by Mridu Khullar
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 you the assignment each time, every time.
How do you know whether your brilliant idea will strike a chord and get you the assignment or land your neatly crafted query in the slush pile? Use the following checklist to find out whether you have a winner or another stale idea that the editor’s been rejecting since she set foot in her editorial office.
Here are some of the questions an editor will ask of each article idea:
What’s
New?
If
you’re writing for a pregnancy magazine,
chances are the 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’ve just made sale.
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.
Will the
Reader Connect?
You
may have the most innovative, brilliant
and mind-blowing idea. Yet, it may lead
to a rejection if you’re targeting the
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 might have landed yourself an
assignment. The first thing the 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
Keep me Captivated?
Picture
this: I come home from a long day at
work. While I relax on my couch, I could
flick channels on the remote or pick up
the magazine and leaf through the
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 reading the magazine
for something more interesting. And with
the number of entertainment avenues
available today, that won’t be a
problem. In order to keep the editor
(and the reader) 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, the 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 from the theme
of the article.
What’s in
it For me?
What
does the reader take home with her once
she’s closed the magazine and gone her
own way? Has she learnt a lesson? Will
she take with her an experience? Will
she be a better mother, daughter, wife
or friend because of it? In every
article that you write, this question
should have the utmost importance. What
can you give to your reader?
Making
an impact is very important. The article
idea that won’t sell is the one in which
I’ll read through the article, but in
the end, simply won’t care. You’ve got
to give your reader that extra
something. Something she can think about
on her way to work. Something she’ll
remember as she rests her head on the
pillow and falls asleep.
Regardless
of the kind of writer you are, your
ideas are what make you a success. A
good editor can fix the holes in your
writing, but cannot flesh out your idea.
That is something only you can do.
Editors
love writers who consistently come up
with fresh and innovative ideas. Being
swamped with a dozen queries every day,
most of them containing the same old
ideas, they’re always on the lookout for
writers who can provide a unique twist.
Keep
a steady stream of ideas coming, run
them through this checklist, and send
them off. Before you know it, you’ll
have more assignments than you can
handle.
About The
Author
Mridu
Khullar is a full-time freelance writer
from New Delhi, India and has written
for almost 70 publications, recently
including Chicken Soup for the Soul,
Writer's Digest, Women's Health &
Fitness, Girls' Life, Wedding Dresses
and ePregnancy. Visit her at
http://www.MriduKhullar.com
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