Magazine writing can provide both a steppingstone for your career and a respectable income, which is why so many writers devote so much of their time to researching and querying magazines. Editors need a steady stream of material to fill their nonadvertising pages, and, because the regular staff at most magazines is small, they rely on freelancers to provide articles, columns, and fillers. Competition is stiff because there are more writers than there are markets. But, if you do your homework, you can stand out from the crowd.