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14 Tips for Successful Magazine Writers

by Laurie @ Quips and Tips

These tips for successful magazine writers are from published authors, freelance writers, script writers, bloggers, and editors. Even if you’ve been selling articles to magazines for years, I can almost guarantee you’ll learn something new here!

Before the tips, a quip:

“Almost anyone can be an author; the business is to collect money and fame from this state of being,” said A.A. Milne.

That’s my goal: to keep collecting money a freelance writer and blogger. If you want to earn a living as a freelancer, click on How to Become a Fulltime Freelance Writer: A Practical Guide to Setting Up a Successful Writing Business at Home. And, read on for 14 tips for successful magazine writers…

14 Tips for Successful Magazine Writers

1. Rewrite, revise, and edit after a 24 hour break

“Like feeding Gizmo after midnight, there is one thing a writer should never do: Submit their article within 24 hours of writing it. Doing so may result in death (of your career). For the 24 hours after finishing your article avoid it like the bubonic plague. Don’t think about it, look at it, or even acknowledge things associated with it. After the time expires, come back and edit your work. You’ll be shocked at the mistakes you find or humor that you can add.” – Brandon J. Mendelso, publisher author and freelance writer

2. Do not give up!

“Write and write and write some more. Everyone gets better and better. No on gets worse and worse.” – Kay Marshall Strom, author of 34 published books, numerous articles, and 2 movie scripts

3. Ask the right questions when interviewing sources

“My tip for successful magazine writers started when I was a reporter in Washington, D. C. When you’re done with interview, say: “What should I ask you that I didn’t?” You CAN’T believe some of the extra that you learn, often out of left field.” – Tom Peric, writer

4. Train your brain

“A writer’s most important tool is not a pen, tape recorder, computer or even the ability to write. A writer’s most important tool is his brain. You need to train it like an athlete trains her body. As a writer, you have to cut through the flab of all the information around. You need to question, question, question. What happened? Who does this affect? Why is this important? Critical thinking precedes good writing.” – Mark Grabowski, journalism professor

5. Find factual support

“My tip for successful magazine writers is to try to include at least one relevant and supporting statistic in every article.” – Michael Johns, writer and author

6. Apply the Rule of 12

“My tip for successful magazine writers keeps me productive and motivated. For example, come up with 12 different ways to say something; it will you keep your writing different and exciting. Send your work out to 12 different editors, someone just might like it. Write for 12 minutes a day, or 12 pages a week…whatever goal it takes to keep you going!” – Kimberly Llewellyn, aka “the Wedding Writer”

7. Understand your readers (audience)

“Unless you’re writing a personal journal, you’re writing for others and not yourself. Try to appeal to them. If they don’t care about what you have to say, they won’t read what you write.” – Mark Grabowski, journalism professor

8. Check your facts

“A new issue that is arising is plagiarism. Successful magazine writers need to know that “copy and paste” does not equal writing. That may have gotten them through school, but it won’t keep them employed as writers.” – Cynthia Clampitt, freelance writer and editor

9. Make a bulletproof outline

“My tip for successful magazine writers is to spend extra time to make a great outline. That way, you can go back, fill in sections, and put your brain on “auto-pilot” if needed to get the job done. A great outline lets you split up a big magazine assignment into manageable chunks, and gives you more “senses of accomplishment” when you complete sections.” – Joel Elad, blogger

10. Record your interviews with experts

“Whenever possible, record your telephone interviews with experts. You can buy a gadget that you attach to your cell phone and computer. Then, you can send the mp3 file to www.idictate.com and within 24 hours you’ll have a typed transcript. From there it’s super easy to shape and edit a finished piece!” – Peggy Hall, veteran freelance writer

11. Write about things you care about

“My tip for successful magazine writers is to write about things you care about and are interested in. Otherwise, your indifference will likely be reflected in your writing.” – Mark Grabowski, journalism professor

12. Free your writer’s voice

“Write more like you talk to your friends and family (just leave out the “ums” and “you knows”). It seems to me that a lot of people adopt what they think of as a “writerly” voice when they write. They start using technical jargon, business- or marketing-speak, legalese, academic bloviation, or bureaucratese because they have the misconception that ‘that’s the way everyone does it.’” – Roy Jacobsen

13. Tell a good story

“When I get nervous or unsure about writing an article, I go back to the basics, and just try to tell a good story. Stories can be edited to make them shorter, or more interviews can be added to fill in details, but getting the main story down is the most important part. If a writer can do that, all else is minor.” – Sylvia Forbes, writer

14. Be a courageous writer

“My tip for successful magazine writers comes from my journalism professor. He told us how it can be easy to get nervous or feel embarrassed to move people around for a photograph or re-ask a question if the answer needed more clarification. ‘You are there to do your job. People expect you to do it. If you look and sound confident when positioning the subjects for a photograph, they will trust you and do as you ask.’” – Mary Beth Kriskey, Copywriter/PR Specialist