Introductory Guide: For Writing For a Publication

Publication Writing Vs Writing for yourself

Jamie Styles
Betterism
2 min readFeb 17, 2021

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Photo by AbsolutVision on Unsplash

So, if you have not noticed, I have not posted in about a month now. I have actually been writing for the publication The New Collection. Even though I have only been writing for the magazine for about 2 months, I have learned an enormous amount and consequently wanted to share what I have learned. Additionally, feel free to check out my articles at the link at the bottom of this page.

Editor Pitching

Whereas writing just for your medium page, website, or blog can be demanding, you do not have to pitch an idea before writing it. Pitching can be intimidating for some, but really try and embrace your ideas, takes notes on what precisely you are writing about and how this would educate a reader. Your editor is your friend and is willing to listen to any idea if you sell it correctly. Regarding pitching, my last tip is asking for feedback on your article. We all need to learn something and editors read hundreds sometimes even thousands of items, so they really understand your particular piece’s audience.

Writing for your audience

I know you may find this subject really interesting, but it may not be for this publication. For example, if you are going to author an essay on a particular topic, make sure the magazine likes essay-style pieces. Read other articles on the website, look at themes. Even reach out to editors and ask specifically what their readers love to read. Really ask yourself what this providing someone is else? One of my university lecturers once said, don’t masturbate with an essay, pardon my French. However, it rings true an article o is not a vanity project; it informs an audience or provides a new perspective.

Stylistic Adaptation

Be open to learning, you may think you know it all. Still, the truth is, every publication wants a distinct voice unless you write an opinion or a column. Yes definitely find your writers voice, however, some publications love a really formally written piece. In contrast, others are more open to experimentation and a more casual tone. Pay attention to what your editor says about this, it is crucial to meet my previous tip.

As always I hoped this has helped some of you that aspire to write for a magazine or publication. Thank you for reading and please feel free to check out my new articles below.

New work

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