Sell Before You Write

Once upon a time there was a girl who loved to sew. She longed to be a famous fashion designer. So one day she sat down, designed a pattern, found a piece of exquisite material and took the rest of the month cutting and sewing. Once she was done she went door-to-door, asking if anyone in her neighborhood wanted to buy the beautiful dress and launch her fashion career.

After days of wandering up and down the hills and dales of her little town, receiving rejection after rejection, our heroine threw the dress in the gutter and collapsed in tears. "I must be a horrible designer and no one will ever buy my dresses," she sobbed.

Being a wise friend you could probably give our heroine some words of encouragement and helpful advice. The people she showed her dress to may not have been in the market for dresses; maybe they're a Cowboy boots and blue jeans crowd. The dress may have been beautiful but the townsfolk might prefer short sleves instead of long sleeves this time of year.

And, just like our heroine, successful magazine writers learn how to sell before they sit down to write to increase their chances of making a sale.

Carol Thomas, Write Magazine Articles That Sell!