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Vol
12 Number 13 - April 1, 2008
In this Issue:
Want to contribute to this newsletter? We are a paying market. Read our guidelines for contributors here: http://www.writingfordollars.com/wfdguidelines.cfm Welcome It sure is tempting to say some outrageous thing in this issue and then "April Fools!" But I won't because we are a serious, no-nonsense, get-to-work-and-write publication... April Fools! I read a story this morning about a man who, just after coming home from his wife's funeral, looked into their clothes closet at home. There hanging behind some other dresses was a garment that the wife had purchased on a trip to New York City several years earlier. She had not worn it... she was saving it for a special occasion. Now, that occasion would never come. Later this man would relate this story to a friend and remarked, "Don't save something only for a special occasion. Every day in your life is a special occasion." The moral of this story, of course, is to make every day a special occasion. Call old friends to make peace over past quarrels. Tell your family members that you love them. Use your good china for dinner tonight and break out the good crystal. And most important of all for us writers... start or finish that book or novel today! Check out our new article database. We finished adding our whole inventory of past articles from WFD, now over 400 articles are available to search and read. Find just the right information you need to make a few more bucks in the new year. Don't forget our database of writer’s guidelines is readily available to everyone for FREE! All links have been checked within the last year (the date that they were last checked is listed) so you can be sure to have the most up-to-date information. Here are the top-selling writing books at AWOCBooks.com - FREE SHIPPING on selected books! ($2.95 value)
Dan
Case, editor 7 Tips For Mining The Free Issue by Kathleen Ewing Breaking into a new market is always gratifying. When my complimentary copy of the national art magazine arrived, I had to resist the temptation to remove the cover, the table of contents and my article to tuck them safely into my clip file. This was a free copy of a new market for me. Before I dissected it, I wanted to see if there was something else the editor might like to see from me and the local art community. So I grabbed my notebook and my pen to start mining my free issue. 1. The cover: The banner at the top informed the reader about the types of articles the magazine traditionally published. Half a dozen blurbs described what appeared in this particular issue. These are headlines for the topics the editor believes are the most likely to attract readers. Marketing, career planning, showing the artwork. 2. Masthead: Names of editors are listed here, which provides an excellent contact point for queries. Also listed is the publisher, who might also publish other magazines where I could sell my work. In many cases, contributing authors are also listed. 3. The table of contents: Current features and regular departments are headlined here. These are another excellent barometer for the types of articles that are currently selling. By comparing names of the article writers to those authors listed on the magazine's masthead, I can determine that 90 per cent of the magazine is written by freelancers, which is encouraging. 4. Editorial page: Here the editor boasts about which pieces the magazine is proudest of publishing this month and provides a snapshot of what plans the publication has for future issues. In this case, the magazine is rolling out a new department featuring tours of artists' private studios. Not just a casual mention, mind you, but a large section dedicated to this new feature. 5. Articles: Forget those stale and static guidelines in a book or on a website. The best clue to what an editor wants now is what is published in current issues. I read every article, making prolific notes about style, content and illustrations. Illustrations and photographs generally represent more money for the author, so it pays to take notes on those, too. Because many editors are more likely to purchase an article with illustrations, a good digital camera can earn its purchase price in a few weeks. 6. Advertisements: Ads provide valuable clues to the type of readers the magazine targets. Most of the ads in my complimentary copy are directed toward the professional artist rather than the novice, someone who is interested in presenting artwork for sale to the public in shows and galleries. This opens the door to dozens of articles: how to frame your work to best advantage, how to advertise your work, how to organize a one-man showing, etc. 7. The back cover: The company that buys a full color page of advertising space on the back cover is generally making a huge investment in an effort to reach the magazine's readers. Those advertisers believe the magazine is an excellent vehicle for promoting their businesses. With so much money at stake, they study the demographics of the magazine's readers, so you can take a clue from them about the types of people to whom you should slant your article. On this magazine, the back cover is a glossy ad promoting a company which is focusing upon building websites for artists. How about an article about the information an artist should include on a website? My notebook is now packed with the germs of potential articles for this single market. Marketing. Showing. Galleries. Career plan. Studio tour. Website. Each of these items will get their own page in my project book and some serious brainstorming when I sit down to develop new articles. But the first action on my agenda is to shoot off an article from my inventory while my name is still fresh on the editor's mind. Within six weeks, I have another check and a second complimentary copy. And if there is anything better than a free copy of a paying market to reinforce what an editor wants, it's two free copies. If I mine those complimentary copies deeply enough and analyze every squiggle of ink, I just might find my name up there on that masthead with the rest of the contributing writers. © 2008 by Kathleen Ewing Kathleen Ewing is a freelance writer who lives in the central mountains of Arizona where she enjoys hiking, horseback riding, four wheeling and target shooting. Among her more recent credits are articles in Art Calendar Magazine, American Falconry, Funds for Writers and Hobby Farms Magazine. You can visit her site at www.nothingbinding.com/writer/kathleen-ewing.html 15 Paying Markets Updated or added in our database since March 25, 2008 High - Over $500
Medium - $125 - $500
Low - Less than $125
One Stop Self-Promotion by Patricia Misiuk Do you spend more time convincing editors to publish your articles than, well, writing? I spent years doing just that until I found a way to visit 20 to 30 prospective markets for my writing under one roof. My old drill was frustratingly familiar. I made appointments for interviews. Then I donned my dress-for-success clothes. Next I had to persuade a budget-conscious editor that my proposed article would spike magazine sales. Then I battled lunch-hour gridlock, prowled for a parking space, and delivered yet another two-minute spiel to the next gatekeeper. Then I waited for them to give me the green light. Then I worked smarter, not harder. I discovered one-stop shopping for writers. I’m a sucker for freebies: pens, refrigerator magnets, notepads, and even mouse pads. I’m a slow learner so my light bulb moment came after years of attending senior extravaganzas, job fairs, health expos, and state fairs. Exhibitors promote their products. Why not do the same and offer your writing expertise for their companies? Think outside the box. A local theme park relies on tourist dollars and probably showcases area celebrities. Think feature for the local newspaper. A growing company could boost employee communications with an in-house newsletter…written by you. The wellness center wants to promote a healthy lifestyle but hired nobody with the necessary credentials to draft a pamphlet. A start-up alternative publication’s web site is growing and receptive to column ideas. Go for it. Below are tips I have gleaned from “working the expo hall.” Stay in the Loop Dress Rehearsal Carry Credentials All in the Timing Get the Big Picture The Two-Minute Pitch Over the years, I’ve discovered expo sites can provide a mother lode of assignments. Like written queries, you may experience what you feel are disproportionate doses of rejection. Don’t be discouraged and remember the three Ps: prepare, pursue and persist. Assignments often tumble your way when least expected. In the meantime, load up on those free handouts. You’ll need them, especially the pens, to sign your royalty checks. © 2008 by Patricia Misiuk Patricia Misiuk could have been the sole interviewee for Studs Terkel's "Working." Her jobs have ranged from migrant work in New Zealand to the replenishment of sanitary products in the "Big Apple's" restrooms. When she grows up (she is 61) she wants to be a columnist. She still works at "McJobs" but "writing is what she does."
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