Would you wage a war without knowing what lies in enemy territory? Head off to a job interview without any background research on the company? Propose a teddy bear line to Burger King? Nope? That’s because you know Burger King sells hamburgers and isn’t likely to show interest in your talking teddy idea. Why then would you assume that Bride’s will buy your “How to access Internet on your mobile” piece or PC World your fiction?

Dumb, isn’t it?

And yet, many writers do the same thing every single day. Editors are bombarded with query letters day after day that would never fit into their editorial line-up. And after a while, they become tired of looking at letters from writers who never bothered to check out their publication. That’s why it’s so important to research a publication.

That doesn’t just mean reading through the content, but really getting to know the audience. You have to know the reader’s motivations, what he or she aims to get out of the magazine, what age group he belongs to, and how much she earns.

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Zoning In

Studying a magazine isn’t all that it’s made out to be. You don’t have to make extensive tables, check the names of contributors or spend hours coming up with reasons why the magazine is “different.” That’s the editor’s job, and if she’s doing it well, you’ll immediately be able to see the similarities and dissimilarities in competing magazines.

Try to focus on those differences.

Most publications in the same category tend to cover similar material. The advice is usually the same, it’s the packaging that’s different. So that’s where your focus should lie, too. On how to present the material.

Answer the following questions to get started.

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Which departments are open to freelancers?

There are some sections in every publication that aren’t open to freelance submissions. Querying for those sections can be a huge waste of time, so it’s best to know before you take the plunge.

Product and book reviews are usually done in-house. Frequently, the news sections, short pieces and profiles, and most of the celebrity interviews are handled by magazine editors. If this information is not mentioned in the writers’ guidelines, look at the contributor’s bylines. If there’s no byline, it’s likely a section that you won’t be getting into. The same goes for sections that regularly feature editor bylines.

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How long are the articles?

There’s no point in researching and proposing a 1,000-word fitness piece to an editor who accepts only 500-word shorts in her health and fitness department. Keep in mind how long the articles run before you pitch for that section.

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Which type of articles are reader favorites?

Each magazine has one kind of article it gives preference to over others. For instance, even among magazines that love lists, some like them longer, and others like them shorter and in-depth. This may seem unimportant, but it’s what helps you decide whether to pitch “9 Ways to Keep Your Home Organized,” or “45 Quick Tips for an Organized Home.”

Some magazines love long drawn-out scientific detail pieces with no sidebars, hardly any subheads and zero pull quotes. Others will run one page articles that are accompanied by two sidebars, a short quiz, a large graphic display, and an important quote prominently placed in the middle of the page.

What you propose, and how you propose it, should depend on the kind of magazine you’re writing for and the format they prefer. If you know a magazine likes quizzes and sidebars, make sure to suggest some in your query letter.

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How does the magazine read?

Some magazines are informal, relaxed, even bordering on eccentric. There are others that read like college textbooks. Even among similar target audiences, you’ll find varying styles.

Read the magazine. Really read it. Pay special attention to the tone of the articles. Do they read like a formal lecture or a conversation with a friend? Are the articles straightforward and to-the-point or do they take amusing twists and turns? Are their undertones of sarcasm or humor?

Having your query letter read in the same style and voice as the magazine will help the editor see that you understand his target audience, and are a good fit.

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What topics do readers love?

There are some evergreen topics that publications feature month after month. In women’s magazines, you’ll often find weight loss tips given in many variations. Dating, friendships, and fashion are high on the teen magazine agenda. No personal finance magazine would be complete without a reference to credit cards somewhere on its pages, and career magazines will regularly print article on how to smarten up your resume.

The reason these magazines keep commissioning articles on these topics is not because they’ve run out of original ideas (hardly!), but because they know these subjects tend to be popular among their readers. They probably get the most response, or the most questions.

Editors will often want to feature new developments and trends in these topic areas before their competitors do.

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How do the articles begin?

This is very important. Taking the time to read articles in the publication and how they begin will help you tremendously in securing an assignment. That’s because by starting your own query letter in a similar format, you have the opportunity to show the editor not only that you’ve read her publication, but how your own article will begin.

Some publications like to begin with scene-setting. Some like first-person. Others begin with facts. Read several of the articles in the magazine to figure out which leads are the most popular.

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