Hints for Reprints

Recycling is the current buzzword in my community. Our city has graciously provided each resident with bins for the collection of a myriad of discarded items that will make their way to the local recycling station. There they will be processed for use in the manufacture of a wide variety of new products.

While Mr. Recycling is relatively new in my town, he’s an old-timer in the writing profession. In fact, he’s been around so long, it’s a wonder that more writers haven’t gotten to know him. To those of us who have, he’s been a fine friend both in terms of saving us time and earning us money. Affectionately referred to by his writer friends as “Reprint Sales,” Mr. Recycling has earned a reputation for helping them maximize their marketing strategies. Here are some of his words of wisdom:

1. Write about something that really interests you. While this is important with anything you write, it’s especially important when writing articles you plan to re-sell. The reason for this is that you’ll be working with these articles over and over again, re-slanting them to meet the needs of different publications. So your interest level in the topic must be high enough to sustain you during the re-slanting process. Of course, there will be times when you’ll be able to re-sell an article without changing it at all. When this occurs, consider it a bonus blessing.

2. Think in terms of multiple markets for everything you write. When choosing a topic, consider different audiences that would be interested in that topic. For instance, you could write an article on money management for a general interest magazine as a primary market and then re-slant it for a women’s magazine, a teen magazine, a senior citizen publication, or an in-flight magazine. You could then take that same article and re-slant it again, perhaps with more specific detail, for a business magazine or a Trade journal.

3. Sell only first or one-time rights to the first magazine that publishes your piece. If you sell all rights to your article the first time it’s published, you will not be able to sell it again. These are just a few of Mr. Recycling’s tips for marketing success. Put them into practice and watch your sales soar.

____________________

Copyright 1992 by Maryann Diorio, Ph.D. All rights reserved.