How to Write about Fine Homes for Elle Décor Magazine

For anyone who writes magazine articles, getting something published in Elle Décor is a major coup. It is a very prestigious magazine and also pays well. An article in Elle Décor really belongs at the top of any writer’s resume. When writing about any subject, before you submit a story about a home for Elle Décor magazine, you must do your homework and research to catch the editor’s eye.

Choosing the Right Subject

The homes featured in Elle Décor magazine are only the finest and the most elegant. So if you pitch an article about shabby chic or primitive decoration, the editor is unlikely to want your writing. Homes that fit Elle Décor magazine can be found in every city, but you, the writer must figure out where. A good place to look is your city’s Christmas or spring tour of homes. Only homeowners who have great décor and are proud of it would put their home on a tour.

When you think you have identified a house for Elle Décor magazine, check through back issues to make sure that particular house has never been profiled. Also, make sure your angle is fresh. The editor will never take a story on a home’s distinctive topiary, for example, if she ran another topiary story the previous month.

Elle’s editorial board requires sophistication first, but beyond that, the magazine features style from all over the world. Elle’s home décor style is usually quite international in fact. The magazine is originally French after all.

Sending Your Query

Just like with any magazine, you must find out about Elle Décor’s editorial guidelines – the magazine’s rules for submission. There will be a different word count limit for each section: features, reviews and trends. Some editors require that you send relevant pictures with your submission. All require that you include reference to your previously published work.

Because Elle Décor is such a prestigious magazine, it can be hard to find the right contact information and the editorial guidelines. Getting this information and sending a dazzling letter to the right person at the right time is actually part of your pitch. If you can get a piece of paper in front of the right editor, always a busy woman with plenty of secretaries to intercept bad letters, it shows you probably have the tenacity of a good writer.

For the brand new writer, Elle Décor might not be the best choice because previously published articles are so important. After you write for some other magazines, find a good topic and send it to the right editor; you might find your writing in Elle Décor.