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Craft of Writing

Suzan L. Wiener

Sample Copies - Your Best Investment

The cost of a few sample copies is a small but valuable investment to make to give you a better idea of a publication’s feel and focus before attempting to submit your work to them. Writers' guidelines can give you the bare outline of a publication’s requirements, but they are the skeleton, and need to be fleshed out if you want to really see your work published. That’s a tip I picked up from a writer’s group I joined when I first started sending out my submissions. Those early days were full of rejections for material I thought followed the guidelines I had been so careful to obtain from the publications to which I was sending my work. It amounted to the difference between hearing about something and seeing it in person. No amount of description can equal seeing the real thing.

Then, too, writers' guidelines should be but aren’t always up-to-date. Focus can change as can physical requirements such as length desired. If you try to save the expense by not getting a sample copy, you will definitely lose out and other writers will get that acceptance you crave. Also, no matter how great your article, etc., may be, if they have one similar to it, and you don’t know that they published one already, yours will be rejected. Just like you wouldn’t drive a car without taking lessons first, you shouldn’t try to write for a publication without reading it first.

Not having sample copies is risky and can affect your acceptance rate adversely. In the beginning I tried so hard to get my work accepted but it wasn’t to be. Why? Simply because I didn’t know what the editor of the magazine wanted. The only way I could know is if I had read their magazine backward and forward. When I found out the ‘secret’ to do that (from that writer‘s group), I finally got my first acceptance. What a thrill it was to say I was a published author. If you want that, too, don’t go into it blindly. Make sure do to your homework, just like you did in school.

Often, having just one copy of the publication isn’t enough. You need at least three or four current issues to make sure you are on top of what types of articles are being accepted. I get many more acceptances if I know the magazine thoroughly. It reflects in my writing and the editor knows it too. I also get a better idea for the type of writing they want, and what I should write about.

If you have a copy of the magazine, you won’t waste your time on writing an article they have already used, and the editor won’t look at your work thinking you’re a beginner. Don’t forget, editors receive lots of manuscripts across their desks weekly and will appreciate you’re doing your homework. It is important to always be professional and not show you are an amateur. If other writers have more experience than you do, but your work stands out as showing you know what you’re writing about, it will be accepted.

It is amazing how fast a magazine will change the type of articles, etc., they use. It’s not easy for writers to keep up, but they have to if they want to get that most-welcomed acceptance letter and check. Their focus changes quite often also.

Editors definitely appreciate it if your article is exactly geared to their audience. It doesn’t even matter if it comes from the ‘slush’ pile. They will happily accept your work and use your material again and again—if they find you know their magazine as well as they do.

If you can’t afford to buy individual sample copies, inquire as to their discounted subscription rate. Often times, it is less expensive to become a subscriber to a magazine than to pay for individual sample copies. Many magazines offer special discounts. Politely inquire to the subscription department about magazine rates.

Also, check your local library to see which magazines are available there. If you can’t check the magazine out, simply photocopy the pages you want to keep Generally, there is a copier at the library you can use for a nominal fee. Check with your writing friends to see if you can trade publications too. This works out extremely well and I have saved a lot of money doing this.

Remember, even if you are a beginner, editors don’t have to know that. Your work can be like you are a seasoned writer—IF you do your homework first. You will be glad you did.


About the Author
Suzan L. Wiener has had numerous poems, stories, articles and shorter pieces published in publications such as The Writer's E-Zine, Mature Living, Saturday Evening Post, Verses, Poetry Press (first prize) NEB Publishing (first prize), Moca Memoirs, Sacred Twilight, etc. She also has her love poetry e-book up at Lionsong Publications.