Breaking into the page of parenting magazines is supposedly one of the hardest markets to crack. It makes sense though--there's a glut of writers with that as their expertise--while a handful of moms writing from home may have the chops to write for finance magazines, a handful more who can write about fitness, and some who can write about health issues--what is the most common feature of the many women trying to freelance is a great many of us have kids! I've gotten articles on health and spirituality published considerably easy, but most of my articles, on parenting topics, have yet to find a home.
I started freelancing 9 months ago, and have sent stuff to the big magazines: Parents, Pregnancy, Fit Pregnancy, and have yet to hear anything. I've also tried smaller magazines: Working Mother, Mothering, and Kiwi, and have, with 2 of them, gotten to the point of talking with editors, but still no sale. I've read the classic advice to "start local" and write for regional parenting magazines. However, the lone parenting magazine in my region is as impenetrable as granite for me. I see that most of its articles are written by the same freelance writers over and over. I've sent multiple queries and have not ever heard a single word in response to any. Until the day I can offer something truly spectacular that none of their currently used writers can deliver, that door seems to be shut to me. Contrary to that advice for starting out, I've gotten further with national magazines, even getting an "on spec" assignment.
I planned to write a post, frantically posing the question "How Can Anyone to Break into the Parenting Magazine Market??" But before I got around to posting about my frustrating lack of success, I got an email about my first sale to a parenting magazine. Get this--it's a UK magazine!
This particular article began as a query to Kiwi and was respectfully turned down because the editor said something similar was already in the works. I then queried Mothering, and the editor gave me the assignment "on spec." So I then put in the time, conducted my interviews, wrote it and sent it. However, it didn't sell and I'll never know exactly why. I then did more research to figure out where to send it--the article is not general enough for mainstream parenting magazines (which is probably good because as I've stated, I've gotten nowhere with them!) I found out about the UK magazine Green Parent and sent my article their way. I received an email of initial interest and a request from the editor to keep it "on file" for consideration in a future issue. I didn't expect to hear anything more until after Christmas, so then, getting her email the day before Thanksgiving, stating that she was "keen" on publishing it in the issue coming out in January, I was surprised.
So is this an adequate "break" into the bastion of parenting magazines? Is publishing in another English-speaking country another "break in" possibility method? Will this UK magazine credit work some magic getting me further with other parenting magazines? Only time will tell, but I hope so.
Articles of mine available online:
Fight Breast Cancer with Salmon, Not Pink Cupcakes (And Other Cancer- Fighting Tips)
Infertility, Delayed Conception Linked to Fire Retardants in Homes
http://christiandevotions.us/tag/reneelannan/
Destroying Marriage, Career and Self-concept: Vulvodynia
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