Start To Get Your Writing Published

Where do you begin the process to get your writing
published? Most people instantly think of books and want to have a book
published. While I understand these thoughts, from my years in publishing books
is not the first place to start.



At the recent Write to Publish Conference, I had a series of fifteen-minute back
to back meetings with people who were attending the
conference. One of my stand-out sessions was with a gray-haired cheery woman
who immediately told me, “This is my first conference and I'm here to ask your
advice. If you were just getting started in in the writing world, where would
you begin?” What a thoughtful question!



“I would begin writing for print
magazines,” I said. “It's a wide open opportunity for writers which is often
forgotten. In particular, I would start with publications called Sunday School Take-home papers.” 



Almost every denomination has
a variety of publications for different age groups. Within these papers, a
common type of article is called the personal experience article. It's a story
written in first person with a single point to the story (also called a
take-away).



Here's several key points about this type of
writing:



* Magazines reach more readers than books. It is a
solid performance if a book sells 5,000 copies during the lifetime of the book
sales. In contract, many magazines have a circulation of 100,000 or even
300,000. You definitely reach more readers with magazines.



* Magazine articles are shorter in length than
books. Magazine articles have a short headline, a beginning, a middle and an
ending (all good skills for any writer to learn on the short form). A typical
book has  50,000 or 100,000 words where magazine articles range from 500 words
to 1500 words in length so are easier to finish and get into the
market.



* Magazines are a great place to learn to write for
a target audience. Each magazine has a distinct reader or audience—just as your
books will be targeted to a particular reader.



* Magazine articles get published quicker than
books. In general magazines have a three to six month turnaround from
publication acceptance to getting into print. Many book publishers are 18 to 24
months out from when you deliver your manuscript and the book is released into
the bookstore.



* Editors and literary agents read
magazines looking for writers. These publishing professionals are looking for
writers who have experience in publishing (which you gain from writing for
magazines).



I encourage you to check out the writer's
guidelines for the particular publication. Many of these guidelines are online
so use Google to find them.  The writing
is fun and anyone can do it.  Almost every publication uses personal experience articles. Each of us have unique and interesting experiences which can be the backbone of these articles and you can write. A personal experience article is an excellent place to begin writing for magazines.



If you want to know more details about writing for
magazines, I encourage you to explore this link
where I give the basics of writing for a magazine. This type of
publishing is great exposure and helps you build your platform and publishing credentials with editors.
In fact, it is good for any writer at any place in the publishing journey. As I
write these words (even as much material as I have published), it spurs me to
write a few query letters and articles for magazines. If you don't submit
the articles or ideas to an editor, it will never happen.



What magazine will you target today for your
writing?



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