Land Article Assignments Pegged on Anniversaries of Special Events

By Don Vaughan, www.donaldvaughan.com

I love anniversaries, and not just the one I celebrate each June with my lovely wife. No, I’m talking about the celebration of more newsworthy events, the kind that can mean big bucks for savvy writers.

Over the years, I have received numerous assignments from magazines large and small pegged on special anniversaries. They’re fun to research and write, and can be quite lucrative. The key is to uncover events that other writers may not be privy to, and have something fresh to say about them. Here are additional tips to help you cash in on your calendar:

Know what’s going on when.

Most writers pitch ideas pegged on traditional holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas. Instead, ask yourself: what unique anniversaries will be occurring this year and, even more importantly, next year? That’s the kind of advance planning that can pay off big time. A quick online search of “anniversaries+(specific year)” can reveal a plethora of potential article pegs. 

Explore your personal interests.

We all have things in our lives that we’re passionate about. These interests help make us who we are, and they can help us make money, too, in the form of marketable ideas–especially pitch-worthy anniversaries. For example, I’m a big fan of Edgar Rice Burroughs, so I knew early on that 2012 was the centennial anniversary of the first appearance of Tarzan in All-Story Magazine. I pitched various ideas pegged on this seminal pop culture event to an eclectic array of national magazines and received three assignments: a 12,500-word oral appreciation for Filmfax, in which I interviewed artists and others with a Burroughs connection; a profile of ERB for Famous Monsters of Filmland; and a feature on Tarzan movies for Videoscope.

I’m also a big military history buff, an interest that has resulted in numerous assignments from Military Officer Magazine and other publications. In early 2011 I pitched several ideas hooked on the 70^th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The idea my editor selected was an “I Was There” piece in which I profiled three Pearl Harbor survivors. Similarly, I came across a mention of the Navy Experimental Diving Unit on The History Channel. I did a little digging and found that 2012 was the 85^th anniversary of NEDU’s founding. While the unit’s history and accomplishments were certainly newsworthy, the fact that I had an anniversary on which to peg the article sealed the deal.

These examples are a few years old, but illustrate well the tremendous potential of looking within for anniversary-related ideas. In many cases, anniversary ideas are cyclical, meaning they can be re-examined every five or ten years.

Think locally as well as nationally.

While exploring anniversaries with a national hook, don’t ignore the anniversaries in your own back yard. For example, is a prominent local church soon to celebrate the 100^th anniversary of its founding? That’s newsworthy, and a great idea to pitch to regional magazines. 

Cast a wide net.

I pitched aspects of the centennial anniversary of Tarzan to everyone from Boys’ Life to Romantic Times (yes, Tarzan of the Apes is, at heart, a love story). I knew I wouldn’t get an assignment from everyone, but I dramatically increased my chances by pitching broadly and appropriately. And even if I got rejected, it opened the door to future proposals. 

Avoid low-hanging fruit.

By that, I mean the easy ideas that every hack will be pitching related to a specific holiday or anniversary. Instead, find something new and exciting. Rather than pitch a standard profile of ERB to Filmfax, for example, I decided to take a different approach: interviews with famous artists and writers regarding their appreciation of Burroughs’ works. The resulting article was a heart-warming tribute that also provided me with the opportunity to talk to creators I’ve long admired.   

Pitch early.

Because of lengthy editorial lead times, most magazines want anniversary-related queries at least four to six months in advance. If you’re unsure when to pitch, consult submission guidelines or ask the editor how far out they work. Also, ask to see the magazine’s editorial calendar for the coming year. It could give you some ideas regarding appropriate anniversary pitches.

(This article originally appeared in slightly different form in Writer’s Digest magazine.)

Don Vaughan has been a full-time freelance writer since 1991. During that time he has published more than 2,500 articles and columns in an eclectic array of publications, including Writer’s Digest, Encyclopedia Britannica and MAD Magazine. Don is the founder of Triangle Association of Freelancers.