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Non-Fiction Writers Workshop
by Carolyn Dekat
Analyzing a Magazine
Studying a magazine can serve two functions for the freelancer. The author can use the information gleaned to discern the needs of the publication and write to those needs, actually generating topic ideas from the study. Secondly, such study can help an author refine the handling of an idea already in mind to more specifically fit the needs of the readers of that publication.
Your goal is to ascertain who reads the journal, and what they expect to see in print. You want to determine a readership profile. At the same time you will uncover the editor's preferences for style and tone by looking at the articles featured in the publication.
So how do we figure out all this information? Some of the following suggestions may sound time consuming. But I would encourage you to try them at least once, just to begin training your eye in what to look for. Thereafter, those items might be more visible to you and you can afford to skip some of the steps.
Readership: You are looking for information that indicates things like gender, age, economic status, educational level, seasonal material, geographic region, and the "humor level" of your intended audience.
Gather several issues of the magazine you intend to target. If one sample copy is all you can obtain, it's better than nothing. From the start, remind yourself that NO SKIMMING IS ALLOWED. You will be reading the magazines from the ads to the articles looking for clues that will show you how to sell to that journal.
Judge the mag by it's cover. Cover stories are the ones editors see as the most important in a particular issue. What areas are the editors primarily interested in?
Table of Contents: Staff written pieces often appear without author bylines while titles of freelance pieces are usually credited to their author. If no bylines appear, the magazine is probably entirely staff written.
Next compare the bylines to the contributing editors or staff writers listed in the masthead. (The masthead is found near the table of contents. It begins with the title of the publication, and then lists the editors, advertising director, circulation manager, and other people that get the magazine out. It is usually in small print. It also gives the address of where to send manuscripts as well as subscription information.) This is another barometer in determining how much of the magazine contents is open to freelancers.
Author bios at the end of articles also identify freelancers. Please note that not all of them are experts. And others are experts, but not on the topic they have written about!
Take an issue of your target magazines and list the contents (all of it) in two columns. One column is for articles, and the other is for departments or columns. Note the subject and author of every item under one of these two headings.
Topics covered in columns and departments are seldom bought as articles.
If there's an editor's page, read it. The editor will either reflect about the magazines subject matter or discus what interests him/her about some of the major articles. This gives you insights into the editor's thinking and interests.
Pay attention to reader mail. It will give you insights into articles you missed and broadens your understanding of the magazine's subject matter. The reader comments can sometimes suggest related article topics to consider for future queries.
If your target publication has an index of any kind take some time to study a few. This can help you get a longer perspective of items used--seasonal topics as well as information commonly appearing in January issues, or August issues. You will note that some topics appear regularly and you can be certain that these topics are central to reader interests. Topics of interesting but marginal in interest generally appear infrequently.
To narrow down the readership even more, consider comparing several similar magazines. An example might be Parents and Parenting. Note what topics appear in one that haven't been covered in the other (ah ha! Article material!) If the topic has been covered in both, how does the approach differ? What does this indicate as to the differences in readership?
Compare the information you've gathered with the latest information in Writers' Market. How closely does it conform? Are any differences due to special circumstances or has there been a basic change in the direction of the publication?
Pay special attention to the advertising. People who are likely to buy those items are the ones who are reading that publication. Are the ads for luxury items or bargains? What kinds of interests do these readers have? Family vacations? Romantic getaways? Around the world cruises? Computers? Sports cars or family vans? You know those ads are strategically placed!
Considering the Editor
To discern the editorial preference, look more closely at an article. Outline as many of the articles in the magazine as you can. Ask what basic theme the article(s) covers.
Read the entry for the publication in WM. Try to put yourself in the writer's shoes. How did the writer slant the article to appeal to the readership. Why did the editor buy that particular piece?
To see how the writer carried the theme through, underline the words that relate directly to the theme. Note how the writer used anecdotes, facts and quotes. What is the ratio? Is that ratio peculiar to that article or do the other articles use roughly the same proportion? Look for humor and ask yourself similar questions.
List the sources used in the article--direct references or quotations.
Are the articles written in first, second or third person? How does this strengthen the piece? Are the other articles the same?
How long is the lead? How does it hook interest? Do you want to read more? Why. Compare other leads in the same issue.
Study the transition paragraph to find the bridge between the lead and the article.
Underline the opening sentence in each paragraph. These should form a chain that pulls you through the piece. Note how the paragraphs are linked together with transitional words and phrasing. Circle these.
Note how the structure ties the theme together. Is it structured chronologically, developmentally, point by point?
How does the article end? Does it tie back to the lead? Does it reinforce the direction that the article took? How?
Homework
Choose a target publication to study. To fully train your eye, try picking up a magazine that you've never read before, and try to determine a readership profile. It may be easiest to start with the advertising. Remember, these studies can be done in any sequence as long as you end up knowing who reads the magazine and what sort of articles the editor accepts for print.
For further information, try reading Write on Target by Connie Emerson.
© 1998 Carolyn Dekat
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