TIPS FOR BETTER MAGAZINE ARTICLE PROPOSALS:

• Find the hook

You may have a really cool house in a neat location, but don’t assume that by itself, the house warrants having an article written about it. Instead suggest a possible hook or interest niche that the project might fall under. Find an interesting fact about the project that is going to grab the attention of the person who is reviewing the proposal.
WARNING: The fact that a project was a great love fest between designer, client and builder is NOT a viable hook 99.9% of the time.

• Focus Focus Focus

Once you’ve suggested a hook, zero in on the most compelling aspect or aspects of the project that support that hook.

• Keep all talk brief and descriptive

A proposal is the time for selling the article idea, not writing the article. If the description of the project is too long, the reviewers can lose interest.

• Gear your proposal for specific magazines

Know the publication you’re trying to woo with your project. If the target magazine is about building, they won’t be interested in a biographical sketch of the architect. By the same token, if the target magazine is more of a shelter type publication, they may not be interested in the particulars of that engineered roof truss system that you may have incorporated in the project. If you’re aiming at two different magazines, then create two different proposals.

• Write in plain English

Make sure what you write in your proposal is engaging and easy to understand. If you’re an architect, translate any architect lingo into good readable English.

• Use professional photos if possible

Those who review article proposals may claim not to care about the quality of photos you submit, but in truth, professional photos are more apt to catch their eye, period.

• Send enough photos

Don’t just send one or two teaser photos of a house’s exterior expecting those pictures to pique the reviewers’ curiosity enough to accept the project. If you ask them to make that leap, you reduce the chances of having a project published. If there is a submission deadline for a special issue, inadequate photos that slow down the approval process could sink your chances of getting into that issue.

• Don’t send too many photos

Don’t make the people reviewing the photos have to plod through the entire photo album of your house project. Instead, choose one shot of each room you want to feature, two shots at the absolute most. Send some detail shots, but only as they pertain to your hook. If the project is a single room such as a kitchen or bath, send shots from a couple of angles and include shots of cool details. If the project is a remodel, send one or two “before” shots. But also include “after” shots from essentially the same angle and identify them as such.

• Don’t send shots of kids and pets

Make sure all the photos you send work hard for you. Your golden retriever might be cute on the kitchen floor, but unless there is some relevance to the dog being there, don’t let the dog distract attention from the room in the shot.

• Include a floor plan

Send a simple floor plan showing the project in simple terms as it was built. Do not send a set of blueprints. On the floor plan, include labels of all the rooms as well as significant details. A helpful tip is to include locations of all the photos you are sending. Also include a measurement or scale so the people reviewing the proposal can get an idea of how big the house or room is.

• Include a return envelope with the proposal

Be sure to include a self-addressed envelope with the proper postage in your proposal package, so that your material can be returned to you. Ask specifically in your cover letter that your proposal be sent back when the magazine is finished with it. If you’ve sent professional photos, send an envelope from a traceable currier service such as UPS or FedEx.
WARNING: Beware of magazines that claim they won’t be able to return your material because ‘they receive so many proposals’. In most cases this means that you don’t have the option of withdrawing your proposal if you need to.

• Make your presentation shine

When you have all your materials gathered, create a folder that will be easy to thumb through. Start with the best photo of the project. Then a short cover letter followed by the description of the project with details and possible hook outlined. Next in line are the floor plan and photos. It helps if you include a brief caption with each photo to tell reviewers exactly what they’re looking at, along with where the photo was taken on the floor plan. I also suggest putting the photos inside plastic sleeves in the folder so the reviewers don’t have to sort through them.