As you may or may not know, I have a monthly column (thanks to the good folks at WEIDER Publications) with Muscle & Fitness Hers magazine. I feel fortunate to give the fitness & figure women some ink in a quality, credible magazine. The magazine is printed every other month and the current issue features IFBB Figure Pro, Alicia Harris. Check out the contents of the new issue here.

Alicia Harris on the Sept/Oct 20009 Issue of Muscle & Fitness Hers

The Angle:
I receive a number of emails every week from women pitching their stories to me in hopes of getting in the magazine as well as featured on here. I’m not trying to sound rude but most of what I receive never makes it to either. Why? I don’t think the readers would find it interesting. I have to consider the audience, not so much here but more so for the magazine. Around 95 percent of what I include in my column is based on an interesting story line or angle. The other five percent is contest results. The stories are usually from conversations I have with women at shows or notice what they’re doing online. If you don’t compete and/or you’re not active online, chances are you won’t be in my column. That’s not the case with every magazine or writer’s column but generally speaking it is for mine. I’m less likely to include something in the magazine then I would be to share it here. That’s not to say it’s not a good story or worthy of being in print however the space in a magazine is limited and also time sensitive.

Example: Did you know IFBB Figure Pro Teresa Anthony is a contracting officer for NASA?

Timing:
Timing is as important as the story itself. If you feel you have an interesting story, think about the timing of when you share it. If your goal is to get into a magazine you’ll need to plan in advance. When I submit my column it is done 2-3 months in advance of when it actually hits the newsstand.

Example: If you’re holding a camp don’t tell magazine writers 3 weeks before you have it because there won’t be enough time to write about it.

It’s a challenge to write things that aren’t old news and played out online. If you’ve already told your story online that’s not necessarily a bad thing. If the story angle is interesting enough it will get covered. Many times stories break online first and they’re covered more in depth in print.

Pick up the current issue of Muscle & Fitness Hers you’ll get a feel for what I’m talking about on page 88. My column is called “Twist & Turns” and you’ll see the various stories that I thought had interesting angles and timed it to coincide with the Olympia.

Timing the right angle to pitch is essential magazine exposure.