It's all based on a formula.
A magazine's fomula is what it contains on a regular basis to reach a specific target audience. Your task is to plan specific articles for one of the demographic-psychographic groups.To define the target audience, one must first look at demographic factors: Gender, age, economic level, educational level, etc. Then, one must ask questions of this group to determine psychographics: Interests, lifestyle, wants, needs, likes, dislikes, etc.,
The categories remain the same, but the story contents change each month. For example, if the editor determines that his/her readers like stories about outdoor activities for the family
# the story one month may be on weekend camping trips
# another month it may be on the top fishing spots in the country
# another month it may be on how to fix good nutritious meals for a family of four
# still another month may spotlight inexpensive camping gear
Click here for "Writer's Digest" magazine.
Click here for examples of guidelines.
This is the listing for Campus Life magazine.
"Personal experience stories that demonstrate a life lesson learned; must be written from a teen's perspective and must demonstrate a Christian worldview. What writers must know: "Campus Life is a magazine for high-school and early college-age teenagers. Our editorial slant is not overtly religious. The indirect style is intended to create a safety zone with our readers and to reflect our philosophy that God is interested in all of life. Therefore, we publish 'message stories' side by side with general interest, humor, etc."
Key element: "The best way to break into Campus Life is through writing first-person or as-told-to first-person stories. We want stories that capture a teen's everyday 'life lesson' experience. A first-person story must be highly descriptive and incorporate fictional technique. While avoiding simplistic religious answers, the story should demonstrate that Christian values or beliefs brought about a change in the young person's life. But query first with theme information telling the way this story would work for our audience."
Here is another listing for PETS Health News magazine:
PETS Health News, Fancy Publications Inc., P.O. Box 6050, Mission Viejo CA 92690. (714) 855-8822. Editor: Virginia R. parker. 50% free-lance written. Monthly magazine covering pet health. Our main emphasis is animal health care. Estab. 1985. Controlled circulation. Pays on publication. Publishes ms an average of 2 months after acceptance. Byline given. Buys first North American serial rights.
- (An Esquire magazine article by Aaron Latham is the source material for "Urban Cowboy," the movie. "Saturday Night Fever" was based on a New York magazine article titled "Tribal rite of the new Saturday Night, which looked at the then-emerging disco scene. So, don't sell all your rights.)
Important information from the Writer's Market insertion above includes:
Name of magazine, address of magazine, editor's name, amount of editorial content that is free-lance, payment schedule, rights, when to query, sample copy price and guidelines availability.
How to write a query letter
Also, you can determine the formula of the magazine, pay per word and length.