This summer has been one of making decisions, determinations, about my career as a writer. I've written past posts about what I think of writing online content after a year of trying it, another entry about writing regularly for a only a few publications, simplifying my life, and most recently, about how I've determined to place working on my novel as top writing priority, relegating article writing as something to do to deal with fiction writing block.
So I'm still basically sticking with those decisions, but with a little tweaking. OK, I do confess, I've not written as much on my novel as I wished. But I've also found I cannot write exclusively on only it. For me, writing such a long work of fiction takes a lot of mulling time. I don't always know the next step for my characters; I have to let them tell me (and they're not always revealing immediately). Also, I'm becoming increasingly aware of mood and atmosphere, and until I've decided on the mood I want to create in a scene, I can't write well. So I need other writing projects to work on while I let the novel simmer.
I've written a lot of new articles, though I told myself not to. However, I've made a smart, less-risky change in what I write: I am now writing in answer to call outs, rather than writing what I want and then doing the grueling work to find a magazine who hopefully might want to publish on that topic, from my point of view, and with my style. (This takes a blessed long time, as my post about it taking 13 months to sell one article. But that's not even the whole story--that was simply the first post I could write about the long-term nature of the business; I have other articles I've been trying to sell even longer--I've just not written about how long they took yet because I have yet to sell them!)
So now I'm writing on given topics or themes that publications say they are looking for. Since August, I've done everything from listing ideas for summer family fun for Thriving Family magazine to personal essays about buying a house and how positive thinking affects health for Chicken Soup anthologies. Obviously, my work is better targeted. I don't have the time though to search out these opportunities--that'd mean looking on the website of every publication in the Writer's Market monster book! But I've found a great website done by someone who loves to share all the market info she gathers. She posts, almost daily, what she finds, and her interests match mine pretty well, so I've found many call outs that I've been able to answer pretty easily. Also, some info is the kind that the public is not privy too--it's insider info that is known only to writers who've already been published by the publication.
This change really does impact the kind of writing I'm doing though--I'm writing fewer 3rd person magazine articles, and many more first-person experience kind of essays. That is an attractive change; it is easier in my current employment as stay-at-home-mom: not so much research!
Success rate: While it's too early to tell in most cases--I've done this only 6 weeks--I already got word back from one that my essay will be published, and is also in contention for one of the cash prizes as one of the top essays. For more data, I just have to wait.
Online articles I've published:
Veggie-loaded Meals Kids Like
Pampers' Myths and Facts Page About Environmental and Health Impacts: A Critique
Zucchini for Breakfast, Dinner and Dessert: Five New Ways to Use Up Summer Squash and Zucchini
How Much Genetically Modified Food Do You Eat?
Lyme Disease and Autism Patients Prescribed Diets Free of Genetically Modified Foods
http://www.christwriters.info/index/burning-the-midnight-oil-poetry-contest-sep-19-2011-7-06-35-pm-35
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Friday, August 19, 2011
A Change in Direction: Stop Looking for New Markets!
Today I turned in my first assigned article for a local publication. It marks a transition n my writing goals, and has left me with some mixed feelings. It's helping me refine the big question I've had all along--should I try to build a freelancing career or whole-hog be putting my time into my novel?
I'm not under pressure to make a lot of $ right now--it's nice but not necessary. When else in life might I have time to work on my novel, getting it to the place I could try to publish it? But on the other hand, if I can build a freelancing business, that could be more reliable than trying to publish fiction.
I've been struggling with what direction to go, and so, I've spent over a year dividing my time, not just 2 ways, but even more ways, by trying to write for parenting magazines as well as devotionals, as well as online content stuff, trying to feel my way around which way I should commit to.
But when I line up my options (neither certain or predictable) with my goals and priorities for my family, kids and life, and my mission, I think I see a path emerging.
Funny I had mixed feelings about not needing to cold-query tons of publications anymore--because if I focus on a few publications that like my writing and have more work for me, the hunt is no longer necessary. At first I felt saddened by that--maybe because I hadn't achieved what I'd wanted to, getting published in certain big national publications, etc. But my main goal wasn't landing in big national publications; I guess it was getting to the place where I could get paid to write what I like to write about, and I'm there, for the moment.
