Succeeding as a Fitness Writer

Writing is a natural extension of your role as a fitness educator, here are some tips to get started.

By Amanda Vogel

More fitness pros are writing articles as a natural extension of their roles as health and fitness educators, and as an enjoyable way to earn extra revenue.

Whether you want to (or already do) write articles for your local newspaper, a widely popular national magazine, your website, or all of the above, consider these tips for ensuring your fitness-writing success.

The Best Topics to Write About

Finding the best topics to write about is as simple as focusing on the subjects you're most passionate about. Draw from your everyday experiences teaching classes, training clients and/or managing fitness staff.

You might also develop story ideas from your observations about what fitness consumers need and want, and also what your fitness colleagues talk about. Sometimes, writing or researching one article sparks an idea for another. The possibilities are endless!

One Important Skill, One Important Quality

Scoring a steady stream of article assignments (especially those that pay) starts, and continues, with skilled marketing and perseverance. Being a well-known fitness writer involves smart marketing, just like how you market your fitness facility or training services. You must sell your story ideas and yourself as a fitness writer. All writers experience some rejection, so perseverance is also key. For example, years ago, when I was trying to break into a major fitness magazine, I emailed regular queries (i.e., story pitches), even though the editor I was emailing never responded to me. Six months after I started doing that, she called with an assignment! Encouraged, I immediately fired off another batch of queries - and the editor responded right away with more assignments. Once I contributed to one major publication, it became easier to break into others - sort of like a domino effect.

Path To Success

To ensure you stay on track with your writing goals, make it a point to regularly assess your objectives, including naming (and studying) the magazines you want to break into. And when you begin writing for a new publication, work hard to build strong relationships with the editors there. Submit assignments on deadline (or early!) and turn in organized, properly researched and clearly written articles.

The Right Image

If your goal is to write fitness articles to showcase on your website or distribute on the Internet for marketing purposes, don't underestimate the need for top quality writing. You can always tell when a fitness professional hammered out an article without proofing it or without enlisting the help of an editor or word-savvy colleague. Remember: No one wants to read sloppy writing. As the fitness industry gets more competitive, high-caliber writing is becoming more important because it communicates your professional image to your clients and your industry peers. Plus, you never know who's reading your articles - your next prospective training client could be an editor or an English professor! So always ensure you project the right image with your writing.

About Amanda Vogel

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