A Lesser-Known Market for Writers
On my recent trip to Venice I passed some of the journey reading the in-flight magazine provided by the airline (easyJet).
Perhaps surprisingly for a budget airline, easyJet produce a very nice in-flight magazine - it's simply called easyJet Inflight. As I flipped through it, I was struck by the number of articles that could have been - and probably were - written by freelances. Here are a few that particularly caught my eye (yes, I took the mag away with me - it does say on the front 'Your Free Copy to Keep').
Smarter Not Harder - This article in the Business section looks at 'smart working' - a term which describes alternatives to the traditional 9 to 5, including home-working, tele-commuting, flexible hours, and so on. The article has a Europe-wide perspective, and advocates smart working as beneficial to individuals, their employers, and society as a whole.
Truffle Hounds - This is a lighter article about the UK's first training school for truffle dogs, where they are trained to sniff out this much-prized delicacy.
White Goes Green - This article argues that skiers need to be more aware of the environmental impact of their sport, and sets out some tips on how to be a greener skier.
Any of these articles - and many others in this 180-page monthly magazine - could easily have been researched and written by a competent freelance. It's worth noting that in-flight magazines are generally produced by contract publishing companies rather than the airlines themselves. The easyJet magazine is published on behalf of easyJet by London-based Ink Publishing, who also produce magazines for a wide range of other airlines, including RyanAir, Midwest Airlines, China Air, and so on.
If you have a good idea for an in-flight magazine article, it would certainly be worth submitting a query letter and outline to the publisher concerned, be it Ink Publishing or someone else. Articles with a cosmopolitan outlook targeted at regular travellers should have a good chance of success with both budget and regular airline magazines. Ideas for features based on the destinations the airlines in question fly to could also go down well, particularly if you can find an unusual angle on a popular destination.
Good luck, and enjoy your flight!
Perhaps surprisingly for a budget airline, easyJet produce a very nice in-flight magazine - it's simply called easyJet Inflight. As I flipped through it, I was struck by the number of articles that could have been - and probably were - written by freelances. Here are a few that particularly caught my eye (yes, I took the mag away with me - it does say on the front 'Your Free Copy to Keep').
Smarter Not Harder - This article in the Business section looks at 'smart working' - a term which describes alternatives to the traditional 9 to 5, including home-working, tele-commuting, flexible hours, and so on. The article has a Europe-wide perspective, and advocates smart working as beneficial to individuals, their employers, and society as a whole.
Truffle Hounds - This is a lighter article about the UK's first training school for truffle dogs, where they are trained to sniff out this much-prized delicacy.
White Goes Green - This article argues that skiers need to be more aware of the environmental impact of their sport, and sets out some tips on how to be a greener skier.
Any of these articles - and many others in this 180-page monthly magazine - could easily have been researched and written by a competent freelance. It's worth noting that in-flight magazines are generally produced by contract publishing companies rather than the airlines themselves. The easyJet magazine is published on behalf of easyJet by London-based Ink Publishing, who also produce magazines for a wide range of other airlines, including RyanAir, Midwest Airlines, China Air, and so on.
If you have a good idea for an in-flight magazine article, it would certainly be worth submitting a query letter and outline to the publisher concerned, be it Ink Publishing or someone else. Articles with a cosmopolitan outlook targeted at regular travellers should have a good chance of success with both budget and regular airline magazines. Ideas for features based on the destinations the airlines in question fly to could also go down well, particularly if you can find an unusual angle on a popular destination.
Good luck, and enjoy your flight!
Labels: opportunities, writing
Nick at 10:10 AM 
3 Comments:
Thanks for this tip - I have often thought about writing for in-flight magazines but assumed they were written in-house or by their own contracted freelances. Having just written my own book on procrastination, I will get on and suggest an article to them!
I recommend your 28 day programme to lots of my clients and in my newsletter and the feedback is always positive - thanks again. AnnA - your creative catalyst
Thanks for your very kind comments, Anna. Good luck in selling your work to the in-flight magazine market. Do post here again and let us know if you are successful!
Hi Nick, I know a few people who have written for in-flight magazines and an added bonus is they say they pay quite well.
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