Start with an idea, research and write an article and then try to find a publisher. Follow a few key steps to find a publisher and tailor your work to that magazine's needs. Purchase a copy of "Writer’s Market" or "Writer’s Digest," which list magazines, publishers and presses in which your work can be published (see Resources). Fit your interests with specific magazines. Do you love to travel? Are you a computer wiz? Is fiction your thing?
Send a carefully worded and proofed query letter explaining your intentions and qualifications to the magazines in which you're interested. Keep in mind that this isn’t merely a sales pitch; it’s a writing sample. Research and write your article.
Write an article tailored to the interests and requirements of the magazines you're interested in if you did not get a go-ahead from one of your queries. Send it to the publications along with a sales pitch explaining why your view of the subject matter is best and why readers will love your story. Keep trying; be willing to rework, rewrite and retry.
