What Kinds of Articles Promote books?
Even if you are a fiction writer, you can write articles for a magazine, paper, blog, or website about your book.
The article can be about the time and place your characters live in, and how you picked them, specifically, to tell your story.
You can zero in on certain aspects of your fiction book. The politics, the religion. How people dressed and what they ate. What dangers did they face? Why and how did your characters overcome these dangers, or fail to overcome them?
What focus you take and information you fit in your articles will depend on the outlet you’re sending them to. These can be fun to write, and articles can promote your books.
Let’s talk about magazines first. Many magazines are now available in reformats, of course, but they always need articles their readers will like. If you have good material, you can get published in a magazine.
One way to find out what magazines are looking for is to study Writer’s Market. This is an annual publication, and for more than 90 years they’ve been letting writers know what editors and publishers are looking for. Take some time to study magazines that look like a good fit for your material.
Some publications use only articles by their own staff, while others depend upon freelancers to furnish most of what they publish. That’s why Writer’s Market asks that question for you.
Near the top of almost every listing you will see what percentage of material freelancers write. Don’t be surprised that sometimes it’s more than ninety percent.
The listings will tell you how to get a sample magazine, and exactly what sort of articles they’re looking for. Sometimes they tell you even how many freelance pieces they buy every year.
There are all kinds of magazines listed, so you might find places to send fiction excerpts, and even some poetry, while you’re at it. Just remember you’re looking for places to send articles that promote your books.
Be sure you put the names of your books in your bio, and how folks can get hold of you.