How to write for a luxury magazine
The term ‘luxury magazine’ refers to magazines that are aimed at the rich and famous – those individuals who have money to burn...and are quite happy to do so. In luxury magazines readers are presented with images, pictures and ideas that they can lose themselves in, and work towards achieving. They are classy, stylish and ooze money.
So which magazine titles can be classified as ‘luxury?’ Well three well known titles are LUSSO, PURSUITIST and EPICUREAN LIFE. Let’s have a look at the vital statistics from each:
LUSSO
-Currently venturing out into the world of TV
-Appeals to both sexes
-Appeals to a range of age groups
-Appeals to the differing tastes of the wealthy
-Published quarterly and has an online presence
PURSUITIST
-Available online only
-Extremely exclusive in terms of content, particularly the travel section
-Large celebrity influence and readership
-Large blogging community
EPICUREAN LIFE
-More accessible as a read
-Very visual
-The tone of the magazine is luxury and yet accessible
So, what sort of articles are these magazines looking for from a freelance article writer? Well, as Mack Reilly, the co-editor of PURSUITISTput it; ‘we just love to hear about new ideas, products and destinations. I don’t care if they’re from luxury brands, PR slackers or freelancers.’ So in a nutshell, as long as it is extravagant and expensive, essentially anything goes!
It is also important to remember that the readers are likely to have money, and plenty of it, and so they are looking to find information within the articles about how to spend their money, where to spend their money, and why they should spend their money in such a way. So keep your articles informative and focussed around these questions when pulling together the content. Perhaps the hardest question to answer in articles for luxury magazines is the ‘what to buy questions’. Given the status of the readers, it can be tricky to find new items that they just haven’t heard about or purchased before. This can be particularly difficult if your article is a feature piece looking at gadgets or equipment, and it may be worth looking at the latest technology developments in other parts of the world, such as Japan.
Furthermore, the reader has to like you, the writer, and has to feel as if you really know the destination, eatery, fashion item or gadget that you are writing about. This means that an awful lot of care needs to be taken when researching the article, to ensure that it is sufficiently detailed and cutting edge for the reader. It also means that you have to work on ensuring that the tone of your article is in keeping with the rest of the publication, as this will be a tone that the reader is already familiar with, that they like, and that they respect. To ensure that you can create this harmony within your articles, make sure that you do spend time reading previous copies of the publication for which you want to write for first.