Kudzu Principle #5—Getting Published: Have you ever walked into a person’s office and noticed a framed copy of a magazine article in which the person had been featured, or perhaps had written the article? It’s quite an impressive blandishment to present to your visitors or to add to your resume, but so few realize the true power that being published can bring to a career.
Next to public speaking, many people will proclaim that writing is simply not their thing. But let’s face it—being published causes you to standout and dramatically enhances your credibility. Simply put, published writers in magazines of their trade are considered experts in their fields and are established as leaders in the industry. If you flip through the magazines and journals of your trade, you may see regular contributors who are some of the most credible names in the business. Furthermore, some of these writers are often called upon to speak at conferences, colleges, and training academies throughout the world, furthering their credibility. What a great way to establish your brand and make you INDISPENSIBLE to your organization. Getting started is not as hard as you might think. The best way to dive into this career-building adventure is to simply spend a month or two reading articles from the trade journals that you want to write for. Getting a feel for the magazine’s readers and advertisers, will give you a good feel for what the magazine will publish, and possibly even pay you for.
Most magazines require a query letter before receiving an entire manuscript. This letter is simply an introduction of the writer and a brief outline of the article you want to submit. This varies from magazine to trade journal, but some will actually accept the full manuscript up front and let you know when and if it will be published. It is highly recommended that budding authors pick up a copy of The Writers’ Market to learn how to write a winning query and find out which magazines and trade journals best suit their abilities. It’s also best to start out small with newsletters and less-known journals to get your foot in the door for future articles to the big magazines and trade journals. Revisiting your high school and college writing classes may be like pulling teeth for some, but being a published author in your field is a career advancement tool that will reap many benefits when promotion time rolls around.