one time North American rights, which mean you’re giving the magazine permission to publish the article one time in their North American publication, they may be expecting all rights in all different forms.

At this point in the process, you need to begin looking from two different perspectives. The first perspective, already discussed, is what are you passionate about? That’s one side of the equation. On the other side is the question, “What kinds of article ideas are magazines interested in receiving?” Of course, the answer to that question depends o

the Big R Game. The rules are simple; in fact, there’s only one, and it’s summarized in the object of the game: Collect as many rejections as you can as fast as you can while writing as well as you can.

Combine the types of articles written with the predominant subjects they like to run and you’ll be well on your way to hitting a home run with your queries.

As Lisa Collier Cool writes in her book How to Sell Every Magazine Article You Write, the slant or angle of an idea is “what makes a submission right for one magazine, wrong for another.” Having a well thought-out and defined slant will not only make your idea more appealing to the editor, it will also make the article easier to write.

Now, I’m not saying you can’t make a good living as a freelance writer. What I am saying that spending some time to become clear what your purpose is for writing and how it ties in with your greater life purpose will make all the difference in your writing, and in your life. In fact, a clear sense of purpose will act like a magnet that will attract

I heard myself thinking, This man’s message needs a much larger audience.

Do you get an okay from the subject first, or do you get an assignment first and then hope you can get the interview? I’ve found it easiest to get the assignment first, which then makes it much easier to request and receive permission for the interview.

Some of the magazines will move from your Heart List to your Magazine Corral. These are the magazines with editors who have recognized your talent and who publish your articles on a regular basis. As your Magazine Corral grows, so will your career and your income. But your Heart List should never dwindle. As soon as you start writing for one public