Article for magazines is a great way to make money for beginning writers and freelance journalists. In order to write an article in a journal, you do not need to meet any specific requirements - it is enough to have your own style, to love to analyze information and be able to write articles that would correspond to the target audience of the publication. It may seem that magazines lose their relevance in the digital age, but many magazines are quite popular, and journalists are paid decent fees for articles. To write a good article in the journal, you should prepare convincing arguments, create a text and edit it, paying attention to the smallest details. The following three tips will definitely help you write your article for the magazine.
1. Analyze publications that you like to read. Think about the magazines you are subscribed to or just buy regularly. You can also consider publications that you do not know much about, but for which you would like to write. Read the last 3-4 issues, paying attention to the following aspects:
Check whether the name of the author of the article corresponds to the names in the header of the publication. If not, this may indicate that the publication hires freelance journalists.
Pay attention to the names and contact details of the section editors. If you want to write about pop culture, find out the name and contact information of the corresponding editor. If you prefer to write about recent events, look for the data of a senior editor or a special projects editor. Do not contact the issuing editor or the editor-in-chief directly, as they are engaged in completely different things, and as a freelance journalist you will not be in contact with them.
Study the fresh topics discussed in the publication, and the angle at which the topic was submitted. Does the publication write that the topic starts to sound ambiguous, or does it follow a more objective approach? Does the publication experiment with form and content or prefer conservative methods?
Pay attention to the headings and how the articles begin. Think whether they seem shocking or ambiguous. Check if articles start with a quote, statistics or a story from life. This will let you know what style the publication needs and what is printed in it.
Look closely at the sources that are given in the articles. Is it academic sources or rather something unprofessional? Are there many sources? Are there many types of these sources?
Analyze how the articles end: a tragic quote, an interesting way, a bold thought?
Read the, few tips on how to write a good article, that would be your text was accepted in any magazine.
2. Think about the current trends or topics that you discussed with peers. If you have recently had a conversation about any pattern, about a question or problem with a friend, think about how you can use this conversation and turn it into an article. Perhaps your friend wrote on social networks about some kind of trend or racism that has become a problem in the region where he lives. Think about those conversations in which there were strong emotions and that would relate to current problems or trends. These conversations do not necessarily have to be about global issues or serious issues. Conventional conversations with neighbors, buddies and peers will help you develop an article for a local magazine. This is very important when you write an article for a magazine.
3. Study upcoming events in your region. If you intend to write an article for a local publication, you should see a list of local events that may be of interest. It can be a protest action, restaurant opening, sports games or music festivals. Start with small local publications to gain experience, especially if you are a novice writer, and only then try to get into national magazines. You should also look at local newspapers and look for interesting stories about people who may be of interest to the general public. Then take the local story and write an article for the magazine. Perhaps you will get a story that seems incomplete or contains many unanswered questions. It can be the basis for writing an article in a major journal.
I hope my advice will help you write your first article in the magazine.