How to Sell Your Essay — Plus a Contest!
**The contest is now officially over! I’ve closed comments on this post. Thanks to all who entered. Amy will notify the winner within the next day or two. Come back soon…I’ll have a different contest on Thursday!**
This is a guest post by Amy Paturel. Be sure to read to the end to find out how you can win free entry into Amy’s essay writing e-course!
How do you market your essays to magazines? How do you choose the right market? Package your query? And introduce yourself to the editor? And what do you do when it gets rejected?
Most essayists will tell you that the most difficult part of essay writing is finding the right home for your work. The truth is, even if you’ve written a fantastic essay, it won’t sell unless it’s relevant to the magazine’s readership. So where do you start?
Identify Your Target Markets
Long before you think about submitting your essay, create a list of potential markets for that particular story. You might be tempted to focus only on magazines, but there are some great Web sites (like YourTango.com, Skirt!, and Salon) that run essays. Review several back issues of each title on the list, paying close attention to the types of stories they’ve run in the past. Are the essays long or short? Do they run humor or are pieces more serious? Are they written in the first person? Do they include service or quotes from experts? Have they covered the topic you’ve written about recently?
The important thing is to keep tabs on your target pubs and get familiar with what they’re running. Tear out the essays you like and study them. Do they follow a particular formula? Is there a subject matter they cover often? Is the tone snarky or straight laced? Look at the language they use. Pay attention to the adjectives and adverbs in their stories. And make sure the story you’re submitting matches essays they’ve run in terms of style, length, tone and subject matter. Then – and only then – are you ready to hit send.
Query the Completed Essay
Start with the first publication on your list of target magazines and check the masthead for a phone number for the Editorial Department. Then call the magazine and ask which editor handles the “insert name of the column you’re targeting.” The receptionist may or may not give you that person’s email address. If not, don’t worry. There are countless ways to get the information – trial and error being one. Usually the advertising page has email addresses (after all, publications want advertisers to contact them). You can use the configuration listed for the advertising manager (e.g., michelle.sanders@rodale.com) and address it to the appropriate editor using that format (firstname.lastname@rodale.com). If you receive a bounce back message, it’s time to turn to outside sources for help. Most of the writers I know are very generous with information, particularly on writers’ forums like FreelanceSuccess.com (which costs $99 per year) and MediaBistro.com.
Unless I know an editor well, I typically start my email submissions the same way. In the subject line, I always write “Column Name Submission: Essay Title.” Once you have the subject line, come up with a short introduction about you (including your publication credits) and your story (no more than three or four sentences). Then paste the entire essay in the body of the email. If there’s a news hook to my piece (always a good thing) or there’s a particular reason why I think it’s a good fit for that particular publication (even better), I will write another sentence with those details. Something like: This story is particularly relevant to your readers because it involves prescription drug addiction –- a growing concern for women in your target demographic (then insert statistics).
Don’t Take Rejection Personally
If your essay hasn’t sold, you have to face the reality that either it’s not that good, or that you haven’t knocked on enough doors. It doesn’t mean you aren’t a talented essayist, it just means you might have to rework your story, try to go deeper or find new markets that might be interested in your piece. The writers who publish a lot of essays submit a lot of essays!
Another reason essays get rejected is simple supply and demand. Most editors have an influx of essays in their inboxes waiting to be read, especially since fewer publications are running essays. And if you’re an editor who has 12 essay slots a year and you get 1,200 essays a month, well, you do the math.
Your job is to increase your odds by doing your homework and making sure your piece is a good fit for that magazine! You also want to be sure that your piece is in the best possible shape before hitting send. That means no typos, no superfluous words and a clear take-home message.
Now — get out there and start pitching your essays!
***
And now for the contest: Amy is giving away entry to her e-course How to Write the Story in You — and Sell It to one lucky reader. Readers who post a comment below will automatically be entered to win a free Premium version of the essay class. The e-course begins on January 10, 2011 and the winner will be randomly selected. The winner will be notified by Wednesday, January 5, 2011 — so enter now!
About Amy: Amy Paturel has published essays in major women’s magazines, regional newspapers, niche publications and general interest magazines. She has been featured twice in Newsweek’s “My Turn” column and has contributed essays to Health, Women’s Health, Body+Soul, Healing Lifestyles & Spas, The Los Angeles Times and more.
Amy, great piece for writers and essayists of all levels.
I love to teach and take writing classes. Learn something new each time that makes me a better writer.
Here’s to being the random pick!
G.