In this Issue:

• "Welcome" - Dan Case, editor
  
  
• Feature "Ghost-Writing Doesn’t Have to be Scary"
  by Kathryn Lay
  
  
• Feature "Five Reasons to Write for Trade Publications"
  by Jennifer Brown Banks
  
  
• 36 Paying Markets - High, Medium, and Low
  

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Welcome

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Here are the top-selling writing books at AWOCBooks.com - $1 SHIPPING on selected books! ($2.95 value)

1. Inspire! Writing from the Soul by Linda C. Apple $1 SHIPPING! Kindle edition available!
2. Magic Steps to Writing Success by Charles W. Sasser. $1 SHIPPING!
   
3. Connect! A Simple Guide to Public Speaking for Writers by Linda C. Apple $1 SHIPPING! Kindle edition available!
   
4. Who's Your Daddy? by Carolyn B. Leonard $1 SHIPPING! Kindle edition available!
   
5. The Complete Guide to Writing & Selling Magazine Articles 2nd Edition by Peggy Fielding and Dan Case. $1 SHIPPING! Kindle edition available!
6. Devoted to Writing! by Nancy Robinson Masters & Maurice Parsley Mallow $1 SHIPPING! Kindle edition available!
   
7. The Organized Writer is a Selling Writer by Kathryn Lay. $1 SHIPPING! Kindle edition available!
   
8. Confessing for Money 2nd Edition Writing and Selling to the SECRET Short Story Market by Peggy Fielding $1 SHIPPING! Kindle edition available!
   
9. Preserving Family Legends for Future Generations by M. Carolyn Steele $1 SHIPPING! Kindle edition available!
   
10. Be Your Own Book Doctor: So You Can Cure What Ails Your Writing by Robyn Conley. Kindle edition available!
    

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

Ghost-Writing Doesn’t Have to be Scary

Why would a writer want to write something for someone else, especially if their name isn’t even going to be on the project? What if there are no royalties?

Recently, I completed a children’s novel for a promotional tool for someone whose career is as a speaker with a specific platform. Because he speaks to parents and teachers about issues relating to young people, he wanted to write a book that includes each of the values he is speaking about that a parent and/or teacher could discuss with young readers. He had written a book.

When an editor friend first approached me about the possibility of taking on this writing project, my first instinct was to say no. I had lots of questions and concerns.

Would the pay be enough for my time?

Would the non-writer person be demanding of many rewrites?

Could I even do this and still keep his original ‘plan’ intact?

Could I finish it by deadline yet still get my own projects completed?

After discussing it with the editor and the marketing person who would be the go-between person for me and the speaker, I decided it was a new challenge I wanted to try. Most of all, it would pay for some bills I needed to take care of soon, as opposed to the ups and downs of freelance possible sales.

The marketing person, speaker and I had a phone conversation together after I’d read the manuscript and made my suggestions. As a speaker with a platform, he had things he needed me to make sure and include. As a children’s author, I had concerns about the story as written and ideas to make it more of a young-person’s story that showed, not told, the platform.

Once we agreed on what we were both thinking and I explained to the marketing person, who would be taking care of payments, what I expected on the business end of this project, I really had to face my fears.

How was I going to meld these two story lines?

It took a lot of work, but so does my own writing if I want to do it well.

The most important thing I came to understand about doing a ghost-writing project is that it was a job, not something close to my heart. I needed to approach it with a plan and professionalism. All my concerns about a byline and royalties had to be set aside. My concern was to create a product that this client could use and to increase my income.

When writing something that may not seem as completely creative or is more like work, the best way to think about it is just that. You are doing a job, but using your skill and the area you are interested in working.

Have you been approached or considered a ghost-writing project?

1. Have a written plan about what you expect as a contractor for this job.
   
   
2. Make clear how many drafts or rewrites you are willing to do for the money.
   
   
3. Agree with whoever you are being paid by what your payment plan should be. Mine became ½ to begin, ½ of the last portion at completion of main project, last half when approval came for the book and the discussion guide I agreed to include.

You should do your best as with any writing project, but even if you disagree with what the person hiring you wants in the project or changes they make, you have the satisfaction of knowing (in most cases) that your name will not be on the project and you can let go and walk away from it when it is done.

