Publishing non-fiction, part I

So you want to write non-fiction? There are a few things to keep in mind. In this first posting, I'll discuss ideas and market research. Later in the week, I'll go over query letters and then later there will be a final post on the manuscript.

I feel that a competent writer, even with no previous publishing credits, can quite easily break into publishing non-fiction.

My first published article happened in high school. I was a serious judo competitor and I heard that the now-defunct Martial Arts Training magazine was looking for a specific type of article. Marion Castinado, then editor, mentioned somewhere that she was looking for drills and exercises that emphasized grappling skills. Eureka! Judo has a heavy grappling element, I was a high-level competitor. I queried her, she liked the idea, I wrote the artice, and at 15 I was published in a national magazine. Even got $100 for it.

So first, what are some topics you can write about? What is your area of knowledge? For me it was judo. And stamp collecting. Over the years, I've relied on things such as my knowledge of advertising and public relations, communications, pets, and a host of other topics to provide lead-ins to articles.

Unfortunately, these broad topics just aren't enough. I mean, if you approached an editor about writing an article on breast cancer, you'd get rejected. It's just too big! Be specific. Here are some examples from my files:
Grappling drills (as opposed to the larger Judo): Martial Arts Training
Eye Safety (as opposed to larger safety): Safety Supervisor
Socialization for home schoolers (as opposed to larger issues of home school or education): Home Schooling Magazine
Writing a classified ad that works (as opposed to the larger topic of advertising): Stamp Wholesaler
How to write a weekly training article for staff (as opposed to the larger topic of training): Veterinary Economics

As you can see, specificity is the key.

What about profiles? Again, find something unusual. There's nothing unique about a business owner who is successful. What's the real story? Recently, I ran across a 24-year-old who owns a successful business. Here's the interesting part of the story -- he had to shut his business down so he could finish up high school!

A few years ago, I did a story on a guy who owned a business in Memphis. He created an inventory device that would count sodas in a soda machine and when it reached a certain level of sodas left, this device would send a radio signal letting the machine's owner know, so they could restock it. While that was part of the story, the focus was on how a high-tech company can thrive in Memphis -- a city without a high-tech education base.

Sometimes you can piggy back hobbies and areas of knowledge into similar articles. A prime exampe is stamp collecting. Now, I've written for most of the stamp collecting publications, but I've also relayed my knowledge there into other stories:
Collecting stamps that have cats on them: I Love Cats magazine.
Collecting stamps depicting martial arts: Black Belt
Collecting stamps that depict tropical fish: Tropical Fish Hobbyist

Get the point?

Magazine research is critical once you have a few ideas you'd like to work into articles.

Magazines publish writer's guidelines. I suggest you read them. They are free for a SASE and many are available online. Admittedly, plenty of guidelines are pretty worthless they are so vague. But often, they have important information. Good guidelines will often tell you what areas of the magazine they need submissions for, or what areas are most open to freelancers. Or, you can purchase Writer's Market, or subscribe to the online version -- which I do for about $3/month.

Also, magazines such as Writer's Digest and The Writer provide updates on market info.

You also need to read the magazine. This is the only way to understand how the magazine is organized, what type of articles they want, what the tone is, the specific focus, etc. When I first started publishing in my teens, I wrote extensively for martial arts magazines, and each was different.

Black Belt -- very general, but with a focus on technique articles and celebrity interviews.
Martial Arts Training -- essentially a fitness magazine with a martial arts flair. NO techinque articles
World of Martial Arts -- similary to black belt, but a heavy focus on Chinese Arts
Journal of Asian Martial Arts -- took a much more academic approach. Lots of history.
Dojo -- Japanese arts only.
Dojang -- Korean arts only.

Many categories are like that. You may not notice at first glance, but there is a difference between Men's Health, Muscle & Fitness and Men's Exercise. There is a difference between Redbook, Woman's Day and Good Housekeeping. The ONLY way to pick up on it is to study guidelines and the magazines carefully.

When researching, I look for a few things, in addition to tone and the angle the magazine takes:
•What areas are more open to freelancers?
•Who, by name, is the appropriate editor to target for the type of article I want to write?
•What rights do they purchase?
•How much do they pay?
•Is payment on acceptance or publication?
•Can I query via e-mail or must it be snail mail?
•Have they done anything similar to what I want to write in the last year or two?

A final note.

I think it is easier to break into trade magazines -- you know, the kind that target specific trades, professions or businesses and aren't meant for general consumers. These are magazines like Furniture Today, Marine Business Journal, RV Trade Digest and thousands of others.

Not all these magazines take freelancers, but a lot fewer freelancers target them. And if you work in the profession, you've got a leg up!

And some of the trades pay pretty darned good!

These magazines, and consumers, are hungry for lists. 5 ways to increase your profits. 10 time saving house cleaning tips. 8 ways to get your child to eat veggies. 3 ways to save on your phone bill. A dozens steps to less inventory shrinkage.

You get the point.

Next time, we'll craft our pitch to the editors.