So my new path is to focus on those 3 markets, and I'm trying to discipline myself to not write any new articles for other untried markets--except that I will keep trying to sell articles from the past year that haven't yet found a home... My hope is to then take the time I used to spend cold-querying publications and spend it working on my novel. I'm giving myself a deadline for the first full draft. A lofty goal, and yet I think I can do it.
A sample of my online articles:
Job Search: How to Make Your Application Climb to The Top of The Pile
I'm not under pressure to make a lot of $ right now--it's nice but not necessary. When else in life might I have time to work on my novel, getting it to the place I could try to publish it? But on the other hand, if I can build a freelancing business, that could be more reliable than trying to publish fiction.
I've been struggling with what direction to go, and so, I've spent over a year dividing my time, not just 2 ways, but even more ways, by trying to write for parenting magazines as well as devotionals, as well as online content stuff, trying to feel my way around which way I should commit to.
But when I line up my options (neither certain or predictable) with my goals and priorities for my family, kids and life, and my mission, I think I see a path emerging.
Funny I had mixed feelings about not needing to cold-query tons of publications anymore--because if I focus on a few publications that like my writing and have more work for me, the hunt is no longer necessary. At first I felt saddened by that--maybe because I hadn't achieved what I'd wanted to, getting published in certain big national publications, etc. But my main goal wasn't landing in big national publications; I guess it was getting to the place where I could get paid to write what I like to write about, and I'm there, for the moment.
So my new path is to focus on those 3 markets, and I'm trying to discipline myself to not write any new articles for other untried markets--except that I will keep trying to sell articles from the past year that haven't yet found a home... My hope is to then take the time I used to spend cold-querying publications and spend it working on my novel. I'm giving myself a deadline for the first full draft. A lofty goal, and yet I think I can do it.
A sample of my online articles:
Job Search: How to Make Your Application Climb to The Top of The Pile
Friday, July 22, 2011
13 months to sell an article--the long journey of one eventual success
What is typical for the cold-querying freelancer? I'm not sure yet, but I can share my first long-term shopping-an-article story. A few of my experiences are shorter, better. Most are still in progress, and I don't know yet if they will succeed or fail. But all I'm learning is teaching me being a freelance writer is akin to being a marathon runner.
May 10, 2010, I sent out a story about toddler tantrums entitled "Changing my heart to change my son's angry outbursts." I sent this article, part how-to, part personal experience, to a Christian publication targeted to families. I received a response the very same day! The editor was very interested, but said it'd be a few weeks to see if they could fit it into a magazine issue soon or if they would want to use it online, perhaps on their facebook page. I followed up months later, to inquire of the status, and was told they hadn't found a place for it, would like to hold it for a year to see if they could find a use for it, and added that I was within my rights to shop it elsewhere in the meantime. So I did.
When you're starting freelance writing, you hear often about resending--if one place says no, you just resend it--keep the articles in circulation! However, as I learned, it's not that simple. I had a 1200+ word article that may or may not be printed in a year; I decided I should try other publications, but those with the same audience wanted articles no longer than 600 words.
"Just re-sending it" was not "just so simple." I put hours into splitting that article into two different articles--one's a third-person sort of how-to article on dealing with preschool temper tantrums, and the other a first-person experience story of what I tried with my child. In July I sent one to the premier Christian magazine for moms of preschoolers, and the other one I sent to an online family magazine available by subscription only.
In September, I received a favorably reply from the preschooler-centered magazine, but I heard a similar disclaimer--they weren't sure when they could use it as their themes didn't quite fit it, but they'd like to hold it for a year, and I had rights to shop it around in the meantime.
By December, having heard nothing more from any version of the article I'd sent out, I tried my 4th market. This time it was a secular parenting magazine, though a smaller national one, and one where the editor had written me back about every query I'd ever sent her--she was very atypical. I decided to send the query letter first, not the article, because I'd have to rewrite it significantly, taking out the Bible verses and such that were a core part of my articles at that point. I figured it was better to know if the editor was even interested in the topic before putting any more work into this project unnecessarily.
To my surprise, the editor of that magazine, for the first time, never responded. Then, juggling and writing twenty-some other articles, I forgot about this one for a while. But I never did hear anything from two magazines who said they wanted to buy it, but were waiting for the right timing.
