How to Wirte a Story in Magazine Format

How to Write a Story in Magazine Format By MICHAELJ, eHow Contributor To catch the reader's attention, your story must stand out. Writing a magazine story requires a unique style from newspapers. A magazine story covers topics that are of interest to the readers, while making it cultivating and detailed. To write a successful story in a magazine format, you must follow stipulated procedures. Some of these procedures vary from one publisher to another. However, there are some basic rules that run across the industry. Flouting some of these rules may cause the editor to reject your article. Other People Are Reading How to Make a Magazine Table of Contents How to Pitch a Magazine Story Print this article Instructions 1 Identify a topic of interest that you would like to write on and research it thoroughly. 2 Identify the magazine you would like to write for. Gather magazines for a period of time and determine the type of content. Know the type of articles they publish and know how they are written. If an article requires you to use active voice, and you do otherwise, your article could be unacceptable. Sponsored Links Find a Book Publisher Now We'll Help You Find the Right Publisher. Simple 3 Step Process. www.FindYourPublisher.com 3 Write to the publications you have identified and request for their writer's guidelines, or read them on the websites. Most publications have guidelines designed for writers. This will also give you information of what the publication requires of you. The guideline will also contain formats and editorial policies of the publication. Through the guidelines, you can establish whether the publication accept query letters or favors manuscripts. 4 Send a query letter or a manuscript as per requirement. Once sent, wait for a reply from the editor. Always enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope to enhance feedback if using postal method, or get the email address of the publication from their website and send an email, which is a cheaper and faster way of communicating. 5 Know your target audience and the relevance of the topic, and then identify the point of your story clearly. What do you want to communicate with your story? 6 Come up with a title that grabs your reader's attention. The title is usually a short statement at the beginning of an article, designed to direct your audience to read more. The title must represent your target audience. You must adhere to the publication's guidelines in developing your title. Some publications may accept descriptive or simple statement titles. 7 Write your lead that introduces your reader to the story. The lead determines whether your reader will continue with the rest of the story. Make it interesting to capture your reader's attention and keep him hooked onto the story. Ensure that your article is professionally written. Your article must be typed, double-spaced, and with standard margins. Stick to the word count your publication has asked for. If the magazine editor asked for 500 words and you write 1,000 words, you risk rejection, or at the very least, severe editing. Consult your guideline to confirm if you have adhered to all standards such as the font size and how you space your paragraph. 8 Check your work for spelling and grammatical mistakes. Do not submit an article with mistakes that you can correct. Give a friend or a professional your article to edit for you. Always quote your sources to avoid being accused of plagiarism or risk losing your story's credibility. Read more: How to Write a Story in Magazine Format | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_7853989_write-story-magazine-format.html#ixzz1u7iqTUWu