I hear it a lot from writers: They’ve finally broken into the national magazines, but no matter what they pitch, the editors ask them to write it up in 250 words — or less. These writers are stuck in the FOB (Front of Book) section and are looking for ways to break into the...
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Here’s a query that landed an assignment with Better Health & Living Magazine (which is sadly now defunct). Notice how I included research and quotes, but gave only quick explanations of each tip. In the article itself, I went into greater detail on the research and the advice. My article idea was originally called...
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I offer to bust readers’ excuses for not pitching magazines — or, if they’re pitching, for approaching only low/no-pay pubs. If you have an excuse you’d like me to bust, you can send it to lindaformichelli@gmail.com. Here’s Diane’s excuse: I always feel that I’m not good enough. I don’t have an MFA, I haven’t...
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Summer is a lazy time, but if you invest in your professional development now, you’ll be all set for the fall rush — when vacations are over, the kids are back in school, and you’re ready to rack up some new magazine assignments (or maybe your first!). I find that when I invest in...
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I offer to bust readers’ excuses for not pitching magazines — or, if they’re pitching, for approaching only low/no-pay pubs. If you have an excuse you’d like me to bust, you can send it to lindaformichelli@gmail.com. Here’s Stacy’s excuse: I just sold my first query-ever! And while I’m excited to get paid for my...
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I offer to bust readers’ excuses for not pitching magazines — or, if they’re pitching, for approaching only low/no-pay pubs. If you have an excuse you’d like me to bust, you can send it to lindaformichelli@gmail.com. Here’s Rebecca’s excuse: I’m just beginning my adventure as a freelancer. Recently I was all ready to send...
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Last week I posted on Facebook that an editor at Women’s Health was interested in my query. Another writer posted a comment saying something like, “A query to the glossies, how quaint!” I laughed, but then I started thinking…are queries passé? I don’t query nearly as much as I used to. Since I’ve been...
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I offer to bust readers’ excuses for not pitching magazines — or, if they’re pitching, for approaching only low/no-pay pubs. (By the way, if you have an excuse you’d like me to bust, you can send it to lindaformichelli@gmail.com.) Jessica wrote to me about her excuse: Contacting interviewees before I’ve gotten the assignment to...
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My free teleclass 5 Tips for Finding Ideas That Sell with Diana Burrell two weeks ago was a hit! We had more than 50 writers on the line. Thanks to everyone who showed up and asked their great questions. For those of you who couldn’t make it, I recorded the teleclass. The recording is...
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Last week, I offered to bust readers’ excuses for not pitching magazines — or, if they’re pitching, for approaching only low/no-pay pubs. I received several excuses that are holding writers back, and I’ll be busting them over the next several weeks. Here’s Deonne’s excuse: I come up with lame article ideas, not fresh, newsworthy...
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