Going from Good Idea to Sold Idea: My Seven-Step Process for Banking By-Lines

1. Going from Good Idea to Sold Idea: My Seven-Step Process for Banking By-Lines By Roy Stevenson AWAI’s Ultimate Travel Writer’s Workshop ● Denver ● July 2009

2. My Story • Sold 340 articles in less than two years • Average of 3.7 articles/week • How?

3. Step #1 : Create an Action Plan • Plan your articles and submissions--use a timetable • Don’t blindly fire query letters to editors • A “scattered” query won’t sell your article

4. My Action Plan • Week 1 Pitch Running Magazines • Week 2 Pitch Fitness Magazines & In-Flights • Week 3 Pitch Travel Magazines • Week 4 Pitch Military Magazines & Travel Magazines

5. Step #2: Diversify to Find More Story Ideas • Write about several different topics • What are your passions? • Travel & culture • Military history & history • Film festivals • Running & fitness • Food & wine • Combine your interests and travel • Search for magazines & e-zines that cover these genres

6. Step #3: You Don’t Have to be an Expert! I’m not an expert on… • Military vehicles • Pre-1900 artillery • Ham radio communications • Space radio signals • Volcanology • The renaissance era • Belgian beer festivals • Sculptures • Champagnes • Ghost towns But I’ve had articles on all those topics published. How?

7. Consult an Expert • Cover feature, July 2008 in Popular Communications • About a search-and-rescue organization and their communications equipment • I don’t know the difference between a Megahertz and UHF

8. Consult an Expert • Send your consultant a gift or treat them to lunch • I sent my military vehicle expert a $100 gift card for Barnes & Noble, for all his hours of military vehicle ID

9. Co-write with an Expert • Beers-of-the-World (U.K) magazine has a feature about Belgium’s Top Ten Beer Festivals in November • I co-authored this piece with an expat friend who is also a writer and a beer aficionado. We got $340 each for this article!

10. Step #4: Research Your Article Before You Pitch It • Increases your chances of getting published • Shows the editor you’re prepared • You can use research information in your query letter • Pays off when the article is accepted • Gives you rough notes and a paragraph or three

11. Step #5: Find Magazines, Ezines and Newspapers to Pitch Where and how?

12. Magazine racks • Check at local bookstores and newsagents • One of my top sources • 34% of my successful leads came from scouring magazine racks • Check specialty newsagents—they stock “freelancer friendly” magazines

13. Internet • My other top source for leads • 34% of my successful leads came from internet searches • Google your magazine genre

14. Writer’s Market • Not my main source--only helped me find leads for 13% of my articles… • But you should use it

15. AWAI’s Weekly “Featured Pub” • In The Right Way to Travel • Bonnie Caton searches high and low for e-zines and magazines • AWAI has provided 13% of my leads so far

16. Step #6: Read the Writer’s Guidelines & the Publication • Log on to a publication’s website to see the Writer’s Guidelines • Aka Submissions Guidelines • Aka Contributor’s Guidelines

17. In the Guidelines, Look for… • Preferred article length • Send in completed piece or query? • The tone of their articles • The style of their articles • Payment details • The right contact person • How to pitch (mail or email) • Format for submitting manuscript (disk, email, post) • Photos/captions details

18. No Writer’s Guidelines? • You’ll have to fly blind… • BUT indicate you’ll be flexible • Write to whatever suggestions the editor makes

19. Study the Publication • Average article length • Number of articles each issue • Topics covered in the last 6-12 months • Distribution of short vs. long articles • Illustrations and photos • Advertisers

20. Study the Publication • Who writes the articles? Freelancers or staff? • A variety of bylines suggests many freelancers • Start small – the thick glossies pay well but can be difficult to crack

21. Step #7: Pitch Your Story • Send out a blizzard of query emails and letters • The more queries you send out, the more articles you’ll have published • Don’t be afraid to pitch any magazine, ezine or newspaper • Don’t be put off by rejections

22. Use Multiple Submissions (send the same idea to more than one editor) • Example - One of my distribution lists:

23. How to Manage Multiple Submissions • What do you do if several editors want your article? • Explain the situation honestly to the editor • Have a back-up idea (closely related to your original story)

24. How to Manage Multiple Submissions • What if you’re sure more than one editor will want your piece? • pitch slightly different topics or variations of the original story • Example: I frequently sell articles to running magazines, then change them slightly and sell them to triathlon, fitness & health magazines. • In fact, I select most of my topics with this in mind.

25. How to Squeeze the Most Out of Your Articles • Submit to publications whose circulations don’t overlap • regional magazines • overseas magazines • Newspapers • Resell your article after it’s been published. I recently sold an article about avoiding skin damage to 12 magazines for a total of $1900!

26. How to Squeeze the Most Out of Your Articles • I recently sold an article to a regional lifestyle/travel magazine about Roche Harbor Resort on San Juan island for $500 • I then sold it to another regional magazine for $550 (including Photos) • I then sold it to 3 yachting magazines for $350 • Total = $1400 for one article! • I frequently sell the same running article for $1500 to several different magazines around the world

27. How to Deal with Rejection • Why does a story get rejected? • They may have recently run something similar • It might not fit their guidelines/needs • Don’t get discouraged

28. Four Lessons I’ve Learned in the Last Two Years…

29. # 1: Be Persistent • For me, it’s led to many new assignments and repeat business • Example: Classic Military Vehicles didn’t want to pay for some museum reviews. I offered to write them for free. They said $50 was the best they could do. I wrote 4 reviews… and now have 2 more feature articles. • If you can’t sell your story idea to magazines in one genre, try another.

30. #2: Keep expanding within your genres and locale • Aim for many magazines in a genre or region • I’ll give an article for free if it has sold well elsewhere • Boosts my bylines • Makes selling my stories to other editors easier • Example: Northwest Travel, Ultimate Northwest, South Sound, Mid-Columbian, Columbia Gorge, Kitsap Sun, Sunday Oregonian, Southern Oregon -- all in the Pacific Northwest

31. # 3: Pitch Increasingly Bigger Publications • Recent breakthroughs for me have included: • Scotland, Cruising World, Blue Water Sailing, Renaissance, Men’s Fitness, Fitness Rx For Women, Women’s Health & Fitness (Australia),Tennis View, The Writer, Classic Arms & Militaria (U.K.).

32. # 4: Story Ideas Are Everywhere • On a trip to England last year: • Came up with15 story ideas • Have sold 6 so far

33. Three Reference Books I’ve Found Useful • Getting Stared as A Freelance Writer--Robert Bly • The Well-Fed Writer--Peter Bowerman • Sell and Resell Your Magazine Articles--Gordon Burgett

34. Thank you.