Changing The World With Words: How To Write And Sell Articles On
Social Change
PROJECT PURPOSE: To write and publish articles about people and
institutions whose lives and missions are dedicated to a bold
and inspired purpose or vision.
I created Project Purpose in the spring of 1995 after realizing,
that in ten-plus years of writing for national publications, the
articles I most enjoyed writing, from start to finish, were
about people making a difference in the world, especially those
of the "unsung hero" category. At the time, I'd only worked on a
handful of these articles, but they were the ones I remembered
most fondly. Before Project Purpose, editors knew me as a former
small animal veterinarian turned freelance writer who
specialized in writing about animals, health and related topics.
Today, most of my editors know me as a writer of profiles,
interviews and essays about people who are changing the world.
IS WRITING ABOUT SOCIAL CHANGE FOR YOU?
Although one of the most often quoted rules of writing is,
"write about what you know," I think it's much more important to
write about what interests you, what you're passionate about,
what you find fascinating and worthwhile. While this may include
topics you know a lot about, there are many subjects I've
written about that I was far from an expert on, but which piqued
my curiosity. So, if social issues quicken your pulse, write
about the ones that interest you.
Within a couple months of starting Project Purpose, I received
my first assignment from New Age Journal to write a feature
profile on Bo Lozoff, founder and director of The Human Kindness
Foundation in my home state of North Carolina. I knew I had
stumbled upon my niche when I enjoyed researching the piece as
much as writing it and even the revision process was relatively
painless. When the check arrived, twice as much as I'd ever
received before, it was like a delicious cherry sitting atop an
already scrumptious sundae. I knew I'd found my specialty.
WHY WRITE ABOUT SOCIAL ISSUES?
There's an old saying, "the more things change, the more they
stay the same," which is one of the best reasons to write about
social change. Since things are changing all the time, you
always have new topics to pitch to a wide assortment of
magazines. If you're interested in women's issues, such as the
glass ceiling of the corporate world, pitch your ideas to the
women's magazines. If you're more interested in male issues,
focus your attention on men's magazines. Perhaps your interests
lie in specialized areas like healthcare or spirituality.
There's a wide assortment of magazines that would be interested.
One of the best reasons to write about social change is the
opportunity for your words to make a difference with other
people, often in large numbers. I've written numerous articles
on "voluntary simplicity," a cultural trend my family has
participated in for 15 years. When one of these articles
appeared as the cover story for Yoga Journal, I received over a
hundred letters and phone calls asking for more information on
how to get started on a path to a simpler life.
BREAKING IN
One of the key steps to becoming known as a writer who
specializes in social issues is market research, which is a
fancy name for finding and studying the types of magazines that
publish articles about social issues. Although there are a
number of good resource books that give a good overview of
magazines, such as Writer's Marketplace, these are only starting
points. It's important to study at least 2-3 back issues of the
magazines for which you want to write. Whenever I'm in a new
city, even if it's only a quick layover in the airport, I make
it a point to drop into a bookstore or newsstand to look over
their magazine selection. If I find a new magazine with the
types of stories I write, I'll invest a few bucks in the latest
issue, or at least jot down the name of the magazine, the
editor's name and address or email. I'll then request additional
information from them including a copy of their writer's
guidelines and an editorial calendar.
TYPES OF ARTICLES ON SOCIAL CHANGE
Articles on social change can take several different forms.
Since I'm particularly interested in focusing on the people who
are changing the world, many of my articles are either profiles
or question and answer interviews. Since most magazine articles
run in the 1500 to 3000 word range, a profile may give a short
overview or summary of a person's life, but must then take a
tight focus. The same is true of a Q and A interview. While it's
not unusual for me to spend a couple hours interviewing a
subject for a Q and A, which could result in as much as a 20,000
word transcription, the final piece will need to be condensed to
1500 to 5000 words, depending on the assignment.
Other forms that articles on social issues may take include
essays, roundups, straight journalism pieces or some
combination. For example, the simple living piece that appeared
in Yoga Journal was a combination of essay about my family's
experiences as we simplified our life and straight journalism as
I interviewed other voluntary simplicity experts. An example of
a round-up piece would be an article highlighting 3-5 different
people working on a similar social issue, but with their own
perspective on the problem.
THE PEN IS STILL MIGHTY
Even today, with our wide assortment of media, the written word
still has the power to stop people in their tracks, to provoke
their thinking, to awaken them to new ideas and new
possibilities. There's something special about knowing that
thousands, perhaps millions of people will read one of my
Project Purpose profiles and that it might touch and inspire
them. There's nothing like getting a letter or phone call from
someone that's read one of my articles thanking me for the piece
or asking for more information. I feel I'm changing the world
for the better, word by word.
Brad Swift is the founder and chief visionary officer of Life On
Purpose Institute, and has written hundreds of articles for such
publications as Utne, Hope, Yoga Journal, Body & Soul and
others. He can be reached at brad@lifeonpurpose.com