Date: Sun, 19 Jan 1997 18:39:58 +1100 (EST) From: "Daniel O'Callaghan" <danny@panda.hilink.com.au> To: Lee Crites <adonai@jump.net> Cc: hackers@freebsd.org Subject: Submitting articles to magazines Message-ID: <Pine.BSF.3.91.970119155740.213x-100000@panda.hilink.com.au> In-Reply-To: <1.5.4.32.19970118184554.0066e728@jump.net>
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On Sat, 18 Jan 1997, Lee Crites wrote in a message with subject
"Re: Commercial applications (was: Development and validation"
> I, for one, have no clue how to submit an article to a magazine for
> publication. If I knew, I'd be more than happy to write an article about
> my experiences getting on-line with FreeBSD. (if you know how, please
> let me know)
You can start by selecting a some magazine which might be interested in
your article idea. Write to or ring them and ask to be sent their list of
feature topics for the next six months, as well as the list of copy
deadlines. The deadline is generally something like 6 weeks before it
hits the shelves. You don't have to fit in with the topics, but it helps.
Go to the library and read some back issues to see what feature lengths
they seem to prefer, and the format. The editors like pictures and
diagrams, about 1 per 500 words, and they should be reasonably
professional looking. Submit the figure legends as text separate from the
body of the article.
When you have an idea for an article, write a 2-300 word summary and
a first paragraph.
Remember that you are writing so that the article will be read. It
should be easy to read, more along the lines of the Wall Street Journal
(reading age 12-14 yrs) than the Journal of Neuroscience (reading age 70+
according to some tests :-) ). Keep the sentences short, a mixture of 2
and 3 clause sentences. Too many 1 clause sentences is boring to read;
too many 4 clause or greater sentences is too hard to read.
I generally like to get an article finished well ahead of deadline and
sit on it for 2-7 days before reviewing a polishing it.
Send your summary and first paragraph, perhaps with a sample figure to
the features editor of the magazine, with a polite covering letter which
offers the article's first-time North American publication rights to the
magazine (or whatever rights you want to offer). Include your telephone
numbers and e-mail address in your contact information. You might also
like to include some information about yourself to establish your
credibility for writing on your chosen topic.
Don't just look at Computer and Internet mags, either. Small business
magazines are usually happy to accept short articles on how a particular
computer program helps small businesses. Go through all of the titles in
your local newsagent's magazine racks and think laterally when looking
for a target publication.
I hope this helps you and any other budding writers. In case you are
wondering, I wrote a 7 part series on "How the Internet Works" for
{Internet Australasia} when it first came out, and I've also written for
{Your Computer} (Australian mag). What gave me the confidence to actually
do it was doing an 8 session evening course on journalism.
I'm going to think about doing a FreeBSD article, quite seriously, too.
regards,
Danny
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