How to write an article for a magazine? Well, these important tips will help you with everything you need to know along with some much-needed confidence to start writing articles for magazines, submit letters and queries to editors, and get your writing published without any hassle. Even if your aim is not to become a freelance writer, these simple yet important tips will help you enhance your writing for a magazine.
Anything here is not a “SECRET” of how to get your writing published in a magazine – but the motto is to let the information reach you so that you end up doing everything swiftly. Writing for a magazine is much simpler than you could imagine. But simple does not mean “easy”. The tips below have helped many writers who were about to start freelancing including me and it’s been a decade since but they are still useful.
Let’s begin with something easy, a foundational tip for how to write a memorable article for a magazine. Tip: “Don’t tell, show”. But why is it a foundational tip? Well, because most of the writers don’t do that! More than half of the writers just want to put their emotions and feelings forward or want to express how much they know(or they think they know) about a certain topic.
If you are among those few writers who simply put the facts in a catchy, intriguing, and plain way, you already know half of how to get started with magazine article writing. As we are proceeding further, another tip, never to dictate to the reader how they should think about someone or something.
“Tell them all the wonderful things but never tell them that something is going to be wonderful” – says a professional writer. “Just put forward the facts and let the readers be “WOW” how wonderful that would be!” Here, the writer means that you should not incorporate commentary if you are writing for a magazine. In blogs and other articles, you can tell the readers about your thoughts but when it’s a magazine, your focus should be just the facts.
So what did we learn?
- “Just the facts, honey.”
- Don’t tell, show.
- Don’t opine, explain.
How To Write An Amazing Magazine Article
1. Understand The Difference Between The “Story” And “Subject”
The fact that two well-known authors wrote a book that focuses on “writing” is a subject. How those two writers fought in order to publish their books is a story. What is the point of difference when it comes to story and subject? Suspense, Problems, Conflict, Drama, and Growth. Let’s look for another example: “The rabbit is sleeping on a mat” is a subject – a fact. The story comes in when we say “The cat and the rabbit both are willing to sleep on the mat.” A clear understanding of the difference between the subject and story is one of the most essential tips to enhance your magazine writing. Even if you are considering non-fiction, there too you’ll find a touch of story.
2. Learn To Find Stories
To become a magazine writer, another essential tip is to be able to gather interesting stories to write about. The easier way to do so is by starting working in some office or a coffee shop. Interaction with common people will let you know what people are interested in talking about.
By being in a place full of people, you’ll see normal people helping you in writing different stories, good enough to be published in a magazine. Before stepping into freelance writing, writing articles for stories is an easy way to bear your expenses as well.
According to a general overview, writers are more creative when they put their laptops aside for a while, they come out with better ideas, find better inspiration, and even end up planning different pivots and career moves.
3. Focus On Research – Try To Do It As Better As You Can
Not just at the beginning of your magazine writing career, detailed research is an essential aspect for professional writers as well. Do as much research as you can to gather information so that you can include more and better facts in your magazine article. Below are the two reasons why:
- Even if you don’t use all of your research in the piece, it will help you write better (a writer should never include all their research in a single magazine article)
- Your research can be used in a different magazine article. If you don’t toss away your extra research, it won’t be squandered. Don’t try to pack all you’ve learned into your essay. Select the most relevant facts to improve your piece; preserve the rest for a future magazine article, blog post, or media outlet.
The more time you give to practice writing a magazine article, the better you will understand how much research is “enough” for the job.
4. Calm Down, There Is No Single “Right Way” To Write A Magazine Article
While the fact remains intact that there is no right or wrong way of writing a good magazine article, it’s essential to know that the beginning plays the most important role. The beginning of an article can be more time-consuming and frustrating than rest and that’s an undeniable fact. The start and the end of your article are two crucial parts. Why? Because they play an extensive role in getting the reader’s attention.
5. Don’t Let Anyone Put You Off From Writing Amazing Articles
This tip is what I learned when I first started working as a freelance article writer for magazines. Writers get rejected a million times – especially when they are in the beginning years. But is that what it is? Well, NO! Professional and expert writers get rejected too. Not everything is perfect, not each query letter sells, not every pitch is perfect enough to be sold, and not every article for a magazine gets published.
The best writer is the one who never connects rejection to themself because they are fully aware that it is part of the game.
6. Stop Thinking About The Thing Called “Writer’s Block”
Do you ever get stuck in a writing rut? Here’s a piece of writing advice: Stop writing if you’re having a good time. Leave the paragraphs and sentences that come naturally to you for tomorrow or your next writing session. Don’t, for example, quit writing when you reach a logical conclusion. Instead, stop writing when you have a good idea of what’s coming next and are anxious to get started. Some well-known authors have encouraged writers to put down their pen in the middle of a story.
7. Remember The Audience You Are Writing For
Returning to my fourth piece of advice on how to create a magazine article: Consider how you’d deliver your story to a friend if you’re having trouble with the introduction or lead. Out ly, in your own voice, describe it in your own terms. What aspects of your tale stand out the most to you? An excellent lead could be a single fact or event that jumps out.
Do you have a website or a blog? Blogging is an excellent approach to learn how to write magazine articles because it not only provides practice but also establishes you as a publishable freelance writer. Magazine editors, specialists you want to interview, and your own readers can discover more about you as a writer by visiting your own blog or website.
Wind-Up
If you are someone willing to start an article writing service you may come across articles that are to be published in magazines. Although there is no rocket science still some essentials that you need to know have been included in this article. Just learn about the magazine articles format and combine that with the tips we have provided and boom – you’re able to write an amazing article. We hope our efforts will be of some help to enable you to write amazing articles.