So April or May 2011, a year after my first send-out, I wrote a query letter on the idea to the editor of a parenting magazine in England which had published an article of mine last winter. I thought the topic might appeal to that editor, because one small piece of my story was in using breathing techniques to calm my son down, and in a recent issue of the magazine, had seen those very techniques mentioned, but as new ideas, yet undescribed. I figured, if the editor were interest, I could rewrite the article to put more emphasis on that.
Within days, maybe even the same day, the editor said she was indeed interested in seeing the article. I sent it to her, with more time put in to rewrite it, and within a few weeks, she wrote back that she was seriously considering it for the August issue, and was taking it to the meeting for the final decision. A few weeks after that, she wrote to say she wanted to buy it for that issue, officially.
But I still wasn't done with the work. I put in perhaps an hour more on it, making side bars, as I had suggested I could, to better give instructions on the breathing exercises I mentioned.
All said, I finally sold that piece--one of my best, in my estimation. I received the printed magazine in the mail the other day. But I've lost track of the hours I put into it, through the multiple rewrites, not to mention the marketing side of it. I made a little over $200 for it. I wasn't likely to make much more than that for any magazine I'd sent it to, but the amount of time and work it took me to get it there--well, I might be scared if I found out how much I really made on that one, per hour.
This certainly is a business you do only if you really love the writing.
Samples of my work online:
Omega-3 Fatty Acids Protect Against Obesity?
High Fructose Corn Syrup: Thirteen Reasons to Avoid It
Fire Retardants Found in Babies' Umbilical Cord Blood Associated with Developmental Delays
Whole Wheat Bread with Honey or Molasses, for a Bread Machine
Lyme Disease and Autism Patients Prescribed Diets Free of Genetically Modified Foods
May 10, 2010, I sent out a story about toddler tantrums entitled "Changing my heart to change my son's angry outbursts." I sent this article, part how-to, part personal experience, to a Christian publication targeted to families. I received a response the very same day! The editor was very interested, but said it'd be a few weeks to see if they could fit it into a magazine issue soon or if they would want to use it online, perhaps on their facebook page. I followed up months later, to inquire of the status, and was told they hadn't found a place for it, would like to hold it for a year to see if they could find a use for it, and added that I was within my rights to shop it elsewhere in the meantime. So I did.
When you're starting freelance writing, you hear often about resending--if one place says no, you just resend it--keep the articles in circulation! However, as I learned, it's not that simple. I had a 1200+ word article that may or may not be printed in a year; I decided I should try other publications, but those with the same audience wanted articles no longer than 600 words.
"Just re-sending it" was not "just so simple." I put hours into splitting that article into two different articles--one's a third-person sort of how-to article on dealing with preschool temper tantrums, and the other a first-person experience story of what I tried with my child. In July I sent one to the premier Christian magazine for moms of preschoolers, and the other one I sent to an online family magazine available by subscription only.
In September, I received a favorably reply from the preschooler-centered magazine, but I heard a similar disclaimer--they weren't sure when they could use it as their themes didn't quite fit it, but they'd like to hold it for a year, and I had rights to shop it around in the meantime.
By December, having heard nothing more from any version of the article I'd sent out, I tried my 4th market. This time it was a secular parenting magazine, though a smaller national one, and one where the editor had written me back about every query I'd ever sent her--she was very atypical. I decided to send the query letter first, not the article, because I'd have to rewrite it significantly, taking out the Bible verses and such that were a core part of my articles at that point. I figured it was better to know if the editor was even interested in the topic before putting any more work into this project unnecessarily.
To my surprise, the editor of that magazine, for the first time, never responded. Then, juggling and writing twenty-some other articles, I forgot about this one for a while. But I never did hear anything from two magazines who said they wanted to buy it, but were waiting for the right timing.
So April or May 2011, a year after my first send-out, I wrote a query letter on the idea to the editor of a parenting magazine in England which had published an article of mine last winter. I thought the topic might appeal to that editor, because one small piece of my story was in using breathing techniques to calm my son down, and in a recent issue of the magazine, had seen those very techniques mentioned, but as new ideas, yet undescribed. I figured, if the editor were interest, I could rewrite the article to put more emphasis on that.
