Magazine Editors Talk to Writers [Paperback]

Judy Mandell (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0471119911 | ISBN-13: 978-0471119913 | Publication Date: July 17, 1996 | Edition: 1

Top editors share inside information on how magazine publishing really works

Based on incisive interviews with editors from such leading publications as Esquire, Parade, Field & Stream, American Baby, and Ladies' Home Journal, this indispensable book gives you all the information you need to write successfully for magazines. Invaluable advice and tips from editors representing the whole spectrum of magazine publishing will help you break into the category of your choice. Here's the inside scoop on:

• The business of getting published: What you should know about contracts, copyrights, and kill fees
• Editors: Discover what their roles are, how they make decisions, and what they look for in their writers
• Queries and proposals: What makes them eye-catching?
• The truth behind the "what ifs": What if a writer sends multiple queries? What if the deadline is not met? What if an author has problems with an editor?
• Magazine jargon: Understand terms such as over the transom, lead time, galley, on spec, and many more

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Forty magazine editors tell all: what they look for in a story, how to approach an editor, and how best to break in to the market. The most important element, it seems, is the query letter. "The writer must put almost as much work into the query," says Fran Carpenter, a senior editor at Parade, "as he or she would put into the article." The query must be long enough to convey the gist of the story, but not so long as to reveal your writing faults. It should be addressed to a specific editor, and it should spell her name (and everything else) right. It should be infused with personality and passion, and it should convey to the editor that you have already done an extensive amount of reporting or research on the subject. Finally, "don't forget that your query is also a clip," advises Claudia Valentino, who has edited at Penthouse, American Health, and Popular Science. "The query is the first unedited writing sample a writer sends to an editor." --Jane Steinberg

Review

Top editors share information on magazine publishing, from copyrights and kill fees to eye-catching proposals and changes which have affected the magazine industry over the years. Organized in topic chapters, these interviews with editors provide specific advice on breaking into print in different types of publications. -- Midwest Book Review

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (July 17, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471119911
• ISBN-13: 978-0471119913
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,166,691 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Get it!, October 28, 2001

By 

Sir Jeff "sirjeff" (Broken Arrow, OK United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Magazine Editors Talk to Writers (Paperback)

I strongly recommend that you buy this book. I couldn't put the book down. As useful as it is to read a book from a writer on how to publish magazine articles, it is even more useful to read a book that takes you into the minds of magazine editors. Each chapter is an interview with a different editor. It is like sitting down over a cup of coffee and having a very personal conversation with an editor. Each one reveals different insights into how to write for magazines the right way. Sometimes they differ on points of view, but it is interesting to understand each one's perspective. Editors, who are normally too busy to write each person who has submitted a query letter and explain why it was rejected, offer many explanations in this book. Do you know why so many query letters are rejected? Do you know what pet peeves editors have about writers? Do you know what qualities they look for most in query letters? Do you know how writers can break in at the top magazines? Then get this book!

21 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An honest look at what editors really want, March 27, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Magazine Editors Talk to Writers (Paperback)

Besides providing a peek at the editor's point-of-view (always useful), this book also gives practical advice for people just starting out in the freelance business. This book has a great deal to offer and would not be a waste of money for anyone interested in writing for magazines.