The kind of people who read the publication is the most vital component of your study. But just figuring out that a magazine is targeted towards parents isn’t enough. Delve deeper. What kind of parents? Are they parents of toddlers, teenagers, or adults? Are they high-income parents who can afford nannies or do they look after their kids themselves? Do these parents work outside the house (in which case an article on day-care for a regional magazine might work), or do they work from home (how to balance work and life)?

An easy way to figure all this out is to find the publication’s media kit. While the media kit is actually designed for advertisers of the publication to let them decipher whether the magazine’s readers will be interested in their product, it’s a great tool for the prospective writer, too. You.

In it, you’ll find information on who the readers are, including important details such as their age groups, percentages that tell you how many are married, where they live, the gender ratio, as well as any geographic majorities. You’ll also find information on the magazine itself—the circulation and frequency, most-loved topics, subjects of interest, and sometimes, future editorial plans.

Some of the demographic details you need to keep in mind, and why they’re important:

***

Age

Make it a point to note the average age of the reader. If you discover, for instance, that the average age of the reader is 55, articles on planning your first wedding, choosing the right career, or taking care of small kids, may not be relevant. Instead, you’ll be more successful pitching topics like taking care of ill or aging parents, handling your teens, or starting a business.

***

Gender

A publication can be targeted towards men, women, or both. But interests vary widely when it comes to different genders. If a magazine is marketed clearly towards women, such as Redbook or Marie Claire, you need to address different health, relationship, and financial issues than you would if you were writing for, say, Men’s Health or GQ. For magazines that have a mixed readership, aim for topics that apply to both genders, and avoid any gender-specific references or assumptions.

***

Household Income

Another factor that may need to be considered. How much money the average reader makes decides what kind of articles he or she may be interested in. This is not true across the board, of course, and depends on the magazine itself, but it’s a good guideline at times. A person making six figures a year, for instance, may not be interested in as many saving tips, as she may be in investing tips.

Similarly, you’ll need to figure out whether your reader needs information on buying a home or renting it.

A businessperson and student backpacker, while both interested in foreign trips, may have very different expectations from their foreign trips, and hence from the travel magazine they read. Know which one you’re writing for.

***

Also see: Let’s Talk Editorial Calendars.