In this Issue:

• "Welcome" - Dan Case, editor
  
• Feature "Create Your Own Editorial Calendar" by Shaunna Privratsky
  
• 20 Paying Markets - High, Medium, and Low
  
• Feature "Success Made Simple: An Interview With Wendy Burt" by Jennifer Brown Banks

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Welcome

Bigfoot update... We have the book proposal in and are awaiting a response. Hopefully we will get a contract to write the book of Bigfoot encounters from a NY Publisher. I'm pretty confident that the contract will come through since I'm writing the coattails of Charles W. Sasser who has over 60 books published! (Read Magic Steps to Writing Success to learn how to be a write like Charles.)

Bigfoot is a very interesting subject. The name "Bigfoot" was first coined in the 1950's when some tracks were found. Since then, there have been hundreds of casts make of tracks... there has even been casts made of legs parts and even buttocks where a Bigfoot had sat. Can you imagine what Bigfoot would have been called if the first casts were made of buttocks? Sasquatch, otherwise known as Bigbutt... :-)

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Dan Case, editor
editor@writingfordollars.com (put WFD in the subject line)

Editorial calendars can be a writer's best tool. They are like cheat sheets because they list themes and subjects for the upcoming year. If you follow the calendar and submit timely queries, you're bound to attract the attention of grateful editors.

Let's take it to the next level. How about creating your own editorial calendar? It can keep you on track for submissions, give your creativity a boost in those down times and encourage you to stockpile work if you can't write as much as you'd like at certain times of the year.

A great way to compile a calendar is to research important dates and events approximately six months in advance. Typically, magazine editors like to work at least that far ahead, so articles submitted during this time would be right on track with their needs. Here is a sample calendar to get you started. You can personalize it and add your own ideas as the year progresses.

January
Start thinking the hot days of August, even if you're shivering.

• Back to school
• End of summer
• School supplies
• Women's Small Business month
• Away to college
• National Immunization month
• New, affordable school clothes
• Happiness month

February
This is a short month, so get started on these September ideas.

• Labor Day party
• Patriot's Day [9-11-07]
• Cooler weather
• Gardening tips on winterizing
• New school
• First bus ride/separation anxiety
• Grandparents Day
• Update your resume month
• Autumn begins
• Baby safety month
• College savings month
• Library card sign-up month

March
Think fall, pumpkins and colorful leaves for October ideas:

• Columbus Day
• Weatherize home
• Dryer vent safety month
• Fall decorating
• National Bosses Day
• Cooler weather
• Halloween parties
• Costumes
• Right-brainers rule month
• Raking/celebrating leaves
• National breast cancer awareness month
• National domestic violence awareness month
• Daylight savings time ends [Fall back]

April
Be thankful that spring is here, while you look ahead to November.

• Election Day
• Lung cancer awareness month
• Colder weather
• Veterans Day
• Christmas shopping ideas
• Thanksgiving Day
• American Diabetes month
• Holiday tips
• Busiest shopping day of the year
• Avoid Christmas debt
• Winterize your car
• National Alzheimer's disease month
• Surviving the holidays
• Decorations

May
Visualize everything you love about December.

• Hanukah
• Winter begins
• Universal Human rights month
• Last minute shopping ideas
• Year-end income tax tips
• Avoiding weight gain
• Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
• Holiday meals
• Kwanzaa begins
• Safe toys and gifts month
• Parties
• Cold weather/winter fun
• New Year's Eve
• National drunk driving prevention month

June
Although your vacation may be in full swing, jot down some January ideas to keep your calendar going.

• New Year's Day
• Goals and resolutions
• Retirement planning
• Returning gifts
• Celebration of Life month
• Lose holiday pounds
• Start a fitness program
• Martin Luther King Day
• Pay off Christmas debt
• Travel in winter conditions
• Tax tips for the New Year
• International creativity month

July
Between dips in the pool, here are some February facts to get your writing in gear.

• Valentine's Day
• Romantic dates
• Black History month
• Get in shape for summer
• President's Day
• Decorations/treats
• Escape cabin fever
• American heart month
• Plan your vacation
• Stick to January's goals

August
The kids will be heading back to school and you'll probably have more time to write about March.

• St. Patrick's Day
• Spring begins
• Poison prevention month
• Easter celebrations
• Good Friday, Palm Sunday
• National Women's History month
• Spring fever
• American Red Cross month
• Gardening plans/preparations
• Cleaning, organizing
• Shopping for a new home
• Lawn care

September
Although September 21st is Stephen King's birthday, try to focus on April ideas.

• Tackle your clutter month
• Daylight savings time begins [Spring ahead]
• Last minute tax tips
• Spring cleaning
• Earth Day
• Bicycling safety
• Passover
• Animal cruelty prevention month
• Avoid animal bites
• Gardening tips
• Tax returns due
• Spending/saving refunds

October
The cooler weather means you'll have more time to write about May ideas.