Within days, maybe even the same day, the editor said she was indeed interested in seeing the article. I sent it to her, with more time put in to rewrite it, and within a few weeks, she wrote back that she was seriously considering it for the August issue, and was taking it to the meeting for the final decision. A few weeks after that, she wrote to say she wanted to buy it for that issue, officially.
But I still wasn't done with the work. I put in perhaps an hour more on it, making side bars, as I had suggested I could, to better give instructions on the breathing exercises I mentioned.
All said, I finally sold that piece--one of my best, in my estimation. I received the printed magazine in the mail the other day. But I've lost track of the hours I put into it, through the multiple rewrites, not to mention the marketing side of it. I made a little over $200 for it. I wasn't likely to make much more than that for any magazine I'd sent it to, but the amount of time and work it took me to get it there--well, I might be scared if I found out how much I really made on that one, per hour.
This certainly is a business you do only if you really love the writing.
Samples of my work online:
Omega-3 Fatty Acids Protect Against Obesity?
High Fructose Corn Syrup: Thirteen Reasons to Avoid It
Fire Retardants Found in Babies' Umbilical Cord Blood Associated with Developmental Delays
Whole Wheat Bread with Honey or Molasses, for a Bread Machine
Lyme Disease and Autism Patients Prescribed Diets Free of Genetically Modified Foods
Monday, June 27, 2011
Being Too Busy, Having Too Many Deadlines
I'm perhaps the busiest I've ever been, with a to write list of 10 items long for actual articles people are planning to pay me for, on spec, or at least good odds of being chosen to publish (due to prior publication in that market) . All are due by the first of next month. I sent one article on spec out this afternoon; 9 to go...
My last blog talked about the interview form heaven and the possibility to get a lot of assignments from one source, and i can already see the challenge in success. I'm still a stay at home mom with limited writing time. I sensed today already my rising level of frustration with my kids because i have a lot of articles filling my head and looming deadlines. This is perhaps the biggest battle. I love writing, but if it becomes too problematic for me to handle it and still be a good stay-at-home mom, it'll have be truncated or axed. Today was just an inkling of it but it reminds me to recommit myself to my priorities. I tend to put more pressure on myself than anything external. Yes, if I have one deadline in a week posed by someone else, it's my tendency to give myself three more, just as my own personal goal, to send out to magazines that wouldn't care if I sent next week or next year. I'm quite talented at being driven, focused and ambitiously workaholic. That's why I've got to tame the ambition. It's great if my priority is to have a soaring writing career. But that's not my top priority--my kids are, and writing is something that fits in when and how often I can fit it.
Something has to give. I know already it's going to be the online stuff I do. It's a no-brainer--it's the lowest paying of all the writing I do (at least so far; it takes months/years to know how much an article will earn....). Funny, that publishing company is having some perks for writers producing quality stuff right now, but never mind. Being practical, their little bonus is still monetarily far below anything else I could get paid for. SO probably until my social -conscious drive to produce service writing online just for the benefit of people getting new info, I'll probably cool it on that front.
A sample of articles I published:
Sunburn Prevention: Take Off Those Sunglasses!
Nutritious, No-cook Summer Lunch Ideas
Cell Tower Radiation of No Concern for Pregnant Mothers or Childhood Cancer?
Medical Treatments for Vulvodynia: Throwing Darts in The Dark?
When Food Producers Mislabel The Food You Buy; What Labels Can You Trust?
My last blog talked about the interview form heaven and the possibility to get a lot of assignments from one source, and i can already see the challenge in success. I'm still a stay at home mom with limited writing time. I sensed today already my rising level of frustration with my kids because i have a lot of articles filling my head and looming deadlines. This is perhaps the biggest battle. I love writing, but if it becomes too problematic for me to handle it and still be a good stay-at-home mom, it'll have be truncated or axed. Today was just an inkling of it but it reminds me to recommit myself to my priorities. I tend to put more pressure on myself than anything external. Yes, if I have one deadline in a week posed by someone else, it's my tendency to give myself three more, just as my own personal goal, to send out to magazines that wouldn't care if I sent next week or next year. I'm quite talented at being driven, focused and ambitiously workaholic. That's why I've got to tame the ambition. It's great if my priority is to have a soaring writing career. But that's not my top priority--my kids are, and writing is something that fits in when and how often I can fit it.
