By Laurie Pawlik -Kienlen
When I finish writing a magazine article, I usually can’t wait to send it to the editor. “Look what I did! Aren ’t I bright and creative?!” But, hard cold experience has taught me that it’s better to put my articles through the paces before I file them as a “fait accompli .”
Here are five things to do before submitting magazine articles to editors…
1. Organize your transcripts or source list. Some editors require transcripts of all phone calls or email correspondence; others want nothing unless they ask for it. Either way, it’s a good idea to have your transcripts or source list finalized before you submit an article. Even if the editor doesn ’t require it now, he or she may ask for it later – and there’s nothing worse than scrambling for your source list two or three months after you’ve written an article.
2. Double check your source’s credentials, names, and organizations. Misspelling a source’s name, getting the credentials wrong, or placing them with the wrong organization not only makes you look sloppy, it annoys the source and the magazine’s readers – which aggravates the editor.Make double (or triple) sure that you’re referring to your sources and experts accurately.
3. Browse the magazine or website. Yesterday I submitted an article to an editor I’ve never worked with before. But before I sent the article – and when I was halfway through writing it – I spent half an hour reading the articles on the publication’s website. This gave me a feel for the content and style of the writing. The more I “fit in” to what already exists, the easier the editor’s job is…and the more likely she’ll hire me again.
4. Edit with different hats on. Do a full edit with your “grammar teacher’s” hat on. Then, do an edit with your “copywriter’s” hat on. Don’t forget to edit with your “assigning editor’s” hat on (I often compare my assignment sheet with my article, to make sure I’ve met his or her criteria). For more editing tips, read Editing Help – it’s my most recent article about editing, based on an amazing new resource for writing that I just found.
5. Sleep on it. After I sent Susan my last guest post – 5 Commonly Misused Words and Phrases – I had to make two or three changes after she published it. This created extra work for her and made me feel foolish. I didn ’t sleep on that post, fellow scribes. Stephen King recommends letting your writing sit for six weeks, but most magazine writers don’t have the luxury of that much time! Before you submit an article, let it “gel” for at least one night…preferably three or four.
If you have any questions or thoughts on what to do before submitting an article, please comment below!
Laurie Pawlik -Kienlen is a full-time writer and blogger who created and maintains a series of Quips and Tips blogs: Quips and Tips for Successful Writers, Quips and Tips for Achieving Your Goals, and Quips and Tips for Couples Coping With Infertility. She's also the Feature Writer for Psychology Suite101