• Mother's Day
• Gifts/celebrate Mom
• Clean air month
• Last days of school
• Armed Forces Day
• Prom, parties
• Graduation
• Memorial Day
• Plan summer vacation
• Summer camp signup

November
Forget about the leftover turkey for a moment and concentrate on some June ideas.

• Flag Day
• International Men's month
• Father's Day
• Gifts/celebrate Dad
• Summer begins
• School's out
• Summer activities
• National Safety month
• Weddings
• Outdoor fun

December
Even though this month is already jam-packed, keep your writing flourishing by considering some of these July ideas.

• Independence day
• Parties/decorations
• Fireworks safety
• Summer camp
• Anti-boredom month
• Insect control/bites
• National hot dog month
• Stay cool
• Water fun and safety
• Skin protection/health

Although the year is at an end, continue looking ahead and discovering new ideas for your writing. By creating your own editorial calendar, you are mapping out a successful plan to keep your writing career flourishing. Just think, next year is going to be even better!

© Copyright 2007, Shaunna Privratsky

Shaunna Privratsky is a fulltime author and caretaker for her disabled husband. They live in North Dakota with their two children and three pampered cats. Please visit The Writer Within. Free newsletter!

• Alaska Airlines Magazine - Guidelines:  Pays on publication.  Seeks nonfiction, columns/departments, photos/artwork. Subjects: travel, lifestyle and business publication covering the Alaska Airlines route system. 

• Entrepreneur - Guidelines:  Pays on acceptance.  Seeks nonfiction, photos/artwork. Subjects: New business ideas, opportunities, small business. 

• Fuse Magazine - Guidelines:  Pays on publication.  Accepts simultaneous submissions.  Seeks nonfiction, columns/departments, photos/artwork. Subjects: visual art, film, video, performance art, community-based theatre. 

• Good Housekeeping - Guidelines:  Pays on acceptance.  Seeks nonfiction. Subjects: Real Lives, health narratives . 

• Japan Media Review - Guidelines:  Pays on publication.  Seeks nonfiction. Subjects: developments in journalism in Japan that have a technology, Internet, wireless, or convergence angle. 

Medium - $125 - $500

• Abilities - Guidelines:  Pays on publication.  Seeks nonfiction. Subjects: Disabled travel, health, sport, recreation, employment, education, transportation, housing. 

• Crafts N Things - Guidelines:  Pays on publication.  Seeks nonfiction, columns/departments, photos/artwork. Subjects: Crafts, original designs. 

• The Cross Stitcher - Guidelines:  Pays on acceptance.  Seeks nonfiction, photos/artwork. Subjects: Crafts, cross stitch. 

• ePregnancy.com - Guidelines:  Pays on publication.  Seeks nonfiction, photos/artwork. Subjects: spectrum of pregnancy/parenting subjects in a conversational---never lecturing---voice. 

• Flight Journal - Guidelines:  .  Seeks nonfiction, photos/artwork. Subjects: Aviation history. 

• Friction Zone - Guidelines:  Pays on publication.  Seeks nonfiction, fiction, columns/departments, fillers, photos/artwork. Subjects: Motorcycles. 

• HeartLand Boating - Guidelines:  Pays on publication.  Seeks nonfiction, columns/departments, photos/artwork. Subjects: Power boating, sailboating. 

• Mothering - Guidelines:  Pays on publication.  Seeks nonfiction, columns/departments, photos/artwork. Subjects: Parenting, mothering, child care. 

• The North Coast Journal - Guidelines:  Pays on publication.  Seeks nonfiction, columns/departments, fillers, photos/artwork. Subjects: Humboldt Co., Ca. weekly newspaper of politcs, people and art. 

• The Saturday Evening Post - Guidelines:  Pays on publication.  Accepts simultaneous submissions.  Seeks nonfiction, columns/departments, fillers, photos/artwork. Subjects: Travel, health, general interest. 

Low - Less than $125

• The First Line - Guidelines:  Pays on publication.  Seeks nonfiction, fiction. Subjects: Literary. 

• Five Points - Guidelines:  .  Seeks nonfiction, fiction, photos/artwork. Subjects: Poetry, essays, general fiction, photographs, artwork. 

• Foursquare World Advance - Guidelines:  Pays on acceptance.  Seeks nonfiction, photos/artwork. Subjects: Religion. 

• Funny Times - Guidelines:  Pays on publication.  Accepts simultaneous submissions.  Seeks nonfiction, fiction, columns/departments, fillers. Subjects: Tabloid Humor. 

• Opinion Asia - Guidelines:  Pays on publication.  Seeks nonfiction. Subjects: Asian political, social issues of today and tomorrow. 

