Jacky T - November 24, 2011 writes:

Not particularly stuck, but curious as to other's experiences choosing an appropriate magazine as I'm finding it quite overwhelming; I never realised there were so many options! Anyone find the mindshift to writing for the editor/magazine, instead of thinking up an article you want to write about, tricky? I find my thoughts keep drifting to try and think up a topic I'm comfortable with, rather than focussing on something marketable. Jacky

Lindsay P - November 24, 2011 replied:

Hi Jacky, I think we should write to our own strengths. Do you have a hobby, do you enjoy a particular sport or outdoor activity. There are magazines that cater to them all. I can only imagine the pleasure I would derive from making money out of writing about somthing I actually enjoy doing. Look for your own special interest mags and publications, analyse their content and find out the buzz-iness. Can you think of anything better than getting paid to write articles about a subject you love. find something to complement your knowledge and talent, rather than trying to bend it around something that is of no real interest to you. I have not progressed beyond N2 because I just felt the whole idea of writing about things I have absolutely no interest in is actually soul-destroying. Good luck to you in your writing career, Phoenix.

Sindy M - November 29, 2011 replied:

Hi Jacky, I have given this assignment much thought as there does appear to be alot of options. I guess each of us has different interests and background knowlege that would be relevant to different magazines. I have found a genealogy magazine that asks for family history case studies so I think I will give that a go as that is an interest of mine. For now I don't feel comfortable approaching editors as I feel like I am at the beginning of the learning process and am not confident that anything I will write will be oublished anyway. I have done my market research and am going to take my time writing my article in hope that I can do my best.

Jacky T - November 29, 2011 replied:

I like that idea of family history case studies, Sindy. Although it does not have to be something I know about, I believe to start with, it can be a gentler way in - yet knowing too much about a topic loses something of the exercise, the possibility of good research practise. A subject close to my heart is beekeeping. I am a beekeeper and am thinking about writing a topical article about that to go in a country/small holding type magazine. This will require some research to check my facts, if nothing else. Just need to get on with it now!

Sindy M - November 30, 2011 replied:

That sounds like an interesting article, perhaps a quick trip down to WH Smiths is in order to scour the magazines. I went there at the weekend to buy my family history magazine, and though I have been in there many times in the past I realized how many magazines there are with different topics etc. I also did some of my research online by googling magazines of interest. This is how I found out that my family history magazine want contributions. Like you I have to write it all now. Do you sell your honey locally Jacky? I was thinking that if you do how about writing an article for your local newspaper/newsletter. It could be great publicity for your product too. You could also include or write another article on the health benefits of honey. Best of luck to us both.

Rod F - December 3, 2011 replied:

I found this very difficult also. I am interested in fiction and don't read magazines or newspapers as a rule. So, I found it hard. Eventually focussed on caravan park wardens. My concern is that Assignment 3 seems to be more of the same!
Rod

Jacky T - December 4, 2011 replied:

Although I know the idea is to get us to focus on being more commercially minded (one reason I chose this course), yet it is difficult to make the transition. This is good as obviously it is stretching us. I'm now keeping my focus on the fact that this is still just an exercise and although publication would be great, it is not the key objective of Assignment 2.

Linda L - December 5, 2011 replied:

I am so glad to find other people going through exactly the same problem as me. I have been looking through magazines but the more I do the more I feel stuck, especially as I keep thinking that I am not yet capable of writing to that standard. There is some good advice above, now I have to stop procrastinating and get on with it!

Jacky T - December 5, 2011 replied:

I've picked my magazine - Country Smallholder, based on my beekeeping experience, and have done my publication analysis. This has really helped, (and they had some useful info on their website) so now I feel much more focussed to create the article. Although at first it feels as if it is instinctively wrong, once you complete the exercise, it certainly makes a lot more sense. I think it also helped me to find a small niche magazine that I have an interest in, rather than trying for the more generic big publications. Now to do my research and create my article.

Rod F - December 5, 2011 replied:

Looking at assignments 3 & 4 I wonder if it would be helpful if we (those who are not avid mag/paper readers) shared info about publicatons who accept letters/fillers etc for money. I'm going to try and do some reaearch which I would be happy to share if others would be interested and reciprocate

Jacky T - December 5, 2011 replied:

More than happy to reciprocate if I come across such information, only problem we get back to is the vast range and potential! If we post our experiences as we work through (as we're doing here) that will probably be the most helpful for us all.

Sindy M - December 6, 2011 replied:

I have completed my marrket research for 'Your Family tree magazine' I have also written a first draft of the article I want to write. It would be amazing if it got published, but I think I have alot to learn about writing articles and am just pleased to be part of the learning process for now. I have found another family history magazine that accepts articles/ personal research stories so may give this a go for the 3rd assignment.

Rod F - December 6, 2011 replied:

Well done Sindy. It sounds hopeful.

Rod F - December 7, 2011 replied:

At last paid attention and looked at the Writers and artists yearbook. Lots of ideas now and should now be able to focus on buying just a few rather than the whole of WHSmiths!

Sindy M - December 7, 2011 replied:

Thankyou Rod. I think I may need to buy the writers and artists yearbook too. Onwards and upwards (hopefullly).