Something has to give. I know already it's going to be the online stuff I do. It's a no-brainer--it's the lowest paying of all the writing I do (at least so far; it takes months/years to know how much an article will earn....). Funny, that publishing company is having some perks for writers producing quality stuff right now, but never mind. Being practical, their little bonus is still monetarily far below anything else I could get paid for. SO probably until my social -conscious drive to produce service writing online just for the benefit of people getting new info, I'll probably cool it on that front.
A sample of articles I published:
Sunburn Prevention: Take Off Those Sunglasses!
Nutritious, No-cook Summer Lunch Ideas
Cell Tower Radiation of No Concern for Pregnant Mothers or Childhood Cancer?
Medical Treatments for Vulvodynia: Throwing Darts in The Dark?
When Food Producers Mislabel The Food You Buy; What Labels Can You Trust?
Monday, May 9, 2011
Who ever heard of an interview for freelance writing?
Who ever heard of an interview to write freelance articles for a magazine? But this is what I was offered when I followed the advice mentioned in my previous post "Stop Writing") I'd re-sent this pitch, and the reply from the editor was that she really, really liked the pitch, and could I come for a short interview and paperwork? This was a local magazine, so I wondered if they interviewed writers simply because it was geographically possible.
So I went to the interview, and it was like no other print media interview I'd ever experienced. Many years ago when I'd been trying to get an entry-level position, my experience at this one would have been a dream. It was clear the editor wanted me to write for her. In fact, I didn't even feel like I was being interviewed as much as I felt like she was trying to sell the company to me. And then, halfway through the interview, she asks if i"m interested in an assistant editor job because one just opened up. As a stay-at-home mom, I am not looking for that kind of job right now, but goodness, my younger self was so jealous. Ten years ago, I was desperate to find an open door, and couldn't, but wait ten years and walk in with more age and some freelance articles under your belt and you can write your own ticket? This was astounding to me.
There were some surprises though that have given me pause. The magazine is operated more like a newspaper in some aspects, as it is tied to a newspaper. Part of it is that they buy all rights to the articles, meaning I cannot resell them to other publications, as is the norm in magazine freelancing. And that really matters, considering the low, low pay. Seriously, I thought I'd known of the lowest paying gig around, but this really bottomed that one out. The only consolation is that the article length is shorter. The biggest perk is that the opportunity is there for me to create a niche for myself and get a lot of assignments, if I want them. The reasons for the interview is that it's required for anyone to write for any of their 5 publications, and getting okayed for one is getting okayed for all. Bylines could appear in multiple newspapers, not just the magazine too. And she likes to play to the strengths of her writers and take their ideas for stories. She said one of the things she really liked about me was my pitch and that it had tenacity; she invited me to pose all my ideas. That suits me because as a SAHM, I can write only the stories that I can access easily. I can't drive around the city interviewing scads of people on any given topic. But if I can pitch my ideas that I know I can cover in my situation, then that is the kind of writing I can handle right now.
Another surprise was my education in local print media politics; I learned that I could not write for certain other publications and write for the one interviewing me as well; I'd have to choose because whichever one i wrote for first would cause the other to not use me as a freelancer. Who knew?! The weird thing is, the editor of the main rival publication had actually been talking to me in the past 2 weeks about an article.
So now I'm very busy. I don't think I'll be writing much online stuff, such as these:
100% Whole Wheat Bread with Honey or Molasses, for a Bread Machine
How to Determine If Your Child is Ready to Begin Kindergarten
Why is The United States Reacting Differently Than Other Governments to Cell Phone Risk Study Results?
Transferring Your Values About Sex to Your Kids: Timing and Definitions are Key
So I went to the interview, and it was like no other print media interview I'd ever experienced. Many years ago when I'd been trying to get an entry-level position, my experience at this one would have been a dream. It was clear the editor wanted me to write for her. In fact, I didn't even feel like I was being interviewed as much as I felt like she was trying to sell the company to me. And then, halfway through the interview, she asks if i"m interested in an assistant editor job because one just opened up. As a stay-at-home mom, I am not looking for that kind of job right now, but goodness, my younger self was so jealous. Ten years ago, I was desperate to find an open door, and couldn't, but wait ten years and walk in with more age and some freelance articles under your belt and you can write your own ticket? This was astounding to me.
