Thanks to everyone who asked Alex Gazzola questions about breaking into writing non-fiction for magazines. The answers and announcement about the winner of the book follow.
Julie Day: “What was your very first non-fiction success?”
Julie Day: “What was your very first non-fiction success?”

Patsy:
“Is it a good idea to supply my own photos and should I mention
that in the pitch?”
Yes
and yes, but it’s not usually essential. I have hardly ever done it
(my photography is useless) and I’ve managed to get by. It’s more
important for travel or outdoors-y writing, and I’ve focused on
health. Two things to say, though: a/ just tell the editor what is
available or on offer, and b/ don’t be presumptuous about it or try
to assume the role of the picture editor. It’s not your job to
determine what pictures are used or even how the finished piece
should look. But yes, if you can offer a good words and pictures
‘package’, editors will like you. Don’t forget to negotiate
separate fees for images too.
SJM
/ Sonja: “It's been a good few years since I tried submitting non
fiction. What is the best way to approach an editor, with a pitch or
a completed article?”
It
depends on the editor. Some prefer one or the other; some are happy
to see either. Generally speaking, editors of glossies, women’s
weeklies and newspapers prefer or insist on a pitch, while a lot of
editors of modest, niche magazines will consider completed articles.
The safer approach is to pitch. Some editors consider the submission
of completed articles unprofessional and will not read them.
Gina
Gao: “I would like to know how to begin the process of going from
fiction to non-fiction (i.e. did you find a mentor to help you or was
it just practice)?”
I’ve
never written fiction. You don’t have to ‘go from’ one to the
other. You can just mentally approach it as starting afresh! You can
obviously write, so there’s no reason to suppose you can’t write
factual material as well as fictional.
Seaview
/ Marion: “I was wondering about how to go about selecting topics
for articles. Is it a case of write what you know about/are
interested in, or should you be prepared to do lots of research in
order to come up with a piece on a subject you know little (or
nothing!) about?”

Carrie:
“I've written a few non fiction articles but am having trouble
knowing where to place them. What is the best way to go about
contacting an editor and asking if they're interested in what one has
written about?”
You
really need to have a market in mind *before* you write, and write it
according to that market’s needs – ie targeted towards that
readership, and perhaps aimed at a particular slot. Research the
market first. You have to write what the editor and the reader want.
You don’t mention the subjects of your articles, but browse the
shelves at your local newsagent for possible markets, and adjust your
ideas, pitches or articles as you think is best to suit them.
Sharon
Boothroyd: “I'd like to know how difficult it is to break into
non-fiction articles. Don't most women's mags have their own
writers? Why would editors consider pitches from freelances,
when they have staff on the existing pay roll who can produce
articles 'in- house'?”
It
varies a lot. Most magazines have their own writers, but most
magazines also use freelance contributors too. Analysing several
editions of magazines closely will tell you who the regulars are, and
which slots or pages are open to ‘outsiders’. Remember you, as a
freelance writer, are not ‘desk bound’ as in-house writers may
be. Play to your advantage. Propose or write articles which the
publication’s staff may not be able to produce, perhaps due to a
geographical advantage you have, or access to a particular individual
or case study.
Ann
Hodgkin: “Do editors publish non fiction guidelines about article
lengths etc?”
Some
are very good about this and do – for instance, Woman Alive publish
their guidelines here.
Browse websites. Some will make them available online, others will
email them on request. But most don’t. This isn’t editors being
unhelpful or lazy. Bluntly, some editors don’t really know what
they want until they see it. And – not unfairly – other editors
feel the ‘guidelines’ are there for all to see … in the
magazine. What they want is what they publish.
Amanda
Barton: “Would you recommend that authors use a different name for
writing non-fiction than the one they use for fiction?”
You
should use your real name, so if you use a nom
de plume, then yes,
but if you use your name then no. There are exceptions. One is for an
intimate or personal first-person story which you would like to
share, but only anonymously. Some editors are willing to do this with
a ‘not her real name’ alongside the byline. Bear in mind that
using different names dilutes the frequency of any one name appearing
in print, and is therefore, literally, harder to make a ‘name’
for yourself. There may be implications for ALCS payments too. And if
an editor ever asks for clippings, and your best piece of writing
doesn’t bear your real name, it could raise eyebrows. Why do it?
Just use your name.
