How to write for Vogue

Dream of becoming a fashion writer? Today we bring you how to write and pitch your article to the Chanel of magazines: Vogue.

Of course, the strategies I will give you can also be applied to writing for any of your other favorite magazines. From choosing the market to understanding the tone and pitching, this article has everything you need to learn to write for Vogue.

How to write for Vogue

Know the differences in the Vogue markets

Vogue is not the same everywhere. The international editions, although they have some things in common because they are all Vogue, differ in the length and type of content. For example, American Vogue is known to be very commercial and feature celebrities, while Italian Vogue is one of the most artistic. Those differences define the article topics the Vogue team (potentially including you) will write about. Therefore, you should study the issues carefully and identify which international edition of Vogue appeals most to you.

Another aspect to take into consideration when choosing the Vogue market is whether you prefer print or digital. Vogue print issues are released monthly and feature less content than digital. While vogue.com publishes many articles daily so there are more chances to get your idea published especially if you are a beginner.

Finally, remember that besides Vogue, there is Vogue Business. As per the title, this online publication shares the business side of the fashion industry. Unlike Vogue, which focuses on trends, shopping, celebrities, runway, etc. Ask yourself: which one do you prefer?

Vogue in-house writer VS freelancer

In every publication you will find two types of writers: those who work in-house, aka staff writers, and freelancers/contributors.

In-house opportunities are limited and reserved for the most experienced writers. So if you are just beginning your career as a fashion writer and want to write for Vogue, you should search for internships at the magazine. Already as a Vogue intern, you might get the chance to write but more likely for the digital section.

Keep in mind that job and internship postings online are rare so you should send a cold email to Vogue editors with your resume, cover letter, and a portfolio with a few writing samples (even those you wrote for yourself) asking for an internship opportunity. I teach about cold emailing fashion companies in my free webinar.

Another possibility to write for Vogue is by freelancing. This option can be perfect for you if you don’t want to write exclusively for Vogue or you simply don’t want to work in an office. However, while there are many perks to being a freelance fashion writer, having more liberty involves more responsibilities. While you might believe it is all about writing an article, a lot of work goes into the entire process of submitting your work to Vogue or any fashion publication. Whether you choose to freelance on the side or full-time, you need certain strategies in place to help you, like adopting a good time management, setting your rates, and do a lot of pitching.

How to pitch Vogue

Pitching is the most effective strategy to get your work published. This is when as a fashion writer you contact the Editor directly via email to propose your article idea and get published in the magazine. So, once you have done all your research, brainstormed your proposal ideas and considered the writing style; you are ready to draft your pitch.

The first step is to find the email of the editor you need; it’s crucial to ensure your pitch is sent to the right editor. A common mistake many people make is pitching to the wrong Editor, which often leads to your ideas being ignored. To guarantee your article and proposal is considered correctly, you need to find the email of the correct Editor working within the category your idea falls under. For example, you wouldn’t pitch an article on the latest beauty trends to the Fashion Editor. It’s also important to consider the country you are pitching to. A publication as large as Vogue will have a different Fashion Editor for Vogue UK to Vogue America.

The next step it of course to draft your pitch. Make sure to keep it short and sweet, but as much as it’s important to keep your pitch condensed, you also want to make it clear you are familiar with the publication and it’s work, while keeping a professional tone.

Your pitch should include the following sections:

1. Introduce yourself. Briefly explain who you are and what you do

2. Pitch your idea: Explain how your article fits in with Vogue and by which date you can send it to them.

3. Attach links of sample articles of previous work you have had published

4. Add your contact details like your email address and your LinkedIn profile.

Understand the tone of the publication

Before you begin to consider anything from your article idea to the pitch, it’s important to first research the publication! Head to vogue.com or to your local shop to pick up the latest print copy of Vogue.

It’s crucial to have an understanding and knowledge of the magazine from the tone and style to the content. This will ensure your ideas and pitch will fit Vogue perfectly. When looking at the online publication, take note of which categories and subcategories stand out to you. Which best suits your niche and writing interests? Ensure you read some of the articles within this section to get a feeling for the tone of voice of the magazine. You can apply the same strategy when reading through the physical copy. You should even underline or highlight phrases, words, or sentences that stand out to you within the articles.

As you read the articles within your niche ask yourself:

Is this a more casual, chatty tone or serious and professional?

Does it feel like you’re reading from an older sister or a serious industry insider, or even a mix of both?

Is it written in the first or third person?

Use these questions to help you get a deeper understanding of the tone of voice within Vogue, to ensure you can fit within this writing style.

Consider the Lead Time

But before you begin brainstorming any ideas, it’s important to consider the overall the lead time. This term acknowledges the time taken from the moment you submit your article idea to the publishing date. It can help you decide between writing for print or digital.

Any professional writer will be mindful of how relevant and fresh an idea will still be, once it is published. As print is published monthly, the lead time can be from 6 weeks to 3 months. Therefore you have to think ahead clearly. Whereas if you aim to write for Vogue online, the digital platform is updated daily and the turnover is a lot quicker. So you can even pitch a week in advance. However, as Vogue is the top fashion magazine in the world, I would include even a week or two to answer your email pitch. Ensure you consider anything from 2 weeks to one month in advance when searching for your ideas to get published for Vogue.

Generating Vogue article ideas 

Coming up with an article idea can be the most challenging part of fashion writing. Sometimes you can feel out of inspiration or lost of thoughts. To guarantee you can bring out your best ideas, there is a plan you can put in place. Let’s face it, you don’t want to have one of those blank pages the day you send your pitch to Vogue, do you?

Start by mind mapping any ideas you may already have stored. It’s surprising once you start writing down your base ideas, how many more will suddenly spring to mind. Take a look at current news affairs and the digital Vogue categories again. Write each category out and think about what you would like to read within that category. Or what the audience of Vogue might be missing? Don’t underestimate the power of a good pen and paper brainstorming session. Once you have your idea, you can search the keywords of them within the website, to ensure they haven’t been published recently. You don’t want to come across uninformed to the editors of Vogue.

Of course, this strategy is more difficult to implement with print, as there is no way to see a constant workflow of ideas from the publication. It is crucial you take into account the longer lead time and propose several ideas if you want to write for Vogue.

Develop your Writing Style

Once you have your article idea, think about how you will write it. Take your notes from the very beginning and remind yourself of the tone of the publication and their writing style just before you write your piece. This will ensure you are fully in the mind of a writer of Vogue. It can help to re-read your favourite articles to soak up the writing style.

Nevertheless, it is also important to not lose your unique voice within your writing. Don’t be nervous if your writing does not look exactly like that of other Vogue writers. Everyone has their own writing style which will shine through all their articles and makes them recognizable. Publications want you to fit within their tone of voice while bringing a unique voice and a fresh perspective. So developing your writing style is a fundamental aspect to consider when writing for Vogue.

Learn SEO

If you want to impress Vogue editors and you aim to write for the digital platform of Vogue, then consider learning SEO aka Search Engine Optimization. Using SEO in your writing is fundamental to fashion publications to drive traffic to the website. Although it may sound complicated, it is as simple as following some guidelines when writing. This can include adding keywords and external and internal links throughout the article.

Proofread your Vogue articles

When writing your piece, it is crucial to re-read it several times to make sure all your grammar and spelling are on point. No publication, especially Vogue will ever publish an article with a mistake. This is incredibly important to establish yourself as a professional writer for the top global fashion publication.

To learn more about how to start your career as a fashion writer and become published by your favorite publications, enroll in my online course The Fashion Writing Accelerator or start with my free webinar.