Pitching the big pubs first

**If  you’re new here, start with: 12 Hints for Magazine Health Writers for all the basics of becoming a freelance writer for magazines with health, fitness, and nutrition, articles. *** One of the questions health writers ask when they’re just starting out is how long to wait before they can pitch their health article ideas [...]

Magazine interviews in your spare time

**Interested in becoming a freelance writer for magazines with health, fitness, and nutrition, articles? start with: 12 Hints for Magazine Health Writers. *** If you’re writing part time around another full-time job, one of the questions that comes up is how to schedule interviews for your health stories. Everything else you need to do — [...]

A note about revise notes (from editors)

After you email your story to the editor, don’t be discouraged if the editor asks to change a few things around. Although it’s nice when you can just turn in your article and get paid for it, most features go through at least one set of revise notes. When your editor calls or emails with [...]

Great green writing

ccasqqnxvy Environmental health is a hot topic in magazines and newspapers, not to mention websites and blogs (and commercial writing opportunities abound, but that’s another story). The fairly recent surge in popularity has publishers scrounging around for the best way to package green stories. If you have great ideas on how to do this, your [...]

Hint # 12 Favor fact checkers

MAGAZINE HEALTH WRITING BASIC 12 part – 10 When you write for top national magazines, your article will not only have to pass muster with a committee of editors, it will be combed over and vetted by someone called a fact checker. You’ll need to provide footnotes or endnotes (my favorite), preferably in a second [...]

Hint #11 Health writing risks

MAGAZINE HEALTH WRITING BASIC 12 part – 10 Many articles you’ll be asked to write prescribe some course of action. You may suggest readers  eat certain foods, practice certain exercises, or ask consider specific treatments or medications. I recommend not doing this lightly. Here’s why: When health risks are involved in a medical treatment or [...]

Hint #10 Great beginnings

MAGAZINE HEALTH WRITING BASIC 12 part – 10 Award-winning novelist Gabriel Garcia Marquez said one of the most difficult things is the first paragraph. “I have spent many months on a first paragraph and once I get it, the rest just comes out very easily,” he explained. Of course, we’re not writing Marquez literary novels, [...]

Hint #9 Simplify structure

MAGAZINE HEALTH WRITING BASIC 12 part – 9 Some writers see an article’s ideal form the way Michelangelo saw art in a block of marble. “In every block of marble I see a statue as plain as though it stood before me, shaped and perfect in attitude and action. I have only to hew away [...]

Hint #8 Ace expert interviews

MAGAZINE HEALTH WRITING BASIC 12 part – 8 Interviewing experts and using quotes to back up what you say will give your health article credibility with both editors and readers. You may hold strong opinions and know the subject you’re writing about, but good sources add depth and dimension to your piece. Even if  you’re [...]

Hint #7 Report responsibly

MAGAZINE HEALTH WRITING BASIC 12 part – 7 You’ve landed a plum writing assignment on a great health, fitness, nutrition or environmental health topic: Woo hoo! Now what? Let me take a moment to refer back to Hint #1 Start where you are. You have, haven’t you? That’s #1 not only to help you pitch [...]

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