SiteYou Ask, We Answer: Does one article make a trend?
Kim writes: “I’m drafting a query for a monthly magazine that runs a feature on a particular subject three times a year. I’ve reviewed what’s been published in this section since 2005. The first six articles are very similar, informative in tone and slanted toward a particular segment of the magazine’s readership. The most recent article (published this month) is a service piece for a much broader audience. I’m wondering how to handle the query. My instinct is to model it after the six articles published before this year and briefly suggest an alternative slant for general readers. What would you do?”
Good for you for doing your research on the magazine before formulating your pitch!
The only way to be absolutely sure about what the magazine wants is to call the editorial department and ask. If you explain your question to the editorial assistant or receptionist, she can likely answer your question or transfer you to the right editor.
Of course, there’s a chance that you won’t reach a live person and that you won’t get a return call. In that case, I like your solution to model your query after the earlier but more plentiful articles and explain that you noticed that the most recent article on the topic was different, and that you’d be happy to write it up that way if that’s the new format. You could also model your query after the new article and mention that you noticed that the older articles were different, and that you can write yours up in whichever way fits their needs. The point isn’t to guess what they want, but to show that you’re familiar with the magazine and willing to be flexible to fit their needs.
Have a question for the Renegade Writers? Send it to questions [at] therenegadewriter [dot] com. [lf]
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