There were some surprises though that have given me pause. The magazine is operated more like a newspaper in some aspects, as it is tied to a newspaper. Part of it is that they buy all rights to the articles, meaning I cannot resell them to other publications, as is the norm in magazine freelancing. And that really matters, considering the low, low pay. Seriously, I thought I'd known of the lowest paying gig around, but this really bottomed that one out. The only consolation is that the article length is shorter. The biggest perk is that the opportunity is there for me to create a niche for myself and get a lot of assignments, if I want them. The reasons for the interview is that it's required for anyone to write for any of their 5 publications, and getting okayed for one is getting okayed for all. Bylines could appear in multiple newspapers, not just the magazine too. And she likes to play to the strengths of her writers and take their ideas for stories. She said one of the things she really liked about me was my pitch and that it had tenacity; she invited me to pose all my ideas. That suits me because as a SAHM, I can write only the stories that I can access easily. I can't drive around the city interviewing scads of people on any given topic. But if I can pitch my ideas that I know I can cover in my situation, then that is the kind of writing I can handle right now.
Another surprise was my education in local print media politics; I learned that I could not write for certain other publications and write for the one interviewing me as well; I'd have to choose because whichever one i wrote for first would cause the other to not use me as a freelancer. Who knew?! The weird thing is, the editor of the main rival publication had actually been talking to me in the past 2 weeks about an article.
So now I'm very busy. I don't think I'll be writing much online stuff, such as these:
100% Whole Wheat Bread with Honey or Molasses, for a Bread Machine
How to Determine If Your Child is Ready to Begin Kindergarten
Why is The United States Reacting Differently Than Other Governments to Cell Phone Risk Study Results?
Transferring Your Values About Sex to Your Kids: Timing and Definitions are Key
Monday, May 2, 2011
Stop Writing: Latest Advice to the Freelancer
Stop writing. That's what I need to do to succeed as a freelancer. No, this isn't someone's way of saying that I or any other freelancer isn't a good writer or should quit. I've read, and reread, from those who know the business of freelance writing that a big part of my job is resending, marketing, resending. It's been over a year now since I started, and my Word file of all articles I've sent out for publication (whether complete articles or the query letter positing the premise) numbers 61. I color-code them so I can tell at a glance where in the process they are. Blue is for published, black is for "waiting to hear," and red is for "take action--the first attempt got a no, so try again ASAP!" The list is overwhelmingly red. There are articles I should have resent 6 months ago. It's a shame really--every minute I spend writing new articles is delaying the time I might get another already-written one published and paid! And this is just in one category of things I write: print magazine articles. I need to do this with devotionals that I write too.
So I just need to quit writing and get to my homework of resending. So today I accomplished 1.5 of a my list of perhaps 10 that I should have done yesterday. I rewrote my query letter for an article on simple back strengthening exercises that can be done in minutes a day, even while multi-tasking. I'd first pitched it to a local parenting magazine (one I've referred to in a previous post as "Fort Knox." Seriously, the national Parents magazine editor writes me back personally, but the tiny local parenting magazine never gave me any response to that query or the previous five...) I rewrote the query to market the article to a how-to magazine for women. The editor at that magazine wrote me back after my last query, but I never heard from her again, so this is my second try there.
Secondly, I edited a revamped article and was trying to get everything ready for a snail mail to American Baby--it's a lot of work to do it the old-fashioned way. But as I wrote in a previous post, it is really benefiicial to a writer to call the magazine and get direction on which editor is best to address the submission to, based on the topic. But both attempts today led to an answering machine at the editor's desk. I know she does answer her phone--I've talked with her before, and she helpfully furnished the information I needed. I guess I'll try again tomorrow...
Tomorrow I should do the same thing--not write. Maybe I should not write all week, but just do the business of readying submissions to resend...
