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Most new writers start out with high ambitions of getting published and seeing their name in print. Of course, to glare over that first byline creates a personal feeling of satisfaction, in that one knows, today I am a writer. Yet what separates the would-be writers from the published writers is the beginner's failure to understand the writing market and the business of writing. Yes, Virginia... it is a business. Sure, every writer wants to publish the next Gone With the Wind, but on the way to your Nobel Prize, reality will set in, and the important thing in the beginning is to get that first sale. Your true inner talents and niche in the business will develop with time. The beginner must get that first sale as soon as possible. For most, it will be the single biggest accomplishment in their writing career that will keep them writing.
Writing articles for magazines is one of the best places for the beginner to break in. Although competition here is stiff, there also exists a need for a large amounts of material on a diverse level of subjects since these are monthly publications. To get your first sale here, you must do your homework. Read through the many listings of magazines in the Writer's Market, which can be found in any library. (However, it is better to purchase your own copy, for it is the bible to getting published.) Find a magazine that interests you, or one that involves an expertise or experience that you may have. For example, if you build model cars as a hobby, there are several magazines for modelers. They are in constant need of articles written by modelers. If you work in the medical profession, you will discover many magazines looking for articles on all levels of the medical profession. Let's face it, most new writers are doing something to make a living other than writing. So find a magazine that is about what you are doing now. Find one that needs articles on subjects which interest you, or you can research or interview a professional in that field.
Once you have found some magazines which spark your interest, you will need to write a good query letter and pitch the idea to the editors. Most magazines require a query first, rather than the complete article. This is a good thing for you, because you can actually pre-sell the work before spending hours writing something you love to write, only to discover that there is no market for it.
Write a short, one page idea on a subject, how you plan to accomplish the work and any experts or professionals you will interview. Read the guidelines for that magazine and offer a story within the word count they need.
Now, here is the key to getting that first sale. As soon as you get your first query letters in the mail, begin a new project idea for other magazines, query them and get those in the mail. By doing this you will learn that instead of getting depressed when the first rejection comes along, (and in this business, it most likely will), you have many other query letters out there. The odds are on your side that one is bound to come back yes. And when it does, that is when you write your best stuff, accomplish all that you promised in the query... and get that first sale. Granted, it may not be what you love to write, but it will be your first byline and your first sale. Many writers will argue the point that this writing thing is art, and indeed it is. They will say that a writer should not write anything just to get a sale. However, when you make a commitment to get your first sale, and you see your name in print, you will soon discover that it does make a difference in wishing to be a writer and being proactive to become one. A simple lesson: no one in this business is going to come looking for you. To get your name out there, you must get your first sale, then never stop.
The article Getting Your First Sale is Copyright 1998 by Michael Bavota.
The collection of works called Fish Eggs For The Soul is Copyright
1998 by Brian Rickman.
Copy edited by Sara Fawbush,
editor of The Young Writer's Collection.