5. Repeating An Idea That Worked Somewhere Else
Magazines certainly aren’t as timely as the Internet, but they still strive to offer something new every month. If you’ve been lucky already and gotten published in your local paper, another magazine, or on a website, don’t think that you can change a few words to the story and sell it again. It’s embarrassing when a magazine is about to run a story that just came out a week earlier under another brand. And if you embarrass your editor, you’re not likely to get any more work from him/her. TIP: If the idea you’re pitching has appeared elsewhere, tell your editor first, and be prepared to spin it a different way.