Getting Started

I have done it both ways, depending on the market.

Sat Nam! (literally "Truth Name"--a Sikh greeting)

I write books on spec and articles on commission.

Blessings,

Siri Kirpal

If you really want to be successful at writing nonfiction, you need to master the art of writing a good query letter. The query letter is the lifeblood of the freelance magazine writer.

Many magazines will take complete article for fillers, for some columns and departments, and for humor, but almost all good magazines want a query letter for feature articles.

You look at magazines you think you can write for, think of ideas for articles, write query letters, and send them to editors.

At first, you won't be writing on commission for any top magazine. You'll be writing on spec until after you prove yourself. There's nothing at all wrong with this. It's the only thing that lets editors find new writers.

There simply isn't any point in writing articles first, if the magazine wants only queries. It's a huge waste of time, and time is something no freelancer can afford to waste. Stick to queries for magazines that want queries, which is almost all the good ones, when writing feature articles.

Write the article first, of course, if you're writign for sections of a magazine that take complete articles. Writing filler is a great way to break into a top magazine, as is writing something for any column or department that's open to freelancers.

You might find the Freelance & Work for Hire area helpful.

Writing nonfiction for literary journals like Missouri Review is very different than writing for Time. If you are writing an article for a place like Time Magazine, you would pitch and offer to write on spec. But things are a little different with literary journals and most likely (since you mentioned Missouri Review) you are writing more of an essay than an article. With essays for literary journals, I think it is best to write them first. A lot of journals want to see the whole essay. I'm not exactly sure what the Missouri Review's policy is on this, but it should be pretty easy to find out if they want the whole essay or a query letter first. I am a little confused as to what you mean by genre for nonfiction.

I have found letters of introduction to be helpful as well. If you have an area of expertise, try reaching out to the editor of a regional zine that focuses on the subject you're good at. In your intro letter,you can mention 3-4 different ideas, in just a sentence or two each—but spend some time developing a letter customized to that editor and ideas that fit the magazine. Good luck!

Taylor Harbin said:

Thank you for the answers. I just needed some guidance on how to navigate this kind of writing. I've done fiction work for too long.

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Can you say more about the type of nonfiction you want to write? I think that would help us to better help you.

Taylor Harbin said:

Well, I'd like to write historic nonfiction, and I have a pretty good understanding of what's required thanks to my professors.

I guess personal essays/opinion pieces are what I'm getting at, mostly the former. Stuff like Joan Didion, Ralph Ellison, E.B. White, etc.

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For what you are looking to do, I would say you write the piece first. That how it usually works for opinion pieces and essays in my experience. If you have professors willing to help, see where they think your pieces would fit. Professors can be great for this sort of thing if they are familiar with your work and want to see you publish. Some will even share contacts. Good luck!