Writing the “Filler”

How do you get published in a local or national magazine? This was the question at a recent writers’ conference of a panel I was on. Do paper magazines still exist, and can a freelance writer submit? The answer is yes, and YES! Over the years, I have been privileged to be published hundreds of times in national magazines, local newspapers, and local magazines, both in print and online.

How to Break In

The hardest part is breaking into a magazine and getting published for the first time. Every magazine has different writers’ guidelines. Every genre is different. They don’t know who you are or what you write. Some ask for a query; others want the whole story or article. Most have a strict word count. I’ve found it best to stay below the word count – don’t strive to meet it.

The easiest way to break into a magazine or newspaper and be published is to submit fillers. A filler is usually one to two paragraphs about a certain topic. Magazines often have empty space to fill, and they do so with fillers. Fillers are easy to write and easy to send.

What are Fillers?

Fillers can be little-known facts, newsworthy snippets, lists, recipes, quizzes, local reviews of restaurants or movies, profiles of interesting people, tips and ideas on various topics, fun group ideas, worksheets, and puzzles. Woman’s World is chock-full of fillers: “My Most Embarrassing Moment”, “My Happy Place,” “My Guardian Angel,” “My Good Deed,” and so on. Pick up the magazine and glance through it. The address to send your filler is listed along with the topic. I was blessed to be published in this magazine describing my pond as “My Happy Place” – a place where I could think, write, reflect, and sometimes – even fish! The pay was a nice reward for one paragraph.

GAMES, PARTY IDEAS

Children’s magazines and tabloids are more likely to use games and ideas for parties. Read the writers’ guidelines. They will tell you exactly what they want. If you have something original or fun, send it in! It may get published! One of my ideas for an adult fall festival was “Have a JoyFest.” Describing the games we played, contests, decorations and food all helped in getting the article published. Another fun idea was “BYOF – Bring Your Own Frog”- a summer birthday party idea for kids.

ODDITIES, TRIVIA, or LITTLE-KNOWN FACTS

Oddities, trivia, or little-known facts are a favorite with children’s magazines like Highlights. Random facts seem to draw people in. How to find these facts? Google it. Ask AI – In fact, did you know that the tongue was the only muscle in the body to be attached at only one end? (That’s an oddity worth knowing)!Do an online search for oddities or strange facts and see the multitude of ideas you come up with for your next article!

LISTS

Lists can be a great filler. They can be serious (“The Red Flags of Dementia”) or humorous (“Ten Crazy Ways to Fix Your Hair”) or anything in between (“Twelve Amazing Bridges Across the World”). Some magazines pay more if you have pictures to go along with it. The ideas for lists are endless.

QUIZZES, PUZZLES, WORKSHEETS

Quizzes and puzzles are popular because so many people like them. It can get a message across without lecturing. A good quiz will make the reader think or laugh. A great quiz can do both. I submitted the quiz, “How Much Do You Know About the Christmas Story,” which made its way into a couple of seasonal magazines.

Children’s tabloids or Sunday School take-home papers love quizzes, too. But puzzles and worksheets are more favorable. Many take-home papers have a seasonal guide they work from, so you know exactly what they’re looking for. Let your imagination loose and design/create worksheets that children love to do: word searches, dot-to-dots, acrostics, anagrams, object searches, etc.

LOCAL REVIEWS

Have you enjoyed a meal at a local restaurant and want to rave about it? Write it down! Send it in to a local magazine. Local publications and newspapers welcome these kinds of reviews and may even pay more if a personal picture is attached. Reviews on books, movies, people of interest, or local human interest stories are all welcome if written well.

PROFILES & INTERVIEWS

A few magazines have a special section for the heroes in our lives, such as Womans World. Children’s editors also understand the need for heroes, and they don’t need to be celebrities. Sometimes, it’s the kind person next door who has done a kind deed or taken charge when the going was tough.

Sometimes newspapers or local magazines will publish an article or a very short bio of someone who has done something special. Local newspapers in our area took many of the bios I wrote on local authors, citing a special angle on their writing, such as “Combining Magic with Motivation” and “Local Author Cares for Aging Parent.”

Health or fitness magazines are also a good place to submit interesting profiles. Look for an interesting angle on a person, write the story, and submit it. You never know when a publication might like it and publish it!

PROJECTS

This is a topic that most writers forget about. The list of project possibilities is endless. A few ideas to start you thinking include decorating ideas (think of magazines like Good Housekeeping, Better Homes and Gardens, etc.). Children’s magazines like Humpty Dumpty, or Ranger Rick love science experiments, cooking ideas, or simple woodworking or gardening projects. Pick up any magazine and scan it to see the various projects it might be looking for.

TIPS & IDEAS

Another filler that is unusual and often forgotten is tips and ideas. Parenting magazines often look for tips on child-rearing, such as “How to Get a Kid to Eat” or “Help My Kid Clean Their Room.” What ideas and tips have worked for you? Share them. Teaching a lesson to a child through a project or unusual method, or working with neighbors. Good Housekeeping published my one paragraph tip for dealing with an angry neighbor; Woman’s Day published a paragraph on “A Date for Life”. What is your expertise? Knitting? Dog grooming? Golfing? Teaching? What have you done that has led to success? What tips or ideas can you share with others? Find the right magazine and submit. Read their guidelines. You just might be published!

NEWSWORTHY SNIPPETS

Has something unusual, funny, or important happened in your neighborhood or to your family? Snippets are meant to be entertaining, interesting, or ‘newsworthy’ and basically ‘fill a space.’ Perhaps a strange event has taken place in your area. Look for the unusual angle to a story and write it down. My local newspaper recently published a story on “Sewing for the Underprivileged” based on a story I sent in. However, the newspaper reporter got the credit. Anyone can send in snippets to a newspaper, or even CNN or AP. Articles such as this aren’t usually paid or credit given, however.

Last Tips

As with any story, tip, filler, or article you submit, the key is to check the writer’s guidelines. Each magazine (online or print) has them, and each one is different. It is essential to follow them to the letter. Some magazines have an online submission form, making it very easy to submit. Others will give an email address. Check the guidelines to see if they want an attachment or your full submission in the body of the email. When emailing, always include a one-paragraph bio under your name and any writing groups you might belong to.

To write for magazines in your genre, simply do an online search for writers’ guidelines in that genre. For example, to write for a pet magazine, Google, “pet magazines writers guidelines”. Writing for children? Type in the search bar: “children’s magazines writers guidelines.” The internet will bring you multiple links for the places you want to submit.

GET THE BOOK!

Happy Writing!