Health magazines focus on human health and fitness with an emphasis on living a healthy lifestyle. These magazines usually target individuals who want to prevent lifestyle diseases and medical conditions or who already have them but want to live a healthier lifestyle. The demographics target people with self-health awareness, usually over the age of 18 across both genders.
Some of the popular magazines within this niche include Natural Health Magazine, Prevention Magazine, Self Magazine, Men’s Health Magazine, and Remedy Life, etc.
Articles in demand for health magazines
Articles focus on disease prevention lifestyles; this includes exercise, good nutrition, and food supplements, anti-aging practices among others. The articles consist mostly of how-to articles and interviews; for example, “How to lose weight after pregnancy,” “How to remain wrinkle free,” and “how-to” recipes offering dietary advice.
Pitching your articles to the editor
When writing your health-related article, you need to read a few copies of the magazine. If you frequently read the magazine or you subscribe to it, study the back issues. If you are a new writer to the magazine, visit its website and peruse the website’s editorial content. Many health magazines will have full articles online from previous print issues.
You will want to e-mail the editor for writer’s guidelines if you cannot find them online. Different magazines have different editorial guidelines—for example, an article for a health magazine must be factual and supported with research; the article must help the reader in some way; and the article must be timely and written for the readership. You will need to educate yourself about specific departments, features, columns or interviews which welcome freelance writers.
A common myth in writing for health magazines is that you need some type of medical background. Sure, you will see many bylines with a Ph.D., DrPH, or LPN next them. You do not need a medical background, but you do need relevant experience and expertise in writing about health-related issues. You must know your audience. Health prevention magazines come in two classes: mainstream and trade. Retired Baby Boomers who are dealing with degenerative diseases read mainstream magazines.
Common pay rates for articles
Health magazines and disease-prevention magazines do not pay freelance writers the same rates. Nonetheless, the variation is usually very small and negligible. Most magazines pay approximately $1 per word, but this can vary. You will encounter magazines that pay per published article—for example, $500 per 2500 word published article. The pay rate for freelance articles usually reflects the kind of advertisers on the page that the magazine attracts.
10 hot topics in demand
Health magazines publish articles relating to people’s health and lifestyles. You will find new developments in health every day. Just go to Google.com’s News section and type in “health lifestyle” to see what topics are being published. Here are 10 topics in demand right now.
1. Fitness and exercise
Apparently, one way to stay healthy and fit is to exercise; hence you can write plenty of articles on fitness and exercise. You can write about the relationship between appetite and exercise; 10 ways to burn calories; fitness tips for pregnant women; and the benefits of using yoga in your exercise regimen.
2. Food and diet tips
This is the most popular section of a health magazine because articles aim at preventing illnesses with good diets and high quality food. Consider writing on “how to count the calories in a meal,” “healthy snacking,” “weight loss meal plans,” and “cancer fighting meal plans.”
3. Style and beauty
People love to look and feel good naturally. Offering readers tips on how to look beautiful effortlessly always attracts good readership. Consider “10 quick make up tips,” ” trending hairstyles,” “colors to flatter your figure,” and “nail maintenance regimen for long and healthy nails.”
4. Beauty and hair makeovers
Despite that these magazines address issues with health and disease prevention, they also address beauty and hair problems because they are a part of a healthy lifestyle. You can write on “10 hairdo makeovers,” “top five age defying myths,” “how to keep your make up fresh all day,” and “how to smooth the skin texture.”
5. Body and mind healing
Editors want effective and simple ways to improve an individual’s emotions, whether they are good or bad. Recently published articles included “spiritual escape through meditation,” “relationships between your health and yoga,” “how to attain your sexual healing,” and “paranormal energy healing practices.”
6. Green living
Society places a lot of emphasis on “green living” and taking care of the environment. This “going green” karma trickles down to people’s health. A few article ideas are: “how to cut back on home wastage,” “how to cool the home naturally,” “steps to smarter gardening,” and “every homeowners guide to a greener home.”
7. Male grooming
Editors buy a lot of articles on the subject of beauty and grooming for women. Men’s grooming is a bit different from women’s grooming. Here are some article suggestions: “5 steps to clean and smooth your face,” “your key to health and wealth is in looking good,” “tools and tips for taming the hair,” and “5 colognes a man should have.”
8. Sex and love
This subject is applicable to both men and women because both sexes always want to learn how to attract love and have a better sex life. You can write on “how to get the man or woman you desire to have,” “top 10 pillow talk utterances,” “how to have great sex every time,” and “five secrets to being a happier couple.”
9. A guide to cancer
Cancer is a big issue across the globe. The good news is that many types of cancer can be prevented or magaged by living a better lifestyle. Topics can include “myths about breast cancer,” “how exercising can boost your cancer recovery,” “10 ways to prevent cancer,” and “how to incorporate a cancer fighting diet into your family meals.”
10. Managing lifestyle diseases
Lifestyle diseases affect many people across the country and the world; however, they are easy to manage with a few tips. You can write about “how to outsmart diabetes,” “5-blood sugar fighting exercises,” “how to make healthier food choices,” and “how to have a good night’s sleep each night.”
You can find writer’s guidelines to health-related magazines by using our Writer’s Guidelines Database.