The International Approach: Queries, Clips, Packaging, Pictures

by Michael Sedge

For me, and for most other successful international freelancers, the best initial approach for global article sales is still a good query letter. Granted, once you have built a rapport with an editor, the wall of formalities begins to crumble and ideas can often be sent as one-paragraph proposals or, in some cases, a simple mention in an e-mail or during a telephone call.

After sending a few successful queries during the early 1990s to Janie Couch, editor of Frankfurt-based Off Duty Europe, I would make notes on article ideas and call her quarterly to go down my list. Knowing her editorial schedule and what “holes” she had to fill, Janie would say, “No. No. Got something similar. That one sounds good. No. Yes, I like that . . .” For every four or five negative replies, she would normally give me one "yes."

Once you have developed a relationship like this with several editors, you’re in good shape. Until then, and when approaching new markets, however, stick with the query. As one editor from the MPH Magazines group in Singapore — which publishes, among others, Singapore Airlines’s Silver Kris and Singapore Airport’s Changi — pointed out: “It is always best to query. This saves time and energy on everyone’s part. If something is sitting on my desk, it gets greater attention than a phone call or e-mail, both of which can easily be brushed aside. A letter is something tangible, something that requires action. I can’t just push a button and delete it.

“Another advantage of the query is that they get filed and sometimes editors will reconsider or revert to them when they do need material.”

This, in fact, happened to me recently with MPH Magazines. For many years I’ve been a regular contributor to Silver Kris. The editor here has limited space each month and, therefore, he has to reject a certain percentage of my ideas. When the publisher won the contract to produce Changi, it suddenly found itself under a short deadline with no material for the first issue.

The group editorial director, Steve Thompson, mentioned this in a weekly meeting and the Silver Kris editor immediately resurrected a few of my ideas. As a result, the premier issue of Changi carried two of my features — “Business Computers: Target of Corporate Terrorists” and “New Starlight Express, Fastest Show on Earth” — which brought me a check for $1,200.

Just how important are so-called clips or samples of previously published works to editors overseas? If you are using them to establish your credibility with a new contact, I would say very important. A few — no more than three — good-quality magazine clips will immediately set you apart from writers and photographers who merely say they’ve been published. The best clips are in full color, from noted publications, and contain topics of interest to the editor receiving them.

For example, you are trying to sell an idea to the editor of Company, which, despite its name, is a popular magazine for women in the United Kingdom. The magazine covers topics such as fashion, makeup, relationships, sex, and health. You’ve published several such articles, or illustrated pieces for North American magazines like Cosmopolitan, McCalls, and Redbook. Clips from these periodicals to editor Fiona McIntosh would certainly be impressive and establish you as someone who can produce for the readership of Company. You might even go one step further and offer first U.K. serial rights to the articles you are sending as clips.

I would avoid sending samples that appeared in newspapers or non-color magazines unless they are from a well-known source such as Reader’s Digest. Additionally, originals or color copies of your clips will have a greater impact on editors than will black-and-white reproductions.

Because I have a background in advertising, I take advantage of my stationery to promote myself and my various services. First, I created a company name — Strawberry Media — and logo. I then ran a 1-1/2 inch-wide box along the left side of the company stationery. The box was divided into six sections, with each section indicating an aspect of my business, under the company logo: i.e., Strawberry Media Promotions, Strawberry Media Editorial, Strawberry Media Photos, and so on. The same logo design is used on my business cards as well as the cover of my presentation folders, which are used to send each completed editorial package.

Does this make a difference in the image-conscious markets around the world? Yes! One editor in Germany a few years ago wrote: “We’ll be running your story in the July issue. The article itself was fair. You can chalk up this sale to your great packaging.”

On another occasion, an editor receiving my article noted that I also offered photographic services and requested images not only for that story, but several others that he had been holding. Editors and art directors around the world find it expensive and time-consuming to search for artwork to illustrate a writer’s work. Writers who can provide photographs are valuable to most overseas editors, as are photographers who can write. Receiving editorial packages (articles and photos) can decrease the editor’s work by 50 percent. And if you make their life easier, they’ll find ways to repay you—e.g., additional money for images, larger spreads in magazines (resulting in even more money), and assignments that require articles and photographs.

You may have noticed that I mentioned sending “editorial packages.” I always include illustrations with my articles. Depending on the topic, they may be in the form of color slides, prints, graphs, charts, maps, or even line drawings. The key is that I provide “visuals” that the editor or art department of the publication can use to illustrate my feature.

If you are not a photographer or cannot find a collaborator, seek out free picture sources. I discovered early on that somewhere, someone had photographs that they would provide free of charge for nearly every topic—even if the magazine would eventually pay me for them. I consider such payments my fee for the time and research put into locating images for the editor.

This morning, for instance, I called a regional archaeological director in Southern Italy to request images. He agreed to have a selection for me within two days as well as a letter of permission allowing me to use them in any magazine in the world. I have recently obtained pictures from tourist offices, nonprofit organizations, government archives, corporations, and a host of other locations. The possibilities are almost endless—and best of all, they are almost always free. Of course, I am very careful to ensure that credit is given to the source.

Mark Svenvold, special projects editor at Newsweek International in New York, called me one day saying, “We’d like a thousand-word feature on the Italian fashion industry. And it is very important that you obtain photographs from your various sources. . . . We’ll pay you $1,000 plus expenses.”

See what I mean? Pictures count!

I’ve learned that working cooperatively with freelance photographers around the world is also helpful. Currently, I am waiting on a selection of images on hunting on horseback from a photographer in Holland, as well as pictures of Hawaii’s volcanoes from another freelancer.

Such collaborations often open doors to photo-essays, which are so popular among the slick hotel magazines of Europe and Asia. A photographer in Switzerland, who has worked with me several times, mentioned that he had images of postage stamps from tiny countries like Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, and the Vatican. I suggested that he send them to me. After looking them over for quality, I wrote a 500-word story called “Big Stamps from Little Countries.” I sold it to four different publications, including Philippine Airlines’s Mabuhay, which ran the story as a full-color photo-essay that was over six pages long.

During the past ten years I have sold perhaps 50 such photo features. Through collaborations I’ve placed picture stories covering everything from Filipino jewelry to Italian architecture, jellyfish to chocolate, and historical war reenactments to antique-car races.

Putting together an image package that “tells a story” is often a simple matter of adding, say, 500 words of text and presenting it to the right editor. In doing this, both the writer and the photographer can increase their sales at home and abroad. I, for example, always divide profits (minus expenses for courier, etc.) equally with the collaborator.

The bottom line is that images can help sell articles and text can often increase the sale of photographs.  

-- MS
© 2000 Michael Sedge