Reprinted from Writer’s Digest

and The Basics of Writing

for Magazines

015-078-GP201
 Getting
Published:
What
Every
Writer
Needs
to Know
 What Every Writer Needs to Know Getting Published 2

The Writer’s Digest

Guide to Getting Started
This checklist of basic advice — and tips for translating the advice into action —
will help you keep your newborn writing career moving in the right direction
during its critical early years. As you progress, you’ll discover what works for
you and what tips you’ll want to pass on to future new writers. Until then, tear
out this page and post it in your permanent writing area.

✓
■ Set Aside an Area Where You Write.
• If space is cramped, a card table in the corner of a
bedroom is okay. Separate the space from the rest of
the room with a folding screen.
• The best desk may still be a door laid over a pair of
sawhorses.
✓
■ Involve Yourself with Writing.
• To locate a writing class, contact a local university’s
continuing education office.
• To locate a local writers’ group, check with a university’s
English or journalism departments, or check with
area libraries.
• To locate writers’ conferences, visit the Writer’s Digest
Web site at www.writersdigest.com.
✓
■ Equip Yourself with the Tools of a Writer.
• Get comfortable with the features of your computer’s
word processing program.
• An excellent set of reference books comes from
Merriam-Webster: Webster’s 10th New Collegiate
Dictionary, Collegiate Thesaurus, Dictionary of English
Usage and Standard American Style Manual.
✓
■ Read.
• Read general books critically: study characterizations,
plotting, tension, use of detail.
• Begin your writing library with these five books:
On Writing Well, by William Zinsser (HarperCollins);
Storycrafting, by Paul Darcy Boles (WD Books);
Working Days: The Journals of “The Grapes of Wrath,”
by John Steinbeck, edited by Robert DeMott (Viking);
On Becoming a Novelist, by John Gardner
(HarperPerennial); and The Art and Craft of Feature
Writing, by William E. Blundell (NAL).
✓
■ Put Words on Paper.
• Loosen up by beginning each writing session with five
minutes of freewriting. Write whatever comes into your
head; don’t stop writing until the five minutes pass.
• Don’t revise while you write. Complete the work first;
then revise.
✓
■ Write Every Day.
• Wake yourself an hour early and spend the time writing.
Many writers find the early morning hours the most
productive.
• Carry a notepad. Jot down ideas while stuck in traffic,
in line or on hold.
✓
■ Decide What Type of Writer You Want to Be.
• The type of writing that you like to read is probably
the type of work you’re best prepared to write.
• Write about what you know. Use your profession,
family, hobbies, family activities and experiences to
suggest writing topics.
✓
■ Think Small.
• Hone your fiction-writing talent with short stories
before attempting a novel; write articles before trying
a book.
• Build your confidence by submitting to local or
regional publications. The competition is usually less
fierce than at national publications.
✓
■ Put Your Work in the Mail.
• Always include a self-addressed, stamped envelope
(SASE) with your manuscripts and correspondence.
• Keep several pieces in the mail and a new work
underway at all times.
✓
■ Expect to be Rejected.
• Remember: A rejection is nothing more than one
person’s opinion of one piece of writing.
• Examine returned manuscripts from the editor’s
viewpoint: Look for the problems that the editor saw.
3 Getting Published What Every Writer Needs to Know

GET
How to
STARTED
as a Writer
You want to write, but don’t know
how to begin? Follow these ten steps
to beginning a rewarding, fulfilling
career as a writer.
I am a writer.
Now you say it.
“I am a writer.”
Congratulations.
You’ve taken the first step in getting
started as a writer. You’ve announced that
you are a writer. The question is no longer
open to debate by spouses, teachers,
friends or — most important — yourself.
The question now is how you’ll back up
that statement.
Simply saying the words may not
make you a writer. But it’s unlikely you’ll
become one without saying them. At this
moment, it doesn’t matter if publishers
and readers are willing to recognize your
statement as accurate. No publisher must
send you a contract, no reader must buy
your book before you can say “I am a
writer.” But you must say it. And then you
must write.
That’s the easy part. And the hard part.
The easy part because you’ve been
writing most of your life. Probably well,
too; that’s why a part of you wanted to say,
“I am a writer.”
It’s the hard part because writing is an
What Every Writer Needs to Know Getting Published
By Tom Clark
act of courage. Discipline and creativity
and boldness and determination are mixed
up in it too, but writing is an act of
courage above all. Writers must possess the
courage to believe that what they have to
say is worthy of being read by others.
It’s difficult to have that courage from
the first time you sit down at the keyboard.
Maybe you have to work your way toward
it. Maybe you have to train your mind to
accept it. Maybe you have to sift through
your experiences, your beliefs, your essence
to find the material you believe worthy of
such courage. There are ways to accom-
plish these tasks.
GETTING PREPARED
I don’t believe there are born writers.
I’m more willing to accept that there are
prepared writers and unprepared writers.
If you’re prepared to write, you know it.
Go forward. For the rest of us, it’s time to
get prepared.
Preparing the framework for a success-
ful career as a writer has both a mental
aspect and a physical aspect. Some of
you will want to first work through the
4
creation of what I call the “writer’s
mindset,” and then tackle the physical
acts of writing. There’s a danger in doing
so. The longer you delay the physical acts
of writing, the greater the chance your
career will sputter and die without
recording even your first written thought.
But if you prepare your talent while you
prepare your mind, they will feed and
encourage each other.
MIND MATTERS
One of the most important commitments
you can make to your writing is to set
aside an area where you write. It can be a
room, an alcove, a table — even a closet
just wide enough for a desk. This is the
place where you write.
Your place to write doesn’t need a lot. A
light, obviously, and a surface that will
hold a keyboard or paper. A spot for your
reference books (more on those in a
moment) is useful, but not essential.
What is essential to your mindset is
that your “office” have an air of exclusivity
about it. (The Internal Revenue Service
will demand this should you try to deduct
5 Getting Published What Every Writer Needs to Know
your office as an expense, but that’s beside
the point.) That’s why a corner of the
kitchen table that must be converted from
office to eatery three times a day really
isn’t adequate. By reserving this space for
your writing, you’re telling yourself that
writing is important to you. It’s at least as
important as the television, which likely
has a place of its own. And if writing is
important enough to possess a place, it’s
important enough for you to go to that
place and use it.
Most new writers fail because they don’t
recognize how simple it is to get started.
When you go to this special place and
sit before your keyboard, you are acting
like a writer — a second component to
establishing your writer’s mindset. There
are other actions you can take that will
encourage your writing. Reading this
magazine is one; you’re giving time to a
task that benefits your career.
Attending writing classes or a writers
conference serves this purpose as well.
These actions also put you in touch with
others who are creating their own writer’s
mindset. It’s best to find experienced
writers to talk with, because they can
answer the questions that will arise as you
begin your career. But even if you join a
writers group that includes only beginners,
the experience will work to encourage
your development as a writer. You and the
other group members will be stronger
together than apart, each of you helping
the others to find the courage within.
As you continue this search, collect
the tools a writer needs. A keyboard is
important — it’s up to you whether that
keyboard is attached to a typewriter or a
computer (although you should recognize
that a computer will give you more flexibility
down the road). You need a keyboard for
two reasons. First, handwritten manuscripts
are impossible to sell to publishers. Second,
professional writers (with some exceptions)
type their work. Many — even most —
create at the keyboard. This, too, is a part
of acting like a writer. And when you
sit before the keyboard and move your
fingers on the keys, you’re no longer acting.
You’re writing.
Next to your keyboard you’ll want
to place certain books: a dictionary, a
thesaurus, William Strunk and E.B. White’s
The Elements of Style (Macmillan), a style
manual, Writer’s Market (WD Books).
Those are the staples; you can add to them
whatever books feed your mind or answer
your questions. As your writer’s mindset
matures, don’t be surprised to see this set
of books enlarge and mature. The
Beginning Writer’s Answer Book will give
way to The Art and Craft of Feature Writing
perhaps, or to Successful Scriptwriting.
Make such changes gladly; they’re the
writer’s equivalent of leaving behind
Nancy Drew for A Separate Peace.
But don’t allow these books to just sit.
Relax in an easy chair and read them. Sit
at your desk, your fingers on the keyboard
and your eyes in the book, hunting down
the tip that helps you polish that bit of
dialogue or refine that idea. And avoid
surrounding yourself only with books
about writing; general reading is the
overlooked cousin of writing. Read for
enjoyment, certainly, but also read to see
the advancement of the craft in other
writers’ hands, to see the preferences of
editors and publishers, to see other writers
barely scratch the ideas and emotions on
which you have so much more to say.
Then run to your special place and begin.
PUTTING YOUR MINDSET
TO WORK
As I said before, you’re smart if you begin
to put words on paper even before you’ve
found just the right thesaurus or returned
home from your first writers conference.
As important as such acts are in creating
your writer’s mindset, they pale beside the
actual act of writing. This is what allows
you to continue to say “I am a writer.”
This is also the act that separates most
“wanna be” writers from those who
succeed. Not because the wanna-bes had
no real talent for writing, or even that
they really wanted only to have written.
Most new writers fail because they don’t
recognize how simple it is to get started.
You can start right now, in fact. Grab
a sheet of paper — or scribble in the
corner of this page — and write, “I am
a writer.” Now, tap in these words on
your computer.
Congratulations. You have written.
Now keep going. Ask yourself, “Why?”
or “What else am I?” and record the
answer. Don’t think about it; just write it.
Nothing strips writing of its power to
freeze our ambitions more than a short
session at the keyboard. When we realize
that to write a few sentences doesn’t
require five hours of planning and three
more undisturbed hours at the keyboard,
the idea of writing becomes a lot less
threatening.
How long you spend on this exercise is
up to you. You overcome the major hurdle,
which is the first word, right at the begin-
ning. Regardless of how long you sit at the
keyboard today, though, you must set a
time to do it again tomorrow.
When you write every day, it helps
your writer’s mindset stay active and grow.
Each session at the keyboard reinforces
everything that’s gone before and prepares
you for the next step. Twelve days from
now you may be writing “I am a writer”
for the twelfth time, but your answer to
“Why?” will be more compelling. You’ll be
a better writer than you are now.
Of course, you can’t make a career of
keying in “I am a writer.” Decide what
type of writer you want to be — a poet,
a novelist, an article writer, a screenwriter,
and so on. Such goal-setting isn’t as
permanent as it may first sound. You can
always change your direction later (and
eventually a diversity of directions may
help your writing), but at this stage of
your career it’s counterproductive to be
starting a poem, researching an article,

