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Selling in the Big Apple
By Leigh Goodwin
NOTE: This article is as told to the author from an associate
who wishes to remain anonymous.
The day I sold a column to The New York Times was unlike
any other day. Like many first time columnists I had been
rejected by newspapers for years. It wasn't until I applied
six rules of column writing that I duplicated my publishing
efforts not once but several times in dozens of newspapers.
I no longer felt like I was trying to scale the Statue of
Liberty without a staircase. Follow these editorial directions
and improve your odds of success with newspaper publishing.
Editors want readers to generate their own ideas. Unless you
are handpicked for a job, pitching an idea versus asking what
editors want is the key. Realizing that columns can be
commentary, opinion, personal or informative by enthusiasts
or professionals, my first task was to determine what type of
column I wanted to write. I am no Borat but through research
I was able to combine a little entertainment with my information
column. By reading I discovered that editors are open to
informative articles of all types but they also want articles
to be inviting for readers. There is a reading segment that
prefers abstract, less entertaining articles, but articles
that are entertaining plus informative stand a better chance
at passing the editors acid test.
Editors want to see new and innovative articles. Choose an
interesting and meaningful slant. I simplified the process
by going to the section of the paper I wanted to publish my
column in. Next, I looked online at 24 weeks of back business
articles to see what previous columnists had written about.
This helped me brainstorm new ideas.
Editors want dependable journalism. Pick five to ten newspapers
from
http://www.newspaperlinks.com/voyager.cfm the worldwide
newspaper website. Analyze the articles to determine the tone.
Keeping in tone with the papers articles is crucial. To get my
article accepted I had to make sure it fit the section and tone.
If the tone is upbeat, submit upbeat work.
Editors like to see some experience and preparation. They will
ask to see a series of 6 to 10 articles with economized word
counts ranging from 600 to 2,000 words. If they like your work
they want to know you can be counted on to follow through with
your articles according to deadline. Early in the game I picked
three slants and wrote ten articles for each slant. After I had
each article written I began submitting to editors. Visit
http://www.smalltownpapers.com/ for smaller newspapers.
Editors like to know you have done your research. Newspapers are
written to entertain and inform- and Sell. Can your article be
linked to an intersecting local event? If so, you can maximize
your chances of publication. When I could not find an
interesting hook I mentioned how my article related to an
overlooked local monument to inspire editorial interest.
Editors are in the business of writing. Gone are the days when
networking is restricted to suit wearing professionals only.
Like we network on Linked In, Facebook and Twitter, the same
strategies can be used with newspaper editors. At the very
least, I found myself keeping my eyelids peeled for interesting
bits of information editors might find a reportable story in so
I could introduce myself.
Finally, I found greater success by sending simultaneous
submissions. As a writer who enjoys publication almost more
than being paid, I saw no reason to limit my submissions to
one editor at a time, unless they prohibit simultaneous
submissions. Rates of pay for articles vary from $300 and up.
BIO: Leigh Goodwin
Writing & Publishing Consultant
URL: http://leighgoodwin.com
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