Recycling is the current buzzword in my community. Our city has graciously provided each resident with containers for the collection of a large amount of discarded items that will be directed to the local recycling station. There they will be processed for use in the manufacture of a wide variety of new products.

Although Mr. Recycling is relatively new to my town, he is a veteran of the writing profession. In fact, it’s been around so long that it’s a miracle more writers haven’t known about it. For those of us who have done it, he has been a good friend both in terms of saving us time and making us money. Affectionately known to his writer friends as “Reprint Sales,” Mr. Recycling has earned a reputation for helping them maximize their marketing strategies. Here are some of his words of wisdom:

1. Write about something that really interests you. While this is important with anything you write, it’s especially important when you’re writing articles that you plan to resell. The reason for this is that you will be working with these articles over and over again, repurposing them to meet the needs of different publications. Therefore, your level of interest in the subject must be high enough to sustain you during the refocusing process. Of course, there will be times when you can re-sell an item without changing it at all. When this happens, consider it an additional blessing.

2. Think in terms of multiple markets for everything you write. When choosing a topic, consider different audiences that would be interested in that topic. For example, you might write an article on money management for a general interest magazine as your primary market, and then refocus it for a women’s magazine, teen magazine, senior publication, or commuter magazine. You can then take that same article and pitch it again, perhaps with more specific details, for a business magazine or trade publication.

3. Sell only the first rights or sole rights of the first magazine to publish your room. If you sell all rights to your article the first time it’s published, you won’t be able to sell it again. These are just a few of Mr. Recycling’s tips for marketing success. Put them into practice and you will see how your sales skyrocket.

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Copyright 1992 by Maryann Diorio, Ph. D. All rights reserved.