How to Write for Magazines and Get Paid

Yesterday I got $500 richer.

It was a warm August day. I was driving to the county fair and stopped along the way at my local bank. I’d just received a check in the mail only a day earlier and was eager to make a deposit. That check was worth $500 – and I earned it by writing a six-page piece for a local publication. It could not have been easier.

For me, this is nothing new. For those of you who follow my blog regularly, you know that I briefly addressed my experience with magazine writing in my previous post. Since posting that entry, I’ve had a few people asking me about how I got into magazine writing, so I figured I’d expand it to a longer piece.

Magazine writing is a great side-gig for those people searching for extra income. For those seeking to make money full-time from magazines, don’t worry! Many people make  a living from writing for publications, though you’ll have to work for it like anything else.

So how much can you make, exactly? Well, like so much in freelance writing, your pay can vary considerably across sources. Some magazines pay by the word – as little as one cent per word, others much higher at around $2.00 per word. Some magazines offer a flat fee as opposed to a “pay-per-word”. For example, I’ve been paid $200, $250, even most recently $500 for work on magazines as flat fees, regardless of the word count.

But how to get started? How to find these magazines?

For many people interested in working in magazine writing, the first thing on a lot of people’s list is to google search phrases like “get paid to write” or “writing jobs”. While there seem to be lots of results, most of these searches will lead you to what I’m going to call “black hole sites”, that means, places that suck you in and get you nowhere. Those sites include places like OnlineWritingJobs.com or freelancewriting.com – there are lots of sites like these. Most of these sites require you to pay a subscription fee just to access the site and most lead you to dead-ends not worth the cost.

That brings me to tip #1 – you shouldn’t need to pay a subscription fee to find a job. Whether for a writing job or a job in any other field, if you have to pay to find a job, you’re getting ripped off. People in all industries are searching for talent. If you have what it takes, they’ll bring you in – no fee required.

So if you ignore the writing sites, what next? Where to turn?

Unfortunately there is no magic site that will instantly grant you the jobs you seek. This is something I wish I’d learned earlier in my writing career. The process of finding writing jobs, especially in magazines, is slow.

Step One is to read magazines. If you want to write for a magazine, you should get a feel for the publication and its target audience. Magazines, more than websites or newspapers, are incredibly niche. That means understanding the specific niche is imperative. For example, if I know nothing about boats, I have no business even considering writing for a boat magazine. But let’s say I have a big interest in baseball, then looking into a baseball magazine makes sense. It sounds simple, but you’d be surprised how many “outsiders” think they can write in a niche subject and fail.

Step Two is to contact the editor of the magazine. Pitch them a story, share something you’ve written, and be sure to tell them that you’re a big fan (it helps if you actually are!). Most magazines will give out the editor’s contact info or even have a specific section on their website for submissions. Don’t be surprised if you don’t hear back. Like any job, sometimes there’s just no room for new faces. It doesn’t always mean you’re not qualified. Also don’t be surprised if you have to submit a sample piece. It helps to show them a writing sample or even a pre-written story for the magazine.

My first experience with magazine writing started almost a year ago now. I sent an email to the editor of a local publication, Run Washington Magazine, a publication that I read quite frequently. I sent an email to the editor asking if he had any opportunities for contributors. He answered that yes, he did. He asked for a writing sample, so I sent him a sample of a paper I had written about the movie industry (a topic completely unrelated to running – in hindsight, maybe not the best idea). He agreed to meet with me only a few days later.

Let’s say this happens to you. Someone bites – you get a job! Great! Don’t let them down. This next part is important. Now you have to put together a solid piece.

My first story writing for a magazine was not a story of my choice. The editor already had a story in mind – an interesting story, mind you, but not one of my own inception. That brings me to tip #2 – don’t expect every story you write to be 100% your own.

After writing my first piece, I followed up with the editor. I wanted to make sure he remembered me the next time a new issue came out. That brings me to tip #3 – make sure to stay in contact, even when you’re not working on a story. By staying in contact, I was able to write a story for the next issue. This time it was a story of my own idea, which goes to show you that with a bit of patience, you’ll eventually get more freedom to write what you want to write.

In order to put together a solid original magazine piece, you’ll have to start by doing research. Make sure to research your idea and make sure it hasn’t been done before. Once you are convinced the idea is good, next comes the hard part: find people to interview.

Finding sources to interview is not easy. This is, by far, the most difficult part of magazine writing. Make calls to schools, to businesses, to anyone who may know the contacts. Check in on Facebook groups, contact your friends, find emails, phone numbers, whatever you can. This is the tough detective-style portion of the job. It isn’t easy. It requires patience. Lots of leads will fall through. Lots of people won’t want to talk to you. But keep going. If you can make it through this part, you can make it to the end.

Once you have your sources, the next step is to interview them. Phone calls work fine. No need to meet in person (unless you really want to). Make sure to transcribe the interviews so you can refer back to the exact wording later. The last thing you want to do is misquote a source.

From here on out, you can finally put your writing skills to the test. Put together a catchy, engaging story. Make sure to fit it in the designated word count and ALWAYS remember the magazine’s niche. That should be the focus of your story no matter what.

Once you submit your finished draft, don’t get worried if the editor makes changes to what you wrote. This is normal. And remember – FOLLOW UP after the story is written. This will lead to your next article.

Good luck to anyone who wants to try their hand in this fun, exciting job.