If you’ve ever pondered the question of whether you should try your hand at magazine writing, allow me to offer a resounding yes. I’ve been writing for magazines for almost 10 years now, and it’s one of the most rewarding and low-pressure jobs I’ve ever had.
If that sounds like something you’d be interested in as well, read on for my top 25 reasons why starting a career in magazine writing is just plain awesome!
| Takeaways |
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| 1. Magazine writing offers a diverse range of topics and subjects to explore, providing writers with ample creative opportunities. |
| 2. Building a career in magazine writing allows writers to establish themselves as experts in specific niches or industries. |
| 3. Working as a magazine writer can lead to exciting opportunities for networking and collaborating with professionals in various fields. |
| 4. Magazine writing provides a platform to share meaningful stories and information that can positively impact readers’ lives. |
| 5. As a magazine writer, you can enjoy the thrill of seeing your work published and reaching a wide audience. |
| 6. The magazine industry offers flexibility, allowing writers to work as freelancers or contribute to different publications. |
| 7. Magazine writers often get the chance to interview fascinating individuals and gain unique insights into various industries. |
| 8. Writing for magazines can be financially rewarding, especially with the potential for high-profile assignments. |
| 9. Magazine writing fosters continuous learning as writers delve into new topics and research for their articles. |
| 10. A career in magazine writing can lead to opportunities to contribute to reputable and prestigious publications. |
| 11. Writers in this field can develop strong storytelling skills and engaging writing techniques. |
| 12. The magazine industry is constantly evolving, offering writers chances to adapt to new formats and technologies. |
| 13. Magazine writing allows writers to influence and inspire readers with their words and ideas. |
| 14. Pursuing a career in magazine writing can lead to a fulfilling and passionate professional journey. |
| 15. Overall, starting a career in magazine writing opens doors to endless possibilities and personal growth. |
Most Magazines Pay Their Writers
If you’re new to the magazine writing world, it can be hard to find out what you can expect from your day-to-day life. But don’t worry! There are plenty of reasons why starting a career in this industry is a great idea:
Most magazines pay their writers. Yes, there are still some outlets that refuse to pay their writers for their work but those are few and far between these days.
Many publications will even offer an hourly rate for freelance articles or blog posts as well as a flat fee for longer features or interviews with celebrities. If you have experience writing short stories and novels, then this type of work may feel familiar while also giving you new challenges!
Magazine writers get to choose their topics and do their research. The best part about being paid by an outlet like Rolling Stone or Time is that they trust your expertise enough to give you complete control over what goes into each article without having anyone else edit or revise it before publication (unless someone else reports something false after being misquoted).
As long as everything stays truthful, then there should be no problems with getting published here! I mean look at all these examples where people were able to share how they felt about other famous people.
As a writer for magazines, you get to be an expert on one topic without becoming a specialist.
As a writer for magazines, you get to be an expert on one topic without becoming a specialist. You can write about anything you like from fashion and food to travel and sports and still be considered a subject matter expert because it’s your job.
For example, if you’re writing about parenting (or any other topic) for a magazine, but are also interested in cars or gardening or wildlife conservation (or any other topic), then go for it! You’ll gain knowledge about all those topics just by doing what comes naturally: writing about them.
If you’d rather stick with one specific area of expertise, great! As long as there’s room in the magazine’s editorial calendar (and there usually is)
Then feel free to repeatedly write articles related to that theme until they’ve all been published in print or online format which will further increase your status as an expert on these subjects while also keeping readers coming back for more.
Building a successful career in magazine writing requires dedication and passion. If you’re curious about what a day in the life of a magazine writer looks like, check out our article on Magazine Writing: A Day in the Life. It’s an insightful glimpse into the world of magazine writing.
It’s A Great Way To Get To Know Other Professionals In Your Field
Writing for magazines is a great way to get to know other professionals in your field. If you write for a magazine, you will have the opportunity to meet editors, other writers, and even readers all of whom can offer valuable insights into your work and help guide you in the right direction.
As an aspiring writer, this is invaluable information that you can use going forward as well as during this stage of your career!
