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Christianity Today, Precious Times, Gospel Today: Christian magazines are popping up all over the place, but only a few privileged grace the shelves of Lifeway, Wal-Mart, or Books-A-Million stores.

How can you become a paid magazine writer for the mainstream Christian press―namely those available in bookstores and other venues?

You will need more than a pen and a prayer. The following three, tried and true techniques have helped me succeed as a Christian writer and they can help you, too.

1. Write more than the competition. (Ecclesiastes 9:10)
   My mother, a successful business owner, sent me to a sales workshop ten years ago when she wanted me to learn her business. The seminar trainer was a Cajun billionaire who started his business with a beat up Pinto and a brown checkered suit with no jacket (if that’s even possible). The only thing I wrote down and still remember from that workshop was one profound message: “You beat out 50% of your competition by working hard…”
   
   This notion seems a given. However, as you begin your writing journey you will find many writers—even Christian writers—are lazy. Christian writing message boards and yahoo mail groups are bombarded with writers who would rather chat than write. Think about your own writing critique group and how many "writers" actually produce on a regular basis. You may even find yourself in that category. But that’s okay. Today is your day to start a new writing diet.
   
   Many writing instructors will advise you to start at the bottom if you want to write for larger magazines. The best way to do that is to start with smaller presses like your local Christian newspaper, an e-zine, or your church newsletter and so on.
   
   Also subscribe or purchase major magazines you enjoy reading. Become familiar with each writing style and copy it as many times as you can. Practice that style when you write for your local paper, church newsletter, etc. But most importantly practice it by sending queries to those same magazines.
   
   Writing for magazines can help you develop a relationship with the editors. And the editors will tell you what your story is lacking and―get this―they will tell you what they are looking for. You can write for years for your church newsletter, but if you haven’t put in the time with these editors, then you are still dragging your feet.
   
   To beat half your competition, you need to out query them. Period.
   
   
2. Be nicer than your competition and your clients. (1 Peter 2:18)
   If you look carefully at the salesman’s quote mentioned earlier, you will find that I did not complete it. It reads:
   
   “You beat out 50% of your competition by working hard, 40% by being a good person...”
   
   Magazine editors love hard workers, but they adore good people they can count on. If you have trouble with an article, let them know. If you can’t meet a deadline, let them know. Give them exclusives and don’t resell your article to another magazine. Resell your exclusives a few years down the line with a fresher approach―if you have to. But never put yourself in a position for your editor to not think well of you. Remember. Treat your editors, as you would have them treat you.
   
   I have a blog that discusses my ordeals with writing my novel and some lessons I've learned along the way. You will not find a topic on my blog ridiculing the magazines, newspapers, e-zines, or editors I write for. Why? Bad news travels faster than a boomerang.
   
   You never know when magazine editors will move onto bigger magazines or publishing houses. And when they do, you want to be taken along; you want to be remembered as those editors' best writer. You want favor.
   
   
3. Prepare for the dogfight. (Psalms 75:7)
   That salesman’s entire quote reads: “You beat out 50% of your competition by working hard, 40% by being a good person, and the top ten percent―ah yeah, baby―that’s a dog fight.” Competition is stiff in all writing arenas. To prepare for the dogfight, you need to be diligent, have faith, lean on God, and keep writing. If you work hard and treat people right, your time will eventually come. So place your pen in God’s palm and get after it.

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