Writing for State Magazines: Tips on Landing Great Features in Your Home State

Many freelance writers discover that landing articles in major national magazines is harder than it looks. To build your portfolio and get some fast clips, why not write for a state magazine? These are magazines focused on the lifestyle, culture and history of a particular state. All US states have at least one state magazine, and many have several that deal with specific aspects of the state, such as history or food or battles.

Writing for state magazines is a great way to boost your confidence and build your technique as a freelance writer. You don't have to be a famous journalist to interest an editor, and you'll find that you know plenty about your home state (or other states in the nation) that can be turned into interesting articles. If you're unsure about your abilities, however, here are a few tips for writing for state magazines that can help you land a great feature.

1- The Big Three

The three most sought-after subjects in state magazines are travel, profiles and history. Those three umbrella topics should be your focus when looking for an article. A travel article could be geared toward a single (or several) tourist attraction in the state, while a profile could be a biographical sketch of a famous person or a look at a specific place. Historical articles take the reader back in time to a major historical moment that changed the face of the state for years to come.

2- Search for the Unique Story

If your state magazine has been around for a few years, all of the major topics have been done. For example, I wouldn't think of pitching an article about the Alamo to Texas Highways because they've done dozens of features on that historic monument. However, I could write a story about the Katy Rodeo and I'd have a much better chance of getting accepted.

3- Include Lots of Photographs

Perhaps the most important thing about writing for state magazines is that you must include lots of photographs to support your article. People who read state magazines are focused not only on your beautifully written words, but also the photos that illustrate your point. They do want to read about what you have to say, but they also want to experience it through pictures, so invest in a good-quality camera if you want to write for state magazines.

4- Start Small

Although Missouri Life might be more likely to take your article than Glamour, you do need to prove yourself as a writer. When writing for state magazines, try pitching a brief, which is a short article (less than 300 words) that hits on a topic only briefly. Once the editors see that you know what you are doing, you might earn an assignment or two.

5- Focus on the Magazine's Audience

Writing for state magazines means knowing exactly who their target audience is. For example, the aforementioned Texas Highways is geared toward retirement-age people who travel by car. Knowing this, your article should be of interest to a 60+ reader with a vehicle and some money to go exploring. It will be different for every state magazine, so do your research.