and outlining a novel. Pick something and
work on it until you finish the work or you
lose so much interest in it that you’re
tempted to start skipping days. (Don’t
skip. Start a new project instead.) Better a
few unfinished false starts than a career
abandoned amidst a sea of beginnings.
As you set your initial goal, think
small. There are celebrated cases of writers
penning an epic novel as their first writing
project. But you’ll get almost as much
satisfaction from completing your first
letter to the editor. As a new writer you need
the encouragement of finishing, of taking
a project from beginning to end. That
sense of accomplishment doesn’t increase
according to the number of manuscript
pages you’ve written. (The sidebar,
“Morale Boosters,” lists ten easily finished
writing assignments to get you started.)
When you finish it, put your work in
the mail. Writer’s Market is on your
bookshelf because professional writers
are publishing writers. Learn the rules of
marketing (they’re in Writer’s Market), and
determine which publishers will be most
interested in your work. Then send
it off, and get started on your next piece.
You can now unconditionally say,
“I am a writer.” You may not yet be a
published writer, but that adjective will
attach itself in time. Before it does, you
can expect to be rejected. If you do, you
won’t interpret rejection letters as saying,
“You are not a writer.”
You may, in fact, receive a rejection
letter that says just that. Or an unfeeling
instructor may scribble it on a paper. A
relative may whisper it to you “to save you
the hurt.” Burn the letter. Withdraw from
the class. Kick the relative out. You are the
only person with the power to make that
statement, but you’ve already chosen to
say the reverse.
Congratulations. You are a writer.
Thomas Clark is a former editor of Writer’s Digest,
a frequent speaker at writers conferences and work-
shops, and — as he will tell anyone who will listen
— a writer. His own articles have appeared in a
variety of magazines and newspapers, including
Modern Bride. “Which proves,” he says,“that a
writer can publish anywhere.”
What Every Writer Needs to Know Getting Published 6
10 Morale Boosters for New Writers
PUBLICATION IS THE BIGGEST MORALE BOOSTER FOR NEW WRITERS. But outside
of vanity presses — companies that you pay to publish your work — writers can’t
determine whether they get that morale boost or not. That’s an editor’s job. But you
can concentrate your early efforts in areas where you are most likely to get published.
Here are five such manuscripts you can write.
• A letter to the editor. Very few local newspapers are so flooded by mail that they
turn away letters to the editor. Pick an issue that concerns you and express your
opinion in three to six well-reasoned, plainly stated paragraphs. If there are weekly
community papers in your area, you probably have a good shot at placing a longer
(750- to 1,500-word) essay on an issue of local concern.
• A press release. Volunteer to write up notices of special activities or news for
a school, church, community group or other organization. Follow traditional
newspaper style, putting the most important information at the top of the story.
• An article for your company newsletter. The possibilities are endless — profile a
new employee, explain a technique that’s saved your department time or money,
report on the company softball team. You’ll also have the undying gratitude of
whomever edits the publication.
• A movie, restaurant or museum exhibit review. Almost every community has a
“shopper.” These giveaway newspapers are always hungry for readable copy, and
they’ll welcome your contribution. Be forewarned that the publisher probably will
reject reviews that might offend advertisers (who are the paper’s sole means of support).
• A Reader’s Digest-style anecdote. The competition at The Digest is stiff, but there
are many other magazines that use these humorous slice-of-life reports. You can
improve your chances by keeping your retelling crisp and concise.
Except for the anecdotes, don’t expect these projects to earn any pay beyond
the experience.
While publication is a great morale booster, simply finishing a piece of writing can
have the same effect. Here are five short writing assignments that will boost your
writer’s mindset.
• A character sketch. Write a few pages about a character you’d like to use in a
short story or novel. Who is this person? What does she want from life? Who is
keeping her from it? What does she look like? How does she spend her days? Write
until you feel you’ve known this person for years.
• An overheard conversation. Eavesdrop on a conversation at the office, in the
grocery, or at the health club, then come home and recreate it on paper. Write
until the dialogue reads like people talk.
• A probing journal entry. Use your private book to explore an ethical dilemma,
ponder a philosophical gray area, or justify a questionable action. Dig deep and
stretch your ability to translate thoughts into words.
• A letter to an out-of-town relative. Describe something or someone the relative
has never seen — a new house, for instance, or a newborn child. Offer as complete
a portrait as you can.
• A rewritten scene. Pick a section from a book you thought was poorly written and
rewrite it. Change whatever you want to create an improved version that still serves
the book’s overall purpose.
You can use these exercises as jumping-off points for other, larger projects. Or try
combining them in various ways, such as a scene in which one character describes
a problem encountered by a friend the other character in the scene doesn’t know.
—T. C.
7 Getting Published What Every Writer Needs to Know
How to write
Some of your most important writing
won’t be intended for publication. But
effective query letters to magazine
editors will save you time and multiply
your manuscript sales. Here’s how to
master this essential skill.
ow would you like to turn a few
H paragraphs into a profitable
article assignment? A query letter,
brief and to the point, can be your shortcut
to sales. Not just for the experienced pro,
queries can work for any writer. As a
literary agent and writing teacher, I’ve seen
queries produce writers’ very first sales.
Making queries work for you is a matter
of mastering two skills: presentation of an
idea and presentation of a writer — you.
Here’s how:
With a query that began with those two
paragraphs, I received the assignment to
write this article. While many writers write
the complete article and then try to sell it,
selling first — through a query — then
writing, is a more profitable and efficient
approach.
A combination summary and sales
pitch, a query describes your idea in a
page or two. Querying allows you to get
timely ideas out more quickly. It allows
you to submit more article ideas, to receive
faster answers, and to reduce research
and writing time spent on potentially
unsalable material.
Most magazine editors prefer queries
over complete manuscripts, too. Queries are
easier and faster to read than manuscripts,
and they allow editorial input before the
article is written. Often an editor will
hesitate to ask a writer to revise an
already-completed piece, but feels no
such reluctance about suggesting a new
slant for a query. My query proposing an
Query
Letters
article on consumer advocacy, for example,
produced an assignment from Harper’s to
write about deceptive food packaging, an
angle I’d never considered.
Queries can be used to propose almost
any kind of article, though for humor
pieces, editorials, newspaper pieces, and
general articles shorter than 1,000 words,
it’s best to submit a completed article. Also,
a few magazines insist that only completed
manuscripts be submitted. To learn specific
preferences, check Writer’s Market or ask
the magazine for writer’s guidelines.
TESTING YOUR IDEA
To lead to a sale, your query must convince
the editor that you have a clear idea of
what you plan to cover in the article and
what approach you intend to take. So
before you begin writing your query letter,
think your article idea through carefully.
Imagine you are describing the article to a
friend. Could you get the point across in
just a few words? In his book Adventures in
the Screen Trade, screenwriter William
Goldman describes how he found a handle
on the 650-page bestseller A Bridge Too
Far: to him, it was “a cavalry to-the-rescue
story — one in which the cavalry fails to
arrive, ending, sadly, one mile too short.”
Once he had found this main idea, the
rest was simple: “That was my spine,
and everything that wouldn’t cling to it
I couldn’t use.”
Finding your angle is often a matter of
narrowing your topic. A topic like “Sports”
By Lisa Collier Cool
is far too general to produce an assignment.
Narrowing it to, say, “Table Tennis” helps,
but not enough. Often, reducing the story
to a single dimension — focusing on a
key person, place or event — gives you a
salable angle. With further funneling of
my “Table Tennis” idea, I found my slant:
“Confessions of a Table Tennis Hustler,”
which I sold to Gallery.
When your subject is popular, you
must present the editor with a fresh
approach. One way to do this is to take an
idea like “Overcoming Failure” and give it
a 180-degree twist into “Failure Can Be
Good for You.” To use this approach, pick a
topic like “In-Laws,” and imagine a typical
reader’s first reaction: “Ugh!” Now, figure
out how to reverse this reaction. Using the
title “Enjoying Your In-Laws,” I sold the
piece to Modern Bride.
Another way to find a slant for your
topic is to juxtapose two apparently
unrelated concepts to create a fresh approach:
in a recent article on “Revamping Your
Office Image,” I showed the reader how to
use sophisticated marketing techniques to
enhance office image.
Letting the reader suggest an angle is a
third approach. Ask yourself, for example,
what the Cosmo girl or the Penthouse
male would like to learn about banking
and finance. The answer is your slant.
Your angle need not be exotic in order
to sell. A commonly used but effective
approach might be summarized as “new
and improved.” This approach spices up an

average idea by adding new ingredients —
such as the latest research, hot trends, juicy
gossip — and adds a dash of originality
with unusual viewpoints, provocative
questions or surprising solutions.
American Baby bought two queries of this
type: “Infant Psychiatry” and a piece on
the controversy about plastic surgery for
victims of Down’s Syndrome.
If little or nothing has previously been
written on your topic, you don’t need
much of an angle to sell. When I decided
to write a query on “Pheromones,” most
editors had never heard of these natural
chemicals that attract the sexes to one
another. Though I had no special angle, I
sold the piece on the first submission.
With an original or offbeat idea, seduce
the editor with your facts, not your slant.
A FEW WORDS ON
SEDUCTION
While many queries can be written entirely
from your own knowledge, a little research
can pay big dividends in your query. Facts
help sell editors on an idea. Editors look
for queries with many specifics: Don’t just
write that “Last year millions of people
suffered from yeast infections.” Tell how
many millions and why.
In doing your research, investigate both
the topic and the markets you are aiming
it at. A common reason for rejection is
inadequate knowledge of the magazine.
Reading the last six or eight issues will
help you to understand a magazine and its
needs, as well as prevent duplication of
recently published material.
SHAPING YOUR RAW
MATERIAL
After you have the basic ingredients — the
idea, the slant, the facts and the market —
you’re ready to write your query.
According to one editor I know, the
best way to get an editor’s attention is to
“punch him in the nose and keep fighting
until you hear the bell.” He means that a
good query starts strong, and never lets up
until the editor is sold. In composing your
query, keep in mind two newspaper dictums.
What Every Writer Needs to Know Getting Published 8
A Sample Query
The letter that sold “How to Write Irresistible
Query Letters” to Writer’s Digest
Mr. Tom Clark:
Writer’s Digest
I’d like to write a piece on “How to Write a Selling Query and Author’s Bio — Even
If You Have No Credits at All.” Here’s how I’d handle it:
How would you like to turn a few paragraphs into a profitable article assignment?
A query letter, brief and to the point, can be your shortcut to sales. Not just for the
experienced pro, queries can work for any writer. As a literary agent and writing
teacher, I’ve seen queries produce writers’ very first sales.
Making queries work for you is a matter of mastering two skills: presentation of an
idea and presentation of a writer — you. Here’s how:
The article would then go on to cover, step by step, how to write your query and
author’s bio. Some main points:
• Grab the editor’s attention. Tips on writing the lead paragraph, the 5 W’s, the
inverted triangle (say the most interesting thing first) other leads and examples.
• Give your slant. Examples of how to narrow the focus and make the idea specific.
• Outline the piece. The eye-catching “bullet formation” and other ways to make
your description dramatic.
• Give a sales pitch. Ways to identify the best marketing points and use them.
• The nuts and bolts. Include length, time needed to complete, availability of
photos (optional).
• The author’s bio. How you, too, can be an expert. Ways to toot your own horn,
even if you think there is nothing to toot about.
• Formats for your query. Precise how-tos of the letter query and the cover letter
plus separate query.
• How and where to submit your query.
Naturally, all this would be developed with much more detail, with examples from
successful queries and bios, for both new and experienced writers.
As a writing teacher (I am a faculty member at Parson’s School of Design, teaching
“Magazine Writing”) and a literary agent of more than ten years’ experience, I have
noticed that many people actually have significant qualifications (like the high
school teacher writing on “when your child is having trouble in school”) and never
think to mention them. I will show how professional, personal, social, romantic,
academic and other experience can be translated in the author’s bio into “expertise.”
Also, I will try to convince readers to overcome their modesty and toot their horns
loudly — it really works.
In addition to my publishing and teaching background, I have sold my own writing
to many magazines and newspapers, including Harper’s, Family Circle, Cosmopolitan,
Glamour, Penthouse and maybe 20 others. If you wish, I could send clips of some of
my published pieces, several of which deal with various kinds of writing.
I look forward to your reaction.
Sincerely yours,
The first, the five W’s (who, what, where, putting the most interesting information
when, why), reminds you to explain the first. Don’t save the best for last, or you’ll
story immediately. The second, the inverted have lost the editor’s interest by the time
pyramid, emphasizes the importance of it appears.
9 Getting Published What Every Writer Needs to Know

To The Letter: Choosing a format for your query smiles and says, “First, you need a good
Two formats are commonly used for queries. The letter query takes the form of a business racquet, then you need a lot of balls.”
letter addressed to a specific editor at the magazine. Or you can compose a brief cover Reisman has plenty of both.
letter to the editor, attaching your query material as a separate document. Each format
has advantages. While a magazine lead can — and should
The traditional method — the business letter query — seems more personal, since each — be more creative than a newspaper’s five
query is a personal letter to the editor.
W’s lead, it must let the reader know exactly
The two-document approach is better suited to multiple submissions (which many editors
what to expect from the article that will
grudgingly accept these days), since you can photocopy the actual query material, and type
follow. And, whatever lead you choose,
a short, individual cover letter to accompany each copy. If you are submitting the query to
more than one magazine, be sure to inform the editor of that fact in your cover letter, and
remember that it must convey the tone — as
briefly explain how you would tailor the piece to the needs of that particular magazine. well as the topic — of your proposed article
When typing a query letter, either use your letterhead stationery, or type your name, to the editor. You’re courting rejection if your
address and phone numbers (home and office) at the top of the page. Single-space your lead promises a lively anecdotal piece, when
query, following standard layout of a business letter. If you choose to send your query you really intend to write a straightforward
material as a separate document, make sure your name, address and phone numbers appear how-to article.
on both your cover letter and your query. Your letter should be single-spaced, while the
query material should be double-spaced. THE HEART OF THE
Keep queries short and precise. While some editors recommend limiting the traditional MATTER
letter query to one page, most are willing to consider two-page queries “if the topic
Once you have aroused the editor’s attention
warrants it.” It’s better to err on the side of being too short, though, as an interested
with your lead, move directly to a summary
editor often will ask for more material if necessary.
of the article. This section of your query
If you are submitting more than one idea to the magazine, write a separate query for
each one: different editors at the magazine might want to consider the different ideas.
should convince the editor that you know
Include a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE); most magazines will not return where you want to go with the article; it
material without SASE. should outline the points you plan to cover,
Two final tips: or provide important factual information
Consider getting an answering machine if you are out a lot. If the editor can’t reach you, about your topic. Give enough facts, figures
you may lose the assignment. and details to prove that your story is real.
Give the editor a reasonable period of time, about six weeks, before calling or writing In a recent query on genetic counseling, I
about your query. If the idea is of interest, it may have to be reviewed by several editors, handled the details this way:
which takes time.
—L.C.C.
Genetic disorders affect about 15 million
Your query should include three main descriptions, thought-provoking questions, people in the U.S., with 4-5% of babies born
sections: the lead paragraph, the summary commands to the reader, unusual definitions, each year showing a detectable genetic disease.
and the author’s bio. Each section has a and surprising comparisons or contrasts. More than 3,000 such disorders have been
specific purpose; first, tell the editor what Here’s how I’ve used some of these identified, ranging from color blindness or a
the story is, then why she should buy it, techniques in the first paragraphs of queries: tendency to nosebleeds to such serious condi-
and finally who is going to write it. tions as TaySachs disease and hemophilia.
Though he may not be able to leap tall Until recently, conception was a form of genetic
HOOKING THE EDITOR buildings in a single bound, 16-year-old Philip roulette, but today medical genetics can...
Your lead paragraph should have solid Marshall Hecht is considered a Superman of
impact. This is your chance to audition the comic book world. In just three years of Your summary should be succinct and
before the editor, to give him or her a taste buying and selling old comic books, the clear. Here are two methods of presentation
of your writing. A good lead not only helps teenaged tycoon has turned $60 into $60,000. I’ve used successfully. For a simple idea, the
sell the editor on the idea, but also can be flat summary will work:
used in the actual article. While many writers It’s all very well for Melville’s character to say
like to open with an anecdote, other effective “Call me Ishmael,” but what’s Mrs. Ishmael to My idea is “I Do, I Do!”, a guide to double
approaches include: provocative quotes, do if, like so many of us, she uses her married weddings: the etiquette, the logistics, from
surprising facts or statistics, references to name at home, and her maiden name at work? showers to ceremony, with a few interesting
celebrities or news events, wittiness or anecdotes (like the most double wedding ever,
exaggeration, references to dramatic events When asked just how you get rich playing table when twin sisters married twin brothers,
or common situations with a new twist, vivid tennis, hustler extraordinaire Marty Reisman with 38 pairs of twins participating in the