If You Want Something Published, It’s Good To Start At The Bottom And Work Your Way Up
If you want something published, it’s good to start at the bottom and work your way up. True, it’s not as glamorous as writing for a major magazine with a national readership – but there are still some great benefits that come with being an assistant writer or editorial assistant.
Are you aspiring to start a career in magazine writing? Wondering how to get started? Our comprehensive guide on How to Start a Career Writing for Magazines covers everything you need to know to kickstart your writing journey.
Here Are Just 25 Of Them:
You’ll learn more about how magazines work than if you were writing for one already. Your job will be to help out with tasks like proofreading, researching stories, and contacting sources which means that in addition to learning how to write well yourself (and hopefully getting published), you’ll also get an incredible sense of what goes into creating any magazine article.
This experience will make your own writing stronger in the long run because it gives you more insight into what editors need from contributors.* You’ll have more material to write about once you’re ready for solo articles.*
The people who work at these publications are often very helpful when giving advice on pitching ideas or getting jobs elsewhere in journalism.* You’ll build up contacts who can help boost your career later on down the road and even give back by recommending references now.*
Working at a company like this may eventually lead! to becoming an intern or regular contributor there down the line.
Being In Print Is Still Cool Even If People Don’t Read Magazines Anymore
Even though most people are using the internet to read magazines, print is still a great way to get your name out there and earn a living.
As we mentioned earlier, magazines have been around for hundreds of years and will continue to exist in some form or another for many years to come. This means that even if you don’t sell your first piece online, you can still get paid for writing about something that interests you.
You Can Write About Cool Things, Not Just What People Need
When you’re working as an editor or reporter, you’re often tasked with writing about things that are less than exciting. You may have to review a new restaurant or write about health insurance policies.
It’s important to work and it has to be done but sometimes, it feels a bit like a drag to do these kinds of stories when there are so many other options out there in the world. When you become a magazine writer instead of an editor or reporter, however, this isn’t an issue anymore because now your job is solely focused on finding interesting topics for articles!
Looking for the right magazines to submit your articles to? Check out our handpicked list of 15 Great Magazines for Article Submissions. Explore various publication options to get your work out there.
You Can Write About Things That People Want To Read About
As mentioned above: if your goal is just finding interesting topics for articles instead of doing research and reporting on them yourself (as editors often do), then it becomes much easier and far more lucrative to find hot-button issues that readers will love reading about and sharing with their friends too!
Getting Something Published Is Like Winning The Lottery, But The Odds Of Winning Are Much Better
Getting something published is like winning the lottery, but the odds of winning are much better. You don’t need to be a professional writer or specialist in any particular subject to get published.
The only thing you need to do is write about something that interests you, and it will probably interest others too (even if they’re not interested in your topic at first).
Once people start reading what you’ve written and shared it with their friends and followers online, you’ll see an increase in readership. That’s when your blog becomes an asset because it can generate passive earnings for years to come!
There Are Still Plenty Of Magazines Out There That Will Accept Freelance Submissions For Articles
There are still plenty of magazines out there that will accept freelance submissions for articles. This is a good thing because it means there are more chances to get published, but it also means you have to do your research and make sure the publication you’re sending your article to is still accepting freelancers.
A good place to start looking for magazines that accept freelance work is the Writer’s Market, which can be found in most libraries or bookstores. You can also find magazines online by doing a search on Google or another search engine.
Writing for magazines can be both rewarding and challenging. Learn from experienced writers in our article, Magazine Writing 101: Things I Wish I Knew Two Years Ago, as they share valuable insights and advice for aspiring writers.
The Industry Is Changing And New Doors Keep Opening
The magazine industry is changing. New doors are opening. New opportunities are presenting themselves for writers, editors, and designers alike. New ways of publishing are expanding the possibilities not just in terms of digital publishing, but also in terms of digital storytelling itself.
The magazine business isn’t dying; it’s evolving at a rapid rate in response to consumer demand and technological innovation.
Magazines still have a place on our shelves (and e-readers), but they’re also increasingly accessible through mobile apps and social media channels like Facebook Instant Articles (which allows you to read your favorite magazines without having to wait for them to load).
