| Every article you write should be as perfect as | | | | 4. When you write your article I suggest you just |
| you can make it if you plan to sell the article. If | | | | start writing. When you come to an areas that |
| you are not going to sell the article but instead | | | | you have little knowledge, don't stop writing. Just |
| put it out on the Internet for public display, what | | | | put a bunch of dashes where the missing |
| should the standard be? | | | | information will go. |
| Look at it this way. You are a landscape painter | | | | When you finish the draft, see if there is some |
| of good reputation. You sell your landscapes for | | | | kind of order that can be pursued. Write an |
| up to $3500 each. You work hard on these | | | | outline to follow. |
| paintings trying to use the best available subject, | | | | Now do some research to fill in the blanks. |
| the best quality canvasses and paints, and the | | | | Try to find fresh up-to-date data for your article. |
| best skills you can muster. When a painting is | | | | Put your thoughts in your article. It's your canvas, |
| finished you sign it which says, "I Joe Blow painted | | | | isn't it? |
| this landscape." | | | | 5. Keep sending the article out to one magazine at |
| If your reputation as an artist is good, there will | | | | a time until you sell it. If an editor gives |
| always be a demand for your paintings. Would | | | | comments or suggestion, consider rewriting the |
| you jeopardize your reputation by putting out a | | | | article and submitting it again to that editor. |
| series of paintings with poor subject selection, | | | | I've published hundreds of articles in magazines |
| inferior canvas and paints, and sloppy skills? | | | | and journals. When I retired from industry, a |
| Of course not! | | | | trade magazine hired me as editor. The reason |
| So think the same way about your writing. | | | | was that I had written engineering articles on a |
| As some of you know, I will write on any subject | | | | monthly basis for the magazine for many years. |
| from "aardvarks" to "zeppelins." Most writers | | | | Know This: Editors will bend over backwards to |
| focus on certain related subject areas like | | | | help you get an article published in their magazines |
| medicine, marketing, or snowmobiling. | | | | if its focus is the same as the magazines. |
| When you choose a subject you choose an | | | | Magazines work on a publication plan that dictates |
| audience. The reverse should also be true. If you | | | | the types of articles it will publish in a certain |
| choose an audience you must choose a subject in | | | | monthly issue. You should ask them to give you |
| which that audience is interested. | | | | the list of articles desired for a particular issue. |
| Let's pretend that you want to sell an article to a | | | | Then write an article for that issue making sure it |
| magazine that focuses on a particular audience. | | | | gets to the editor several months before the |
| Let's say the audience is people who raise fish as | | | | publication date of the issue. |
| a hobby but only in salt water. The magazine is | | | | Here are some rules for article writing: |
| called Salt Water Fish Monthly. | | | | 1. Don't over edit your article cutting out subject |
| You have written a dandy article on raising | | | | matter that the editor might want to include. |
| guppies. Would you send that to Salt Water Fish | | | | It's better to send in a longer article than one that |
| Monthly? | | | | is so short it becomes trite. You can shorten |
| Answer: No! Guppies are fresh water fish. Also | | | | rather than cut. |
| they are so common that even fresh-water fish | | | | Be careful! |
| hobby magazines would show no interest unless | | | | I suggest that if you are going to cover a subject |
| you had developed a new strain of guppy purple | | | | make sure the coverage is comprehensive. |
| in color with pink poke-a-dots. | | | | The editor has a pencil. |
| Also, don't send that article on detecting prostate | | | | If the article is too broad, change it to a series of |
| cancer early to Salt Water Fish Monthly. | | | | articles each covering a major point of interest. |
| So that brings up a new area for discussion, | | | | Editors love to run series. Why? Because a series |
| doesn't it? Your article should be original and fresh | | | | of articles will take up space that the editor will |
| and up-to-date. | | | | not have to fill for the next few issues. |
| I write many articles for the Internet. I don't think | | | | 2. Use short sentences but vary sentence length |
| too much about the topic. I will write on anything | | | | and use words known to the reader. |
