Marketing is simply attempting to connect with those individuals that come to mind when you ask that familiar question: "Who would read about this topic, and why?" An in-depth knowledge of the marketplace is an agent's stock in trade. Yet an author can acquire the same information by devoting an hour or two a week to market study. That hour will pay in increased sales opportunities.

To get specific information on a publication in order to evaluate it as a potential market, turn to a good marketing directory such as Writer's Market or Writer's Handbook. Each of these is updated annually. And Writer's Market also offers a CD version that helps you track submissions and will sort the markets for you in a flash--pulling ones that match the criteria you enter. Both of these directories can usually be found in the reference section of your local library. If you end up using one often, invest in it and spend your time searching and writing at home rather than riding to the library.

For additional marketing ideas, subscribe to Writer's Digest or The Writer or read these regularly at your library. These magazines have monthly coverage of new publishers, staff changes within publishing houses and tips on writing and submitting.

Using a market directory, scan the table of contents while asking yourself, "Would my article appeal to. . ." When you locate a likely category, turn to the actual listing and learn the specifics about magazines in the category. Each listing contains an address, editors who handle various departments, the type of material sought, prices paid and other submission tips.

What information are you looking for?

Queries are less time consuming and the submission route of choice. But if you have an idea fully fleshed out and ready to go, then pay more attention to those requests for direct submissions. Don't make that the only criteria you look for, though because you may mis-target the manuscript. There are many other factors involved in matching writing to publications. Whatever you choose, don't ignore this editor preference. It's there for a reason.

Needless to say--the more the better!

Higher the percentage, greater your chances for success. Some journals are written almost entirely by in-house staff with little or no freelance work purchased.

What is the preferred manuscript length?

Is the length within your comfort zone? Longer lengths require more in-depth research. Also, if your article needs 1500 words to be properly handled and the longest the magazine runs is a 1000 word article, then you'll need to target elsewhere. Additionally, use this information to compare per-word payment and arrive at the best "salary" for the time you spend writing.

On acceptance means that once the editor says that the publication will buy your piece, they pay you for it, even if for some reason, the article never sees print.

When a publication pays on publication, you don't get paid until your article appears in print. There are several reasons why this route is unacceptable when you are striving to sell all rights or first rights to your article. This editor is saying to you, "Give me a complete article, I'll put it in our files. If and when we find a spot for it, we'll run it and then pay you. The editor may hold the piece 6 months, 12 months, even years during which time you can do nothing else with it! Save this option for second or reprint rights only, if you use it at all.

A journal published weekly requires more input than a magazine published quarterly. You are more likely to sell to a magazines looking for quantities of material.

This usually concerns the topic itself. If your article is about Barber Shop Quartets, and you run across a magazine called The Barber Shop Quartet Quarterly, it will probably move up on your list.

When a listing offers writers' guidelines, by all means request them. They often will help you by discussing more specifically what information they want and how they want the articles structured.

One other thing mentioned in market listings is the rights the publication buys.

For an indepth look at copyright, check out Francine's workshop transcript. (http://forums.msn.com/women Click on File library at the top, choose: ) For our purposes you will see these types of rights mentioned in market listings for magazine articles:

Buys all rights. The publication buys all rights to that particular manuscript and the article, as it appeared in that publication, cannot be sold again. Many writers steer clear of selling all rights. However, it is important to remember that you are not selling an idea when you sell all rights. You are selling your expression of those ideas, the actual words in which your idea is expressed. You literally sell the right to copy your work.

All rights pays best, but is far less restrictive than it sounds. Facts are not copyrighted, and neither are ideas. So use those ideas and facts to structure a new article. It must be significantly different with a new title, new lead, different quotes and a different conclusion. This is best done by approaching the idea from a completely different slant. It still makes double use of your research on the topic.

First rights or North American Serial Rights are preferable to sell the first time the article goes out. The publication buys the right to print the article for the first time. After it has appeared in print, the rights revert to the author.

Second rights or reprint rights. The publication that buys second rights will reprint an article that has appeared in print before without change. Do not offer second rights until the editor who bought the first rights has published the issue in which your work appears.

