Writing for International Markets

Writing for International Markets Make your freelance writing career go viral. To make more money in 2014, take your marketing outside of North America. Introduce your work to a global audience. The Internet and social media have made this task easy, but its still your responsibility to be pro-active. Like hanging out on Facebook, the epitome of social media? Facebook can lead you to international markets. Using hashtags, you can find a publication with similar content to your post. For example, if youre writing about high school proms, you can write about the increasing cost of prom dresses, underaged sex or alcohol. When working with editors from overseas, keep in mind five types of stories most likely to be accepted: 1. Celebrity profiles. Overseas, the American entertainment industry still creates the most revenue. If youve written profiles of American celebrities and business leaders, and you still own rights, sell them to overseas publications as reprints. Even if you sold all rights to one article, most of the time you can still write and publish articles on similar topics. 2. Travel articles. If youre a native New Yorker, editors from London to Mumbai eagerly want to read your views of Central Park, the Brooklyn neighborhood of Williamsburg and the Bronx Zoo. Ditto for residents of Orlando or Vail, Colorado. Even if your towns small and relatively nondescript, use your imagination to transform a local event or destination into a beautiful word picture for foreign vacationers or local staycationers. 3. Write about the demographic of your magazine. This is almost impossible for writers not familar with the magazines location. The majority of editors prefer local writers to write about their culture. However, if you know some Indian-Americans, for example, and you want to write about how domestic violence or mental illness affects the Indian-American community in your city, you can pitch to an Indian magazine. 4. Write about American trends. To most of the world, Americas still a leader in finance, culture and science. Many international publications want stories on how trends in the United States affect their particular country. An Australian magazine may want a piece on how their local retail sector reacted to the financial safety breach at Target. A trade magazine from South Africa may want a how-to on encouraging customers to start using credit and debit cards again after similar scandals. If its just a straightforward trend article, editors prefer local writers, so stand out 5. Essays. Another way to crack international markets is through personal essays, especially based on experiences located in the magazines country. Essays can be humorous, political or foster cross-cultural understanding. In this case, always read the magazine before submitting your unsolicited manuscript even if the magazine only comes through snail mail. Stereotypes are not only offensive, theyre a waste of time and cost you money. Here are seven international publications that are looking for material: Writing Magazine www.writers-online.co.uk Country: United Kingdom Contact: Jonathan Telfer Email: jtelfer@writersnews.co.uk BUZZZ Caribbean Lifestyle Magazine www.buzzzmagazine.com Country: Jamaica Contact: Fabian Barracks Email: buzzzeditor@gmail.com female www.femalemag.co.my Country: Malaysia Contact: Terry Saw Email: terrysaw@bluinc.com.my British Airways High Life www.highlife.ba.com Country: United Kingdom Contact: Kerry Smith Email: kerry.smith@cedarcom.co.uk GQ Australia www.gq.com.au Country: Australia Contact: Jake Millar Email: jake.millar@news.com.au WestJets up! Magazine www.upmagazine.com Country: Canada Contact: website for online submission form In Lan Chile Magazine www.in-lan.com Country: Chile Contact: Roberto Schiattino Email: rschiattino@spafax.com