Celia:
“Assuming at some stage one's work is accepted, what sort of
payment for how many words? (trust me to lower the tone and talk
dosh, sorry folks)”
Some
modest magazines pay tiny amounts. This England used to pay £25 per
1,000 words, although this may be higher now. Meanwhile, the Daily
Mail pay around £600 per 1,000 words. Some American publications pay
$1 a word and over. It varies so much. Most publications come in in
the £100-£300 per 1,000 word zone. The most interesting thing about
your question, though, is your ‘lower the tone’ remark! I know it
was half in jest, but there’s an important point to be made here.
Talking money is not a subject for shame or embarrassment. It is
professional
to talk money. This is a business. Never be apologetic or shy about
broaching the subject with an editor, or anyone else!
Jenny
Worstall: “Do magazines generally take all rights for non-fiction
articles?”
Urgh,
this issue upsets me and I know it upsets many womag fiction writers,
as has been highlighted recently by Patsy in relation to Spirit &Destiny (Bauer), and by Carol Bevitt and others last year in relation
to Woman’s Weekly. First thing to say is that magazines can’t
‘take’ anything you don’t give them. Sending them an article is
not giving
them an article nor is it offering it to be ‘taken’. It’s
offering it to be made an offer on. If that offer comes, and is not
to your satisfaction, then you can say no. That said, sadly, many
these days when they make an offer are making one asking for all
rights or copyright (essentially the same thing), so that they can
license the content to overseas magazines or reuse the material
elsewhere, without having to pay you more than the original flat fee.
Resist, negotiate, ask them what they *really* need. And never sign a
contract you don’t understand or like.
Kate
Hogan: “My first paid writing project was an Astrology column for a
regional magazine. The pitch for it was pretty straightforward - sort
of 'Would you like me to write an astrology column?'. I'm guessing
pitches for articles are a bit more in depth than that, so my
question is 'How much detail do I need to deliver in a pitch for an
article?'”
I
would aim for around 100-150 words in a pitch, but the idea itself
should determine how much you should say. Convey the subject, the
idea, give a flavour of the proposed content and overall ‘direction’
your piece will take, but don’t spell every little thing out. If it
needs 200 words, fine, but I’d be wary of going longer than that.
Julie
Perrott: “I worked in the Spiritual arena in the UK, relocated back
to Western Australia, where the industry is smaller & more
underground, but I would like to use my expertise to write
non-fiction, unfortunately.....the publishing arena is smaller here
as well. So, how do I get a leg-in? Plus, I totally lost motivation &
enthusiasm after my mother's passing.”
It’s
difficult when the market is limited, but there’s no reason why you
can’t write for the spiritual press worldwide. Perhaps offer
something that you are in a good position to cover – there’s a
promising idea in your question, that of the underground spiritual
‘scene’ in Australia. A US or UK publication may well be
interested in some aspect of that. If you’re looking to make a name
for yourself at home, a blog is a good way to pick up local /
regional readers and perhaps eventually attract the attention of
editors. And I do understand regarding grief. I lost my father and
one of my closest friends two years ago within weeks of each other
and it has taken me some time to relocate my writing mojo. All I can
advise is don’t put pressure on yourself to do so. It will come
when it will come. And when the first signs of it make themselves
known to you, you will begin to feel a lot more enthusiastic.
Julia
Pattison: “I write memoirs for war veterans, would a magazine be
interested in an extract from the memoir of an ex FEPOW veteran for
an August 2020 issue when it'll be the 75th anniversary of VJ Day?”
Wow.
This is interesting. I’m not sure a magazine would be interested in
only an extract, but they may be interested in featuring a short
extract alongside a full article. I presume these are book-length
memoirs you write? You must surely have dozens of ideas here at your
disposal, assuming the veterans are happy for you to pursue them.
Aside from the obvious publications (war / history magazines) look
also at placing stories in the veterans’ local papers. I think you
have lots of scope to produce many stories from many angles and
perspectives for many publications.
New
girl on the block: “Women's magazines always ask for fiction
writing that is 'uplifting' and tend to shy away from 'difficult'
topics. Is this requirement the same for non-fiction writing for
magazines?”
It
very much depends on the publication. What The People’s Friend may
like is unlikely to be what Marie Claire likes. There is a market out
there for all types of material, so if your ‘difficult’ subject
isn’t right for one publication, find one for which it may work. If
you prefer to write uplifting non-fiction there is a market for that
too. There are features based on women’s triumphs over adversity
and incredible achievements in dozens of magazines on your
newsagents’ shelves right now.
Ann
Williams: “Quite a few magazines publish guidelines online and
usually state if they prefer a pitch first or accept unsolicited
articles. In the absence of this advice is it best to send a pitch
first or write and send a complete article? If the editor is not
familiar with your work, is a pitch sufficient?”
