A question for journalists (partic. freelance) - please can you help Miaou advise her dad...

[Miaou]

My dad has embarked on a self-build in the Scottish Highlands and is hoping that he could perhaps earn a bit of money from publishing a "blog" of the progress. He's written an introductory article and wants to put it in front of an editor (he's thinking property section of the Telegraph) but is unsure of the best way to go about it.

Can you advise me what he should do in order to get noticed? And if there are any particular publications that he should look at contacting?

TIA

He should write a letter to the editor of his chosen paper, giving a brief outline and perhaps a synopsis.
If it's a self build in Scotland, then the Scotsman might be one to try

Thanks saltire.

Anyone any other advice? Pitfalls to avoid etc?

Saltire's right about the outline. Try Homebuilding and Renovating magazine ? they do this sort of thing. Read the paper/magazine you are pitching stuff to and try to shape it into the sort of thing they publish.

Thanks edam - dad is an avid reader of H&R - not sure why he was wanting to pitch it at the Telegraph instead of them really (probably thinks he might get more lolly )

Have you dealt with the dailies? Are they likely to take on an "amateur" writer for a regular column?

There's also a magazine called Build It - according to their website Build It magazine they're always on the lookout for projects like this.

If link doesn't work, call jennifer cawley on 020 7772 8440.

What an enterprising bloke .

Oooh thanks Frieda.

I will pass all these on to my dad

Hi Miaou - saw this earlier, but nothing really to add to the good advice here. The more your dad can say something like 'I thought this might be appropriate for the X slot' - showing he really knows the mag, the better; and bullet points work well for the outline (I'm prejudiced, am frightfully partial to bullet points). Don't send an entire article, it looks far too amateurish!

Hope this helps?

I'd concentrate on the specialist mags. Would think it very unlikely the nationals would commission a column from an amateur. Unless they have celeb connections, of course, but I'm guessing he hasn't.

no, I'm not quite famous enough

Thanks chaps, will send him a link to this thread