Multiple Submissions of Freelance Material

Multiple Submissions of Freelance Material A reader asked me to address this topic. She had an article to query to publications and didnt want to wait for one answer at a time. Could she pitch to several markets at once, she asked. The answer isnt a simple Yes or No. Its actually Yes AND No. And I have my own personal anecdote for this lesson. Back in my earlier freelance days, I proposed articles on writers and grants to Writers Digest as well as The Writer. Each was a unique pitch, written differently, but on the same subject. Id just gone full time  as a freelancer and knew the odds of both nationally-recognized magazines accepting my pieces was slim to none. One of the publications accepted within a month but never stated when the story would come out. The other didnt get in touch for almost a year but told me when the article would appear. They both came out in the same month. I received a contributors copy feeling completely ecstatic. Then I opened the other envelope in the mail and saw where the other publication sent me their contributors copy. The thrill of opening one was replaced with dread and despair. Sure enough, one of the editors contacted me seething. The other never said a word. I was afraid to pitch either of them for years. When is it okay to pitch the same article to different publications? 1) When the publications are not in a competing market OR 2) When you mention in the query that you have also pitched the piece elsewhere. For instance, if you pitch a story on how to maintain grass in a cemetery (yes, I actually published that piece), it can be simultaneously pitched to a turfgrass magazine and a genealogy magazine since they are not competing publications. However, when one accepts, it behooves you to let the other know. Sure, they may kill your piece, but you dont want to burn the bridge to future gigs. Even if you write completely different articles, if they are about the same topic consider them too similar to pitch to competing markets, but understand that noncompeting markets may not care, with both accepting your piece. And while were talking freelancing, I want to mention a remarkable guide book on becoming a freelance writer.  Writers Digest Guide to Magazine Article Writing  is your practical guide to selling pitches, crafting strong articles, and earning more I stand solidly behind  this book, written