festivities) and quotes from ministers and
other authorities.
For a more complex idea, the “bullet
formation” might be preferable. In a query
titled “Creative Failure,” which I sold to
Glamour, I described the main idea (that
failure can be good for you), then listed
some key points in this format:
• Guilt-free Failure: The importance of
understanding that failure is normal and
often necessary.
• The Failure Fallacy: How to steer clear
of the debilitating belief that one failure will
inevitably lead to another.
• Creative Failure: A program for
analyzing your failures and using them
as tools for future success.
• Running the Marathon: Why making
the effort is often more important than
coming out #1.
• The Risk for Success Equation: By
increasing the possibility of failing, you can
actually increase your potential for success.
Next, mention your sources. Tell the
editor who you’ll be talking to, and whether
your experts are on the cutting edge of
today’s technology. Add any relevant sales
points: news pegs, similarity to previous
articles in the publication, points of
particular appeal to the magazine’s readers,
significant dates that the article might tie
into, and any other strong reasons to buy
now. Then list any important nuts-and-
bolts information the editor should have,
such as projected word length, availability
of photos or illustrations, and the amount
of time needed to complete the piece.
Finally, always present in the summary a
working title for your proposed article, but
don’t worry if you can’t think of a brilliant
headline. If your title makes the topic clear,
like “Gardening Tips,” it’s good enough. From
talking to editors, I have found that almost
any title will do (unless it is something
ludicrous, like “The World’s Greatest
Article”). Spending a lot of time on your
title is a waste of energy, since the working
title is often changed before publication.
What Every Writer Needs to Know Getting Published
SELLING YOURSELF
After you’ve sold the editor on the idea,
start selling yourself as a writer. Many writers
are overcome by modesty at this point, but
there’s no reason to be bashful. Editors
expect a bit of sell in the bio — within
reason. There’s nothing wrong with saying,
“I am highly qualified to write this article
because...” if a convincing reason follows.
Start your bio with your publishing
credits, if you have any. If the list is extensive,
select the magazines most similar to the
one you are submitting to, and any others
that are particularly impressive. If you only
have a few credits, list them all, regardless
of how obscure the magazine, whether or
not it’s currently being published, or how
long ago the article appeared. If you have
only one credit, say, “My work has been
published in XYZ magazine.” And if you
have previously published any similar
articles, send tear-sheets or photocopies
as samples of your writing.
If you are unpublished, don’t worry.
You can emphasize other qualifications.
For example, if you’re writing to American
Baby magazine, having children might be
your best qualification. Writing credentials
will be less important if you demonstrate
that you understand the magazine’s reader.
Students in my writing class, most of
whom are unpublished, are often unsure
what qualifications to include when
writing a first query. “I don’t think I have
any,” one complained. After reviewing her
professional and personal background,
I pointed out that she had on-the-job
writing experience as an advertising
copywriter, that she was a former teacher
(her topic was choosing your child’s first
school), and that she had three children in
school. Unqualified? Hardly.
The ideal author’s bio is short, but
convincing. To compose it, look for relevant
material from:
Your job: Does it involve any sort of
writing or publishing? Or does it relate to
your topic? What about former jobs? If your
work experience is relevant, briefly describe
it, mentioning your title (if reasonably
impressive) and the name of your company.
10
Your hobbies: A passionate interest
in your subject can be an excellent
qualification. If your subject is “Profiting
From Collectibles,” and you’ve attended
every stamp, coin and miniature show
in the state for the past five years while
building a library of 200 back issues of
various collector’s magazines, say so. If
you can truthfully add that your personal
collection, put together at a cost of $1,500,
was recently appraised at $25,000, you’ve
probably made the sale.
Your family: When appropriate,
mention family members: “As the wife
of an executive in a multinational
corporation, I have moved 17 times in the
past five years, so I feel uniquely qualified
to write ‘Avoiding the Moving Day Blues.’ ”
Your personal life: If you have had
personal experience with the subject,
explain the connection: “After recently
ending a live-in relationship, I have many
insights on ‘Surviving the Break-up.’ ”
Your education: If you hold an
advanced degree (beyond a bachelor’s) or
have attended a particularly prestigious
college, mention these facts in your bio.
Also, mention any specialized training or
courses taken in the topic you propose to
write about.
If you have been the topic of an article
or book that deals with your query
subject, either send copies of the material,
or name the publications you were
mentioned in. Editors may also be
interested in lectures or courses you’ve
given, radio and television appearances,
awards you’ve received, and other
significant achievements. Throughout
the query, avoid negative remarks like
“I’m an unpublished author, but…” Be
sure your close is upbeat.
My query for this article closed with a
simple, confident “I look forward to your
reaction.”
Obviously, the reaction was positive.
Lisa Collier Cool reveals more helpful advice for
magazine writers in her books How to Write
Irresistible Query Letters and How to Use Every
Magazine Article You Write (WD Books). Her articles
have appeared in such magazines as Cosmopolitan,
ModernBride, Glamour and Harper’s.
11 Getting Published What Every Writer Needs to Know

Preparing a
Professional
Manuscript
How your manuscript looks can make a difference
in how it will be read by editors. Follow these eight
tips to preparing and mailing manuscripts that will
make the best first impression.

By Debbie Bouziden

n today’s competitive marketplace, • Make sure your print is readable. information, he’ll need your phone number.

I writers need to take advantage of

every opportunity when submitting
manuscripts to editors. Why risk having
your manuscript rejected because it looks
like it lined the bottom of a bird cage?
Follow these tips to prepare a neat,
professional-looking submission that
will help you earn an acceptance.
• Begin with the correct paper. Use
100% cotton bond paper, at least 16 pound.
(I use 25 pound.) Quality paper will make
your manuscript look professional and hold
up under an editor’s rough handling.
One way to judge paper is to hold two
sheets up to a light. If you can read the
print on the second page, your paper is too
thin. You can purchase quality paper at any
office supply store and most copy stores.
Now is not the time to express your
creativity and choose colored paper.
Use white only.
Editors read numerous manuscripts weekly
and don’t appreciate added eyestrain. If
they come across a manuscript that looks
like it’s been sitting on a windowsill, fading
in the sunlight, chances are they won’t
read it.
Don’t use fancy scroll fonts. Editors
aren’t paid to decipher hieroglyphics. Dot
matrix print is reluctantly read as long as
it’s close to letter quality.
• Use proper format. Leave 11⁄4 - 11⁄2”
margins around the text. When your article
moves into the production stages, the editor,
typesetter and art department will need
space to edit and layout the manuscript.
In the upper left-hand corner of the first
page, type your name, address, telephone
number and Social Security number. If an
editor decides to purchase your manuscript
and needs to get in touch with you
about immediate changes or to verify
In the upper right-hand corner of the
first page, put the approximate number
of words. Count every word of your
manuscript, including the a’s and the’s.
Or, use your word processor’s word count
utility. Round off to the nearest hundredth.
For example, if your manuscript has 914
words, put approximately 900 words.
Next, go to the middle of the page and
type your manuscript’s title. Skip two
lines, type by. Skip two more lines and put
your name or pen name.
At the top of the second page, in the
upper left-hand corner, put your last
name, a dash or slash, and a short version
of your manuscript’s title, another dash or
slash, and the page number. For example,
Bouziden—Manuscript—2.
• Number your pages. Some authors
choose to number their pages at the bottom.
It’s more convenient however, to see the
 What Every Writer Needs to Know Getting Published 12

Put important identifying personal Round off exact number of words to

information in the upper left-hand corner nearest hundredth and put in upper-right
of the first page corner.

Title is okay but not essential—

editors usually make their own.

Put your name in the

center of the first page
below title.

Double-space the
text, with margins of
at least 1” on both
sides.

It is essential that you

type your name (last
only)—title—page number,
in the upper left-hand
corner of every page
following the title page.
13 Getting Published What Every Writer Needs to Know

numbers at the top. If the manuscript is If you are offering something other Check every page carefully for typos
dropped, an editor can look in the corner than first rights (for example, reprint and mistakes. Make any necessary corrections,
and arrange the pages easily. rights), that fact should be covered in and reprint the page. Don’t make sloppiness
• Avoid copyright and serial rights the cover letter. Don’t put it on your a habit; it will cost you sales.
notices. Today’s copyright law no longer manuscript. • Use proper size and the correct
requires writers to put a copyright notice • Common courtesy in any profession number of envelopes. When mailing a
on their work to protect it. Anything an counts. Fan-fold computer paper must be manuscript of five or more pages, use a
author writes is automatically protected separated. If one attached page slips off a 9x12 envelope. One to four pages can be
and need not be stated on the manuscript. busy editor’s desk and falls to the floor, the folded in thirds and mailed in a #10
The same holds true for a rights rest follow. And don’t forget to tear the business envelope. Send no more than
statement. Putting this information on paper guides along the edges off, too. Use one manuscript per envelope. Every
your manuscript is like raising a red flag a paper clip to hold your manuscript correspondence you have with an editor
and shouting “I’m a novice.” together. Never staple. should be accompanied by an SASE
(self-addressed, stamped envelope). For
The How and When of Electronic Delivery manuscripts mailed in a 9x12 envelope, slip
If you have a modem and/or fax machine, you may be tempted to submit a folded 9x12 behind the manuscript. If you
manuscripts and queries electronically. However, electronic mail (e-mail) and are mailing a #10, use a #10 SASE folded in
fax are far from being accepted as substitutes for conventional “street mail.” thirds. Do not send a #10 SASE to return
four or more pages. Editors don’t have time
The majority of manuscripts and queries are still delivered in paper form.
to do origami with your manuscript.
Almost all editors need hard copy at some point in the submission process. If
• Postage is a must. Use proper postage
you submit something via e-mail, the editor has to download the submission
on your SASEs. Publishing houses will not
and then print it out.
return manuscripts without an SASE.
So when should you submit electronically? Here are some basic guidelines for
Again, it is common courtesy. Don’t use
electronic submissions:
metered strips for SASEs. It’s against the
• Submit book, article, or short story manuscripts electronically only when
law. Metered mail must be mailed on the
specifically asked to do so.
date stamped, from the location stamped.
• Use e-mail to query magazine editors as you would use conventional mail. When submitting to a foreign publication,
You’ll receive a fast response as most editors who have e-mail addresses use International Reply Coupons (IRCs) in
have them to accept queries and manuscripts, and check their mail place of return postage. United States surface
themselves. rates are not equivalent to those of foreign
• Use conventional mail when querying book editors. countries and therefore, our postage stamps
• Don’t use a fax to send query letters unless you know the editor in question. are of no use there. For example, a one-ounce
Because of fax junk mail, messages from strangers are often disregarded manuscript mailed to Canada costs US60¢.
completely or assigned a low priority, so your query may be delayed. Your SASE, however, would require $1.30
• Don’t use fax or e-mail for anything but specific queries or business. Chatty Canadian. An IRC, available for US$1.75 at
e-mail is a waste of time and money for publishers. any U.S. Post Office, is exchanged for the
appropriate postal rate for the Universal
When you do send a query or manuscript via fax or e-mail, follow these
Postage Union country from which the
guidelines:
manuscript is mailed, in this case, Canada.
• Keep queries brief. Brief messages are usually answered faster. And if you’re mailing a manuscript to the
• If you e-mail a manuscript, it should be in 7-bit or “standard” ASCII format, U.S. from a foreign country? The same
with no special formatting characters for underlining, boldfacing, etc. process works in reverse.
(Check your word processor’s manual for information on how to convert files So, before you send your manuscript to an
to ASCII, if necessary.) If you don’t submit your work in standard ASCII editor and ask him to judge its merits, make
format, the recipient may be unable to read what you’ve sent. sure you have inspected it for professionalism.
• Unless the editor says single-spacing is okay, double-space a manuscript Then, it’s ready for submission.
when you print it for scanning by your fax machine. If you’re sending a
fax with your modem via an e-mail service, create a literal double-spaced Debbie Bouziden’s manuscripts have been
accepted for publication in more than 60 regional
ASCII file. and national magazines, including Woman’s Day,
—Michael A. Banks Lady’s Circle, Purpose and Cappers.

