Submitting articles for publication.

[MrsSeanBean]

Does anyone know:

can you submit articles directly to the publication / magazine in question, (ie without going through an agent) or is this a waste of time?

Agree with Aitch but want to clarify: it's fine to work for some small scale specialist publication for 50p and a free copy of the magazine, because that's getting you experience and honing your skills: ringing up a national and offering work for free is a)unlikley to help you get published anyway but b)puts the idea into unscrupulous publishers' heads that they can sack all their qualified, professional, experienced writers and fill the mag with stuff from people who are desperate to get published so will work for nothing. Good editors won't do this unless they have to, though, because in the end it wrecks a magazine to use all-amateurs. While some of these people may well be able to write prose that's vivid and interesting, without any professional experience they will have trouble structuring a feature, keeping to house style, meeting deadlines - and coming up with ideas that haven't been done to death a billion times.
TBH (I am not adressing this directly to you MrsSB as I have not read your work, obviously) the vast majority of people who want to write and think they can write are mistaken.

Perhaps, like I did Aitch, they earn their living in a bog standard 9-5 job and fund themselves through the beginning of a change of career. I don't see that as a disgrace. (Some people might see the 'lying through your arse' method as a disgrace, though perhaps. Just different routes to the same goal).

Therein lies another good reason to start out in a specialised or less glamorous field. I've known people work as unpaid interns in the fashion dept of women's mags for two years in the hope of a job. I don't think Cage & Aviary Bird are going to be quite as competitive when it comes to getting your name in print.

And if you are pitching the women's market, you need to have features that are really sellable. If you find a fantastic real-life case study then magazines are going to be interested in it. But if you are pitching yet another feature on 'How to have perfect skin' then no magazine is going to pay you when they can get the beauty intern to knock it out for nothing.

to barbarian. it's a disgrace to the industry, not you personally.

actually, i worked as a sub when i started out. that's the best way imo to get experience that you can then translate into exactly what sgb is talking about, house style etc.

Yep, everyone knows that subbing's where the real talent lies

This article gives a good overview of how to pitch your ideas to newspapers & mags.

This article gives a good overview of how to pitch your ideas to newspapers & mags.

'Tis the cold, it's giving me double post disease. Wonder if there's an article in that?

Just ring up a mag you really want to write for, and ask the advice of someone who works there. "Hello, I'm a new writer, I'd love to write for you, how do I go about that?"

And subbing is a fabulous way in! I subbed freelance at first, then got a staff job on the (he-uge) magazine as a sub. I ended up with my own column and so much other writing work I had to leave and go freelance again. The best thing is, you can ring up other magazines and say, "Hi, it's XYZ from BigPosh magazine, I've had an idea for a feature for you, would you be interested?" If you're already employed by a magazine, you are a million times' more likely to be listened to by other titles.

You can ponce around for hours on here asking advice, or just call up the mag you want to work for and ask them directly. If you want to be a writer, just write.

Go on - ring them up now. We will cheer you on! stop looking for ways to avoid calling them (agents, etc). RING them! RING them!

Have a large vodka then pick up the phone before it wears off!

lol at beautiful, that's totally how it is when you start. and mostly peopel are LOVELY when you do phone them, ime. don't phone weeklies until thursday or friday.

Thanks everyone. Had a busy day in RL today. Having large vodka as I write, and feeling increasingly spurred on to try the 'just phone up' approach...

Will report back in due course.

do it today... g'wan g'wan.

I have changed my name for this as it would identify me to people who know me in RL.

MrsSB I have a tale which might inspire you. Admittedly this was a fair while ago and the market is very tough at the moment as others have said.

I had always wanted to write but had been doing something else for ten years. I wanted to change career, so took a really short course in freelance journalism. We're talking two hours a week for one term rather than a degree. The tutor was bloody good but it was pretty amateurish in terms of the people on the course. I don't think any of them were really doing it with a view to becoming professional hacks. Or if they were they hid it well. The course gave me just enough knowledge to play the game.

I had an idea for a piece and thought f*ck it, I'm going to approach one of the 'broadsheets' with this. I phoned them up when I was feeling brave and outlined the idea. They asked me to email it into them. Given they probably realised I hadn't been published in anything of note, they asked me to provide the intro and a couple of paras before they'd commission me to write the full feature. I did this and they were happy with it. So, my very first published piece was for a supplement of a major national Sunday paper.

After that I sent the same ed some more ideas which they took and they were happy with. I became a regular.

On the back of that I branched out to other publications.

From nothing just over five years ago, I am in a position where I've written for all the 'newspapers formerly known as broadsheets' and my first book was published in Summer 2008.

This is pretty unusual and I was very lucky but I just wanted to say it can happen.
I suspect I am the kind of person that seasoned hacks who've worked their way up through the ranks in the traditional way hate .

Freelance journalism doesn't pay well, it is hard to get editors to answer emails and calls when they don't know you (and sometimes even when they do) and it can be tricky to manage your workload but I truly love doing this job.

You sound like you have nothing to lose by trying. Good luck. Ideas count for a lot in your situation, so make sure you come up with good ones or else you will be too much of a gamble.

[apologies for cr*p writing here but am knackered today, it's pretty late and I count Mnetting as being off duty ]

anonauthor - that's very encouraging - thank you for taking the trouble to name change and post that.

I also heard about a student doc who approached the Telegraph with an idea -Max Pemberton I think? - and ended up with a regular column.

anonauthor, I am sick with envy.

I'm just starting out as a freelancer (perfect timing, I'm sure you will agree) with 3 years as a section editor on a regional magazine. After 6 months, almost all the work I've done has been for the same magazine I used to work for.

This week, two national magazines have actually responded to my emails. They both said 'no', but I was delighted that they had acknowledged my email and responded to me. That felt like progress.

In my experience, having contacts in the right places is absolutely invaluable. If you have friends who work in the media, you might be in with a chance.

Hmmm, just thinking about the concept of being 'published'. I am supposing that having a letter published on the letters page of the DT wouldn't really count, would it?

Mrs SB - as a former commissioning editor - no you don't need an agent at all. Writers only need agents if they're pitching for film/TV/Books.

Afraid that having a letter published wouldn't hold much water. Newspapers would be unlikely to commission you - but magazines might. Just be confident and ballsy ...oh and lie through your teeth about your previous experience!

Thanks nancy , no I wasn;t really serious about the letter!

Hmm, I am not a very good liar though... will have to put my thinking cap on.