Make Money (and Magic!) with Magazine Articles Because your brilliant words deserve more than a dusty hard drive.
You already know I’m a big fan of turning one creative idea into multiple streams of income—hello, How to Turn Your Screenplay into a Novel! But here’s a format you may not have considered: writing articles for magazines. Yes, magazines! The glossy kind. The digital kind. The niche-local-weirdly-specific kind. All of them.
Surprise! Print isn’t dead. In fact, there are still over 7,000 print magazines in the U.S. alone. That number doesn’t even include international English-language mags or all the thriving online publications.
And guess what? These magazines need stories. They will pay you for them. You already have content ideas. (More on that below!)
Why Magazine Writing Is a Writer’s Secret Weapon
Let’s talk perks:
Short Turnaround Time: Unlike books or screenplays, you can pitch an article, get an assignment, and see your name in print in as little as six months. Some online outlets are even faster!
Fits Your Schedule: Articles are bite-sized. You can write one between other projects or while your book draft is in “creative time-out.”
Brain Candy Bonus: You get to write about things you already love or want to learn more about. It's like being paid to geek out.
Where to Find Opportunities
Google is your friend. Try “magazines looking for writers” and see what rabbit hole you fall down.
Check out Kerrie Flanagan’s site
Subscribe to Funds for Writers
Join the Freedom With Writing newsletter
Or check out The Writer’s Guide to Magazine Article Writing
Also, dig into the editorial calendar and media kit of magazines you’re targeting (usually under “About Us” or “Advertise With Us” on their sites). Those two tools tell you exactly what topics they’re looking for. Like creative X-ray vision!
What Should You Write About?
Your Hobbies & Hidden Talents Are you a Civil War buff, Barbie collector, or bread-baking champion? Magazine gold!
Your Current Research Historical novelists, fantasy worldbuilders, rom-com location nerds—use your fiction research to spark articles! It’s like recycling, but for plot points.
Your Own Book Content Indie authors, rejoice! You can pitch adapted book content as articles (just disclose that it’s based on a book). Bonus: most mags only ask for exclusive rights for 30–90 days—then you’re free to reuse or resell.
Topics You’re Curious About If you're fascinated, readers will be too. Your enthusiasm is contagious!
Why It’s Smart Business for Authors & Screenwriters
Build Credibility: Getting published in magazines—even small ones—looks great in your bio.
Get in Front of New Readers: Your article may be seen by thousands (sometimes hundreds of thousands) of people. That’s a lot more than your average Instagram post.
Bio = Marketing Magic Your little author blurb is prime real estate. Plug your latest book, series, or screenplay website. Invite readers to find more of your work.
Reuse, Reuse, Reuse: Articles can be turned into blog posts, newsletter content, or even compiled into a book. (Yup, you just accidentally started your next project.)
Fine Print (But Still Fun!)
Expect Edits: Some editors barely touch your piece. Others… may want to mold it like creative Play-Doh. Go with the flow (and read your contract carefully).
Understand Your Rights: Don’t give away “all rights” unless you really want to. And yes—you can absolutely use ChatGPT to help decode those contracts! Ask it to flag non-standard terms and suggest tweaks.
Watch Lead Times: Print mags often work 4–6 months ahead. Online ones are faster. If your piece includes seasonal or time-sensitive content, plan accordingly.
Bottom Line: Magazine writing is a fun, flexible, and totally doable way to make money and build your platform—all while repurposing the knowledge and stories you already have.
So tell me: What kind of article are you going to pitch first? And when it gets published (because it will), I want to celebrate with you.
Check it Out!
Ever wonder what it’s like to work with me? Watch me evaluate pitches on The Dialogue Doctor podcast!
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