How to Give an Editor
Nothing to Do (Except Buy Your Article)
Nine main problems cause editors to rewrite or reject your work.
Answer this veteran freelancer’s questions to hone, whittle and
reshape your material into well-crafted, well-edited manuscripts.
By John M. Wilson
A
ll writing can be improved. Flawed
writing is just unfinished work, a
set of problems to be solved.
If your nonfiction work is being rejected
or radically revised before publication, you
just haven’t solved enough of the problems
— or you may not even know some of
them exist. As a freelance writer, I’ve sold
hundreds of nonfiction pieces to a wide
variety of publications. As an editor and
writing teacher, I’ve helped writers develop
and polish hundreds more. Along the way,
I’ve become aware of nine main problems
that consistently flaw our work. These are
errors anyone can make — I’ve certainly
committed my share — but they are also
errors anyone can fix.
The secret is to become your own editor,
developing the objectivity and discipline to
hone, whittle and reshape your material
until it’s so well-crafted, so complete, that
demanding editors will snap it up — and
then pretty much leave it alone. In particular,
journalists, who aren’t members of a
magazine or newspaper editorial staff, who
tend to operate without regular guidance
and feedback, need to work extra hard
nurturing the editor within themselves. The
more a writer is able to turn in polished
copy that requires minimal fact-checking
and touching up by others, the more
in-demand that writer will be.
This pre-submission checklist — and
your hard work — can make you one of
those writers.
What Every Writer Needs to Know Getting Published
ANGLE AND FOCUS
Am I trying to write everything there is to
know about a subject, or have I carved off
a sharply defined angle that I can handle
in a limited word length? Is my idea so
general that it sounds like a book (England’s
Gardens), or is it specific enough to have a
real newspaper or magazine hook (“How
to Find and Photograph England’s Best
Summer Gardens”)? Am I able to state my
angle in a concise phrase or sentence
(Becoming your own editor: a nine-step
checklist for polishing articles)? Can I
capture the essence of my article in a
headline or title that suits the target
publication? Have I written a “billboard
paragraph” near the beginning of my
story that sums up the theme and helps
focus the piece? Have I maintained that
focus throughout, or gone off on tangents?
Countless times, I’ve asked writers and
students, “What’s your angle?” The response
is often a stammer or blank look. Without
an angle, your article isn’t really about
anything. It tends to be diffused and
general, without a purpose. “Earthquakes in
California” is not an angle, it’s a topic. What
is it about that broad topic that you want to
explore? “Ten Safety Measures Californians
Can Take to Survive an Earthquake” is an
angle. So is “Looking Back at California’s
Earthquake History — and What the
Future Holds.” Without hearing an angle,
an editor doesn’t know what you plan to go
after — and can’t make an assignment.
14
A billboard paragraph can focus an
article. Referred to by various names —
summary graph, focus graph, theme graph,
etc. — it generally takes the form of one
or two paragraphs appearing high in your
article, summing up what it’s about and
pointing readers in the direction you’re
going. In this article, for instance, paragraphs
two and three constitute my billboard,
summing up my theme and letting readers
know what the article offers.
VIEWPOINT AND VOICE
Do I give a damn about anything I’ve
written, or have I knocked it out to collect
a check? Have I written an article that will
give readers insight or valuable informa-
tion, make them think, inspire them to
action? Have I gotten to the “why” of the
subject, not just the who, what, where,
when? Is my theme and message clear? Or
have I merely organized and assembled
facts without much thought or feeling?
Viewpoint and voice may be the most
difficult writing problem to tackle. It has a
lot to do with who you are as a person, as
well as a writer. It gives an article its
approach, tone, sensibility, sense of authori-
ty, integration and believability. It only
comes when you begin writing an article
with confidence not just in your writing
skills but in yourself as a person: Your
knowledge about a subject, your ability to
make judgments about your material and
even your view of the world.
15 Getting Published What Every Writer Needs to Know
Without viewpoint, an article is little
more than a dry “report.” There is a market
for such writing, particularly in the technical
field. But feature writers are paid to write,
which includes investing their material with
something special, a fresh feel, a convincing,
narrative voice. That doesn’t mean you have
to write in the first person, be a genius, or
even express an opinion. But you should
know what it all means to you.
Whether it’s gardens in England or
earthquakes in California you must under-
stand how you relate to it. Your “take” on
the subject shows up in the angle you
choose, the tone you set, your article’s
opening, development and conclusion —
even though you may never directly express
your personal feelings in the manuscript.
SHOWING VS. TELLING
Have I made general statements without
supporting them with examples? Am I
making bland pronouncements (“The
mountains of Switzerland are among the
most beautiful in the world.”) instead of
giving readers vivid description (“They
rise like sun-splashed spires piercing
mile-high clouds.”)? Have I done enough
research/collected enough facts, figures,
anecdotes — details — to write a
convincing, compelling article?
Don’t tell us John Travolta is tall. Tell us
exactly how tall. Mention that he ducks
when walking under awnings, looks down
on Sylvester Stallone, bumps his head in
small cars. Don’t tell us California has a
serious earthquake problem. Tell us how
many earthquakes the state has had in the
past ten years, how many to expect in the
next ten. Tell us how many lives, buildings
and dollars have been lost, how wide and
deep the fissures were. Don’t tell us that
people suffered, show us — with an
anecdote, example, description.
I once wrote a feature for the Los
Angeles Times on a mother coping with
the paralysis of her 17-year-old son after a
drunk driving accident. To state that she
was anguished would have been pointless.
I needed to show it. Based on our interview,
I included this:
She describes a nightmarish scene the first time
she saw him in Northridge Hospital Medical
Center: Roland immobile, with a device called
“Crutchfield’s thongs” fitted into holes drilled
in his skull, weighted with 65 pounds to stretch
his head and neck upward. When nurses
turned him every two hours, his mother
recalled, “I could only stand the screaming for a
few minutes, then I had to get out of the room.”
That descriptive scene — 71 words — is
worth a thousand words of vague blather
about tragedy and suffering.
Here’s a simple test: Take a boring story
and one you find unusually interesting. Go
through both, underlining each fact, detail
and anecdote. See which one has the most.
Now, go through your own article. Are
there enough?
ORGANIZATION
As I read through my article, does it move
forward logically from point to point,
developing and supporting my main
theme? Is it connected by smooth, logical
transitions? Does it have an unwieldy feel,
straying from my theme? Contain material
that would be better deleted or placed in a
sidebar? Do I repeat myself needlessly?
Have I spread out chunks of material that
would be better condensed in one related
section? Did I develop an outline, either
before I started writing or during revisions,
to better organize my material?
Outlining intimidates some writers.
Others are too lazy to work on outlines, or
too eager to get to the actual writing. But
nonfiction writers without a map will often
find themselves lost in the dense forest of
their raw material, wasting hours and days
that a simple outline might have saved.
A period of non-writing, of creative
procrastination and free association, can
be helpful. My own preference, when
research is complete, is to write freely
and spontaneously, getting my opening
on paper at least through my billboard
paragraph. If I feel in my gut that I know
where I’m going, I keep at it. But often, I
stop and develop a step-by-step outline,
rather than moving blindly on.
Outlines aren’t for everybody, and don’t
suit all types and styles of writing. But
almost all nonfiction articles need a logical
beginning-middle-end structure.
SLOPPY STYLE
Does my piece move fast as I read it, or
plod and bump along? Have I trimmed
every sentence, every word that isn’t
absolutely necessary? Are any sentences
overly long, complex, and confusing? Have
I deleted the uses of very and other vague,
needless terms (as in very fine, very
beautiful, etc.)? Trimmed wordy phrases
(using to for in order to, etc.)? Tightened
anecdotes for maximum impact? Have I
burdened my article with unnecessary
details because I uncovered them during
research and don’t want to “waste” them?
Left in favorite lines because they show
what a “good writer” I am? Does every
word, phrase and sentence in this article
serve the story and the reader, rather
than my ego?
Years ago, when I first wrote for TV
Guide, I was allowed 1,500 words for a
personality profile. I’d been doing magazine
and newspaper profiles of several thousand
words. Capture a person’s life, career and
personality in 1,500 words? Impossible!
But TV Guide taught me an important
lesson: When you’re forced to write shorter,
you’re forced to write better, making every
word count.
Read newspaper or wire service
accounts of a national story. Then compare
them to the same coverage in Time or
Newsweek. You’ll find that the newsweeklies,
with their sharp writing and editing, convey
as much information in fewer words —
generally with more verve and style.
LEADS AND KICKERS
Does my lead paragraph grab and involve
the reader? Does my opening take too long
to get to the main point? Is my lead flat,
uninspired? Is it appropriate for this
particular subject? Am I “reaching” with
my lead, using something irrelevant?
Does my lead set the tone I want? Have I
belabored it, trying too hard to be clever

or dazzle the reader? Have I “buried” my
lead — used a terrific element (quote,
anecdote etc.) deep in the story that might
make a great opening? Am I trying to save
my best bit for a kicker, when it could be
more effective to get the story going?
Would I be better off concluding with a
quote rather than my own words, or vice
versa? Does my ending feel satisfying to me?
Leads attract or turn readers away. If
you’re not aware of the types — anecdotal,
summary, descriptive, quotation etc. — you
might clip published leads that you find
effective and study them for their variety
and technique. Above all, don’t be afraid to
play around with leads, jot them down in
moments of inspiration, try out several,
rework and refine them.
Ask the same of your conclusion and
kicker: They must sum up what your piece
is about, leave the reader with a distinct
impression. Your article can’t just trail off or
end abruptly. It must leave the reader satisfied.
QUOTES
Are the quotations in my piece compelling
or dull? Have I left long, rambling or
expositional quotes intact, when I could
have paraphrased them and cut to just the
pithiest sections? Have I followed long
blocks of text with long blocks of quotes,
lulling the reader to sleep? Or have I
broken up quotations, sprinkling bits
and pieces throughout my article the way
a good cook spices a meal? Sometimes
even setting them off with dashes in
mid-sentence to underscore a point and
keep my text lively?
Quotations should be used with care
and skill, like a painter’s brush strokes.
Brush strokes can be big, bold, thick, long.
Or fine, short, stippled and so on. It’s
acceptable to break up quotes and use
them creatively, as long as you don’t alter
context or meaning.
Study well-edited publications to see
how writers work quotations into stories.
Notice how quotes are excerpted, used for
emphasis, to summarize or underscore
points, for humor, irony, or poignancy.
Clip and underline the most effective uses
What Every Writer Needs to Know Getting Published
of quotes that you find — and those that
seem poorly placed and edited.
Now go to work on your own.
DELIVERING THE
ASSIGNMENT
Do I fully understand what the assignment
was? Do I know what type of article
I’ve pitched or been assigned (profile,
investigative, how-to, service, etc.)? Do I
understand the scope I’m expected to
cover (is this a one-on-one profile, for
instance, or a roundup piece in which
many interviews may be needed)? If I’m
unsure, have I checked back with the
editor to get it straight? Have I written the
article the editor anticipates, and covered
the main points thoroughly?
In some situations, particularly with
seasoned writers, editors will let writers run
free. More often, editors have fairly strict
parameters in mind. Nonetheless, after an
article has been assigned, a writer may
discover or develop what he or she feels is
a better angle or direction for the piece. Or,
in assigning, the editor might have been
vague. If that happens, give your editor a
call to be sure you see eye to eye on the
assignment.
PROOFREAD
Have I gone over every line, checking
spelling, punctuation and grammar?
Double-checked facts? Gotten rid of
clichés, repetitive phrases and duplicated
words where synonyms can be used? Used
the proper verb tense, as well as the active
voice? Done a serious typo search? Are my
quotation marks in the proper places?
Paragraphs broken at the right points?
Some writers seem incapable of polishing
their material, of performing those final
word-by-word fixes that bring a piece to
publication level. Most editors get tired of
working with such people.
If you’re unclear about run-on
sentences, active vs. passive voice, comma
placement and other basic writing
principles, get a copy of Strunk & White’s
The Elements of Style; study it religiously.
William Zinsser’s On Writing Well, among
16
other books, also has valuable advice on
effective writing. A good editor can offer
guidance up to a point, but shouldn’t be
expected to teach basics.
When you proof your copy, try to get out
of your writer’s skin and into an editor’s,
reading with a keen, fresh, uncompromising
eye. Rituals or “tricks” may help. I read the
newspaper each morning with my coffee,
sitting in the same easy chair. When it’s time
to perform final line editing or proofreading
on my own work, I substitute my own pages
for the newspaper, reading my material as if
it were written by someone else.
Find your own way to separate yourself
from your copy, and become a tough,
objective taskmaster.
THAT’S IT
Those are the most common problem
areas. If you take them to heart, and work
hard to purge errors from your finished
manuscripts (we all make some in our first
drafts), you’re on your way to becoming
your own editor.
You might also enroll in journalism
classes (the ones that require plenty of
writing), read published articles with a
craftsman’s eye, join or form a group for
sharing constructive criticism, find a
professional writing friend or two willing
to criticize your work. Escape that freelance
vacuum, and get as much feedback on your
work as you can.
But in the end, it’s really up to you: how
deep down you want to reach for that extra
discipline and self-criticism, how much you
want success and personal satisfaction from
your craft. It also helps to realize that you’ll
never be perfect — but that you should
never be satisfied, either.
I know that when I see this article in
print, I’ll kick myself for not having gone
over it one more time.
John M. Wilson, a longtime WD contributor, has
filed acceptable copy for The New York Times, the
Los Angeles Times, TV Guide, in-flight and Sunday
magazines, and other publications. He works as a
freelance editor and teaches writing privately and
through UCLA Extension. He is the author of The
Complete Guide to Magazine Article Writing
(Writer’s Digest Books).
17 Getting Published What Every Writer Needs to Know

The
TEST
Every Editor Gives
(Whether You Know It Or Not)
Evaluate your freelancing savvy under the watchful eye of a
longtime freelancer and former Modern Maturity senior editor.

By John Wood

ach time you mail a query, each

E time you put a manuscript onto an

editor’s desk, you’re being put to a
test. Your final score depends on more
than your ideas — in fact, it is possible for
a passable idea to “flunk” because you
failed to demonstrate proficiency in some
other basic skill.
I know this is true because I “flunk”
writers all the time. It’s part of my job as
an editor.
This quiz will help you assess your grasp
of those 11 “other” basic skills — your
marketing ability, your communication
skills, your fact-checking acumen, your
deadline finesse, your bookkeeping ethics,
your writing talent and your grammar
know-how. It’s tough, tricky and demanding.
It’s also designed from an editor’s point of
view — the point of view that constantly
judges your queries and manuscripts.
After the quiz come answers — answers
to these questions and, perhaps, answers to
why you’re not selling as many articles as
you’d like. The scoring system will rank
your “writer’s quotient.”
Then, once you know the score (and the
answers), you’ll be ready for the real test:
An actual article-idea submission. With this
quiz behind you, it’s a test you’ll be ready
to pass.

