Monday, August 13, 2007

Finding Fresh Ideas for Articles - Non-Fiction Books

Sometimes finding article ideas to pitch is like finding that matching sock. It seems like the sucker will never surface. So when my brain has turned to cream cheese, I fall back on a few methods that make my grey matter work less and get my fingers writing more. So if you're stuck for article ideas to pitch this week -

Look at new non-fiction books.
Most authors are thrilled to give interviews on the subject of their book. Focus on a specific aspect of their book small enough for a magazine article. This gives you a topic idea and a possible source to draw from when you write the article.

Go to Amazon.com and click on books and then at the top click on new and future releases. You can further narrow the search by clicking on non-fiction. Then read the reviews to see what topics the book covers, or google the author's website for more details.

Example: Danica McKellar just came out with a new book called Math Doesn't Suck: How to Survive Middle School Math Without Losing Your Mind or Breaking a Nail. You could pitch an article about how girls can suceed at math to kids/teen mags, or spin it a different way and pitch an article to adult magszines on showing parents how they can help their girls succeed at math. And asking Danica for interview wouldn't hurt.

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