Here’s the question: Which do you do first….develop an idea for a query or find a publication then brainstorm ideas? The answer is…it depends.
I’ve done both of these in my time as a freelance writer, and they both work. The key is deciding on which approach you are going to use ahead of time. The query process can easily deteriorate into an unorganized mess if you don’t go in with a solid plan in the first place.
If you have an idea, you can look through market listings in search of a possible match. This can be effective, but it is important not to overdevelop the idea before you have a few specific mags or markets in mind. Remember that you must match your idea to their format, which can take a little tweaking.
If you are going with the publication first, study the material they publish. Do they use lists? How-to pieces? Essays? What sort of topics do they cover, and do you have an interest in any of them? This approach can work well too, if you bring the right mindset with it.
Try it out and see what you think. Pick an article idea and then go in search of a suitable magazine–or find a publication and try and come up with an idea for it. It may seem like a small detail, but it is one that can give you a more organized approach to the query process.
I find it much easier to have the magazine first. In fact, I’ve never successfully pitched an idea to a magazine where I came up with the idea first(in my relatively short career as a freelancer….maybe this will change with time and experience). I always have a magazine in mind, if not in hand, before I invest any research in a topic….otherwise I’m not sure how to slant it. It’d be interesting to hear from people who prefer the other approach.