THE WOOD FREELANCE APTITUDE BATTERY
FORM A
NAME ____________________________________________________________________________DATE ___________________________
General Instructions: This test consists of two pages of multiple choice, ranking, true/false, scenario and fill-in questions. Do not read ahead
to check the answers. When a question calls for you to describe your current practices, be sure your answer reflects practices you follow
now, not what you think the answer should be. Try to answer every question. A wrong answer will deduct no more from your score than a
blank. Good Luck. Test Time: 15 Minutes
SECTION ONE: MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. The ideal query should include (list as many as apply):
A Résumé.
B Clips.
C Several pages outlining your idea.
D A short list of your publishing credits.
E A sample lead, page and close from the article.
F Any special qualifications you have.
G SASE.
H All of the above.
2. Phone queries are acceptable (list as many as apply):
A When introducing yourself to an editor.
B After you know the editor.
C If you’re attending an event or press conference — tomorrow
— and need an assignment to be admitted.
D If you’re a “name” writer.
E If you’ve been referred by another editor.
F As long as it’s a “pre-query” (to ask if any ideas are worth an
official query later).
G At 9:05 a.m. or 4:05 p.m., when editors aren’t likely to be
busy, be in a meeting, or mind very much.
H Once — to see an editor’s reaction. Some editors mind,
some don’t.
I At no time.
3. How many of these items do you double-check before mailing a
query letter? (Be honest.)
A The editor’s name is spelled correctly.
B The editor’s title is correct.
C The editor is still there.
D The address is correct.
E Your idea is really worthy of an article rather than a
departmental (staff-written) item.
F Your concept is spelled out clearly in the first paragraph.
G Your idea hasn’t been done in the magazine before (or at
least not in the same way or for several years).
4. The following sentences may contain commonly misused words
or expressions. Which are correct? (Rely on your knowledge, not
your dictionary.)
A The children anxiously awaited the arrival of their favorite
uncle.
B She lazily perused the contract, then signed it.
C He bought the red shirt because it was twice as cheap as the
blue shirt.
What Every Writer Needs to Know Getting Published 18
D They’ve lain there for three hours.
E The actor had taken over so much control that he was, in
fact, the executive producer.
F The two of them have always disagreed with one another.
G The letter inferred more than it intended.
H Everybody has tied his shoes correctly.
I The players sought advice from their coaches, who they
greatly admired.
J I have good news in regard to your promotion.
5. You’re preparing a food article for next Thanksgiving and want to
boost your query’s chances by adding a “can’t miss” marketing
angle. Will the following gimmicks help, hurt or have no effect?
A Offer one concept, presented one way.
B Offer one concept, but suggest several places where it could
go (main section, department, column, etc.).
C Offer one concept with accompanying elements (sidebars,
quizzes, checklists, etc.) that could work as separate articles.
D Offer one concept, but suggest different ways it could be
presented (photo essay, Q&A, quiz, etc.).
E Send it to the food magazines only.
F Send it to all magazines that use food articles.
G Send it to magazines that never use food articles.
H Send it to magazines that have used the idea before.
I Mention that several competing magazine are interested in
the idea.
SECTION TWO: RANKING
1. Rank the following query ideas according to their chances of
succeeding, beginning with the idea that has the best chance:
A A rip-off you experienced or a product that helped you.
B A rip-off someone else experienced or a product that helped
someone else.
C A 1,500-word major investigative piece about “access to
health care in America.”
D A 3,000-word major investigative piece about “access to
health care in America” — that you can send in two weeks.
E A 4,000-word major investigative piece about “access to
health care in America” — that you can send in two months.
F Christmas gift ideas that you submit in mid June.
G Christmas gift ideas that you submit in mid October.
H “The Pros and Cons of Cosmetic Surgery.”
I “The Dangers of Cosmetic Surgery.”
Go on to the next page
19 Getting Published What Every Writer Needs to Know
2. Rank the likely response from an editor to each of these statements
made by writers. Use a scale from 0 (happy) to 5 (infuriated).
A “I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d drop by to
introduce myself.”
B “I just read your wonderful article on beekeeping, and here’s
my article on beekeeping.”
C “Knowing I’m a writer, my friends badgered me to share this
experience with your readers, so here it is.”
D “Yeah, that bothered me too when I wrote it.”
E “So you don’t like that idea, huh? Well then, what do you
want?”
F “I’m sorry, but I can’t imagine doing a piece on barracuda
breeding in anything less than 4,000 words.”
G “On spec, of course.”
H “I can promise you the finished piece will be much more
interesting than this proposal.”
SECTION THREE: TRUE/FALSE
1. Answer the following statements regarding deadlines — true or
false:
A Editors prefer a note if you’re going to be late.
B Editors prefer to be told you’re late on the due date.
C Editors want to be informed only if you’re going to be more
than a week late.
D Editors don’t really take deadlines seriously; they’re rough
dates to shoot for.
E If you miss your deadline, your contract is legally null and
void.
F Most editors will give you the benefit of the doubt if you’re
late.
G When an editor asks, “When can you finish it?”, it’s best to
give as accurate a projection as you can.
H An early manuscript will never create a problem.
2. The following expenses are considered reasonable and legitimate
by most editors — true or false?
A Phone calls to the editor.
B Phone calls to sources interviewed for the article.
C Typing service to type manuscript.
D Stamps to mail manuscript.
E Express delivery of manuscript.
F Purchase of tape recorder/tapes to interview sources.
G Lunch with editor.
H Lunches with sources interviewed for article.
I Transportation (car/taxi/bus/train/plane) to interview sources.
SECTION FOUR: SCENARIO
Read the following vignettes and respond appropriately (use scratch
paper if necessary):
1. Looking over your year-end records, you discover that six query
letters (consisting of three article ideas each) sent to three dif-
ferent magazines all fared poorly. Magazine A bought one idea
from one letter, but rejected the other five batches of ideas with
personal notes from the editor. Magazine B rejected all 18 ideas
with form letters, but “nice try” was scribbled on two of them.
Magazine C rejected all with form letters. How should you market
these magazines next year?
2. The last galleys of your article arrive from the editor. It’s already
been fact-checked, edited and set. He asks you to give it one last
read-through “for accuracy only” because it ships to the printer
in less than two weeks. You notice, however, that a sidebar you
think is necessary to complete the article was eliminated in the
final cutting process. What do you do?
3. You’ve sent in your manuscript, and with it, your back-up
research material. Your packet includes the following: (1) names
and addresses of each person you interviewed; (2) a copy of a
magazine from which you acquired a senator’s quote; (3) a copy
of a 1983 study from which you quoted a statistic; (4) a press
release describing a free brochure you mentioned; (5) a second
copy of your manuscript — underlined, numbered and annotated
— showing which sections refer to which sources. Should the
magazine’s fact-checker be pleased with each attachment?
SECTION FIVE: FILL-IN
1. Insert the correct word(s) in the following sentences (rely on
your knowledge, not on your dictionary).
A. Gee, he really _________ me! (aggravates / irritates)
B. The money was divided _________ the three men. (among /
between)
C. Birds and mammals _________ a zoo. (comprise / constitute)
D. She looks a lot different _________ before. (from / than)
E. Watch out, that gasoline is _________! (flammable /
inflammable / nonflammable)
F. _________ I leave tomorrow. (Hopefully / I hope)
G. We have _________ men than before. (less / fewer)
H. I feel _________. (nauseated / nauseous)
I. _________ of the circumstances, you were still irresponsible.
(Irregardless / Regardless)
J. The Senator’s bill describes a more _________ way to cut the
budget. (effective / efficient)
2. Insert the correct magazine jargon in the following sentences.
A. A description of the subject matter of a photo is a
_________. (gagline / blurb / tagline / caption / credit)
B. The _________ is the author’s name. (bionote / credit /
signature / byline / gagline)
C. _________ divide and set off different sections of text.
(Linecuts / Callouts / Subheads / Taglines / Dropouts)
D. A quote or phrase excerpted from an article and displayed in
large type is a _________. (callout / deck / tagline /
cutline / keyline)
E. A _________ is the teaser line accompanying the title.
(keyline / deck / cover line / tagline / subhead)
F. A boxed feature complementing the main article is a
_________. (callout / blurb / filler / dropout / sidebar)
STOP. Do not return to previously answered questions.

Okay, pencils down. In the answers that
follow, credit yourself with a “correct
answer” each time you made the appropriate
choice for each of the possible answers.
For example, in the first question of
section one, you receive five points each
for marking (b), (d), (f) and (g) as parts
of the ideal query. You also receive five
points each for not marking answers (a),
(c), (e) and (h).
The number of points possible for
each answer is listed in brackets after the
answers. A perfect score is 470.
ANSWERS TO SECTION ONE
1. (b), (d), (f ), (g). [Five points for each
correct answer — 40 total.]
(a) Résumés are often lengthy and
provide useless filler.
(b) Clips are a must, preferably on
subjects similar to your idea. They allow
an editor to assess your writing ability and
offer a source (the editor at the magazine
that published the clip) who can affirm
your accuracy and writing skill.
(c) Even the most complex article can
be summed up in one page. If you can’t
keep your query to one page, you either
haven’t thought the piece through or
you’re too wordy.
(d) A short list of credits (“I’ve worked
for Esquire and Elle and have written three
books on snail-collecting.”) tells an editor
everything he or she needs to know about
where you are in your career and what
you’re most capable of doing.
(e) Composing a lead and sample pages
is wasted effort. Editors often alter ideas
substantially before giving the go-ahead.
(f) Just as important as selling your
story idea is selling yourself. Good editors
will look beyond an idea (because most
query ideas are fairly good) to the writer;
help them do so with a short paragraph
explaining that you’ve done similar pieces,
that you have an “in” with the subject, or
that you have special knowledge of or
expertise in the subject matter.
g) Many writers don’t include an SASE
with a query letter, thinking, “Hey, those
are only for articles; this is just an idea.”
What Every Writer Needs to Know Getting Published
Although this professional lapse alone may
not kill your chances, it could be the last
straw if other problems accompany it.
2. (i). [Five points for each correct
answer — 45 total.]
Shame on you if you listed anything
else. Even if we wanted to, we can’t make
“yes” or “no” decisions over the phone.
Would you honestly want your cherished
concept to hinge on one 30-second
conversation and snap judgment by a
disgruntled editor?
3. All of them should be checked.
[Five points for each correct answer —
35 total.]
4. Only (d), (h) and (j) are correct.
[One point for each correct answer —
10 total.]
(a) Anxious means “characterized by
uneasiness or fear.” You would be eager to
experience a happy event.
(b) Peruse is “to examine in detail with
care”; there’s nothing lazy about it.
(c) Nothing can be twice as cheap as
something else; you can’t compare qualities
that denote a lack of something else.
(d) The past participle of lie is lain.
(e) In fact means “in truth” and is used
to counter something that’s false. In effect,
which means “in reality,” should have
been used.
(f) One another is only correct for
relationships involving three or more
elements; each other should have been used.
(g) Inferred means “to conclude”;
implied, which means “to suggest,” should
have been used.
(h) Although everybody looks plural, it’s
really singular and takes the singular verb.
(i) Whom is correct. When in doubt,
reword the clause in question using he for
“who” and him for “whom.” In this case,
“They greatly admired him” works better
than “They greatly admired he,” so whom
should be used.
(j) You wouldn’t be the first to think “in
regards to” is correct, but it’s not. (Best
usage would be regarding or concerning.)
20
5. (b), (c), (d) and (g) will help sales
potential; (a), (e) and (f) will have no
effect; (h) and (i) will hurt. [Five points
for each correct answer — 45 total.]
(b), (c) and (d) give an editor more
options and more reasons to buy your
material. Never offer just an article. It’s
very hard for one concept to hit a bulls-eye
with every editor.
(a), (e) and (f) won’t boost your
chances because everybody markets their
material this way, but they won’t hurt
either.
(h) makes for a redundant query. Why
would a magazine use the same idea twice?
(i) is an amateurish trick that never
works.
(g) is a wild card, but one I wish more
writers played. Take your Thanksgiving
food article, for example. The object is to
make your query stand out from the pile,
right? So send it to, say, a sports magazine
instead. Sound crazy? Think about it. How
many holiday food recipes do they get? To
prevent your query from being immediately
tossed, though (which it will be if you
simply send in turkey recipes), slant the
piece to their readers: A roundup of what
famous athletes’ wives fix for Thanksgiving.
Aim for the fringes of an editor’s mind,
not the core.
ANSWERS TO SECTION TWO
1. The correct ranking is (e), (f), (h), (b),
(d), (i), (a), (g), (c). [Five points for each
correct answer — 45 total.]
(a) and (b) Editors are wary of writers
who are too close to their subjects; chances
are they’ll be too biased. If you’ve been
ripped off, send it to your local paper’s
editorial or letters to the editor page. If a
product helped you, tell your friends.
(c), (d) and (e) It’s astounding how
many (c) and (d) queries I get. These
writers always promise a broad, vast topic
that’s appealing, but then give no other
details or outline. On something that big I
need a complete breakdown of what you’re
going to cover, who you’re going to
interview, what sources you’re going to
use, etc. I’ve also had writers who’ve
21 Getting Published What Every Writer Needs to Know
proposed to do a monstrous subject — in
500 to 1,500 words! Sidebar, maybe, but
the whole enchilada? Or they’ll promise to
bring it all in in two weeks or less. That
tells me either they don’t have a clue as to
how long these monster pieces take to
research and write or they’ve already
written it, which kills it right there (I’ve
got to have some say in how this mammoth
concept is going to be developed).
(f) and (g) Writers who honestly think
editors are still waiting around in mid
October for Christmas items must still
believe in Santa Claus. Most monthly
magazines’ December issues are at the
printer by September or sooner. In our case
(we’re a bimonthly), our December-January
copy is due in mid July, and our planning
starts at least two months before that.
(h) and (i) Believe it or not, most
editors, unless they work for a supermarket
tabloid, will avoid subjects like “The
Dangers of Cosmetic Surgery.” Sure, the
topic’s dramatic, but more balanced
articles that cover all aspects of an issue —
such as (h) — generally appeal to a larger
audience. Does that mean you can’t cover
an issue’s downside? Of course not. Just
make “The Dangers of Cosmetic Surgery”
into a sidebar to complement the main
piece.
2. All are deplorable and should
have been given a 5. [Five points for each
correct answer — 40 total. ]
(a) There’s a fine line between being
assertive and being aggressive, but this
goes beyond that — it’s intrusive. When
this happens, three things can result, all of
which are bad: I can refuse to see you,
which will make me look like, and feel like,
a heel — and we’ll resent each other for it;
I can see you and nothing will come of it,
which will waste precious time for both of
us; I can see you and something will come
of it, but I’ll lose personal and professional
respect for you.
(b) The fact that we just did a piece on
beekeeping should tell you beekeeping’s
the last thing we’ll do again (unless, of
course, we’re Beekeeper’s Quarterly).
(c) You mean, if it wasn’t for your
friends pushing you toward the computer,
you wouldn’t have thought of doing the
piece? Can you imagine George Plimpton
approaching an editor this way?
(d) Aarrgh! This is the last thing an
editor or fact-checker wants to hear
after questioning something in your
manuscript. It just raises more nightmarish
questions about you: If it bothered you,
why did you put it in? Are you that careless
and blasé about your work? What other
things bothered you that you let stand?
(e) This is especially annoying. It’s not
our job to help every writer out there. Too
many writers expect us to give them an
“inside track” to what we want (if only we
knew!) or are offended if we don’t tell
them what kind of query we’re looking for.
(f) Writers who can’t cut copy or bring
in a manuscript to our specifications aren’t
fooling anyone. Good writing is sparse
writing.
(g) I bet a lot of you gave this one a
zero, thinking editors wouldn’t mind
getting articles on spec. Wrong. It tells us
you’re a beginner/amateur. Better: Wait for
us to ask you to send it in on spec (unless
it’s humor or fiction, of course, which
never need a query).
(h) Believe it or not, this was really
sent in.
ANSWERS TO SECTION
THREE
1. Only (f) and (h) are true. [Five points
for each correct answer — 40 total.]
(a), (b) and (e) Call, don’t write, if
you’re late — and as soon as possible. Your
article may be scheduled already, so the
sooner we know the sooner we can fill the
gap with another manuscript.
(d) Some editors take them seriously;
others don’t. Sometimes it depends on the
article. Since you don’t know if the editor’s
due date is a rough one or not, assume it’s
a real one.
(e) Depends on your contract. If your
contract doesn’t say that, you’re okay.
(f) Most editors will grant a writer an
extension with no questions asked. Second
and third extensions, though, are a
different story.
(g) If you’re a riverboat gambler, try
your luck. But common sense says give
yourself as much leeway as you can.
(h) True, true, oh so true!
2. (a) False; (b) True; (c) False; (d) False;
(e) False (unless the editor asks you to
send it by this means); (f) False; (g) False;
(h) True (But use common sense: If you’re
getting only $200 for an article, don’t
expect a $95 meal stub to be accepted.);
(i) True (But never arrange costly expenses
— such as plane fares — without first
consulting with the editor.). [Five points
for each correct answer — 45 total.]
ANSWERS TO SECTION
FOUR
1. Correspond with the editors who wrote
you from Magazines A and B; say you’ve
been missing the mark lately and ask for
some constructive criticism. Drop
Magazine C from your list. [Ten points
for each magazine situation you analyzed
correctly — 30 total.]
Freelance writing is tough, and one of
the secrets of success is to focus your time
and effort wisely. Too many writers waste
time corresponding with magazines
that will never accept their work, while
others bail out too fast where opportunity
still exists. If an editor gives you
encouragement, whether by sale or pat
on the back, consider yourself as having
entered — temporarily — the inner
sanctum of that magazine. Your name
and/or letterhead will be remembered each
time it crosses his or her desk, and your
material will be given priority when it
arrives. That’s the good news.
The bad news is few writers last long in
the inner sanctum. To stay there, you must
produce again. And again. If you think
you’ve been banished, find out why before
you give up; editors are more willing to
give time to a promising writer working to
return from exile than to an unknown
trying to break in. On the other hand, if
you’ve never gotten anything but form

