I recently got an article published on Relevant Magazine’s site. It’s called 3 Ways to Know Your Ambition is from God. It’s actually been really popular. (You can tell how popular the article is by how many hateful comments or Facebook posts you see on the article.)
So how did I get published? I believe there were three keys to my getting published.
1. Write the best content you can think of, then submit it.
That was step one. Write the best I could come up with, then submit it to the site. It was a lot of work. Unfortunately, the first article I submitted didn’t get published. So I moved on to step two.
2. Review the magazine. Then write the best content you can think of, then submit it.
So I looked closer at what they were wanting. I wrote my best content and sent it on. Still rejected.
3. Write the best content you can think of, then submit it.
I tried again, and they finally accepted and published. Do you see the pattern here?
If you want to get published, your three steps might look more like ten steps. It might look like one step if you’re my brother. The idea is: you have to be persistent. You have to do your very best and keep going even if you get rejected.
This is true for writing for magazines. It’s also true for life and for your dream. Most people stop at step one. But that’s where you’re just getting started.
Do your best. Keep trying. Press on.
Follow the steps. They work.
Hi Jonathan,
When you were initially rejected by Relevant, did they send you any indication that you would not be published, or did they just let so much time pass that you figured your article wasn’t taken?
I think they said no after a long time. Maybe a month or two. My guess is they were trying to decide if it fit and ultimately had enough that they didn’t need it.
Jonathan,
I’ve made it a writing/blog goal to be “published” on Relevant’s site. Thanks so much for the insider view and the encouragement to just keep trying.
All the best,
Steph