How to Get Your Work Published in Magazines

And why you should try to get published

Whether you’ve been writing for a while or are just getting started, you may be wondering how to get your work published in magazines. Please keep in mind that some magazines pay writers and others do not.

I’ve had my work published in Oxygen Magazine, IMPACT Magazine, STRONG Fitness Magazine, Canadian Running and many other fitness and personal development publications. Therefore, I’m going to share what has worked for me so far.

Writing for magazines doesn’t automatically mean that you will be rolling in money but it will still be beneficial to your career as a writer, or help you become an authority in your niche.

Whether you get paid for it or not, getting your work published in magazines gives you a number of benefits:

1. You will gain credibility in your niche. The more credible you are, the more likely you will be able to sell your products and services. Ultimately, you will end up making more money.
2. You will gain access to more members of your target audience. Each magazine has their own audience and you will gain exposure. More eyes will see your content.
3. You will develop new connections and new opportunities will present themselves. Getting your work published will lead to more opportunities for writing, speaking, and coaching within your niche (if that’s your goal).

Ultimately, getting published will lead you to making more money in your field as well as selling more of your products and services. People are more likely to trust your content if they see your work in a popular publication that’s relevant to your niche.

So, how do you actually get your work published in magazines?

First, you need to be clear on your niche and the magazines you want to be published in. You should make a list of all the publications that you would like to contribute to.

You must regularly read the magazines that you want to contribute to so you get familiar with the content they are looking for.

I read the magazines that I contributed to for many years prior to actually being published in them. I studied the kind of content they published.

Second, you must build relationships with the editorial staff from those magazines. I sought out conferences and expos where the editors would. Then, I walked up to them and introduced myself. If you can meet the editor of your target publication in person and you hit it off, you will be in a much better position to submit your work to him/her.

For example, I attended Fitposium (now known as Get Published Live) for the first time in 2018, which resulted in my work getting published in Oxygen Magazine. Since my niche is fitness, it was appropriate for me to attend that conference and it was definitely money well spent. I connected with the Oxygen Magazine editor at that conference and learned what she was looking for. She actually told me what she was looking for. Then, I was able to submit my work.

When you develop a meaningful connection with an editor, your pitch is more likely to get read.

Another thing you have to recognize is that editors are very busy and they often have tight deadlines. Therefore, you should keep your pitch short and to the point. They don’t need to know your entire life story.

If you can become a trustworthy expert in your niche, someone who is able to meet deadlines, the publications will be more likely to want to keep working with you.

Unfortunately, a lot of people go wrong because they try to sell or pitch too early in the relationship or without first learning what the magazine is looking for.

Magazines always need relevant content that’s valuable to their readers. Therefore, your pitch has to be structured in a way that benefits them more than it benefits you.

As long as you can prove to the editor that your content is valuable and useful to their readers, your pitch will get read.

If you truly want to write for magazines, focus on delivering value and not stroking your ego. You will get more responses to your pitches and build long-lasting relationships with the editors.

Ultimately, earning media will help you get more sales.

What magazines would you like to write for? Drop them in the comments :)

P.S. If you need help with earning media, especially if you are in the wellness niche, I’m available as a consultant. I’ve been through the process multiple times and I would love to help you get there. Feel free to contact me here so we can work on a game plan for you.