rejection letters, take the hint — please! I
recently asked a panel of top editors if any
of them had writers like this. They all
rolled their eyes and nodded. Then I asked
if they’d ever told one of the writers:
“Listen, we’ll never use you. Don’t waste
your time here anymore.” They all shook
their heads; they didn’t have the heart.
2. If you said, “I would let the editor
know, in no uncertain terms, that — last
minute or no last minute — the profile
must remain,” you get 15 points. If you
also said, “I would then give the editor
several alternative blocks of text to
remove instead,” you get another 15 points
[30 points total.]
Always question an editor’s editing if
you feel strongly about it. The editor isn’t
your boss — he’s your partner. By fighting
— or at least questioning — you tell him
you care about that word, that phrase, that
paragraph, that person. This situation
happened to me recently. An article I was
shepherding was less than two weeks away
from shipping and in it was a two-page
spread consisting of six individuals and six
photographs. At the last minute one of the
photographs dropped out. To save the
integrity of the layout, we decided to drop
the corresponding profile. I mentioned
this to the writer later that day, expecting
nothing more than “Aw, that’s too bad.”
But she protested vehemently and
convinced me that the profile was integral
to the entire article. The bottom line: We
redesigned the layout at the last minute
and reinstated the profile in the spread,
sans picture. I’m happy she fought and
won because the article was better for it.
I’m also happy to have found a writer
who’s so passionate about her work.
3. The fact-checker should be upset
with (1) through (4), but be pleased with
(5). [Five points for each correct answer
— 25 total.]
(1) You failed to include the most
important thing — phone numbers; a
good magazine fact-checker must call
every source.
What Every Writer Needs to Know Getting Published
(2) Never assume quotes in publications
are correct — what if the senator had
been misquoted? Call the senator’s office
yourself and either get your own quote or
verify the one you read.
(3) A 1983 report is too old to be using
today. Surely there must be a newer, more
up-to-date study.
(4) Never assume press release material
is accurate. A flyer promising free pamphlets
begs these questions: Is the offer still
open? How many pamphlets does the firm
have in stock? Can more be printed if
the supply runs out? Has the offer been
discontinued since you read about it? Is
the mailing address correct? And on and
on. These can all be verified with a phone
call to the public relations firm.
(5) Researchers dream of such back-up
material. We received such a packet recently,
and our researcher just looked heavenward.
“This is the way articles are supposed to
be turned in.” Unfortunately, it’s the only
article we’ve ever received that way.
ANSWERS TO SECTION FIVE
1. (a) irritates; (b) among; (6) constitute;
(d) from; (e) flammable (inflammable
would also be correct, although the word
is more often used figuratively); (f) I
hope; (g) fewer; (h) nauseated; (i)
Regardless; (j) effective. [One point for
each correct answer — 10 total.]
2. (a) caption; (b) byline; (c) Subheads;
(d) callout; (e) deck; (f) sidebar. [Five
points for each correct answer — 30 total.]
POSTING THE GRADES
0-275 points: I purposely made this test
tough, so don’t get discouraged. But you
clearly need to brush up on the basics.
Recommendation: Read Writer’s Market.
Pore over some how-to books on freelancing,
such as Scott Edelstein’s 1,818 Ways to
Write Better & Get Published and Greg
Daugherty’s You Can Write for Magazines.
Take courses in freelancing and ask the
best teachers if they ever “tutor” on the
side. Join a local writer’s club and pick the
members’ brains. For now, think small —
22
send queries to local newspapers and
regional magazines. Your best bet will be
writing about topics you know well.
280-325 points: You have some
knowledge of freelancing and marketing
fundamentals, but you still have a ways to go.
Recommendation: Follow the advice in
the previous recommendation. Your best
opportunities are also in local newspapers
and regional magazines, but look for
specialized national markets that mesh
with your strengths.
330-370 points: Okay, now you’re
getting somewhere. You probably have a
few sales under your belt already, or you’ve
just missed. So why is your score only
average? I suspect you haven’t decided what
you want your writing to accomplish yet.
Recommendation: Take a long, hard look
at what your writing means to you — is it
a hobby? a cash cow? an itch to be scratched?
a future career goal? The answer probably
fluctuates, right? Treat your writing as a
serious business — all the time — and
your acceptances should soar.
375-420 points: Your total is better
than average, which means you’re
probably selling fairly regularly to major
magazines — or should be. So how
do you move to the highest level?
Recommendation: Take one big risk.
Next time you prepare a query, look
beyond the safe, sure proposal and try the
article you’ve always wanted to do — but
have always been intimidated by. You may
surprise yourself. Many name writers are
famous today because they went over
their heads and wrote the blockbuster
they always knew they had in them.
425-470 points: Hi there, Tom Wolfe. I
knew I’d connect with you somehow, even
though you never return my phone calls!
Recommendation: Call me or fax me — at
home, after midnight — any time is fine.
And that goes for anybody else who scored
this high.
John Wood is a former senior editor at Modern
Maturity, where he compiled such quizzes as
“What’s Your Sex Quotient?” and “What’s Your
Nutrition Quotient?” for his health column. He
wants writers to know he never grades with a curve.
23 Getting Published What Every Writer Needs to Know
5
By W.C. Stroby
C
Every First Novelist Must Answer
hances are the idea has simmered
in your subconscious for months,
maybe years. You’ve filled half a
dozen spiral notebooks with scrawled notes
recopied from cocktail napkins and
envelopes. A few characters crouch on your
shoulders, whispering dialogue in your ear,
daring you to bring them into existence.
You’re ready to write your first novel.
Or are you?
Starting a novel and finishing it are two
different things. Whatever type of novel
you plan to write, it’s going to involve a
significant outlay of time, energy and
emotion. So unless you’re content to fill up
reams and reams of paper with a narrative
that goes nowhere, you should know what
you’re getting into before you start. Once
you climb on that tiger’s back, you might
find it hard to jump off without mauling
your creative ego.
Here are five questions about yourself and
your material that you absolutely, positively
must know before you sit down to write.
AM I READY FOR THIS?
Ambition is fine, but know when you’re
getting in over your head. A beginning
mountain climber doesn’t set out to scale
Everest his first time out, and the budding
novelist shouldn’t take on a task that would
Jude Deveraux, Stephen Coonts and other
bestselling writers offer tips to getting your
first novel off to a successful start — and finish.
daunt even a hardened veteran. Melville
wasn’t ready to write Moby Dick until he
was five novels into his career. A good idea
undertaken at a time when you don’t have
the skill or resources to bring it off can be a
painful and ultimately frustrating experience,
even if you finish the book. Be ambitious,
but be realistic in your own goals.
“You have to know your own level of
craft,” says F. Paul Wilson, author of the
horror/fantasy novels The Keep, Black Wind
and Re-Born. “The guy who wrote Healer
and Wheels Within Wheels [Wilson’s first
ROBERT CAMPBELL
“The great courage of the creative artist is that
he or she sits down and writes that first line of
dialogue.”
two novels] couldn’t have written Black Wind
with any justice to the theme and the charac-
ters and the sweep of the thing. There’s a tal-
ent part of writing and then there’s the craft,
and they’re two different things. The talent
comes in while conceptualizing a story; the
craft is what lets you put it on paper in a
coherent form. You’ve got to have the tools.
If you don’t have the necessary skills, you can
have some great ideas for stories, but it’s
going to be awfully hard to tell them.”
“A lot of people have the ambition to
write novels,” says Stephen Coonts, author
of the bestselling Flight of the Intruder, and
The Minotaur. “But what the average reader
doesn’t understand is the sweat, blood and
tears that go into doing it.”
Many first-time novelists don’t consider
how much time they’re likely to spend
feeling their way around a new medium,
just learning how to make it work for them.
“A novel is not just something you can
say ‘Okay, I’ll write four pages a day and in
100 days I’ll have 400 pages,’” Coonts says.
“It doesn’t work that way. You may write for
a week at four pages a day and then have to
throw it all away because you see it didn’t
work. So you have to go back and do it
again, and so the 100 days becomes 200 or
300 or 400.”
Coonts says the only way to get anything
done is to set up a regular writing schedule
— and stick to it.
“When I wrote Flight of the Intruder, I
worked every night, four hours a night,

