Breaking into magazines

Call it vanity, but I want to see my name and work in a magazine. For years now I’ve been pouring my heart and soul into writing for other people and their compliance teams. It’s the nature of a ghostwriter to perpetually pass the credit over to someone else. Drifting past the glory and staying invisible on the sidelines. On the whole its quite good for your character. But just every so often, as a little treat, I’d love to see my own name and tiny head shot shimmering on the glossy pages, balanced above the little columns of text, like a miniature monument. So I've decided to give it a go. Armed with a couple of books, a home office and a hell of a lot of motivation, the quest to write for magazines began. One month in, and here’s the progress so far.

Getting it wrong

At first I did it wrong. Well who doesn’t when it’s their first time? I researched editors online and then wrote to them explaining that I’d like to write for them. Just like that. I said I’d even do it for free. Just give me a call and we’d work something out. How na?ve. After days and days, I didn’t get a single reply. Bollocks. A lifetime of ghostwriting stretched ahead of me, like a road leading into the fog.

Getting it wrong ... again

Not one to give up, a change of approach was needed. This time I went out to find a story. A really good story! A story so nail-bitingly fantastic that editors would be clinging to the seat, p*ssing themselves with excitement. People would say “YOU broke that?!” and I’d shrug them off saying, “it wasn’t that hard”. I headed into London to speak to some people and get some ideas. I ended up writing a story… a very average story. A story so average that it was considered and then killed. If it was on the board game “Guess who?”, it would have been a white man with brown hair. I’ve still got it on my computer and every so often I look at it with shame. It looks at me back, like a little goblin who doesn’t understand why it was born. Ah well. Onward and upwards!

A hat trick of getting it wrong

Almost impressive isn’t it? But it’s true I failed again. This time, it was more of an honourable fall though, as the height wasn’t so high. Plus I was becoming immune. I decided to pull my head out of my arse and do some proper research on the subject. I invested in a book called “Guide to Magazine Writing”, by Kerrie Flanagan. It’s written for American publications which was my first “d’oh!” moment, but there are some things which are transferable. I read that book back-to-front, and left it covered with more notes than a money smuggler sneaking onto a plane. The advice was invaluable. Making an irresistible article doesn’t just mean being balls-deep in your industry with access to snippets of information . You need to know the magazine like an old friend, an old bestie. Get down and dirty with every mood, nuance and boundary hidden within those slippery pages.

Alright. Getting there. I tried again, I researched like hell and wrote to an online publication with a story idea. It was better – a little informal maybe - but definitely better. Nothing. I sent a follow-up email but never received a reply. Sometimes it’s just like that. Plus I swear my email address goes straight to junk. Brilliant.

In the meantime, I’d started to meet and talk to editors. It wasn’t a lot, just little patches of conversations here and there. The occasional coffee in the City or chilled afternoon call. It was enough for me to show some emails and ask where I’d been going wrong.

YEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!

Would you believe it?! I got one! Three weeks into my journey and I had my first ever, ever, ever commission from an editor. It wasn't somebody telling me what to say, it was somebody who wanted to print my words. I could’ve cried. It's such a validation. Better still, they were happy to pay me. I felt like Hugh Hefner (for no reason, he just always looks so proud of himself). I poured myself a little drink, did a little dance... all the essentials. It was the best feeling in the world.

Even better, one week later, I was commissioned another article by the very same editor. We're now talking about a regular thing ... watch this space!!!

Fixing mistakes

It’s been a month now since I set out on this journey, and I did something a little unorthodox. I went back to one of the initial failed queries and explained that I realised I’d screwed up. I think that when you've been a tit, it's important to acknowledge it, although perhaps not in those words. I wrote an apology for my arrogance, and explained that I’d like to suggest a different idea, which actually reflects the magazine's ethos.

… To my total amazement, I got it. A real commission and … (spoillleerrrrr….) it’s not about finance or fintech! I’ve been working on it all morning, it will take about a month and if I manage, it will probably be one of the landmark moments of my career. I'm now looking at my third published article in a month, which has lifted my soul.

Still failing, still learning

I’m still going strong, whipping out queries like nobody’s business. It’s exhausting, the pay is not ideal and I am juggling a million and one other things. But I couldn’t be happier. I’m still rejected far more than I’m accepted, but that’s life and I hope to keep learning. It’s so much work for such a little moment in the sun, but as anyone in the UK will be aware, it's these little moments of sunshine that make a world of difference.

To anyone else wanting to break into magazines, get in contact and let’s share tips!

... and of course, I am still a ghost writer and copywriter at heart. Come on. If you need some web copy, articles, blogs or brochures - let me at them! :D