Writing for aviation magazines
 

Does anyone have any experience of writing and submitting articles to magazines such as Pilot and Flyer? This is something I'd really like to get into in the future and any advice would be appreciated!

Thanks,

Al

Try PMing Whirly, she's written articles for them I think.

Hi,

I think THIS thread might help out abit. I know there were other discussions about the quality of various magazines with tips and advice in too if you do a quick search.

Regards, SD..

I have, but no need to pm me. :)

Both Flyer and Pilot publish Advice for Contributors which tell you exactly what to do. I believe details are on their websites, or if not, give them a call and ask.

They like articles that are fun to read. They like trip writeups that are fun to read even if they don't contain information that of any use to somebody who wants to go to those places :O They get tons of stuff offered to them.

I looked them up last week as I'm about to restart submitting stuff after a 10 year layoff....

Write for Pilot
Writing for FLYER
Todays Pilot Contributors Guidleines

Like Whirly, I've a fair track record of writing for assorted magazines - in my case over a little under 20 years, although only 7-8 years for flying magazines. I probably don't have her artistic flair, but a similar track record of getting things published (occasionally, I even use my own name !).

On that basis, I'm going to be arrogant enough to offer a few dos and don'ts if you want to get into the magazine writing game. These aren't in any particular order.

Do
- Read carefully the editors notes for contributors

- Discuss anything with the editor before submitting.

- Check, double-check, triple-check your spelling and grammar.

- Check all your factual detail is correct.

- Make sure that the editor will have access to high quality imagery, if not from you, from somewhere.

- Put your reader "in the cockpit".

- Carefully read several copies of the magazine to get a good feel for "house style". YOU MUST WRITE IN THE MAGAZINE'S STYLE.


Don't

- Exceed the agreed word length without prior agreement from the editor.

- Go to an aircraft owner offering to do a write-up on it for *** magazine without prior agreement from the editor.

- Give the editor any more work to do on your article than is absolutely necessary.

- Send in an overlong and unsolicited piece and expect anything but a rejection slip (and that only if you sent an SAE!).


I should say, that all the best aviation journalists have broken at least one of these rules at some time, but don't as a beginner in the field expect to get away with it.

G

Spot-on, Genghis!

One thing you didn't mention was the big no-no of submitting the same piece to more than one magazine at once: I did this once, and still remember the roasting James Gilbert gave me.

You can get away with that if the magazines are published in different countries, I used to recycle stuff that I wrote for a US mag in a couple of local (UK) club newsletters - I don't think anybody ever noticed.

But yes, magazine editors are somewhat forceful individuals - it goes with the job, and upsetting them like that I can see would cause offence :) .

G

There are various reference books that you might want to read. See e.g. The Renegade Writer, or How to Write Articles for Newspapers and Magazines.

Another helpful book on the difficulties of getting published: Lucky Jim. :p