Print journalists are still held in high regard as masters of language and composition because there are so few of them left.
The word “print” is an all-encompassing term that includes newspapers, magazines, and book publishers. Print journalism is one of the few fields where writers are still held in high regard as masters of language and composition because there are so few of them left.
Print media has been dying for decades, but it’s not dead yet. There’s a lot of writing work available right now in the print world if you know where to look!
You get to be above the fray when it comes to internet writing trends because magazines have been around for years and have established their own rules and readership.
You get to be above the fray when it comes to internet writing trends because magazines have been around for years and have established their own rules and readership.
When you write for magazines, you don’t have to worry about what’s trending on Twitter or Facebook, or how many clicks your article gets. Magazines have their own set of rules, style guides, and audience expectations that set them apart from other forms of online writing.
The types of topics covered in magazines aren’t always directly related to social media trends they’re more focused on entertainment news or science stories than viral videos with cats in them (although there are plenty of those).
That means you’ll be able to focus on writing about things that interest you rather than trying desperately to come up with something new all the time so people will share your work online (and thus boost your Klout score).
It’s fun! If you’re in this business, chances are you enjoy writing anyway, so why not do it on your terms?
Writing for magazines is a great way to keep your creative juices flowing. If you’re in this business, chances are you enjoy writing anyway, so why not do it on your terms?
Magazines allow writers the freedom to write about what they love. You can write about things that are interesting to you, important to you, and fun to read. Or all three!
If you love sports and there are plenty of sports magazines on the market these days why not create a feature story about how soccer player Lionel Messi became one of the best players in history?
Magazine editors usually don’t ask for changes on drafts like newspaper editors often do. They want you to write exactly what they asked for the first time around!
As a magazine writer, you won’t have to worry about the paper’s editors asking for changes to your article. They often don’t make changes on drafts like newspaper editors do because magazine articles are generally long-form and written in more of a personal tone than newspapers.
Magazines want writers who can write specifically what they need: a certain style of writing, tone, format, and length. They’re not looking for anything too different or offbeat (unless it’s what they’re specifically asking for).
If you’re interested in freelancing as a magazine writer, check out our guide on How to Become a Magazine Writer and Get Freelance Jobs. Discover strategies and tips to break into the competitive world of freelancing and succeed in your writing career.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for a career that will allow you to express yourself and still earn money, magazine writing may be the perfect fit. There are so many reasons why it’s worth exploring this industry, but if you want just one reason why we think everyone should consider working in magazines as a way of life: it’s fun!
Further Reading
Indeed – How to Become a Magazine Writer: Explore valuable tips and insights on how to pursue a career as a magazine writer.
LiveAbout – Magazine Writer Career Overview: Learn about the role and responsibilities of a magazine writer in this comprehensive career overview.
MasterClass – How to Get Into Magazine Writing: Discover expert advice on breaking into the field of magazine writing and building a successful career.
FAQs
What qualifications are needed to become a magazine writer?
To become a magazine writer, you typically need strong writing skills, creativity, and a passion for storytelling. While a formal degree in journalism, communications, or a related field can be beneficial, it’s not always a strict requirement. Many successful magazine writers have built their careers through practical experience and a strong portfolio of published work.
How do I find magazine writing opportunities?
Finding magazine writing opportunities involves researching and connecting with publications that align with your interests and expertise. Many magazines have submission guidelines on their websites, and networking with editors and other writers can also lead to potential assignments.
How can I improve my magazine writing skills?
Improving your magazine writing skills requires practice and continuous learning. Engage in regular writing exercises, read articles from various publications to understand different styles, and seek feedback from peers or mentors to refine your craft.
Is freelance magazine writing a viable career path?
Yes, freelance magazine writing can be a viable career path for writers who enjoy flexibility and variety in their work. Freelancers can pitch ideas to multiple publications, allowing them to explore diverse topics and build a diverse portfolio over time.
How do I handle rejection as a magazine writer?
Rejection is a common part of the writing industry, but it’s essential not to let it discourage you. Instead, view rejections as opportunities to learn and grow. Stay persistent, continue honing your skills, and keep submitting your work to increase your chances of success.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.
