Few ideas are inherently good or bad-it’s all about finding a good fit. Similarly, you’d skip Playboy if you were looking to place a breezy service piece on caring for antique dinnerware or a fiery op-ed on the importance of physical education classes in school. But that idea may be just right for Cosmopolitan or Vice. You wouldn’t try to sell a steamy personal essay about the time you inadvertently attended a sex party to Real Simple. As you read, ask yourself: What do I have to contribute to the conversation? What hasn’t already been said? Other times, we start with the publication in mind. Find the right publication for that idea. Sometimes you have a completed essay or an idea for a piece that you’re eager to write. You don’t have to know all the lingo, but you do need to know what kind of writing various publications generally publish…although knowing the lingo will help when it comes to pitching your idea (more on that in a sec). Learn the difference between a service piece and a feature, a personal essay and a reported piece framed by your personal experience. There’s also a site called that curates editors’ calls for pitches.
On Twitter, search the phrase “pitch me” to find editors seeking stories. Follow other writers and editors on social media. Publications open and close quite frequently, so stay up to date. Familiarize yourself with what’s out there. There are literally hundreds of places that want your writing. The first step is to acquaint yourself with the market. Those of us who publish often take these same steps again and again.
REAL SIMPLE WRITER SUBMISSIONS PROFESSIONAL
To publish short nonfiction essays and articles online or in print, you need only follow a few basic steps-and they’re the same steps whether you’re a seasoned professional or a total newbie. And maybe they’re more interested in your story, because you’ve never told it before (whereas, like most writers with a beat, I’m a whiz at spinning the same narrative or making similar arguments every opportunity that I can). At the same time, I know my editors are just as interested in your personal journeys, passions, and opinions as they are in mine. Having worked as a full-time freelance writer for just shy of a decade, I often find friends reach out to ask me how I do it, hoping that they, too, can get published.Ī part of me wants to take umbrage-after all, you wouldn’t presume that just anyone could become a plumber or reach out to a dentist friend and expect them to direct message you everything they know about root canals. Four Steps to Publishing Articles and Essays
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