We love to write. Period. And, when hired to to do super-duper fun projects, writing jobs even become more enjoyable. There are many tips and tricks though to have consistently good writing work whether you are submitting to a magazine or are already working for a publication and are on a deadline. In either situation, any writer should take note of the following guidelines.
- Follow your interests. When looking for submitting articles it is always important to write what you are passionate about. If you are interested in a particular topic this will show in your writing. Choose areas that include your expertise as publishers really look at in-depth, behind-the-scenes content.
- Choose angles wisely. This goes right along the lines of the behind-the-scenes comment above. Never write a general story. For example, if you speak with a winery owner vs. taking content off of their website, you may learn several things that are not already publicly known. Publishers also like submissions that tailor to their readers. Think what’s in it for the reader when your write.
- Research and create an outline. Even if you are an expert in your field, it never hurts to research the topic. Personally, I like to interview the owner of the business/subject. Included relevant sourcing whenever required too. Interviewing other experts is also another option. Create an outline based on the submission format required. For the magazine articles attached to this blog, a story is told followed by the business contact information. Also, make sure if photos/visuals are required that you ask early on before you deadline. You would be surprised how many people do not know that a website photo does not translate well to print.
- Last but not least, write! If there isn’t a submission format that you need to follow, feel free to get as creative as you want (within reason … avoid excessive slang, misuse of language, etc.). Keep in mind that the reader wants to be entertained so let your hair down a bit. When you are done with your article, do not forget to do spell check. In addition, do a line-by-line read. Spell check does not capture everything (like hear vs. here) and you find additional errors when double checking by this method. And, it never hurts to have a second pair of eyes when finishing any writing project.