You
can always call and ask, but generally a pitch is the better approach
if you’re uncertain. If an editor is not familiar with your work,
she can Google you or ask for cuttings or ask for your experience.
There’s no need to be fully ‘sufficient’ in your first
approach. If the idea is good enough, she will engage, and once you
have engagement you’re half-way there. I think some new writers
feel the need to give too much information from the off. Don’t
overwhelm the editor. Just send your pitch and sign off. Don’t tell
her every article you’ve ever written. A link to your website is
fine.
Bea
Charles: “Is an editor interested in knowing about my previous
writing experience? For example, if I pitch a camping article to a
travel magazine, is it relevant to mention I have had fiction
published by various womags? And would an editor be interested in
seeing an example of such earlier published work?”
Instead
of mentioning it’s fiction, you can just say you’ve written for
various womags, although you do risk the editor then asking for
further info and you having to ‘confess’ it’s ‘only’
fiction (if that’s the case). If you’ve had no non-fiction
published, I perhaps wouldn’t say anything on a first approach and
just propose the idea or send the article, as appropriate. Regarding
a published example, the editor can ask if interested. Don’t
overthink this aspect of the pitch. Really, I can’t emphasise
enough that an editor is mostly just interested in a superb idea.
Catch her attention with that and the odds are for you, and
everything else will usually fall into place.
Brenda
McHale: “Are there any resources like Patsy’s excellent blog that
detail some of the best publications for freelancers to pitch to? I
use Writers and Artists Yearbook but wonder if there are any others,
or even really good blogs and websites, especially for non-fiction
articles”.
You’ll
find some publications listed on my website, Mistakes Writers Make,
under the Markets drop-down, as well as a ‘Finding markets’
article which gives guidance on how to find others. I have mixed
feelings about the WAYB as I don’t think it gives much useful
information to established magazine writers, although it’s handier
for newbies. The American equivalent, The Writer’s Market, is
superb in comparison.
Sheila:
“What can we learn from clickbait, and what should we not copy?”
Clickbait
catches your eye, so you can learn what it is that catches *your* eye
from it. Are the subjects ones which you can write about too? You can
also use clickbait tactics to model your opening paragraphs on,
although you should be more sophisticated about it. An opening
paragraph which is enticing and filled with the promise of what’s
to be revealed in the article will draw a reader in. That said, you
must deliver on your promise, which clickbait sometimes fails to do.
As for what we should not copy … You can’t copy words, but you
can ‘copy’ facts, article structures and market ‘styles’.
That said, interesting and good non-fiction, to me, is discovering
facts that aren’t known, and conveying them to readers who need or
want to know those facts, whether or not they know that they want to
know before you tell them!
Alex
says:
What
an interesting selection of questions which I very much enjoyed
answering. Thank you all! I’d like to award the prize of a copy of
one of my books to Celia. She asked perhaps the most important
question of all. I’m passionate about conveying the sense that what
we do, whether we call it non-fiction or journalism or somewhere in
between, is a vital service to society, especially in this depressing
era of fake news. To research and write is time-consuming. To
fact-check and to verify is a responsibility. It. Is. Work. And we
deserve to get properly paid.
Congratulations, Celia! You have the choice of 50 Mistakes Beginner Writers Make or 50 More Mistakes Beginner Writers Make.
8 comments:
Many thanks to Alex for some really useful information. Time to start pitching.
Well, Patsy and Alex, how lovely! Thank you for the 'competition' and all the information and for the prize. The other questions have all been educational so thank you everyone else as well.
(hums happily, pondering which book to choose)
Actually I really need a kickstart in the backend because I haven't written a short story for over a year. My lovely editors at DCT are probably giving up on me ...
C
Thanks, Patsy, for facilitating this extremely interesting exchange, and thanks to all those who contributed such productive questions and to Alex for the enlightening answers. Congratulations to Celia, too. I found this feature via the womagwriters blog and now intend to buy Alex's books. Best to all concerned from Eirin Thompson.
Thanks for having me, Patsy; good luck, Bea; congrats, Celia; and thanks for your support Eirin!
Thanks, Patsy and Alex - and congrats to Celia!
marion
Thank you, Alex, for some very detailed answers with plenty to think about and congratulations to Celia, who asked perhaps the question we all wanted answering!
Many thanks Alex, for your feedback. A big thank you too to you Patsy for hosting this Non-Fiction section on your blog - it's been really useful, and good to know the latest information from some excellent questions raised. Julia x
Thanks Patsy and Alex - fascinating reading and has opened my mind to more possibilities. Congrats Celia on the book too :)
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