I know a good idea when I see one. So should you. Dump those
time-tested ideas you’re sending off to editors every other day,
and find ideas that will get you the assignment each time, every
time.
How do you know whether your brilliant idea will strike a chord
and get you the assignment or land your neatly crafted query in
the slush pile? Use the following checklist to find out whether
you have a winner or another stale idea that the editor’s been
rejecting since she set foot in her editorial office.
Here are some of the questions an editor will ask of each
article idea:
What’s new? ---------------- If you’re writing for a pregnancy
magazine, chances are the editor has already covered topics such
as exercises and diet regulation. What are you going to say that
stands apart? Can you provide a unique spin to these topics? If
yes, you’re in the door.
Think different. Instead of talking about diet issues, list
twenty food items that are to be avoided throughout pregnancy.
Be innovative. Come up with topics you’ve never seen featured
before. Are there any negative feelings, unresolved issues or
body changes that might not be so great that would-be mothers
need to know more about?
Will the reader connect? --------------------------- You may
have the most innovative, brilliant and mind-blowing idea. Yet,
it may lead to a rejection if you’re targeting the wrong market.
Send an idea about getting over broken live-in relationships to
a magazine in India, and don’t expect anything but a rejection.
But send it over to a singles magazine in England, and you may
have a chance. The first thing the editor wants to know when she
lays eyes on your query is whether her readers will value your
subject matter. If her readers won’t take to it, she won’t
either.
Will it keep the reader captivated?
-------------------------------------- Picture this: I come home
from a long day at work. While I relax on my couch, I could
flick channels on the remote or pick up the magazine and leaf
through the articles. My eyes rest on your piece. Is your piece
intriguing and interesting enough to make me stay with you, or
would I prefer to watch what’s on TV?
It’s every editor’s fear—that her loyal reader will ditch
reading the magazine for something more interesting. And with
the number of entertainment avenues available today, that won’t
be a problem. In order to keep the reader (and the editor) keen
on your idea, you’ve got to suggest something that will keep
them wanting more. Does your idea have that virtue? Is there a
surprise element? ----------------------------- The more
unexpected, the better. Readers love surprises. That’s why,
editors do too. Surprise doesn’t always have to mean an
anti-climax or a situation of complete irony. Surprises can be
subtle, yet effective. Add a little known statistic or a funny
anecdote in your article. Go out of your way to find an amazing
fact or figure. Don’t go out of context though. There’s nothing
worse than getting sidetracked from the theme of the article.
What’s in it for the reader? ---------------------- What does
the reader take home with her once she’s closed the magazine and
gone her own way? Has she learnt a lesson? Will she take with
her an experience? Will she be a better mother, daughter, wife
or friend because of it? In every article that you write, this
question should have the utmost importance. What can you give to
your reader?
Making an impact is very important. The article idea that won’t
sell is the one in which the editor will read through your query
and not have any unanswered questions. You have to give your
reader that something extra. Something she can think about on
her way to work. Something she’ll remember as she rests her head
on the pillow and falls asleep.
Regardless of the kind of writer you are, your ideas are what
make you a success. A good editor can fix the holes in your
writing, but cannot flesh out your idea. That is something only
you can do.
Editors love writers who consistently come up with fresh and
innovative ideas. Being swamped with a dozen queries every day,
most of them containing the same old angles, they’re always on
the lookout for writers who can provide a unique twist.
Keep a steady stream of ideas coming, run them through this
checklist, and send them off. That’s all there really is to it.
* This article was originally published on WritersCrossing.com
(http://www.WritersCrossing.com)
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