Studying a publication

Ok, so you have decided that you want to write for a publication. You have loads of ideas and you can’t wait to sit in front of your PC, sort out those ideas and get those creative juices flowing.

But, wait a second! Are you just going to write something at random, and then search for a publication to submit it to? That’s not such a good idea. When you’re a freelancer the best approach towards writing is: write for a publication. Even when you’re thinking out ideas, you must have a certain publication in mind. So how do you come to know so much about different publications in the market and the kind of stuff they publish?

The basic question to ask yourself in this regard is: have you actually done a thorough study of the publication(s) that you want to write for? Or is it that you saw a certain publication on a newsstand, got attracted to the name and cover and decided to write for them? To ensure that you give the editor something worth publishing, it is always a good idea to study a publication thoroughly before sending something to be considered for publication. And this is one of the main tasks which will give you a very thorough and accurate idea of the different publications that are out there in the market and the material they publish.

Here are some different ways in which you can carry out such a study:

1) Subscribe to the publication: If you don’t already get that publication at your home, then it is a good idea to subscribe to it. Or if that isn’t possible, you can try to purchase a few back issues or get them from the library. You must have a few issues in hard copy.

2) Visit the publication’s official website: Some websites carry full text material of the contents of the publications, while others carry only a brief outline of the articles published. You can get a print-out of some of the issues’ contents if you cannot lay your hands on any copy of the publication.

3) Read carefully: Once you have laid your hands on the publication, the next step is to go through it. If you are seriously interested in writing for a publication, then you must read it carefully. Flipping through or reading only the by-lines and summaries will not help in any way.

4) Notice the different sections of the publication: If you simply cannot read everything, then look at the different sections which the publication has been divided into, and go through the ones which appeal to you. For instance, you may be very good at writing poems and so you may want to look at the poetry section. If you want to write reviews, you can go through the reviews section.

5) Note the topics: Once you have selected your section, the next step is to look at the different topics. If you are looking at the reviews section, you may notice which type of books, movies and websites have been reviewed. Are the books bestsellers or latest releases or classics? Are the movies those which have recently been premiered? Are websites related to a specific issue, or you can review fun websites as well? If you are looking at the articles section, you may want to note down things like whether or not articles are fiction or non-fiction, time-specific (related to Earth Day or various “Days” which are celebrated) or issue-specific (related to current news items like cricket or natural disasters).

6) Write down the guidelines: It is always advisable that you jot down some of the points you have discovered while going through your favourite section. You can later compile them to form your own writer’s guidelines. You can add or delete from these guidelines as you study successive issues. In fact that is precisely why you should study a number of issues rather than relying on one.

7) Look for official guidelines: Some publications have their own guidelines — this may include the email address to send the work to, the details you must supply when you’re submitting anything and/or any other things you need to take care of. Include this in your writer’s guidelines as well.

8) Sample writer’s guidelines: Here is an outline of some important details your writer’s guidelines must contain:

a. Section name

b. Topics covered

c. Possible new topics

d. Approve outline from the editor?

e. Word limit (approximate)

f. Email address to submit the work

g. Details to give when submitting work

Finished? Now you are ready to write down your article or outline. Keep those guidelines in front of you as you go to your PC and begin writing. Best of luck.