“The very best place for a new writer to break into magazine writing is in the front-of-the-book section,” says Aliya S. King, an author and award-winning journalist who kicked off her career with a small piece on the death of disco legend Gwen Guthrie for Vibe in 1998. “This is where shorter, timely news stories are covered, and it’s generally where an editor may take a chance on a new writer.”
Hear that, freelancers? You can spend hours fighting other contributors for space in the feature well or gunning for a chance to pen that investigative cover if you’d like, but smart writers know that a 65-word blurb is likely the best shot at a byline.
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With fashion spreads chocked full of photo captions, clever bulleted lists and quick news roundups, the front of the book sets a publication’s editorial tone. (Think: GQ‘s “The Manual” or Newsweek‘s “NewsBeast.”) And writing for this important but oft-overlooked section is an art.
How exactly do you give readers the information they need while being entertaining and direct? Study the publication or its dotcom as you would an exam. “You have to pay close attention to the voice of the publication as well,” King says. “Study what writers have done in previous issues and use that as a template.”
Every magazine’s voice and audience is different. Henry Goldblatt, Entertainment Weekly deputy managing editor and director of brand development, says he looks for the latest briefs on pop culture for the “News and Notes” section, which covers up to 10 pages in the print edition and is also published online. He also counts the section as the one his editorial assistants often write for before moving up.
| “The editors are looking for the basics delivered in a tight, concise style.” |
Erin Meanley is associate editor of San Diego Magazine and has worked for several glossies, including Glamour, Ellegirl and Seventeen. “You have to think about the audience. I assign short (articles) because that’s what my readers come to my magazine for,” she says. “If you can handle (reading) long, you’re reading Vanity Fair or The New Yorker.”
‘You have to be persuasive and punchy’
With a limited word count, you don’t have the space to be grandiose. “The editors are looking for the basics delivered in a tight, concise style,” says King. “They don’t want to see you write with a flourish. They need the facts.”
Make your facts interesting or even humorous. Meanley suggests, “Try to be economical with your words and give all the necessary info, adding just enough voice to make it fun to read.”
Above all, Goldblatt says it’s imperative that writers do extensive research on the subject and avoid factual errors. Practice the universal ABC’s of journalism: accuracy, background and context, then “hook them with a strong lede.”
“Sometimes, writing a short story requires even more talent than penning a 2,000-word feature, because you don’t have the luxury of a ‘wind-up,'” he explains. “You have to be persuasive and punchy in a tiny amount of space.”
Do so successfully, and it could lead to juicier assignments at that publication.
“If you can write a great front-of-the-book story, that demonstrates to an editor that you know how to express yourself in a coherent, tight fashion,” Goldblatt says, “and that you’ve been able to wade through your mass of reporting to surface the very best of it.”
Keep Your Word Count Down
Often, front-of-the-book writers have the task of turning what would normally be a 750-word story into just a few paragraphs. Keeping your words to a minimum is often the most difficult part, but doing so proves your ability to follow the editor’s instructions.
King recalls, “The [Vibe] story was assigned to me at a very low word count, maybe 250 words. It was so hard for me to keep the count down. I ended up sending in over twice that amount. Not a good idea.
“For many writers, myself included, writing small is harder than writing a long feature. Luckily, my editor was patient with me, and that obit in 1998 jumped off a career at Vibe that continues to this day.”
| “If you can write a great front-of-the-book story, that demonstrates to an editor that you know how to express yourself in a coherent, tight fashion.” |
Meanley advises writers to flex their journalistic muscles without getting too cocky. “I think it’s lazy when writers send in 700 words when I asked for 250,” she says, “And it’s self-indulgent when they give me a 600-word blog post when I said no more than 200.”
If you can’t get out all your thoughts in the allotted parameters, you “leave it for the editor to do massive cutting,” she says. And, as any freelancer knows, making an editor happy is part of your job description.
Think Visually
Sometimes a simple paragraph won’t do. With FOB writing, you can often have a little more fun with the creative presentation. An editor might not assign you one page on the five best getaways for bachelors, but she might approve a photo gallery with a few captions on each locale’s dude friendliness.
And, with more pubs churning out daily content for their websites, there’s often opportunity to channel your FOB flair into additional assignments for the magazine’s dot-com ___- or, in the case of Complex, the opposite. The company’s editorial director, Orlando Lima, told mediabistro.com earlier this year that he uses Complex.com as a launch pad for writers before he’ll consider them for the front of the book or anywhere else in the print pub.
“The way we get freelance writers to begin with us is if they can actually do a good [online] list for us — usually a ‘top’ type of list — Top 10s, Top 25s, Top 50s, such as “50 Biggest NFL Playoff Fails,” he says.
Even if your list or charticle idea isn’t a go, an editor will likely appreciate your ability to think outside the simple text box.
Hit The Right Pitch
Once you’ve decided to write for the front of the book, remember to pitch the types of stories the publication will publish.
“Make sure your pitch is irresistible,” Goldblatt says. “Take something in the news and provide a twist.” Some popular front-of-the-book stories from Entertainment Weekly and EW.com range from “Donald Trump for President, Really?” to a story on the vampire craze in Hollywood.
Also, FOB stories are brief for a reason, so don’t suggest a word count when pitching. Your editor knows the amount of space available and can determine if your idea is better as a blurb or a feature.
Writing for the front of the book can be challenging yet rewarding. You’ll have an opportunity to show editors your knowledge of the magazine and likely face less competition from other contributors. So, rather than fight the rite of passage, embrace it. As Goldblatt says, “New writers should expect to begin at the front of the book.”
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Alisha N. Tillery is a freelance writer living and working in Memphis. She maintains a personal blog, Because I Said So.
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