sometimes five,” he says. “I worked every
Saturday, Sunday and holiday — at least ten
hours on those days. And I was holding
down a 40-hour-a week job the rest of
the time, trying to make a living. While
everybody else was skiing and whooping it
up and going to parties, I was sitting there
and tapping away.”
A good target schedule for first-timers,
suggests Coonts, is two to four hours a day,
at least five days a week.
“For a book of any size, from start to
finish, plan on spending at least 2,000 hours
on it,” he says. “That’s on a very regular
basis, not two hours every Sunday morning
before you go to church. People who tell me
JUDE DEVERAUX
“Rather than describing my characters, I try to
come up with actions to show what they’re
like.”
they only write on weekends, they’ve had a
novel in progress for five years. They’ll
never get it done.”
Ex-Secret Service agent Gerald Petievich,
author of To Live and Die in LA, Shakedown
and Earth Angels, began writing his first
novel while a special agent in the Service’s
Los Angeles bureau.
During that time, he got up every
morning at 3:30 so he could get in four
solid hours of writing before leaving for
the office.
“I more or less gave up everything else
in my life,” Petievich says. “I went to bed
early every night, I had no social life, on the
job I refused promotions just so I could
stay in one place and write. That’s the kind
of commitment you have to make for
fiction. But when you take on that kind of
obsession — which is what writing is, what
art is — nothing else can stop you if you
choose to do it.”
Few first-time novelists have the luxury
of endless hours to work on a book at their
leisure, unencumbered by other responsibil-
ities. Unless you’re independently wealthy,
you’ll probably be holding down another
job when you make that first stab at novel
What Every Writer Needs to Know Getting Published
writing — even if that job is caring for a
family, which can be even more demanding.
Resist the temptation to blow off your
regular job once you feel the calling of a
novel, says Petievich. “That’s a big mistake.
Don’t say: ‘Well, I’ll just quit my job and go
write a book.’ Books don’t pay very well,
and the financial pressure that comes makes
people write faster and faster. And the faster
you write, the worse it is.”
WHAT IS MY STORY ABOUT?
As complex as your novel might turn
out to be, it’s essential you be able to state
clearly what your basic story is and where
it’s going.
“One sentence,” says Gerald Petievich.
“Two at the most. If you can’t tell yourself
what your story is in one or two sentences,
you’re already running into trouble.”
“Even in Moby Dick, it comes down to
Captain Ahab chases a whale and doesn’t
get it. Now that’s simplistic, but it’s the way
you have to look at it. Melville could have
been writing a police story — it could have
been anything — but he did have in mind
the story of an obsession, an obsession
where a man does not reach his goal. All the
other things that are added into it, all the
religious symbolism and so on, is only to
help tell that story.”
First novelists often stumble in translat-
ing a promising idea into a workable, func-
tioning story with a beginning, a middle
and an end.
“A story is not a setting,” warns Stephen
Coonts. “For example, war in the jungle —
that’s not a story. A story is an adventure, a
conflict that happens to people that’s either
resolved in the story or cannot be resolved
for reasons that become clear in the story.
Ideas are a dime a dozen. I’ve got a dozen of
them right now. I can get one usually by
reading the morning newspaper. But that
24
doesn’t mean it’s going to be a good story.”
A clearly defined story — who, where,
what and when — is the most important
groundwork for your novel. But, says
Coonts, understanding your story doesn’t
mean you have to know in advance every
twist and turn it’s going to take along
the way.
Plotwise, “I know exactly where I’m
going,” he says. “The only question is how
to get there. Your destination may be Pike’s
Peak, but there are an infinite number of
ways to get to Pike’s Peak.”
Crime novelist Robert Campbell (Juice,
Sweet La-La Land) says he often starts a
novel with only a vague idea of how it’s
going to end.
“You know certain things going into it,”
he says. “For instance, you know that your
villain is going to get his comeuppance, but
that doesn’t mean you know he’s going to
pull a gun at some point and a certain
character is going to come out of left field
and shoot him. But as I’m writing, as I’m
feeling my way toward it, I pretty much
intuitively or instinctively know how I want
it to turn out. If I go into it with an ending
mapped out and it changes midway, I
usually go with it. I know that’s my
subconscious at work, and my subconscious
has probably done more work on it than
my conscious mind has.”
Outlining the entire novel beforehand
may be useful. Once you know where your
story’s headed and have chosen a starting
point, mapping out the rest is just a
question of whatever works best for you.
“You don’t really need a page-for-page
outline, or even necessarily a chapter outline,”
Petievich says. “But you have to know the
events that are going to occur, where the
book’s going. Writers who say they make it
up as they go along are fooling themselves.”
“I just start on chapter 1, page 1,” says
Coonts. “It’s the basic story that’s critical,
that’s what carries you along. If you have to
do an outline, then do it. Do whatever you
feel you have to do. If you don’t need to do
it, then don’t waste the time.”
If you know your story works before
you begin writing, that confidence helps
25 Getting Published What Every Writer Needs to Know
steer you through the rockier spots of
plotting later in the book. But as you move
toward your ending, be ready to adapt to
changes along the way.
F. PAUL WILSON
“Your novel better not be a story you’re
lukewarm about. You really have to think this
is great.”
“If your creative talent is working
correctly, it will pull [the plot] along
in the way it should go,” Petievich says.
“Our subconscious mind really rules in a
creative endeavor. So if it starts to change,
don’t try and force it back into some sort
of dogma that you’ve established.”
If you do that, you’ve undermined one
of the fundamental joys of writing, says
Jude Deveraux, author of more than 20
novels, including the bestselling A Knight
in Shining Armor and Wishes.
“There are no new stories,” she says.
“It all depends on how you handle it. In
romances, the characters are going to fall
in love with each other, you know that
when you see the syrupy cover. It’s how
you get there that’s the fun.”
DO I KNOW WHO MY
CHARACTERS ARE?
To convince readers that what you’re
writing about can — or has — happened,
you’re going to need characters who not
only move the plot along, but also are real
enough to get readers believing.
“Your characters are going to make or
break your story,” says Stephen Coonts. “In
a perfect world, the reader is going to fall
in love with your main characters and
they’re going to be moved in one way or
another by the ending.”
Bringing your characters to life means
getting them down on paper. List them
before you start writing and know something
about each of them beyond just their plot
functions.
“You have to know something about
the characters, but not everything,” says
Gerald Petievich. “You should know their
age, their social class, their sex and their
nationality. That’s enough. Remember that
the story comes first. The characters are
created for the purpose of telling the story,
not vice versa. The characters can change,
the story remains.”
“Writers shouldn’t fall in love with
characters so much that they lose sight of
what they’re trying to accomplish,” says
Coonts. “The idea is to write a whole story,
a whole book. A writer has to be able to
look at that story and see whether or
not a character works, whether or not a
character needs further definition.”
This doesn’t necessarily mean knowing
the location of every mole on their body
or what the characters had for breakfast.
The trick is to bring them alive within the
context of the story.
“Physical descriptions for your main
characters don’t matter, they’re passe,” says
Petievich. “Minor characters can be
described at great length, and that helps to
create mood and define the characters
when you don’t really have time to deal
with them. But for the main characters, I
don’t think you should do like Dashiell
Hammett and describe Sam Spade in great
detail so that you can see his face. Because
what if you’re the reader and you don’t like
his face?”
GERALD PETIEVICH
“If you can’t tell yourself what your story is in
one or two sentences, you’re already running
into trouble.”
“Most romances, I think, deal too
much with the physical looks of people,”
says Jude Deveraux. “How beautiful she is,
how gorgeous and handsome he is. I’m not
interested in that, so I don’t put much of
that in there. But I am very interested in
their personalities. So rather than describing
them at length, I try to come up with
actions to show what they’re like.”
DO I KNOW THE GENRE?
No one writes in a vacuum. No matter
what genre you’re tackling — and this
includes “mainstream” books — you must
know who and what has gone before you.
You need to know what you’re up against
and you can learn from everything you
read, good or bad. But most of all, you can’t
afford to not be familiar with the genre
you’re writing in, because your intended
reader almost certainly will be.
“You need to know the structure,” says
Jude Deveraux. “You need to know what
you can and cannot do. A lot of new
writers come to me and say: ‘I’m going to
give the reader two romances in one book.’
My response is always: ‘You couldn’t come
up with enough plot for one, right, so
you’re going to stick a second one in?’
Well, that’s a taboo. People who read
romances only care about the hero or
heroine. Some writers mix murder mysteries
in with their romances and you can do
that, but you have to know how much.
And you can only learn that from reading
lots of books.”
If the genre you’ve chosen isn’t one
you particularly like, it might be wise to
reconsider.
“You have to like it,” says F. Paul
Wilson. “If you’re writing something that
you don’t really like to read, you’re going
to fall down miserably. If you’ve tried a
couple of romance novels and you hear
that Cyberpunk is hot and you figure
you’re going to knock off a Cyberpunk
novel, you’re wasting your time. If you
don’t know science fiction, if you don’t
know computerese and stuff, you’re not
going to be able to bring it off.”

“Every genre has its own ambiance and
you have to know that,” Wilson says.
“You’ve got to know what other people
have done. If you talk to science fiction
magazine editors who read the slush pile,
they’ll tell you every fourth story has an
Adam-and-Eve ending. Those writers are
people who don’t know the genre, who
don’t know that this ending has been done
to death already. If you’re not familiar with
the genre, you won’t know it’s one of the
hoariest clichés going.”
At the same time, warns Deveraux, don’t
subvert your own writing style to something
you think may be more “marketable.”
“You should really stay true to your
own style,” she says. “When I first started
writing, everybody said to me, ‘your style
just isn’t right because you don’t use the
really flowery language that romances
have.’ My romances — compared to what’s
out there — are very strange, very odd,
very different. And I think that’s one of the
reasons they’re selling. Within romance
novels, Danielle Steel is in a genre all her
own. Nobody writes like her. Stephen
King’s books are quite different from most
horror novels. So it’s a genre within a
genre. You stay within the genre but you
do something different with it.”
There’s room for experimentation
within any kind of fiction, provided you
give the reader their money’s worth in
terms of story and characters. But, as
Stephen Coonts advises, “Try and find a
subject that nobody else has touched.”
Read a good dozen novels in the genre
you’ve chosen. Chances are you’ll have a
better idea of what you should — and
shouldn’t — be doing.
AM I EXCITED BY THE
STORY I’M GOING TO TELL?
The answer to this question makes the
difference between a completed, publishable
novel and several months worth of
manuscript left to rot in a bureau drawer.
Write a story that excites you, challenges
you, that keeps you awake at night every
time you start to think about it. If you
can’t get fired up over it, who will?
What Every Writer Needs to Know Getting Published
“Writing a novel involves a lot of
work and a long time without any positive
reinforcement,” says F. Paul Wilson. “It
better not be a story you’re lukewarm
about. You really have to think this is great.”
“Some books I’ve written come to me
because I’ve seen something in the paper
that outrages me,” says Robert Campbell.
“A lot of them come out of a philosoph-
ical position that has cooked in my mind
for many years, until I found the story to
tell it. Either way, it has to be something
that, in a sense, demands my attention.”
Jude Deveraux remembers when a
former agent talked her into writing an
“epic family saga” of a sort popular at the
time, though she wasn’t happy with the
idea. That novel, Casagrande, is the only
book of hers no longer in print.
“The best advice is to write what you’re
really passionate about,” she says. “My first
STEPHEN COONTS
“What the average reader doesn’t understand
is the sweat, blood and tears that go into
writing novels.”
books are not the best written things, but
there’s a lot of passion in them and it got
me through.”
Of course, no matter what your idea is,
there will come a time when you wonder if
you can pull it off. Once you’re into a
book, a grandiose idea boils down into a
lot of time-consuming — and sometimes
tedious — labor. The going can get very
dark indeed.
“It’s never going to wind up as great as
you think it’ll be when you start,” says
Wilson. “The more excited you are with a
book to start out with, probably the harder
that realization will hit you. When you start
a book, it has all these possibilities, all this
great potential. But the book you hope it
will be, I don’t think ever really materializes.
You find out you’re limited by your talent.”
No matter how experienced a writer you
eventually become, that moment of doubt
and uncertainty is still almost sure to rear
its head at some point.
26
“I get that all the time,” says Wilson.
“You get off to a strong start and maybe
you have a strong finish planned, but
to hold up the belly of the book is the
toughest part. From an objective outside
viewpoint, the book may be going great.
But to you it won’t be, because there
are going to be parts where you’re just
slogging through and every page — every
paragraph — is a strain to get it to come
out and to get it to work.”
What it all adds up to, says Campbell, is
preparing yourself for a certain amount of
disappointment, but learning how to move
beyond it as well.
“The great courage of the creative artist
— whether it’s a composer, a writer, a
painter or whatever — is that he or she is
willing to sit down and write that first line
of dialogue, make that first stroke on the
canvas,” he says. “Even though the artist
realizes that by that act he is beginning to
destroy the vision he has in his mind.
Because the vision you’ve got for a book
is monumental, it flows like water, it’s
beautiful, it’s this, it’s that. But to write it,
you have to struggle into the real world.”
“The chief thing is desire,” says Wilson.
“You’ve really got to want to do it, you’ve
really got to want to tell that story. And you
have to be able to set goals for yourself to
get it done.”
“It does get easier,” he says. “The longer
you do it, the easier it gets to do. You learn
how to get your ideas down on paper; you
learn how to think in those terms. Look at
Robert Heinlein’s Rules of Writing. The first
one is: You Must Write. The second one is:
You Must Finish What You Write.
“It’s just a matter of sitting down and
doing it.”
W.C. Stroby has profiled such authors as Stephen
King, James Lee Burke and Clive Barker for Writer’s
Digest.
27 Getting Published What Every Writer Needs to Know
How To Find
ARTICLE IDEAS “In one day,” says this freelancer and writing instructor, “any writer
can find enough ideas for feature stories to stay busy for months.”
By Michael J. Bugeja
n one day, any writer can find enough
I ideas for feature stories to stay busy
for months of research and writing.
I guarantee it.
As a university writing coach, I propose
more than 2,000 feature story ideas to
students every year. The number always
staggers me. But my sources for feature
ideas — and they can be your sources,
too — are so rich and renewable that I
generate enough ideas to satisfy both my
students’ and my own freelance writing.
Where can you find all these ideas?
Follow me.
THE FACTS OF YOUR LIFE
Every novice writer hears the advice,
“Write about what you know.” And we
know many things. But because our
knowledge is rooted in personal experi-
ences, we dismiss it as a source of ideas for
feature stories — even though we own the
psychological copyrights to those stories.
The trick is to take a broad, objective look
at what you know.
Jot down the “facts” of your life — the
highs, lows and turning points — the
elements that distinguish your life from
someone else’s. Here are a few items from
my list: I’m a first-generation American;
I’m the oldest child; I married as a teenager;
I am divorced; my father died of cancer;
I remarried; my first baby was stillborn;
I adopted an infant; I adapted as a father.
Each of these facts or events can yield
at least ten feature ideas. When I wrote for
United Press International, I drew on parts
of this list for articles accepted for the
national wire (the moral equivalent of a
magazine sale). Based on my list, I could
write articles about:
• First-generation Americans of today, no
longer European, but from such locales as
Asia and the Middle East: “The Changing
Faces of America’s New First Generation.”
• The responsibility and stress of the
first-born in family matters: “From Executor
to Executive: Assuming the Family Business.”
• Advice for teenage marriage success:
“How Parents Can Help Their Children
Make a Go of It.”
• Offbeat divorce settlements: “If We
Part, Who Gets the Football Tickets?”
• The last chance for terminal cancer
victims: “Remission: A Time to Make Up
for Lost Time.”
• The effect of stillborns on marriage:
“Couples Most Likely to Divorce: How to
Beat the Odds.”
• Failed parenthood: “Adoptive Parents
Who Return Their Children.”
Some of these stories have been done
before. Cancer is a topic that, sadly, appears
on many writers’ lists. But don’t eliminate
topics because you’ve read — or even
written — about them before. Your feature
will be unique because it comes from a
different locale and perspective and is
intended for a different readership. Two of
my students put together an award-winning
newspaper series about cancer that included
a feature about a journalism department
academic adviser who courageously
confronted and overcame the disease.
THE WORLD AROUND YOU
I don’t find all my feature ideas in my
background. I find many in the world
around me. I’ve trained myself to consider
everything I hear, see, smell, taste or touch
as a potential feature article. Take last week,
for instance.
• Listen. On my way to the campus
library, I overheard a man tell his friend,
“Tomorrow at the checkpoints, you’ll see
deer obviously dead for two days.” I checked
the date and learned the next day was the
opening of deer-hunting season. The men
were talking about hunters who stash their
too early kills until the season opens.
Feature: “Hunters Who Jump the Gun.”
• Look. In a campus elevator I saw a
poster that bore a swastika and anti-black
sentiments. I questioned whether it was the
start of an American Nazi Party recruitment
drive on campus. Feature: “The Nazis in
Our Midst.”
• Smell. Visiting a friend’s home, I could
smell a nearby factory and garbage dump.
Residents hate the stench and have tried to
do something about it. Feature: “The
Zoning War.”
• Taste. In the grocery store, I sampled
some exotic fruits, among them breadfruit. I
wondered who buys these delicacies and
where they find recipes. Feature: “Fruit
From Paradise.”
• Touch. In the school cafeteria, I shook
hands with a new music professor. His
hands were long and elegant. I asked if
physical traits of musicians (not just
pianists) dictate success or failure with a
particular instrument. Feature: “Maestros
Who Measure Up.”
These story ideas would have escaped me
had I not been alert for them. Ideas occur at
any moment.
More difficult is the “sixth sense” that the
most successful feature writers develop:
foreseeing fads and trends.
Although features about both are salable,
those that identify trends are the most
valuable. Trends endure and influence society