Wendy Burt is truly a "Jill of all trades." A former newspaper editor, she has now carved a very successful career as a full-time freelance writer and author.

Wendy writes the advice column "Ask Wendy" for Writers on the Rise. She is the co-author of Oh, Solo, Mia.

WFD: Can you describe a typical writing day?

Actually, a typical writing day is quite varied – in a good way. I drop off my toddler at a home daycare down the street, stop at Starbucks and then get back home around 9 a.m. to start answering emails. Emails are a necessary evil of being a writer/editor, because while 50% of your time is spent writing, the other half is spent managing. By managing I mean interviewing, coordinating other writers, doing follow-ups with clients, compiling pieces of edit, marketing your work, invoicing, etc. Once the actual writing kicks in, a “typical” day might include writing greeting card copy for a client, working on press releases, editing articles, working with clients on ad copy, writing articles and doing a phone interview or two. I usually take a 15-minute break for lunch and watch CNN to get the highlights of the day’s news. At 3:30 p.m. I leave to pick up my daughter, and I usually do another two hours of work after dinner.

WFD: Your BIO states that you doubled your income when transitioning from newspaper editor to full time freelancer. While other artists are "starving" you seem to be thriving. What's your secret?

It’s cliché, but I love what I do now, so it’s natural to make more money because it doesn’t feel like work so I stay motivated. Also, I love being in control of how much money I make. What’s your incentive to stay up till midnight if you’re on salary working for somebody else? Also, I do not embrace the stereotype of the poor, starving writer. It’s a lame excuse for writers to feel ok about not valuing themselves and making money. There is absolutely no shame in making good – or great – money for creativity. Read The War of Art (not to be confused with The Art of War) to get a good get-off-your-butt lesson on what it takes to be a professional (read paid) writer. Financially successful writers (think mass market authors) are often called sell-outs. I think that’s BS. I can be a great writer and make money. We shouldn’t be made to feel like we have to choose!

WFD: From your experiences, what's the most lucrative field of writing?

Well, that depends. In terms of how much money you can make per hour, greeting cards, bumper stickers, and the like can be incredible. I once made $225 for about 5 minutes of brainstorming on one-liners. I made $150 for coming up with a name for a new card line and $100 just last week for emailing someone a suggestion for a name for his product. The down side is that greeting card work can be sporadic if you don’t work for a company as a contractor. You can certainly have some hits selling one-time ideas, (and it’s still good money), but you might sell one or two per month. The best consistent money is in copy writing (ads, Web copy, brochures), fillers and articles. Personal essays can pay well but it’s hard to find markets. I’ve also made money selling short stories, poems and nursery rhymes, but again, not a lot of paying markets.

WFD: What are four major strengths that every good writer must possess?

1. You must be organized. Remember, as a freelancer, it’s not just about writing. It’s about keeping track of your submissions, your deadlines, your invoices and your expenses.
2. You must be motivated or you’ll sleep till 3 p.m. every day. Sometimes this means working at another job to support your family and then writing at night, on weekends and on your lunch break.
3. You have to be confident in yourself. It takes a thick skin to get through rejections when you first start. Learn from your mistakes and stop expecting people to hold your hand and telling you how great you are. Tell yourself how great you are.
4. You must have a strong desire to learn. This means taking classes, reading books/newspapers/mags, attending writer’s conferences, interviewing people who are interesting and listening to people who are successful at what you want to do.

WFD: I'm a big fan of the book Oh, Solo Mia. How did it come about?

Thanks! I was teaching a night class in Denver called “Breaking Into Freelance Writing.” My (now) co-author, Erin Kindberg, took the class and we became great friends immediately. One day I said, “We should write a book together.” She laughed. I said, “I’m serious!” … and so we did! We pitched the idea to about 30 agents, one bit and she sold it to McGraw-Hill. A year later we sold them a second idea and our book, Work It, Girl! 101 Tips for the Hip Working Chick was published in 2003.

WFD: What advice can you give to writers wanting to become full-time freelancers?

Don’t rely on your income when you first start or you’ll quit early. You need to have another job, a spouse who can support you for a while or several months of savings to live off until you build your clients. Also, don’t keep shooting for one-off deals – like getting an article published in a big magazine. They’re very competitive so only dedicate a small percentage of your time to getting in there. Instead, look for the smaller, most consistent-paying gigs, like local and regional pubs, blogs or assignments for clients who need content for Web sites and newsletters. I’d rather know I’m going to make $200/week than get that big, one-time clip that paid $1,000… but will probably not buy from me again for years.

© Copyright 2007, Jennifer Brown Banks

Jennifer Brown Banks Writer/Author/Poet/Consultant
Featured Author (May, 2006) Anthologies online