I’ll soon be guesting on the “Information in a Nutshell
Radio Show” sharing a bit about writing my latest book. But I’m such a believer
in the idea that those who write books should also be frequent writers of
magazine articles, that I thought I’d explore that concept a bit in today’s
guest blog post.
My first break into a national magazine almost didn’t
happen. It had taken a serious stretch of my confidence to even approach this
publication. This was one of those
slick paged magazines. This sat on
the shelf in Borders. This, for me, was the big leagues.
I put my best foot forward and wrote a query letter to the
owner/Sr. Editor. It was okay, but in retrospect, nothing spectacular. There
were even a few typos I didn’t catch until glancing back over it years later.
The editors response was a single
sentence: Please send a resume and past
writing/publishing vitae. Oh dear. At that time, I only had about three
published pieces, and these were mostly in tiny regional publications. There
was not enough experience to scoop together for a paragraph, let alone the
lofty vitae. However, I did write a response that got a “yes” from this
publisher, and I’ve since gone on to write nine pieces for them, as well as
having my face at the front of their magazine in their roster of “contributing
writers.”
So what did I write? What could I possibly have said, me
with so little a publishing history, that could win a chance from a national
magazine?
At first I was honest about my meager writing history, but I
didn’t belabor the point. Then I went on to say this:
So why should you have me write for you? Well, even though I’ve so
happily self-deprecated, let me add, perhaps even boldly, that I do bring some
worthwhile things to the table.
- For all my lack of magazine experience, I can actually write. And while I don’t have a long list of previous articles to evaluate, I do have enough available to judge merit.
- I’m always on time (or early) with deadlines. It’s just a value that permeates all my life.
- I’m usually passably funny (as long as I’ve had enough sleep).
- Best of all, I’m not married to my words. I’m FULLY open to following direction to accommodate changes that will better meet the needs and preferences of your readers. I don’t even whine.
I think she may have liked what she read, but I suspect I
closed the deal with “I don’t even whine.” I knew this was a sensitive spot
with editors. I’d heard from various blogs, books and conference speakers that
editors and agents in the Christian publishing market hear some of the same
tired old phrases over and over again. Things like, “God gave these words to
me.” Some even go on to say, “If you don’t publish it, woe be upon your head.”
(or various other forms of eternal damnation). No kidding.
They hear this stuff
all the time.
In the end she sent a note saying simply, “I like you. My
editor will be in touch.”
I know that so many people long to write a book. I understand that. I truly do. My fourth book is coming out April 1, so I appreciate the satisfaction that comes with completing a book and finding a publisher for a book. But for most of us, a
book that sells well may sell between 5,000 and 25,000 copies (Yeah. Yeah. I
said most of us. Runaway bestsellers
don’t count in this equation. Those are the literary equivalent of winning the
lottery.) There’s nothing wrong with these smaller numbers. But a well-placed
magazine article can touch 100,000 people or more. (A piece with AARP will put
you in front of 47 million readers!) So I encourage writers to reach for both
books and articles. With articles you can gain entrance by way of smaller
publications, build your voice, strengthen your writing chops and grow your
audience. Then, when you want to publish a book, lo and behold, you’ll have
those now-required “platform numbers” that publishers seek.
