Writing for magazines is one of the easiest ways to establish yourself as an "expert" author.  Unlike taking months to write a full-length novel, a great article for a magazine can be researched, written, and edited in less than one month.  Here are a few shorts tips to get you started to a successfully getting your articles published.

1. Know the topic that you are writing about.  I know that this may seem silly, but I don't know how many times I have come across people who want to write about things they have absolutely no clue about.  Yes, the article can be written, but chances are, the quality will not be there; hence, you could be affecting your expertise reputation.  I know about nursing, wouldn't make since on me writing an article on diesel engine repair.

2. Get a writers digest either online or the printed book.  This is the bible of freelance writing!  Everything that you could ever want to write about is in there.  The biggest advantage to the online version is the constant updates.

3. One of the first things that you need to look at is what kind of circulation (number of copies) does the magazine publish each time.  If you pick a magazine that has a circulation of 100,000, the chances of a first time author getting published is slim and the higher your rejection rate will be.  On the other hand, if you find a magazine with a circulation of only 10,000 they will be more willing to take someone who has never been published before.

4. After finding the right magazine, you need to find out the author guidelines.  Following these guidelines will greatly increase your chances at being published.  If you haven't already done so, you need to purchase a copy of that magazine to see exactly the style of their authors.  It is very important to find out also what the word count needs to be!  You don't want to submit a 5,000 word mini-book to a company who only accepts 800 word articles.

5. Writing a compelling query letter.  You only get one chance to make a first impression and this is it!  If you're query letter does not grab the editors attention then you have lost the battle.  In this letter, tell them what the problem is, how you plan to solve it, and why you think that you're plan is a great one.  This all most be done with only a few paragraphs.  Do some research on using power words!

6. Double proofread!  This is probably the most important aspect.  If you turn in a query letter and/or article that hasn't been proofread by you and then by at least someone else, you might as well just get you a bigger rejection trash can.  My husband proof reads all my every day stuff, and I have an editor friend who does all my bigger stuff.  Another economical option would be to find an English major from a local college to assist you with editing.

7. Accept rejection.  Not every magazine that you query will be interested in your article.  The real trick is to accept the rejection letters and attempt to learn from them.  Analyze why you think that the article was rejected?  Was it just not the right time?  Wrong magazine?  Learn from your mistakes.  Remember that even the best of actors and authors have been rejected by someone!

A good article isn't great until it has been published.  Making the jump from writer to published author is not very hard if you have persevere and follow the steps listed above.  One day you will have magazines coming to you instead of you going to them!

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