A Writer's Guide to Getting Free Magazines

Are you thinking of submitting your work to print magazine?

If so, there is one rule you should follow. Never send an article to a publication unless you've read at least one copy, preferably more, of that magazine. It's the best way to know what that magazine is looking for, and what the style and tone of a magazine is.

You should also make sure the copy of the magazine you read is recent. You'd be surprised how much a magazines editorial style can change in just a year.

But magazines can be expensive. Buying individual copies of multiple magazines a week can be enough to make your wallet cry.

Luckily, there are ways to study some of the magazines you're interested in submitting your work to without it costing you an arm and a leg.

Free Sample Copies Direct from the Publisher

Many magazines offer free magazines, or free sample copies, to perspective writers. After all, they want to receive submissions they can actually use in their publication. So it's in their best interest to make perspective writers, like you, aware of what they are looking for. And, while they can sort of explain what they want in their writer's guidelines, it's easier to just show you by sending you a copy of their magazine.

Getting these free sample copies is easy. In some cases, all you have to do is send them a letter asking for one, and a copy of the magazine will be delivered to your mailbox.

Some publishers will send you a copy of a magazine for free, but will ask you to send a self-addressed envelope (SASE) with enough postage to cover the price of sending you the magazine.

You can find out which magazines offer free sample copies by checking Writer's Market, and other writer's market directories. In a case where the publisher asks for a self-addressed-stamped-envelope, you'll probably find the cost of postage is in the market listing. But, remember, if the market directory is out of date, even by just a year, the postage information might also be out of date.

You can also find out which magazines offer free sample copies online. For a quick list of some of these magazines, go to a search engine and type in "magazine" and "free sample copy".

Searching Online

If you don't want to wait for free sample magazines to arrive in the mail, or the magazine you're interested in writing for doesn't offer free sample copies, check online.

Some magazines have entire issues posted on the Internet. At the very least, you'll be able to find articles and short stories that they've recently published. Just go to the magazines website and look around. This will give you a feel for what the magazine is all about.

Doing market research doesn't have to be expensive. Thanks to free sample copies, you can learn more about the magazines you're interested in writing for, increase your odds of being published in those magazines, and keep most of your money in your wallet.