Judith A - December 9, 2011 replied:

I have just (half an hour ago) bought a copy of writers and artists year book. Hopefully we will all find it useful.

Linda L - December 14, 2011 replied:

Ass.N2: I found that researching the market has opened my eyes to what is out there and the different possibilities available. Like Jacky said, this is a real learning curve. It is the 'doing' that counts. There is some really good advice within these modules.

Stephen H - January 3, 2012 replied:

I started to work on N2 last February and have still not completed it. Procrastination is an awful thing in any line of work but even harder when the only drive master is yourself. I too have been completely overwhelmed with how to approach this and how to choose an article. Thank you for all your comments and the one that hits home is 'keeping my focus on the fact that this is still just an exercise ', thank you for those wise words Jacky. I will start again with vigour.

Jacky T - January 3, 2012 replied:

Good for you Stephen. New year - new start!

Genesta L - January 13, 2012 replied:

Hi All, Genesta from South Africa. Also been stuck on ass2 and reading through all your comments have given me more hope.I need someone to look over my shoulder at all times. But quitting is not an option!! I just need a bit of encouragement.

Jacky T - January 13, 2012 replied:

Hi Genesta, A good tip to get anything done is to find 15 minutes to start - without focussing on completion. Once you get going you often find it quite easy to continue. Good luck. Jacky

Genesta L - January 13, 2012 replied:

Hi Jacky, Thanks I will. Thanks for the encouragement.

Rachael S - January 17, 2012 replied:

Does anyone else feel a bit concerned that we're stuck on Ass 2 and there are so many more assignments to do which must be even harder!?!?

Jurgen N - January 31, 2012 replied:

Hi Rachael I share the same feeling. I was supposed to start assignment 2 sometime in the end of 2010. Now its 2012 and I just haven't progressed at all in the course. I procrastinate a lot especially because I found Ass2 to be too overwhelming. But reading this thread has made me realise that I'm not alone and has motivated me to actually get something done.

Jurgen N - January 31, 2012 replied:

I still don't know what to write for Ass2 though. The fact that I must finish the course by April 2010 worries me even more. Thats 19 more Assignments in under 2 years.

sana m - January 31, 2012 replied:

help plz i don't read any magazines and i don't think readers digest counts as one..what do i do??

Administrator - January 31, 2012 replied:

Hi All, I have finally sent off my second assignment. The following were my thoughts (some as passed on to my tutor) on the exercise. 1. Choosing a market was hard. I was unaware of how much choice there is out there! Once I had decided I stuck with it and worked on an appropriate subject. 2. The importance of getting the facts right - I found myself researching repeatedly to be sure I was not being misleading. This took more time than I realised, but was worth it. 3. Working on appropriate content against the number of required words was a challenge. I found myself restructuring and reconsidering what I was writing about a lot! In fact, my original effort focussed on the exercise and I created somewhere nearer to the 1500 word limit. I then revisited the magazine and realised the bulk of articles were around the 500 mark. I have now split my original article into 3 parts to make it marketable as that is the focus of the course. 4. I believe that this one should be tricky as it is the first real foray into potentially getting published and I feel confident that, although the work will still take time and effort, only by doing it will it start to come a little easier. So take heart, my brave fellow travellers, if any of you are feeling daunted. The best way to eat an elephant is one piece at a time! Jacky

Rachael S - January 31, 2012 replied:

That's all really helpful, I've started researching into Ass 2, not a subject I know a lot about but I'll do my best. Jurgen, I'm not sure where you live, but I went to Smiths and just stood in front of all the magazines for about an hour until I picked one that seemed to write in a similar style to me and that accepted freelance work. At the end of the day it's no biggie if this doesn't get published, it's all experience. I have every confidence you can finish your assignments in time. Plus you can always come on here for support!

Anuradha G - February 24, 2012 replied:

Hi all,I have enrolled in Jan 2011 and i am stuck with Ass 2.Finding it very difficult to choose a magazine,went to WHSmith,there are so many to choose from and i feel totally lost.Plz suggest what to do.Thanks.Anuradha

Jacky T - February 24, 2012 replied:

Hi Anuradha, If you do not have a particular hobby, business slant or interest then consider picking a magazine aimed at your age group that resonates with you. I've now completed my assignment two (article based on a specific area of interest) and moving on to assignment three I've decided to expand into another area, this time, into a magazine that is aimed at my age group and is relatively close to my way of thinking. There are so many magazines out there and generally I do not like them, but if you look hard enough you should find something that you are reasonably comfortable with, even if you do not agree with everything in it. In my opinion, this part of the course is about getting published, and needs to be approached pragmatically and with business-like . Hope that helps. Jacky

Anuradha G - February 26, 2012 replied:

Hi Jacky,thanks for showing me the way as to how to go about picking a magazine that caters to my age group.I will now try look at the market with a new perspective and positive outlook.U have been a great help.Thanks.Anuradha

Administrator - March 11, 2012 replied:

Hi guys&galls, I'm working on my N2 assignement right now. I've found an on line e-zine which would like to see something about the city I live in, so let's see how it goes. Wish me luck. Monica