"I think this could work as a regular slot in a magazine." This is something we hear regularly from students. Unfortunately, as a new writer, the chances of getting a regular slot straight away are tiny.
Think about it from the publication's point of view. They want freelancers who produce great copy, on time and don't need much editing. Their nightmare is a freelancer who misses their deadline and then produces copy that's 500 words over the word limit and riddled with errors. Or worse still - is then rude to them on the phone when they’re asked to cut it, or who doesn’t answer emails about their copy.
That’s bad enough for a one-off feature – and at least they can resolve never to work with that person again. But what if they have committed to buy six features from them? They would be tearing their hair out.
If you have an idea for a regular series on anything from parenting to travel, we suggest pitching a single feature first. Produce perfect copy – on deadline, to word length, brief and to house style. If they contact you with queries, be charming – and prioritise what they have asked you to do.
Then, pitch another idea and do the same again. Once you have convinced them of your talent and reliability, you are in a much stronger position to get something more regular.
