Magazine Writing

Chapter 3
The Portable MFA in Creative Writing
Creative Writing ENG 211
 Why Does a Magazine Writer
Have to be a Reader?
• Writing for a magazine is different
because there will be a target
audience, and if one is not a reader,
he/she will not know:
– what stories magazines publish.
– who the intended audience is.
– what ideas certain magazine would
publish.
– what a good magazine article looks like.
 Magazine Articles
General Information
• There is a close connection between
fiction and nonfiction writing.
• Whatever they type of article that is
written, the writer must write in a
manner that is concise and
economical due to space constraints
format restrictions.
General Magazine Article
Information Cont.
• ―In order to write for a magazine,
you have to know what they are, who
they cater to, and why they exist.‖
MFA pg.
142

• Many magazines are about fantasy as

they play to what we would like to be
instead of who we are.
 General Magazine
Information Cont.
• In the magazine industry, there are
demographics completed of the
characteristics of the individuals who
read a certain magazine, which also
helps advertisers as well to know
which audiences to target.
• Often the cover reveals the typical
audience of a magazine.
 The First Step in
Magazine Writing
• Success will begin with an idea to
write about.
• Once the idea is formed and focused,
match up that idea with the
appropriate magazine and create a
query letter to the proper editor.
 First Steps in Magazine
Writing Cont.
• Most magazine companies want
articles about subjects their readers
would already be interested in
reading.
• They don’t often want articles on
topics readers know nothing about.
 First Steps in Magazine
Writing Cont.
• One of the best places to get ideas
for articles is through one’s own
curiosity.
• Be leery though that once an idea
hits the national media outlet, like
TV, it is dead to a magazine unless a
new spin can be put on old
information.
 First Steps in Magazine
Writing Cont.
• Often the best ideas come from
something a writer does for a living,
enjoys doing for a hobby, or a
specific filed of study.
 Parts of Magazine
Writing
• One of the first things a writer will
need is a hook—something that draws
the readers in and makes the story
interesting.
• There will also be what is termed
lead time, or the time between when
the when the writer is assigned the
article and the time when it will be
published.
 Query Letter
• In the query letter, you should:
– Present your idea.
– Make sure to write it like you are doing
a sales pitch for you idea.
– Convince the editor your idea is worth
publishing and you are the writer for
the job.
– It should make a first good impression
with the editor.
 Query Letters Cont.
• Query letters must be:
– Well focused.
– Well written and well structured.
– Written in a style of the magazine to
which they are addressed.
– Clear as to the intent and leave nothing
to the imagination.
– Deliver on any promises made.
– Have accurate facts.
 Query Letters Cont.
– No longer than a page and a half, single-
spaced typing.
– Not suggest word count length or
delivery dates.
– Find the correct editor for the delivery
of the letter.
 Writing a Query Letter
• Be straight forward and get
right into the topic of your
article, or start off the query
exactly how you will begin the
article.
• Most like them submitted by
email.
 Parts of a Query Letter
• Lead: introduces to the editor the idea
done in a preferably creative as to how you
enter the query.
• Give the intended information of the
article once you have introduced it.
• Give the specific of exactly what the
article will be about—topic, where the
information will come from, point of view,
and fair representation of information.
• Credentials—why are you qualified?