How To Get A Bylined Article Published

Something that authors and publicists can do to get attention for a book is to write articles for targeted publications.  At the end of every article, your credentials and book would be listed, and so it makes writing the article worthwhile.  Writing the article should not be too challenging, but convincing a publication to run a piece is what can be time-consuming.

In order to get your article published your first have to come up with an idea on what you’d like to write.  Then you have to think of the publications you want to approach.  Then prioritize that list, because you’ll pitch it to one outlet at a time.  Once someone says they are interested, they’ll give you a word count and a deadline but there’s no guarantee they’ll publish it.  If they don’t like the piece or find there’s no space for it, your words will end up on the cutting floor.

The article ideas that you suggest to various publications should be pointed and relevant to that specific outlet.  The more you tailor your work to fit the editorial needs and demands of a publication, the more likely your article will be accepted.  Make it timely and easy to read.

It helps to read the publications you pitch to.  Familiarity will work to your advantage.  Writing for a reader demographic that you feel familiar with will show in your writing.

So what will convince a publication to print your piece?

1.      Great article idea – get their attention!

2.      Establish your credentials – let them know you are a somebody!

3.      Show a track record – share links to other articles you wrote and published.

4.      Explain why their readers would care – toss in a statistic or something trendy to show why this is a trendy piece.

5.      Let them know you can write the piece quickly – they like to work with easy-going writers.

How do you show that you are familiar with – and like – their publication?  Just say you like it and reference recent stories that they published.  Make them feel great by showing why you went to them over their named competitors.

Most often there’s no financial compensation for the bylined articles from the publication but you can’t sound ungrateful for the opportunity to be published by them.  Come off as sincere, competent, passionate, and eager – always let them know you’re here to serve the needs of their readers.  You may just end up helping yourself.

Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of his employer, Media Connect, the nation’s largest book promoter. You can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog © 2014