Once you have some market listings rounded up, it's time to rank them best to worst using the following criteria:

When it pays--on acceptance or on publication.

What it pays--Start at the top and work down!!!

Number of issues per year

Percentage of freelance material

When you've narrowed down a list you should read at least one issue of any magazine you choose to target. You can use your library, visit large newstands, and one author suggested back-date magazine stores. Never seen one of those, have you? You can also request sample copies from the publisher. You do this to try to discern the "personality" of the publication, pinpointing readership (age, gender, economic status) as well as common article length, format, style and topics. Next week's chat topic will cover this in depth.

Don't overlook the obvious. In looking for an unusual connection authors will sometimes overlook markets. To avoid this choose a few key words from your article and look for markets that tie in to those words. For example, say your topic is a profile of the latest Grandma Moses type artist to make a break in Southwestern art. Your key words might be: seniors, art (instruction and information), and regional publications of the Southwest. Then more obscure connections might be making life changes late in life, discovering new talent, etc., etc.

Start at the top. Don't let newbiness make you start at the bottom and work up! Here's why--

Publication A pays $300 for first time rights only, Publication B pays $150, Publication C pays $50. Publications B & C will also consider second or reprint rights at half the payment made for an original article. By selling A first and then B and C you can earn $400 ($300 for A plus $75 for B, plus $25 for C). Target B first and you lose publication A altogether, and reduce the article's earning power to $175. ($150 plus $25 for Publication C). Target C first and you earn $125.

Submit to the right editor. Learn the name of the articles editor from the market listing or the magazines masthead. If you can't discern who to mail the query to, then a quick phone call to the publication asking where to direct your query will clear up the problem and get your query into the right hands. Don't forget to ask for proper spelling of names.

Try every prospect. Even though rejections can be disheartening, never say die! Unless several (meaning more than one or two) editors point out a fatal flaw with the idea (not the treatment of the idea), keep submitting. One strategy is to have a market always ready--when the rejection comes in, the query goes back out in the mail the same day. Even when your prospects seem exhausted, stay alert for new publications or new developments that could signal new interest in your topic. If all else fails, hold the query for a couple years, allow editors to move on, and submit your piece to the same magazines under different leadership.

Profit from rejection. If a rejection seems encouraging or contains specific advice, take that as an invitation to submit again. Editors who invite you to try again with other queries mean what they say. DO IT and get on it right away. This is why it's so important to have a good stash of working ideas at hand. If the editor provides specific advice, then apply that advice and resubmit the same piece.

Play the numbers. The more ideas you get out, the more likely you are to sell some of them. If an editor asks for more ideas from you, send several of your best. Requests come from strong interest. Lisa Collier Cool suggests a goal of one new query in the mail each week, more if you have the time for them.

Consider simultaneous submissions as well, which is sending out the same query to a number of magazines at the same time. There are varying views on this. I tend to come down on the side of sending the multiple submissions and not even mentioning you've done so.

Make it a point to read 2-3 magazines each week to increase market awareness. It is best to direct queries to magaznies you personally enjoy reading as you already are subconsciously aware of the style and subject matter and can write naturally to the readership. However exposure to many different magazines will trigger new ideas and open up new interests and possible markets for you.

Set a goal to get a query letter in the mail. Make it a comfortable goal for you. For the next two weeks we will be covering more marketing information--studying a magazine and doing a feasibility study. The chat following those will be a Q & A session. That might be a good target for you--bring a query letter to run by us at workshop and get feedback Or post it to the board for feedback if you don't want to wait that long.

Another challenge I'd like to encourage you to try:

ByLine Magazine has two article contests coming up. They are:

Children's Article--Deadline August 20, 1998. Nonfiction for a children's magazine, 1,000 words maximum. List the market or target age on ms.

Feature Article--Deadline October 20, 1998. Nonfiction up to 2,500 words. May be a profile, how-to, informational, travel, historical, etc.

If the August deadline is too soon, then try to shoot for the October one. I think it would be fun if all of us could send something in.

For entry fees, manuscript preparation and other rules and regulations on the contest, visit ByLine's website at http://www.bylinemag.com