When an Editor Assigns a Magazine Article
10 Steps to Writing Excellent Features for Freelance Writers
Aug 23, 2009
Most freelance writers are thrilled when an editor assigns a feature article for a magazine – especially if the assignment is based on the writer’s online articles. The next step is the biggie: to write an excellent feature article.
These ten “no fail” steps will help writers break into print magazines...and stay there!
Step 1: Get the Assignment in Writing
Freelance writers don’t necessarily need to sign a formal editorial contract, but they should hold off on researching, writing, and editing a feature article until they see a written assignment. The assignment can be via email or fax; it should contain word count, due date, payment details, and information about a kill fee.
Step 2: Confirm the Details of the Feature Article
Understand what exactly the editor is assigning (the article details may be on an “assignment sheet”). If it’s a feature, the article may include sidebars. If it’s a print magazine article based on a previously published online article, it may need to be reworked to suit a print audience. Freelance writers need to be clear on the details of the assignment before they start researching.
Step 3: Do the Research
Does this article require interviews with expert sources, or just “people on the street”? Would the library be best for back research, or is there reputable information online? Writing excellent feature articles requires gathering a little more research than necessary (and, online freelance writers can use the excess information in blogs or the e-zines they write for, such as Suite101!).
Step 4: Remember the Magazine’s Readers
If the writer isn't familiar with the magazine and the editor doesn't mention the readership when assigning the article, then it's the the writer's job to find back issues online or in the library. Six months to a year’s worth of back issues can reveal almost everything a writer needs to know about a magazine's audience. When freelancers are gathering research and deciding what to include in the article, they must remember their audience.
Step 5: Select the Best Parts of the Interviews or Material
Writing excellent feature articles involves selecting the most interesting, relevant, and reader-friendly information from the interviews or information gathered. Collect it all into one big messy article that needs to be edited (different freelance writers use different ways to organize their feature articles; the best way to learn is by trying different methods).
Step 6: Review the Details of the Feature Article
After writing – and before editing – the article, writers should review the assignment sheet carefully. Staying focused on what the editor wants is one of the keys to writing an excellent article.
Step 7: Edit Every Detail
Excellent writing involves rewriting and editing. Some freelance writers let their articles “gel” for a few days between rewrites and edits, to ensure they’re editing with fresh eyes.
Step 8: Send the Article to the Editor on Time
Freelance writers who want to keep working with magazine editors send their articles in on time (or even a day or two early).
Step 9: Be Prepared for Edits
Magazine editors often return the article to the writer, asking for clarifications, rewrites, or other changes. This is part of writing for magazines – and part of writing excellent feature articles!
Step 10: Follow Up With a Pitch Letter
When is the best time to pitch a query letter? Right after the previous article has gone through the final edit. After the editor is satisfied, a freelance writer is in a great position to send a different article idea.
Some editors are willing to give new freelancers a chance, and to assign a piece based on a writer’s online articles. If that happens, following these ten steps to excellent feature articles will not only get the job done, it will secure future assignments!
Resources for Writing Freelance Articles
New freelance writers might find Do Writers or Editors Steal Article Letters? helpful in easing writing fears!
Writers who want to earn a full-time living might find Articles About Earning Money as a Freelance Writer helpful. And, bloggers and web writers might also like Articles About Earning Money as a Blogger or Web Writer.
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