An article should stay on target. In a previous column we talked about developing a good focus sentence. Make sure that your theme is developed throughout the piece and that you don't stray from your focus. If your article rambles or deviates on a tangent, it will be rejected. An article should contain no errors.
Magazine editors are extremely busy and are always working on tight deadlines.
They don't have timeto rewrite your manuscripts. Make sure you have crafted each article as smoothly as as you are capable and that you have checked the grammer, punctuation, and word usage for errors. An article should be appropriate to the readership of the magazine. Study the demographics of each magazine and take-home paper you are considering sending your manuscript to so you can get to know the audience. If you are writing an article on time mangement, your slant for parents of young children would be different than your slant for teens.