Writing for magazines - Awful process

vintagebknyc

Thu, Jan 19 2023, 5:27 pm

amother Tan wrote:

Curious why you say this?

Because while copyrighted, people in this site don’t often respect copyright and repost under the guise of fair usage.

Also, I’m not sure what permission Yael has to all the content written here. Not impossible she owns all the posts.

amother

Outerspace

Thu, Jan 19 2023, 5:31 pm

DVOM wrote:

Ahhhhh! I tried so hard to hold back, but I just can't anymore!

Your not using the word 'resonate' correctly. You'd like your writing to resonate with readers. You believe your writing has resonance. But saying 'copywriting is not resonate' and 'my writing is resonate' is not proper English.

Ok! Sorry! Grammer police signing off now!

Thank you DVOM- this use of resonate resonated with me like nails on a chalkboard. And ps the dispensable title makes no sense but neither does most writing in frum magazines so... Can't Believe It

amother

Carnation

Thu, Jan 19 2023, 5:37 pm

DVOM wrote:

Ahhhhh! I tried so hard to hold back, but I just can't anymore!

You’re not using the word 'resonate' correctly. You'd like your writing to resonate with readers. You believe your writing has resonance. But saying 'copywriting is not resonate' and 'my writing is resonate' is not proper English.

Ok! Sorry! Grammer police signing off now!

Um, and your spelling of the word GRAMMAR is incorrect too.

amother

Carnation

Thu, Jan 19 2023, 5:38 pm

DVOM wrote:

And while I'm at it....

Your title. The word 'dispensible' is being used to describe 'writing'. Writing itself is not dispensable. I think what you mean to say is that writers are dispensable, as in, the writers and their talents are being treated like they are disposable.

Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry! I don't know what's gotten into me the day! Just....errrrrrr!!!.... improper grammer digs into my brain like a vicious little worm! Such relief to get this off my chest!

You just embarrassingly misspelled the word grammar for the second time, after criticizing someone else for using a word incorrectly.

If that’s not a sign from G-d I don’t know what is.

seeker

Thu, Jan 19 2023, 5:43 pm

vintagebknyc wrote:

Also if you might want to submit the same piece for publication in the future, they usually want originals that weren't already seen elsewhere.

spikta

Thu, Jan 19 2023, 5:44 pm

Why does a meh computer programmer get paid twice as much as an amazing social worker? Why do nurses, who work so hard and pour their hearts into their patients get paid so much less than doctors?
It is the way of the world. How much you get paid to do something doesn't reflect it's real value to society. Writers are, for the most part, very low paid, when they manage to publish and get paid at all.

If you want to write, write. The only way to get better is to do it. Write a weekly musings email and send it to your friends. Write a blog. Open a WhatsApp group. Post on Facebook. Put together a women's community newsletter and give other women a platform as well. There will certainly be people that are happy to read your stuff, even if it's not in a prestigious magazine.

I wrote a food blog for years. My friends, and a few thousand internet strangers who found it loved it. I did end up writing a monthly food column in a small magazine for about a year. They paid, but really very little. I didn't care because I have a day job that pays an actual salary. I enjoyed the ride while it lasted.

Writing can be a wonderful and rewarding hobby. Expecting it to be lucrative, and making it contingent upon being published in a specific couple of magazines, isn't super realistic.

DVOM

Thu, Jan 19 2023, 6:03 pm

amother Carnation wrote:

Hah, what goes around comes around. I guess imperfect people shouldn’t criticize imperfection in others.

Ahhhhh, but our own imperfections never seem as imperfect as other people's imperfections, no Wink

?

Perhaps this is the godly message your implying?

Or maybe God is telling me to stop typing while cooking!

DVOM

Thu, Jan 19 2023, 6:06 pm

amother Carnation wrote:

You just embarrassingly misspelled the word grammar for the second time, after criticizing someone else for using a word incorrectly.

If that’s not a sign from G-d I don’t know what is.

Why 'embarrassingly'?

Don't you know us poor spellers are clever and creative?

amother

Beige

Thu, Jan 19 2023, 6:22 pm

Good writing isn't really reliant on spelling.

I really do cringe sometimes at some of the writing in the frum magazines...not because of the spelling or even the grammar. More the usage and writing style especially the attempt to sound sophisticated by using unusual "high vocabulary" type words. Just looking up words in a thesaurus and throwing them on a page does not make writing compelling. I wish those writers would calm down and stick to simple, clear writing.

There is one magazine where it is pretty obvious it's the same few writers who do all the articles, just under psuedonyms. The writing style and tone is exactly the same. I wonder if it's an attempt to save money? Maybe they really can't afford to have regular feature writers on their staff.

vintagebknyc

Thu, Jan 19 2023, 6:30 pm

amother Beige wrote:

As far as I know, all those frum mags use freelance writers at ten cents a word.

Kiwi13

Thu, Jan 19 2023, 6:31 pm

Didn’t read the whole thread, but there’s a big difference between a hopeful writer and a hired graphic designer. One is seeking an opportunity to get a piece published or a get a message to a broader audience or the like. The other is hired to fill an immediate need. There’s no guarantee about what need, if any, your article will fill.

That said, in non-fiction in particular, there’s often a place for pitching an idea and a timeframe. There are also ways to set up a portfolio or freelance business and get hired by people who want your writing/editing specifically.

Signed,

Been doing a combination of these things and more for the past 15+ years.

amother

Razzmatazz

Thu, Jan 19 2023, 7:03 pm

amother OP wrote:

So I understand that for feature articles and interviews. But the musings pieces and personal stories are not by staff writers much of the time.

For example, I once wrote a "Words Unspoken" piece for Family First. I put my heart and soul into it and it's not something that transfers over well elsewhere, because it was specifically for that column. They rejected it. Which is absolutely their right. But it would've been so much easier had I first pitched to them, hey, I want to write a words unspoken piece about xyz - is this something that interests you? If yes, they can take a look at a couple of my writings and then I can write it.

You actually can do that for longer peices like short stories, and feature articles.

I submitted a proposal and they wanted to see first what the articles would discuss, an outline and if they liked it, they would ask for a rough draft.

In the end I didn't go through with it as personal things came up. But I'd love to pick it up some time.

strawberry cola

Thu, Jan 19 2023, 7:20 pm

The best approach for breaking into the magazines is by sending them some writing samples. If they like your work, and think it would work for them, find out what they need. The greatest need, in my experience, is for features, interviews and fiction. If you can do any of those well, you have a really good chance. And once a magazine has published your work two or three times, they will start turning to you with assignment offers. It's the breaking in that is the hurdle, but if you write well and understand what the publication needs, you have a good chance of doing so.

DustyDiamonds

Thu, Jan 19 2023, 7:24 pm

amother OP wrote:

Perhaps it would’ve been a good idea to pitch the concept, or an outline of your article, prior to putting your heart and soul into it! Had you considered going that route?

And why don’t you post here: Words Unspoken that Mishpacha rejected about XYZ. I’m certain that a title like that with an article that’s as well written as you describe, would generate lots of replies and attention! Or start your own blog, and monetize it, if you are set on earning money for your writing!

I’ve had some Mishpacha and Ami editors reach out to me about writing an article about a specific topic. Had I done so (I did not, I cannot afford to work at their rate!), there may have been several drafts of revisions, but they would’ve undoubtedly accepted the piece since the topic had been agreed upon, and they were already familiar with my writing skill from my large social media account.