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Tips, Techniques and Tactics….. for maximising time, minimising effort, maximising sales, minimising failure rates (if, that is you ever do receive a rejection slip).
* Look for target markets all over the world, for various types of publication, and covering wide-ranging topics. Don't assume only glossy magazines use fillers, look for monthly and quarterly upmarket publications, too. Many offer higher rewards than daily or weekly cheapies.
* Some magazines have special filler and short take sections headed such as 'News at a Glance", 'Fast Info Department', 'Short Shorts'. These are the markets to focus on first, where more fillers are used each issue and there's scope for regular bulk acceptances.
* Don't let shorter research time for fillers tempt you to cut quality. Rather spend longer coming up with several brilliant points from which to extract only the very best for your filler.
* Choose research pieces carefully. Use this somewhat scientific approach developed by a major competitions winner. Number topics A to E, etc., depending on number available. Say you have five research points A, B, C, D, E. Each item can be compared for importance in relation to every other by means of this simple formula:
A-B B-C A-D A-E
B-C B-D B-E
C-D C-E
D-E
Now compare the two items in each group, say A-B, and decide which of the two deserves higher ranking in your work. Underline the chosen number. Do this for all groups, then count the number of times each letter A to E scores higher than its partner.
Like this:
A-B A-C A-D A-E
B-C B-D B-E
C-D C-E
D-E
And then like this:
Research Point Score
A 4
B 2
C 1
D 3
E 0
10 The total should coincide with number of pairings above.
From the score table we can see research point A ranks higher than its counterparts, followed by D, B, C and E.
* If just one research point is needed say for a short-short filler, A is almost certainly the one to use. If two points are needed, they'd probably be A and D, and so on. This formula is also great for helping you pair points in order-of-merit competitions where lists of points, sometimes long lists, must be ranked in order of importance and priority to given criteria.
* Watch for publications changing fast, for some declining in filler content and others asking more. Note what other changes occur, for instance a new type of filler being introduced, such as cartoons where none existed previously, or another section being scrapped altogether. Keep up to date with this vital part of market research and expect higher acceptance rates.
* Spot which magazines use mainly in-house filler writers. The byline is the best place to look. The same names appearing often could mean fillers are the work of staff writers. But don't assume because fillers are produced in-house that freelance contributions are unwelcome. On the contrary, it could be a sign of too few freelance contributions to choose from. Get in there fast.
* Keep an eye open in writers' market guides, such as 'Writers' News', and move in fast every time a new publication is launched. Be the early bird, catch the editor's eye, and you could find yourself being asked for regular contributions.
* Always think pictures to accompany your letters or as published pieces in their own right. Just because editors don't request pictures does not mean they do not want them. Also consider submitting cartoons and line drawings to attract an editor's attention and increase your selling chances.
* Study publications before submitting work to them. Study individual filler requirements, length and style of writing, whether bylines are used, if pictures and captions are published alongside.
* Don't consider yourself less of a writer for specialising in fillers. Fillers can sometimes be more difficult to create than longer articles, requiring focus and the tightest possible writing style.
* Don't waste time writing for publications that don't really interest you. Focus instead on publications dealing with your special hobbies or interests and you will derive greater pleasure from your work. This, in turn, should greatly improve the quality of your writing.
* For each magazine targeted, start a research page, just a simple sheet of paper, headed with the title of the publication. Research the magazine thoroughly before searching for writing ideas and certainly before writing begins. Add information such as type of fillers use, topics and general themes, wordcount, picture and caption potential, payment and prizes, reader profile, and so on.
* If time permits put your work to one side for a couple of days before the final editing. This way, you'll spot mistakes and points you may previously have overlooked.
* Be on constant lookout for better ways to say the same thing, using more colourful words, and incorporating other interesting techniques: alliteration, shorter sentences, and so on.
* Write pictures, not words. Don't tell readers the flowers are red, give them a vibrant description instead. Use words like flame-coloured, scarlet, etc. Instead of saying the dog is aggressive, let readers 'see' his teeth, the savage snarl, the split second when teeth make contact with someone's ..!!!
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