Getting Published in Magazines and Trade Journals

As an infopreneur, you charge for your information. But sometimes it pays to give it away for free. Writing articles for print magazines and trade journals is an effective way to gain exposure to new audiences, establish your expertise, and give prospective clients a way to sample your knowledge. Instead of a check from the magazine's editor, your "payment" comes in the form of an extended byline or resource box –- the little blurb at the end of an article that provides more information about the author.

When you're giving your articles away for free, getting published is fairly easy. The five steps below show you how. Just make sure you're targeting smaller, niche publications. This usually means magazines with a circulation under 70,000 in the US or under 20,000 in Canada. You might think you'd prefer a hit in Fast Company or Business Week but consider that 5,000 highly targeted readers will likely bring better results than 1 million marginally qualified prospects.

Step 1: Define your audience
Start by determining your objectives for the article and the audience you want to reach. The more specific you can be in defining your target audience, the easier Step 2 will be.

Step 2: Select your magazines
Based on your defined target audience, determine which magazines and trade journals you want your article to be published in.

In order to find the right publications, you'll probably need to consult a media directory such as Bacon's. Such directories, found at most reference libraries, provide a comprehensive list of trade magazines along with details such as each magazine's editorial focus, circulation, and contact information.

Once you've created your target list, make sure you familiarize yourself with the magazines. Read a few back issues to get a feel for the accepted writing style, article format and usual topics. It also helps to check out a magazine's editorial calendar, which tells you what topics will be featured in upcoming issues. Most magazines print their editorial calendar a year in advance and post it to their web site.

Step 3: Prepare your queries
Now decide what areas of your expertise you want to present –- in other words, what you're going to write about. It's critical to remember that articles are not advertisements. An article that is nothing but a thinly veiled plug for you or your services will be severely frowned upon by editors and will not be published.

You are now ready to pitch your idea to editors in a document called a query letter. This is a one-page letter that describes your proposed topic and why the magazine's readers will be interested in it. Finish off with a brief description of your qualifications as a writer or topic expert.

The query letter is where the homework you did in Step 2 pays off. If your article is particularly appropriate for a certain issue (which you found out researching editorial calendars) or for a recurring column (which you found out by reading past issues), let the editor know. Editors like working with writers who have taken the time to learn what they need for their magazine.

Keep in mind that magazines usually work months in advance of each issue so it's best to get your queries in early. Send your query letter by e-mail or fax, and then follow up with a phone call a week later. Editors are busy people so it might take a few phone calls to reach them.

Step 4: Write the article
Once an editor accepts your article for publication, you begin to write. Notice how writing is virtually last in the process. Many beginners make the mistake of writing first and then trying to find a home for their finished piece. You will save yourself much time and frustration if you pitch first, then write upon acceptance.

As you write, be sure to follow any guidelines or advice the editor may have provided. Pay strict attention to the length and keep your article within the word count the editor specified. Prepare a short biographical blurb for the end of the article, and have a photograph of yourself ready in case the magazine asks for one. Perhaps most importantly, don’t miss your deadline –- if you let an editor down once, they are not likely to work with you again.

After the article is published, follow up with the editor to make sure you get a few free copies of the magazine.

Step 5: Recycle the content
If you developed your magazine article by extracting and adapting content from one of your information products, you've already been a diligent recycler. If your article was written from scratch, think about ways you can now re-use it, either as marketing material or as an information product. You might pitch other magazines with the same article, get reprints of your article to mail to prospective clients, collect a number of articles into a special report, or use snippets in your newsletter. By recycling, you can continue to reap the benefits of being published long after the original article is gone from newsstands.