MAGAZINE ARTICLE

Questions:

1. What is it?
2. How does it work?
3. How is it distinct from other genres (and meaningful similarities)
4. Likely features, organization, audience, register, focus, format, etc.
5. Provide a model or models--and why it is a good model.

What is it?

-The free dictionary by Farlex

Noun 1. Magazine article - an article published in a magazine

            article - nonfictional prose forming an independent part of a publication

            mag, magazine - a period publivation containing pictures and stories and articles of interest to those who purchase it or subscribe to it; "it takes several

                                     years before a magazine starts to break even or make money"

How to write an Article for a Magazine?

- Custom Writing

1. Writing a Magazine Article. What You Need to Know

Definition: A magazine article is a short non-scientific writing that is aimed at a specific interest group.

General guidelines:

• be sure to choose a topic you feel interested in and know a lot about;
• never choose a general subject; an editor is looking for a small interesting story, and not for a science book;
• do some researches to find out which magazine is likely to publish your writing;
• every magazine has a “style sheet,” a list of instructions to writers on the magazine’s subjects, tone, and approach that can help you to understand where you want to write to;

Our tips on writing a magazine article:

• Give yourself time to prepare. For example, during a week, write on separate colored sheets of paper interesting topics that come to your mind.
• You can also carry a digital camera around with you. An event can pop up unexpectedly, but you will be right there and ready.

   

2. Writing a Magazine Article. Writing Tips

Definition: A magazine article doesn’t have a certain structure, like a news item and its upside-down pyramid. But there is also some work to do.

General guidelines:

• Once a topic is chosen, and you’ve listed all possible sources, it’s time to use them. People can also be sources. Arrange appointments with those who interest you, and prepare questions concerning your article. Don’t forget to take notes.
• Write a headings that is both informative and catchy.
• Create a motivating topic sentence;
• Show, not tell – this is the golden rule of all writers;
• Stay firmly on your writing goal and don’t get carried away from your researches and topic while writing;
• No matter how narrow, your topic still has to have several subtopics that you will develop in your body paragraphs;
• Think about illustrations. Usually, professional photos are obtained from agencies such as AP. But the subscription costs quite a lot. At the same time, illustrations are a good way to get attention. So, if you are writing about dog parks, why not take a camera and go there for some original pictures?
• Inexperienced writers sometimes feel tired after writing few paragraphs. This is not the proper time for challenges. Put your article aside, and have some rest. You can not only prevent yourself from making a poor job just to get rid of it, but come up with a fresh look on a specific issue you are writing about.
• When you finish writing, put it aside for some time. Let your mind cool off a little, and then try to take an independent look at what you have written. If you can’t, ask your family member/friend/anyone whose opinion you value to read your article and give feedback.
• A journalist has to be flexible, especially an inexperienced one. If a qualified person tells you that some things have to be rewritten, do it. Later you will develop your own intuition for correct writing, but for right now – learn. Do not be offended by criticism.
• The final step is to submit your material to a publication. Send an article to the editor. In your cover letter to the publication, explain your familiarity with the magazine. It shows that you did some researches, and that your writing most likely corresponds to the demands of the magazine.

Our tips on writing a magazine article:

• Scanning Google for related topics can also be a good idea. You can find really interesting materials that can be added to the article. Additional materials always make articles look more professional.
• Be creative. Don’t put yourself into a box of writing rules and regulations, and don’t be afraid to open your mind and feelings. Readers appreciate it.
• After your article is written, read it aloud to see how words fit together.

What to look for in the Articles?

By: Christy Jones

- Suite101.com

What to look for in the Magazine

Who Reads It?

Does the magazine target women, men, professionals in a particular field, teenagers, or busy parents? Besides the articles themselves, make sure to look at any advertising. These companies likely pay top-dollar for magazine ads, and they research their markets carefully. The ads can give you an idea of the age and interests of the people reading the magazine. Are the ads playful and colorful or subtle and serious? The same is likely to be true of the articles.

Types of Articles

Are most of the articles similar, or does the magazine feature different departments? For example, a parenting magazine may have a few articles with advice, a section on activities for kids, and an article or two on family-friendly travel. Some departments may be written strictly by staff, while others may specifically state they’re open to freelance submissions. You can save time and effort by writing and marketing the types of articles that are most likely to be accepted.

What to Look for in the Articles

Length

How long are the articles? Few editors have time to ask a writer to cut a 4000-word essay down to 1000, or to turn a few paragraphs into a 2000-word feature. Writer’s guidelines (if available) may give you an exact word count, but you can make a reasonable estimate by looking at the printed page. Making sure the length of your article fits with the magazine can mean the difference between acceptance and rejection.

Structure

Does the magazine have a format that each article follows? For example, craft magazines may start each article with a brief introduction about the project, follow it with a bullet list of required supplies, and then give step-by-step directions. Using this same format for your article will show that you are familiar with the magazine, and make it easier for the editors to say “yes.”

Tone

Are the articles formal and academic or warm and personal? Do they cite facts and figures or relate personal experiences? Make sure your article is a good fit for the magazine’s audience.

Style

Do the articles use first-person or third-person? How about contractions? You can find out more about style details from the editors if your article is accepted, but making sure you’ve covered the basics makes a great first impression.

Supporting materials

Do the articles include photos, diagrams, or sidebars? If you article depends on having supporting materials (color photographs, large sewing patterns) make sure the magazine prints that kind of material. Even if the magazine takes care of final photography or illustrations, you may need to provide snapshots or sketches to helditors visualize the finished piece.

Even after careful market research, it still takes patience and persistence to get an article published. But if you’ve studied sample issues and made sure your article is a good match, there will be fewer reasons to say “no,” and some very good reasons to say “yes.” 

Example of a Good Magazine Article

Tropical Depression

Lygia Navarro

Jason Florio, Photographer

LINK

Why is this a good magazine article?

- It starts off with a guiding question to let its audience know what this article will be about

  "Cuba has the highest rate of depression and suicide in the New World. So why does Castro’s vaunted health care system deny the very existence of mental illness on the island?"

- the article is casual going as it continuously uses the word "you"

"Tempt you to surrender. Make you flirt with insanity. The pained faces around you are covered in grimy sweat, a haze of resignation in the eyes."

- Talks about the place

"Havana, for most inhabitants, is an enclosed island within an island—just as she was when the Spaniards built wall after wall of stone to keep out the English and the pirates and all others drawn by the siren song of that wild tropical mirage of women and rum and gambling......"

-Then Use example to lead into its guiding question

"Mirta^* is nearing her sixtieth birthday and has herself battled depression and anxiety for years. She is small and stout and wears her gray hair short with a shock of white bangs."

"Socialismo o Muerte. Socialism or Death. In that slogan splashed across Cuba, there is nothing honorable, or revolutionary, about choosing suicide; the very idea is intensely political and taboo. Sit down with most medical professionals in Cuba, in fact, and they will assure you that suicide is rare, that there is nothing striking about the country’s relation to self-destruction."

-Talks about the background of the place that might lead to this question

"This national tendency peaked again during the Cuban wars for independence in the late 1800s, when a rebel landowner wrote the lines of what would become the Cuban national anthem: “Do not fear a glorious death, for to die for the country is to live.”

- Uses comparison of different lives to conclude