| because I'm writing for fun. | | | | Use headings where appropriate to break up the |
| I try to find a category for my finished article in | | | | test. |
| the category list of | | | | Properly place footnotes as endnotes. Follow your |
| That listing is limited and is still in a state of flux as | | | | Style Manual. |
| the editor adds new topics. | | | | 3. Never send an editor copy that is not clean and |
| For example: If I write an article on a history | | | | neat. |
| subject, where do I put it? | | | | That means when Magazine A returns your |
| There is no history category under Education and | | | | article, you don't send that same copy to |
| Reference. I study the article and decide the | | | | Magazine B unless it is still in excellent condition. |
| closest fit. I may just put it under the broad | | | | There were no coffee stains on the back were |
| heading Education and Reference. Often, I put | | | | there? |
| such articles under "Kids and Teens." I put my | | | | 4. Send a letter with your article submission. Tell |
| UFO articles there also as there is no science | | | | the editor who you are and why you wrote the |
| fiction category. | | | | article. |
| I don't expect the editor to study my titles and | | | | Don't say that you wrote the article so that you |
| add categories just for me. He has over 12000 | | | | could sell it and make money. |
| writers to deal with. But I am one of the top | | | | Instead, say that the article was written to |
| writers in terms of volume, so maybe I will get | | | | address a particular problem or issue. Tell him that |
| some consideration for future categories. | | | | the article takes an original approach to the |
| When searching for an article on the Internet, | | | | problem. |
| what do you do? | | | | Well, say something! The editor wants to know |
| Answer: You type in keywords. | | | | you. |
| We writers are allowed to place a limited number | | | | Include a SASE if you want your article back on |
| of keywords for each article. I generally would like | | | | rejection. |
| to add more keywords than are allowed, so I | | | | 5. Have your article on disk or be ready to email |
| have to edit my keywords carefully. | | | | a copy that the editor can edit. |
| And now I will tell you a secret. Knowing the | | | | Editors like to work from a computer disk or |
| keyword population being used on the Internet is | | | | email (attachment) copy so that the article does |
| a valuable asset for an Internet writer. Marilyn | | | | not have to be retyped. |
| Monroe visited our unit in Korea. The article I | | | | Scanning an article is possible but some editors |
| wrote on the subject is very popular. Why? Her | | | | won't want to do that. |
| name is a top listed Internet keyword. | | | | I frequently had articles submitted to me on disk |
| My most popular article Ten Reasons David | | | | only. |
| Letterman Wears White Sox is popular because | | | | I always required a disk. |
| David Letterman is popular. This article was a | | | | Always remember to check your article for: |
| very slow starter but then took off and continues | | | | 1. Clarity |
| to rush by my other articles in terms of number | | | | 2. Focus |
| of readers. It just passed Bed Bug Bites or | | | | 3. Appeal |
| Chicken Pox: A Definitive Analysis. | | | | 4. Grammar and Style |
| Bed bugs are back so there is a big audience for | | | | 5. Timeliness |
| bed bugs. | | | | 6. Spelling |
| Here are some considerations for your article: | | | | Make sure you watch for homonyms. There |
| 1. Does it have broad interest (BI) or a limited | | | | instead of their, wear instead of ware, than |
| special interest (LSI)? | | | | instead of then (not exactly homonyms), while |
| 2. If it has LSI, submit it to a publication that you | | | | instead of wile. I use my "find and replace |
| have studied (more than one issue) that focuses | | | | function" to check for such. |
| on the exact audience you want to reach. You | | | | Here's another hint: If you can't get started |
| might query the publication first and receive their | | | | writing using your computer keyboard, switch to |
| author guidelines. | | | | pen and paper. |
| 3. An editor may want you to modify your LSI | | | | There is a connection between hand writing and |
| article. Just do it! Don't argue with editors. You will | | | | the brain that will help you get going. |
| generally lose. If you really don't want to change | | | | I don't know what that connection is. |
| your little jewel, then withdraw the article, cutting | | | | Hey! That sounds like another article. |
| off your pay check. | | | | |