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The Complimentary Copy = Goldmine
By Kathleen Ewing
You found a new market, sent them your polished article and now
you have a complimentary issue of the magazine in your hands with
your byline in it. Now what? You save the cover, the masthead and
your article for your clip file. Then you pitch the magazine.
Whoa there! Don't be so quick to throw away this valuable market
research tool. You have a free issue of a paying market in your
hands. You have no concrete idea what else they might be interested
in purchasing from a freelancer.
I recently sold a profile article to Art Calendar Magazine, which
runs $5.00 per issue off the rack at Barnes and Noble. I wouldn't
normally buy the magazine because I'm not an artist. But my brother
is, and over the years I have been involved in nearly every aspect
of managing and promoting a professional artist. I bump elbows with
artists on a regular basis at my brother's shows. With a free issue
of Art Calendar in my possession, I was eager to discover what else
they might like to see from me and the local art community. So I
opened my complimentary issue, a pen and spiral notebook at my hand.
The cover of the magazine hyped features on career advice, art
marketing, branding. And a new department called Studio Tour. I made
a note to shoot off an article in my reprint inventory on selling art
in a sluggish economy. I also wrote a memo to contact an acquaintance
named David who has one of the most spectacular art studios in the
Southwest. Two months later, I have a check for the marketing article
and a tentative date to do a photo essay at David's place. And I have
a second complimentary copy of the magazine.
The magazine's masthead provides you with current contact
information for the editors, website and publisher (who might
publish other similar magazines). It usually lists contributing
writers as well, so by comparing those names to the bylines on
the table of contents, you can estimate how much of the magazine
is dedicated to freelance material. The table of contents also
provides clues to the types of features that captured the editor's
interest. Effective advertising, self-promotion, finances. A mini-
brainstorm session results in a half-dozen possible articles for
each of those broad topics.
The editorial page gives you more direct feedback about what the
editor is enthusiastic about…in this case more details about the
new Studio Tour feature.
Read all of the articles of your complimentary issue. Several in
this issue are lists of tips for the artist. So this must be a
popular format with the magazine's readership. Pay attention to
the types of photographs and other graphic material used to
illustrate the piece as well. Most publications pay extra for those.
Aha! There it is again. A half page of copy on the new Studio Tour.
A lengthy bulleted list of specific details. Contact information.
Photography requirements. Obviously, it's the highest priority for
the editor right now. To increase your chances of selling to this
market, you absorb every syllable of information.
Don't overlook the advertisements. In this issue there are few
ads except the magazine's own products. A few galleries. Some
juried competitions. How about an article on how to find a gallery
to display the artist's work? Or how to make a presentation to a
jury?
The magazine's own order form is a clue to what they believe their
readers want to see. How to make a living as an artist. Living the
artist's lifestyle. Exhibiting the work.
The back section of the magazine is a listing dedicated to markets,
art exhibits, festivals, grants…an opportunity to attend an event
near you and interview some artists for profile pieces or those
topics you have targeted. The back cover has an ad for a company
that creates websites for artists. How about an article on the
crucial features to be included when considering a website?
Do your homework. Analyze every squiggle of ink before you dissect
that complimentary copy for your clips. By mining your free issue
and targeting what editors are buying, you, too, could appear on
that masthead as a contributing writer.
BIO
Kathleen Ewing lives in the central mountains of Arizona where
she enjoys hiking, horseback riding, four wheeling and target
shooting. She is a fulltime writer with the best of both worlds.
In her day job, she writes newsletters, brochures and grants, and
creates and maintains the website for a large nonprofit with all
the benefits of an employee. In her spare time, she freelances.
Among her more recent credits are articles in Art Calendar,
American Falconry and Hobby Farms.
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