

In the UK, ‘The Oldie’ accepts speculative submissions. Their guidelines are here. But don’t hold your breath for a response!

Look online for submission guidelines for the publication you want to write for. If they don’t specifically ask for articles on spec, then the rule of thumb is to send the idea only, and not write the article until you receive a commission.

Good luck!

For more writing advice, follow me or check out my books.

Shout out to Katie Michaelson who suggested I write about how to pitch to magazines.