5 Questions to Ask About Every Article Idea

Written by Mridu Khullar (http://www.WritersCrossing.com)


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 yourepparttar assignment each time, every time.

How do you know whether your brilliant idea will strike a chord and get yourepparttar 128905 assignment or land your neatly crafted query inrepparttar 128906 slush pile? Userepparttar 128907 following checklist to find out whether you have a winner or another stale idea thatrepparttar 128908 editor’s been rejecting since she set foot in her editorial office.

Here are some ofrepparttar 128909 questions an editor will ask of each article idea:

What’s new? ---------------- If you’re writing for a pregnancy magazine, chances arerepparttar 128910 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 inrepparttar 128911 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?

Willrepparttar 128912 reader connect? --------------------------- You may haverepparttar 128913 most innovative, brilliant and mind-blowing idea. Yet, it may lead to a rejection if you’re targetingrepparttar 128914 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 thingrepparttar 128915 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 keeprepparttar 128916 reader captivated? -------------------------------------- Picture this: I come home from a long day at work. While I relax on my couch, I could flick channels onrepparttar 128917 remote or pick uprepparttar 128918 magazine and leaf throughrepparttar 128919 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 readingrepparttar 128920 magazine for something more interesting. And withrepparttar 128921 number of entertainment avenues available today, that won’t be a problem. In order to keeprepparttar 128922 reader (andrepparttar 128923 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,repparttar 128924 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 fromrepparttar 128925 theme ofrepparttar 128926 article.

7 Tips On How To Locate Junior Editors for Your Children'sBook

Written by Catherine Franz


Are you writing a children’s book -- nonfiction or fiction?

Here are a few tips on how to test your almost final draft. And test your manuscript onrepparttar same audience that is going to readrepparttar 128902 book. Make them junior editors.

1. Talk with a teacher at your local school that has a classroom of your book’s age group. Ask for permission to come in and readrepparttar 128903 book torepparttar 128904 class. Video taperepparttar 128905 children’s reactions or ask two people to accompany you to recordrepparttar 128906 children’s reactions to direct parts ofrepparttar 128907 story. Give each ofrepparttar 128908 recorders a copy ofrepparttar 128909 manuscript that they can write comments on inrepparttar 128910 exact location ofrepparttar 128911 children’s reaction. They can make smiley faces of J L to save time.

2. Or maybe askrepparttar 128912 teacher if she is willing to giverepparttar 128913 manuscript to students to read as an assignment then ask forrepparttar 128914 children’s opinion. Have a class discussion aboutrepparttar 128915 book afterwards with you present.

3. Ifrepparttar 128916 teacher doesn’t like any of these, let her make some suggestions.

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