You Ask, We Answer: Am I on the right track?
Kris writes: “I started out being a good query girl until I read The Renegade Writer. I made sure that I didn’t query the big publications until I had some local and regional experience and followed all the standard rules. I have been published in a few trade journals, local magazines, regional newspapers and I am a columnist for a local magazine. Now, I want to break into the big magazines. The response to the queries I’ve sent has been positive but, I can’t land an assignment. Editors have been responding to my queries, in the same manner; they like the query, but they either did an article similar awhile back or they have a similar article already in cue. In some instances, I have even been given the direct e-mail to the editor-in-chief for two major magazines to send my future query ideas. Do you have any suggestions on how to land an assignment or should I just keep sending out queries?”
Kris, I think you’re doing great. The fact that editors keep telling you that they’re already doing your ideas means you’re pitching ideas that are just right for the magazines. It’s just that the timing is bad. It’s not you…this happens to everyone. In fact, it happens to me all the freakin’ time.
To improve your timing, you may want to get out your seasonal ideas even a little earlier than you have been (for example, pitch your summer ideas in November or December instead of January). If you use a magazine’s editorial calendar to generate ideas, aim your pitches for issues that are well into the future.
On the other hand, when editors tell you they did a similar idea recently, that is something you can control. Get your hands on back issues of the magazine, use your local library’s EBSCO database, or search through the magazine’s web archives to make sure your idea hasn’t been done recently (I’d say at least in the last year). If it has, think of ways to make your idea new again. For example, maybe you can tie your idea into a current news happening, find a new study to base your pitch on, or package your idea differently (such as a chart or a quiz if the original article was straight text). And of course, you can always send those rejected pitches out to other magazines.
Also, whenever an editor sends you one of those “nice rejections,” write back right away. Tell her that you appreciate her quick response, even though she can’t use the idea — and is there anything in particular she’s looking for these days? When I ask that, occasionally an editor will give me a list of departments that are in need of ideas.
Don’t give up. It’s clear that your ideas rock, so your job now is to keep writing them up and sending them out until you hit the right editor at the right time.
Have a question for the Renegade Writers? Send it to questions [at] therenegadewriter [dot] com. [lf]
If you liked that post, you might also like:
Mar 28, 2007 You Ask, We Answer
Thanks for the great info. I’ve also been wondering why I can get a foot in the door of a good magazine – only to be told they can’t use my ideas right then.
It’s difficult to NOT internalize the rejection after a while, but I cope.
)
Wallow for an hour or two, then back to the computer.
I’m saving this post answer!
Kris, one tip I received at the ASJA conference last weekend is to have a few more ideas ready for each editor. Then if you get an encouraging reply, you can immediately pitch another idea. I plan to give it a try.