writing for magazines?

Question

i have a few questions and i'd be very happy if someone could answer. thanx

- what are the ways to break the ice if you have no prior experience, where and how to start
- can you make a living out of it, suppose you write for several magazines, can this be your full time job
- if you're an english major, what are the topics you can write on - just fiction/philosophy/world affairs? is this in high demand so you can earn enough money to support yourself. thanx a lot

Answer 1

Go to the library and look at the most recent copy of Writer's Market. There will be sections on getting started, what magazines buy what sort of material and a little on pay scales.
Yes, it can be a full time job. No, it won't be lucrative for a while.
You will have to be very good at record keeping to know who has asked for what story, length, deadlines, to whom you have submitted stories and who has paid. In the beginning you may have trouble retaining rights to your work, but this can be a key to success. Often times you can re-write a story by re-working the focus and sell it to another magazine.
As a writer, it will be assumed that you can research any topic and interview experts to get the story. You are likely to get more repeat requests for stories if you can become an expert in a couple of areas--say emerging medical technology, or environmental concerns, or whatever your areas of interest are.
In the beginning, you should consider a day job, if for no other reason than to have access to benefits until your writing career takes off. You might teach, work in publishing, write copy in an ad agency, there are a gazillion options. It will take discipline to carve out regular time to write, but it is a skill you must master early.