more than short-lived fads. Many articles
were written about the Pac-Man fad, but
only the most astute writers recognized that
fad as part of a trend toward computers.
Developing this sixth sense means, again,
being perceptive about your surroundings.
• As I write this, bright-colored plastic
shoes are the campus rage. By the time you
read this, the shoes will have been replaced
by some other fad, but both are part of the
trend I wrote about when I first spotted the
shoes. Feature: “Anything to Be Stylish.”
If you want to try your hand at a
fad-feature, but you have no ideas, scan
your environment.
• My wife rummaged in her mother’s
basement to find our daughter a Shirley
Temple doll…worth at least $1,000 from
a collector. The collecting part is more
trend than fad, and the bids on these dolls
have become so outrageous that I know a
collector somewhere has hocked a wedding
ring to buy one. Feature: “Dolls We’d Give
Anything to Keep From Our Kids.”
Don’t eliminate topics because you’ve read about
them before. Your perspective will make
the feature unique.
• In spring my neighbors plant vegetable
gardens, part of the trend toward healthier
living. But do they exercise — another part
of the trend — by digging their plots by
hand? No, they buy tillers. Feature: “Only a
Little Health, Please.”
• That home computer my colleague
acquired not only helps him prepare tax
returns, but also serves as a deduction.
Feature: “If My PC Lives With Me, Can I
List It as a Dependent?”
Procrastinators have no business writing
the fad-feature. But the good news for such
writers is that the death of a fad or trend
can be as intriguing as its birth and usually
contains more human interest. For instance,
a local company thrived when the craze for
citizen’s band radios was at its peak. When
the CB fad died, my story focused on the
consequences of the company’s collapse to
the fired workers as well as the manufacturer.
What Every Writer Needs to Know Getting Published
HIDDEN IDEAS
Some of the best feature ideas —
especially for fad and trend-spotting
stories — hide in bland places. Trade,
technical, scientific, government and
corporate publications and directories
contain a wealth of ideas for the writer
able to look through dry prose and see a
fresh idea hiding inside.
Some of these sources are written for a
national audience. You can often make a
sale to a local or regional publication by
narrowing the subject’s focus to produce a
new article on the subject’s effect in your
community or region.
Here are some examples of unusual
sources and salable story ideas I brought
home from a reading session at my local
library:
• From a trade journal for retailers:
Shoplifting is down. An article notes that
U.S. stores annually lose $24 billion in
shoplifting, one third of that between
Thanksgiving and Christmas. A feature
could focus on whether shoplifting in your
city follows the national trend and the
steps local merchants take to prevent it.
• From a librarians’ newsletter: A dozen
communities received federal grants to
renovate their libraries. That’s good for
12 features, easily sold to weekly newspapers
in those communities. And don’t dismiss a
more in-depth piece without checking.
Maybe one of these libraries intends to
restore (or tear down) a structure listed on
The National Register of Historic Places.
• From a statistical abstract: Marriages
once outnumbered divorces five to one in
one particular state; now that figure is two
to one. By interviewing judges, couples,
clergy and counselors, you can write a
feature that explains the statistic and the
reasons behind it.
• From a corporate annual report: A
large manufacturer showed a financial loss
28
for the most recent corporate year. But the
company is predicting it will recover the
loss by introducing new products. These
plans could be the basis for a feature on
how the communities around the plant are
depending on its recovery.
Common reference books take on new
value when seen as story starters. I find
about one feature possibility for every five
pages of the telephone directory. Look
under the letter A:
• Abortion Information & Services.
Interview counselors at the centers and at
centers that offer alternatives. Feature:
“What Do You Tell a Pregnant Teenager?”
• Antiques — Dealers. What’s the
current collecting fad? What basement/attic
dweller is now a hot seller? Feature:
“Depression Glass, Modern Gold.”
• Art Galleries — Dealers. Is there any
unusual material or high-ticket art work
currently in vogue? Feature: “Surreal Art at
Unreal Prices.”
Directories of names or dates are inex-
haustible sources for profiles and follow-up
features. Let’s say you look up someone
interesting — someone who used to be
famous. Capitalize by writing what’s called
the follow-up feature. You can follow up on
people, events, predictions and so on. The
back-issue file of any daily newspaper will
provide you with a directory of stories listed
by name or topic. Check for annual, fifth,
tenth, 20th and 25th anniversaries of news
events. What begins as a simple follow-up
may turn into a major feature, especially if
new developments have gone unreported.
This happened with a follow-up feature
I did on a black National Guardsman
who was the victim of a mock hanging in
the South. The man was distraught and
eventually shot himself playing Russian
roulette. The shooting incident was big
news, but a year later nobody remembered
the man, who was still recovering from
his wound at the time my feature was
published. The story stirred up interest with
new details and reports of government red
tape in investigating the mock hanging.
(Many newspaper libraries — or
“morgues” — are not open to the public. If
29 Getting Published What Every Writer Needs to Know

you’re local paper is among those, write the estranged lovers. One student wrote about publication, a particular audience. And as
publisher for permission to use it. Assure the couples who advertise nationwide wanting they shape their ideas for publication, they
publisher that you will not sell your features to adopt unwed mothers’ babies. often discover new angles that are more
to competitors and that you will use the • Help wanted ads. A help wanted ad exciting than their original idea.
morgue at its least busy hours. For a morning once led me to a feature about the expansion Test the salability of each topic that
newspaper, that will be about 8-10 a.m.; for of a local factory. The plant manager told excites you. Write a few paragraphs about
an afternoon newspaper, about 3-5 p.m.) me over the phone that his facility was begin- your initial idea. Describe what your feature
The classified ad section of your ning production of new products. I set up concerns, who you’ll need to talk to, and
newspaper is another directory for features. an interview and toured the plant. My what other research you’ll want to do to
Ideas often can be found in several categories: resulting feature was distributed nationwide. make it complete. This alone may modify
• Lost and found notices. At my your idea.
university, students return thousands of TESTING YOUR IDEA Then study the market. Which
dollars in jewelry, cameras and the like. A An idea is only the start of the feature publications might have an interest in your
student writer detailed the efforts of Lost story process — a process that ends with feature? When you have identified several
and Found personnel to locate a person publication. Along the way, expect to potential buyers, consult back issues of those
whose expensive watch was recovered. revise your idea many times. Sometimes publications to familiarize yourself with
• Personal ads. This is a great source your published article will bear little their contents and overall tone.
since typical entries contain notices for resemblance to the idea that sparked it. Now rewrite your idea. As you do,
runaways to return home, offers of romance But successful writers realize that they address these questions:
and adventure, and public warnings to must mold their ideas to fit a particular • How will my feature appeal to readers
of this publication?
How to Keep Track of All These Ideas • How can I learn more about the topic
Every year it seems the perfect Christmas feature occurs to me on Dec. 23. But Dec. 23 to attract these readers?
ideas are too late to sell for this year and too early for next. So what do I do with an idea • What insight can I add to make my
until its time is right? feature special?
I know many writers who try to file it in their minds, hoping lightning will strike again • Have I left out anything that can
when editors are hot for Christmas queries. Others scribble the idea on a piece of paper strengthen my idea?
and file it in a shoebox. They usually find it again — next Dec. 23. • How can I tailor my writing to the
I file the idea in a futures file — an indispensable organizer that every successful market?
feature writer depends on. When you’re satisfied that your rewritten
Writers who work on word processors quickly discover that programming a futures file is idea is as strong as it can be, take it to the
one of the most valuable functions they can perform on their computers. But typewriter- market, either in a query (the form most
bound freelancers like me achieve the same results with a simple cardboard box or a file editors prefer) or as a complete manuscript.
cabinet. Either way, be ready to change it again. Even
My file has 31 numbered file folders. Each holds ideas and information for that particular if an editor likes the heart of your idea, he or
day of any month. (For example, folder #1 will collect material I’ll want to use on Jan. 1, she may ask for another focus or a different
Feb. 1, March 1 or the first day of any month throughout the year. Folder #31 will hold slant to meet the publication’s current
material for all months with a 31st day.) needs. And while each change that the editor
First I write out the idea and the angle I intend to explore. Then I assign a day and a suggests takes you one step away from your
month to begin work on that article. I always leave myself plenty of time to query several original idea, it brings you one step closer
editors and complete my research — that can mean eight or nine months of lead time if to publication.
I’m planning a seasonal article for a monthly magazine. Then I’ll file the idea (along with Editors won’t turn bad ideas into good
any background material I already have) according to the date — and go on with my ones, however; you must develop those.
current projects. Learn to view the world creatively, alert
I consult my futures file every morning when I begin work, pulling out the file whose for the sparks that fire ideas, and you, too,
number corresponds with the date. Sifting through the material it holds, I pull out those can guarantee yourself enough ideas to
items marked for this month and return the rest to the box. keep you — and your editors — busy for
I also use my futures file to order my assignments from editors and to remind me of months.
events that I don’t want to miss. As a result, my futures file not only has helped me meet
Michael J.Bugeja teaches in the magazine sequence
deadlines, but also has allowed me to increase my output by keeping the ideas flowing. at Ohio University. His ideas have led to articles in
—M.J.B. Editor & Publisher, Dakota West and many others.
How Long is a . . .?
APPROXIMATE NUMBER
DOUBLE-SPACED
AVERAGE WORDS TYPEWRITTEN PAGES

Short-short story 500-2,000 2-8

Short story 2,500-5,000 10-20
Novella 7,500-40,000 30-160
Novelette 7,000-25,000 28-100
Novel: hardcover 25,000-150,000 100-600
Novel: paperback 35,000-80,000 140-320
Children’s picture book 500-2,500 2-10
Juvenile book 15,000-80,000 60-320
Nonfiction book 20,000-200,000 80-800
TV script
1
⁄2 hour 25-40
TV script
1 hour 55-70
Play (one act)
20-30 minutes playing time 20-30
Movie scenario
11⁄2-2 hours playing time 120-150
Radio feature copy
1 minute 15 double-spaced lines
Radio feature copy
3 minutes 2
Poem 2-100 lines
(most magazines prefer 4-16 lines)
Query letter 1 full page, single-spaced
Speech
2 minutes 250
Speech
1
⁄2 hour 12-15