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Editorial Calendars: Doing the Editorial Juggle
By Christine Cristiano
Editorial calendars and predetermined monthly themes work to
a freelance writer’s advantage. The editorial department has
increased your odds of selling an article to them if you take
the time to study their editorial calendars. Instead of randomly
picking a topic out of thin air in hopes that you’ll get lucky,
perusing their agenda enables you to target a specific need and
query accordingly. If a publication doesn’t display an editorial
calendar, query the editor to see if one exists.
Newspapers, magazines, newsletters and websites use detailed
editorial calendars or themed lists to keep the publication’s
content and advertisements focused. Each month is dedicated to
a specific topic and the content reflects the topic throughout
the issue. Some news and entertainment publications don’t use
such plans because they rely on recent events to dictate the
direction of the content, but they may publish specialty
supplements revolving around certain themes throughout the year.
Themed lists can be somewhat different in some instances in that
the theme isn’t slated for a certain month but rather the editor
is seeking ideas or stocking content for future use.
Timing It Right
One common mistake many writers make with an editorial calendar
is skimming down the list and picking a topic designated within
the next three months. Editors work months in advance, so your
well-prepared query is dead in the water before it reaches the
editor’s inbox. Many writers crave instant gratification (and
payment) so they seldom look beyond the three to four- month
zone. To maximize your chances of securing an assignment, pick
a topic from the list slated for publication at least six months
or more in advance. This effort can be your power play to
securing assignments.
Putting Twelve into Play
Doing the editorial juggle with several magazines can increase
your writing profits. To execute the editorial juggle, you’ll
need to query and secure assignments from different magazines
in various months. With a bit of luck and perseverance, it’s
possible to have an article pending publication for every month
of the year. By applying this method to your querying efforts,
you create an uninterrupted string of assignments and a steady
monthly income. To initiate the editorial juggle method, research
twelve different markets and locate the editorial calendars.
Select one topic from each editorial calendar until you have
twelve topics – one for each month. Make a list of articles for
each month based on your findings then write and submit your
queries. By the end of the process, you will have created and
submitted twelve queries on twelve different topics to twelve
different publications thus filling up a twelve-month calendar.
Editorial Points to Ponder
The editorial staff determines its editorial calendars twelve
months in advance but doesn’t set the calendar in stone. It can
be affected by internal factors such as a new owner, editor, or
direction in the target audience. If the publication doesn’t post
its editorial calendar, locate the media kit, advertising or
sales department; they may have a list of themes they use to
target potential advertisers.
Occasionally publications will use the editorial calendar year
after year with a few minor changes. For example, a local
parenting magazine will likely publish annual issues devoted to
summertime activities and back to school. You can submit your
query to the editor well in advance and hopefully receive a
favorable reply.
Incorporating editorial calendars into your marketing efforts
will save you valuable time by targeting a publication’s needs,
enabling you to write on interesting topics and eliminating the
guesswork. With planning, you can do the ‘editorial juggle’ and
increase your writing revenue.
Editorial Calendar Market Listings:
Clifford Magazine
http://www.scholastic.ca/education/magazines/classmags/clifford-edcal.html
San Francisco Chronicle
http://www.sfgate.com/c/acrobat/reference/chronmag_calendar2006.pdf
Rock and Gem
http://www.rockngem.com/submissions.asp
Solar Today
http://www.solartoday.org/2006_ed_calendar.htm
The Cultured Traveler
http://www.theculturedtraveler.com/Submissions/Editorial_Calendar.htm
Continental Magazine
http://magazine.continental.com/pdf/Editorial-Calendar.pdf
Bio: Christine Cristiano hangs her hat in Ontario, Canada.
She is a published writer, Author, and Editor of The Obsessed
Writers Group Newsletter.
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