Articles I've published online:
Power Your Electronics with Your Body's Own Movement? The NPower PEG, The First Kinetic Energy Recharger
Lyme Disease and Autism Patients Prescribed Diets Free of Genetically Modified Foods
What I've Learned After a Year Writing for Triond Sites
Waterbirth Lowers Group B Strep Risk Better Than Antibiotics?
How to Avoid Nutrient Depletion Caused by Your Prescription Drugs
So I just need to quit writing and get to my homework of resending. So today I accomplished 1.5 of a my list of perhaps 10 that I should have done yesterday. I rewrote my query letter for an article on simple back strengthening exercises that can be done in minutes a day, even while multi-tasking. I'd first pitched it to a local parenting magazine (one I've referred to in a previous post as "Fort Knox." Seriously, the national Parents magazine editor writes me back personally, but the tiny local parenting magazine never gave me any response to that query or the previous five...) I rewrote the query to market the article to a how-to magazine for women. The editor at that magazine wrote me back after my last query, but I never heard from her again, so this is my second try there.
Secondly, I edited a revamped article and was trying to get everything ready for a snail mail to American Baby--it's a lot of work to do it the old-fashioned way. But as I wrote in a previous post, it is really benefiicial to a writer to call the magazine and get direction on which editor is best to address the submission to, based on the topic. But both attempts today led to an answering machine at the editor's desk. I know she does answer her phone--I've talked with her before, and she helpfully furnished the information I needed. I guess I'll try again tomorrow...
Tomorrow I should do the same thing--not write. Maybe I should not write all week, but just do the business of readying submissions to resend...
Articles I've published online:
Power Your Electronics with Your Body's Own Movement? The NPower PEG, The First Kinetic Energy Recharger
Lyme Disease and Autism Patients Prescribed Diets Free of Genetically Modified Foods
What I've Learned After a Year Writing for Triond Sites
Waterbirth Lowers Group B Strep Risk Better Than Antibiotics?
How to Avoid Nutrient Depletion Caused by Your Prescription Drugs
Friday, April 15, 2011
When a New Editor Takes over a Magazine, Take Note!
I recently referred to a certain local parenting magazine as "Fort Knox" to a couple of other writers, as my way of saying they seem to be impossible to break into as a writer. For over a year, I've sent the editor queries to possibly six different story ideas and never got any sort of reply. And in every issue, I see the same few freelance writers with multiple stories published. I know there are many factors, but I began to wonder if the editor gave new writers a shot at all. I've written before about how the advice to "start locally" hasn't worked for me, and I got published first in non-local publications. But a few days ago, I noticed this local "Fort Knox" magazine underwent a change in editorship, and I wondered if a new editor might grant me a different response.
Well, a mere day after I sent a query yesterday, the new editor did indeed write back! She found my idea intriguing and asked a couple of questions about how I envisioned writing it, as well as my payment requirements. I answered her today; we shall see what comes of it!
The down side is the pay. Their maximum payment is truly is lower than I've been paid by any other traditional publisher. But if I could get into writing for this magazine regularly, it could equal more money in th bank for my time when considering how long it takes me to cold-query other higher paying magazines, hoping to eventually get a sale.
Articles I've published recently:
Job Search: How to Make Your Application Climb to The Top of The Pile
Lyme Disease and Autism Patients Prescribed Diets Free of Genetically Modified Foods
How Much Genetically Modified Food Do You Eat?
Prostate Cancer: Nutrients for Prevention and Defense
Well, a mere day after I sent a query yesterday, the new editor did indeed write back! She found my idea intriguing and asked a couple of questions about how I envisioned writing it, as well as my payment requirements. I answered her today; we shall see what comes of it!
The down side is the pay. Their maximum payment is truly is lower than I've been paid by any other traditional publisher. But if I could get into writing for this magazine regularly, it could equal more money in th bank for my time when considering how long it takes me to cold-query other higher paying magazines, hoping to eventually get a sale.
Articles I've published recently:
Job Search: How to Make Your Application Climb to The Top of The Pile
Lyme Disease and Autism Patients Prescribed Diets Free of Genetically Modified Foods
How Much Genetically Modified Food Do You Eat?
Prostate Cancer: Nutrients for Prevention and Defense
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