Well I have one month on my new job and it has been a real learning experience. Like I said before, news happens on its own schedule and not according to mine or anyone else's.
I am getting better. In effect I start at 5:00 a.m. and usually have everything done before noon. This allows me to help a manuscript client and still get a head start on the next day. Well except when something happens.
Now the board (as I call it) that an editor has can be a monstrous thing. We are a small, 73,000 page-reads-per-day paper and I can't imagine what the e-mail message board at a huge paper or magazine must look like.
Besides all the Associated Press reports to sort and decide what goes in, there are scores of press releases, statements and local bits that all have to be read, sorted for importance, posting and publishing.
There are inquiries from all over the world that come in asking if I want to run their column on European affairs or African news, or some other issue that Central Illinois never heard of. There are even inquiries made that I really don't know what they are about since they come in foreign languages. Of course our concentration is local so I just keep deleting those that aren't in fact local.
In a nutshell, this tells me exactly how competitive the world of getting one's byline in publications is. People around the world are asking me to look at something they wrote, but if the column doesn't fit, it just doesn't fit.
With all I have now seen I can understand the process from both sides for the first time. I have been the writer for decades but even with just one month on the other side I can understand now why I didn't have as many replies to my inquiries over the years as I had hoped.
After this month and upon discussion with others in the business, here is what I can share with you about submissions to publications.
Concentrate on publications in your area and about local topics. Publications have plenty of world renowned columnists who they can choose from who write about the nation and the world. They really won't consider someone who isn't already an expert nor consider one who writes about issues that heavily credentialed writers already write about.
Don't ignore the power of letters to the editor. We have two local columnists who started out writing good letters and now they write weekly columns for us. The pay isn't great but it is their start as it was mine a long time ago.
Stay within your field of expertise. If you really know your business then you have a chance. Maybe it's technology or job seeking or horticulture. Perhaps your field is as simple as your own life which mirrors that of others. Erma Bombeck did all right doing that, didn't she?
Never send an inquiry off as a mass e-mail. That tells an editor you are fishing and in fact know nothing about their publication and what it publishes.
Do your homework, find publications that already have writers like you and submit to them. There are many great lists of publications on the web to hunt through.
Never send an inquiry that says you will be happy to talk about what you write about and what your fees are. The inquiry board is a circus and you might only have one chance at getting someone to really look at your work. Always include the genre of your writing and include at least one example of your work. Also state what you would expect in return. Maybe someone on a slow day will look at it then but they won't take the time to start a back and forth conversation.
After a few weeks, resend the inquiry. If you landed on a super busy day you probably got deleted. Maybe the next time the editor has more time and will look at your work.
Consider the timing. A publication that posts in the morning won't look at your inquiry sent in the morning. They are busy enough. An afternoon submission might do you better at smaller publications.
Always immediately mention if you have your work somewhere else and for how long. An inquiry that shows others have found your work interesting might help.
Save your money. I keep getting inquiries from writers that are coming through a pay for submission service. I have been told by peers that these queries receive no extra consideration outside of the relevance of the topic and writer which is something you can explain on your own. If you are a writer, you can write your own sales copy.
Get the crux of your inquiry in the first paragraph or two. That is probably all a really busy paper or magazine will take the time to read if in fact they look at all.
Never give up. Keep writing and keep submitting. Publications out there sign up new writers every day.
It's just that you have no idea how busy they can be. I just found out myself.
Freelance writer, columnist, author and writing coach, ex-Chicagoan Mike Fak presently resides in Central Illinois. More information about Mike's services are available at his home website www.mikefak.com
Mike currently writes humor columns for searchwarp bi-weekly and is the managing editor of www.lincolndailynews.com
» left by Dianne Lehmann(2,559) Dianne Lehmann (98 days 6 hours ago.)
Hi Mike. Great article. I am putting it in my favorites so that I can easily refer to it. Thanks for all the help! Dianne
» left by Laura (97 days 7 hours ago.)
Mike, stop being such a nice guy trying to help people out. I depend on you to write funny articles on here. Tell people to buy your e book if they want writing tips. Kidding of course. You do have an amazing gift and I mean amazing. Very nice that you want to share your knowledge and experiences with those of us who are many decades younger than you. :)
» left by Mike Fak(3,480) Mike Fak (96 days 12 hours ago.)
Thanks Laura. Like you said, I don't want to give away the farm but I don't mind spreading some of my knowledge. Did you have to say many decades older? Couldn't you have said a few or perhaps one? Thanks anyway, Mike (one foot in the grave) Fak
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