Whenever possible, I try for spin-off markets on topics I'm writing. In the query letter I try to make some reference to an article featured in the sample issue, even though it is the only issue I've ever seen. If I don't have the most current issue in my files,I also make sure to call the magazine and verify the editor's status, or get the new name, before I write a query letter. Word of mouth. Whether you are a generalist or a specialist, word of mouth is the most effective marketing strategy.
People simply like telling other people what their acquaintances and friends do.
And I find that once the contact is made for whatever services you are touting, it is very rare that you won't get the job or the assignment. I have gotten more by not so much as by marketing my services as I have by being always associated with people who only know me as a writer. It shows you go the extra mile. A high school teacher who magazine editor who likes to spend what spare time I can find writing and researching. Clients recommend me to people they know and they feel more comfortable because they've already heard that I'm good.