The Art of Repackaging

By Dean A. Anderson

OK, you've put hour after hour into researching your article, but wonder whether the check you'll receive will work out to even minimum wage payment. And what if that article is rejected, and all that work is for naught? That's why learning to use materials for a variety of purposes is so important.

Take a little writer you may have heard of-- by the name of William Shakespeare. He was looking to make a few bucks writing for the textbook industry. He thought a history of Danish royalty would sell to those schooling the boys of Eton, but for some reason it just didn't sell. So he tried to turn it into a comic book, and still no go. He tried to sell it as a special to the London Times, but they didn't think their readers were interested. But then Bill thought, "Hey, this could be a play!" and Hamlet was born.

Gone with the Wind was the direct result of a series of articles for travel magazines, "Seeing Civil War Sites." But Margaret Mitchell couldn't get the AAA to care. So she tried to sell some recipes for grits to the women's magazines. Not surprisingly, the NAACP expressed no interest in her opinion pieces. But that research went into a little thing called Gone With the Wind.

Not many people realize that Norman Bridwell had been researching genetics. He was concerned about the abuse of the technology leading to mutant creatures that would pose a threat to the human race. His research led him to believe that there was a real danger of scientists creating creatures that would make Japanese monster movies look realistic (except for the dubbing, which is always bad). But when no news organization would take him seriously, he decided to make a few bucks off Clifford the Big Red Dog. 

Erica Jong's Fear of Flying was the result of research she did for an airline magazine. And you may not realize this, but James Frey originally tried to sell A Million Little Pieces as a novel.
 

Look, if George Lucas can repackage each of his original trilogies -- from video cassettes, DVDs, special editions, original editions, and now we can look forward to the HD and Blue Ray editions, the same stuff sold again and again and again and again… (Oh, sorry, was I sounding bitter? That really isn't that relevant to the issue at hand. But still, Han shot first!)
 

You can do the same. For instance, let's say you put in hour upon hour of research on bunions for a medical journal article. Even if the article is purchased, it probably won't pay the mortgage. But what if you could repackage it?

It just takes a little imagination to take that research and put it to other uses:

For Reader's Digest: "I Am Joe's Bunion"
 

Maybe you can bring back the once popular features that explored Joe's anatomy with an exploration of Joe's adventures with the podiatrist.
 

For Cosmopolitan: "Ten Sexy Truths About Bunions"
 

Nine out of ten women's bunions are caused by their footwear, but surely it isn't worth sacrificing fashion for health. Don't give up your Manolo Blahniks!

 

For Sports Illustrated: "Accounting for Bunions in Your Fantasy Football Picks"
 

There's more to consider than tendonitis and groin pulls when evaluating your player's health.

 

For Humpty Dumpty: "Barney Bunny and the Big Blue Bunion"
 

Barney finds out there are consequences to hop, hop, hopping all day long.

 

For Christianity Today: "Bunions as a Metaphor for Sin"
 

Could bunions be the Apostle Paul's "thorn in the flesh" that theologians have debated for centuries?

 

For Entertainment Weekly: "The Top Ten Bunion Movies"

1945's Big Bad Bunion, 1913's Dr. Bunion, even 1979's Bunion: The Movie; all the classics are covered.

 

For Motor Trend: "Gas Pedals Designs"
 

Will gas pedals, brake pedals, and clutches designed for those afflicted by bunions be the next trend?

 

For Cat Fancy: "Feline Bunions: Worse Than Worms?"
 

Are paw problems pestering your kitty?

 

For Arizona Highways: "Amazing Rock Formations That Look Like Bunions"
 

These amazing natural phenomena are considered by some beautiful and by others nauseating, but certainly they are something to see if the Grand Canyon is sold out.

 

For Penthouse Letters: "Dear Editor, Who would have thought my bunion would get me action with a Swedish stewardess?"
 

In this piece, we find that bunions, um, or that there are certain fetishes that, um... Never mind.

 

For The Weekly World News: "Alien Bunions: Medical Miracles or Threat to World Peace?"

Impeccable research is, of course, the key to this publication.

 

For Absolute Write: "How Hours Upon Hours of Research on Bunions Can Result in a Free Premium Newsletter Subscription"
 

So remember, that long labor at the library and on the Internet for one article doesn't need to go to waste. It can be wasted for a multitude of articles, if you're willing to do the market research as well.


Dean A. Anderson's extensive research into zoology and criminology came in handy for his series of children's books, Bill the Warthog Mysteries, which can be found at Christianbook.com or Sundayschoolstore.com.

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