Sometimes writing includes fame with a byline. Sometimes it includes promise of future pay with royalties. And sometimes, it’s a one-time job that hones your skills and fattens your pocketbook. You have to decide what you are able to do. And like any good Boy Scout—always be prepared.

© 2012 Kathryn Lay

Kathryn Lay is the author of 21 fiction and nonfiction books for children; trade and educational. She has had over 2000 articles, essays and stories for children and adults and enjoys speaking to writers groups and schools. Her book from AWOC.COM Publishing, The Organized Writer is a Selling Writer is available as a paperback or ebook. Check out her website at www.kathrynlay.com and email her at rlay15@aol.com

Five Reasons to Write for Trade Publications

It only stands to reason that most of us writers pen pieces for the glossy publications we view with starry eyes at the local supermarkets. The covers captivate us with celebrities we worship, while the titles draw us in with promises of quick fixes for common problems that plague us. Additionally, these reads are widely circulated. You’ll likely find general consumer publications everywhere—from doctor’s offices, to coffee shops, to bookstores and local libraries.

But concentrating solely on submissions to these types of magazines can limit your career growth and your earning potential. If you want to elevate your career and work smarter, not harder, here are a few things you should know.

A trade journal is simply a publication devoted to a particular industry or occupation. They range from magazines devoted to the wine and food industry, to teaching, to insurance, to writing, to agriculture. Though these publications have been around for ages, here’s why they merit new consideration for today’s writer.

1. Today’s writing climate is extremely competitive. Blame it on a high unemployment rate, the ease of entry the Internet provides for those seeking to make money, and the “hype” that makes people believe that anybody can be a writer.  But, truth is, writing has become as competitive as professional sports! Comparatively speaking, trade publications are less competitive, because fewer writers are aware of these journals, and for those that are, there’s the misconception that you have to be an expert in order to write for them. Less competition often leads to greater odds of acceptance for your work.
   
   
2. Trade publications afford writers greater flexibility and more options. Many of these publications allow simultaneous submissions, accept previously published materials, and take complete manuscripts as well as queries. This saves today’s busy writer time and mental wear and tear. Yoga For Everybody (http://yoga4everybody.com/) accepts simultaneous submissions.
   
   
3. Often trade publications have a higher rate of pay than consumer publications and other writing opportunities. Tired of penning blog posts for ten bucks? Or laboring over research-laden articles that yield the equivalent of minimum wage? Writers can expect to earn anywhere from $50.00-$1200.00 for their efforts.
   
   
4. Trades frequently pay quicker. While recently scouring over writing markets, I discovered that there were a great number of these magazines that offered “payment upon acceptance”, as opposed to “payment on or after publication.” Which is another added perk to consider. The Old Farmer’s Almanac and Family Fun Magazines are some noteworthy examples. 
   
   
5. Trade publications have a higher percentage rate of “freelance written” materials accepted. In consumer magazines, conversely, a lot of the departments and columns are written and reserved for in-house staff. Breaking in can be harder—requiring clips, a resume, and writing that rivals a Pulitzer winner. Tip the odds in your favor by favoring trades.

Keep in mind that in today’s writing game being good isn’t good enough. The more strategic and resourceful you are, the greater the likelihood for success and continued profit in your career.

© 2012 by Jennifer Brown Banks

Jennifer Brown Banks is a veteran freelance writer, pro blogger, and Managing Editor of Coffee House for Writers. Additionally, Jennifer now writes for Technorati.com. Visit her blog at Penandprosper.blogspot.com

High - Over $500

• Air & Space - Guidelines:  Pays on acceptance.  Seeks nonfiction, columns/departments, fillers.  Subjects: Flight. 

• Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine - Guidelines:  Pays on acceptance.  Seeks fiction.  Subjects: Mystery short stories. 

• Asimov's Science Fiction - Guidelines:  Pays on acceptance.  Seeks fiction, fillers.  Subjects: Science Fiction, poetry. 

• The Atlantic - Guidelines:  Pays on acceptance.  Seeks nonfiction, fiction, fillers.  Subjects: Book excerpts, essays, general interest, humor, personal experience, religious, travel, poetry. 

• Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine - Guidelines:  Pays on acceptance.  Seeks fiction.  Subjects: Mystery short stories. 

• Good Old Boat - Guidelines:  Pays on publication.  Seeks nonfiction, photos/artwork.  Subjects: Boat Sailing. 

• Milwaukee - Guidelines:  Pays on publication.  Seeks nonfiction, columns/departments, photos/artwork.  Subjects: Milwaukee, Wisconsin: arts, sports, politics, culture. 

• Outdoor Canada Magazine - Guidelines:  Pays on publication.  Seeks nonfiction, photos/artwork.  Subjects: Fishing, hunting and related conservation issues in Canada. 

• The Progressive - Guidelines:  Pays on publication.  Seeks nonfiction, columns/departments, fillers.  Subjects: Political, economic, and social developments. 

• The Rotarian - Guidelines:  Pays on acceptance.  Seeks nonfiction, columns/departments, photos/artwork.  Subjects: Rotary news. 

• Texas Highways - Guidelines:  Pays on acceptance.  Seeks nonfiction, columns/departments, photos/artwork.  Subjects: Texas travel, scenery, history, small towns, and out-of-the-way places. 

• Washingtonian - Guidelines:  Pays on publication.  Seeks nonfiction, columns/departments, photos/artwork.  Subjects: Washington D.C., general subjects, living in the D.C. area. 

Medium - $125 - $500

• ADDitude - Guidelines:  Pays on publication.  Seeks nonfiction.  Subjects: Attention-Deficit Disorder. 

• American Girl - Guidelines:  Pays on acceptance.  Seeks nonfiction, columns/departments, fillers, photos/artwork.  Subjects: Girls 8-12. 

• CampSite - Guidelines:  Pays on publication.  Seeks nonfiction, fillers, photos/artwork.  Subjects: Christian, camping, heath, safety, fund raising. 

• Chicken Soup for the Soul - Guidelines:  Pays on publication.  Seeks nonfiction, fillers.  Subjects: Inspirational, love, friendship, special moments, single parenting. 

• Damnation Books - Guidelines:  Book publisher.  Seeks fiction, photos/artwork.  Subjects: Dark writing: horror, dark fantasy, thrillers, science fiction and erotica (in dark settings). 

• The Gettysburg Review - Guidelines:  Pays on publication.  Accepts simultaneous submissions.  Seeks nonfiction, fiction.  Subjects: Literary, Poetry. 

• Minnesota Monthly - Guidelines:  Pays on publication.  Seeks nonfiction, fiction, columns/departments.  Subjects: Stories with a strong Minnesota connection. 

• North Carolina Literary Review - Guidelines:  Pays on publication.  Seeks nonfiction, fiction, fillers.  Subjects: North Carolina literature, history, and culture. 

• One-Story - Guidelines:  Pays on publication.  Accepts simultaneous submissions.  Seeks fiction.  Subjects: Literary fiction. 

• Running Times - Guidelines:  Pays on publication.  Seeks nonfiction, fiction, columns/departments, photos/artwork.  Subjects: Running and racing. 

• Toward Freedom - Guidelines:  Pays on publication.  Seeks nonfiction, columns/departments, photos/artwork.  Subjects: Human rights, globalization, trade, labor, environmental preservation, political prisoners. 

Low - Less than $125

• Alive Now - Guidelines:  Pays on acceptance.  Seeks nonfiction, fillers, photos/artwork.  Subjects: Scripture, prayers, meditations, stories, poetry, reflection aids. 

• Backwoods Home Magazine - Guidelines:  Pays on acceptance.  Seeks nonfiction, photos/artwork.  Subjects: How to build your own home, raising animals, food preservation, country skills, home schooling. 

• Brain, Child - Guidelines:  Pays on publication.  Accepts simultaneous submissions.  Seeks nonfiction, fiction, columns/departments, photos/artwork.  Subjects: Motherhood . 

• Dark Tales - Guidelines:  Pays on publication.  Seeks fiction.  Subjects: Horror and speculative short fiction. 

• The Gay & Lesbian Review / Worldwide - Guidelines:  Pays on publication.  Seeks nonfiction, fiction, fillers.  Subjects: Essays, reviews, interviews, and poems about gay/lesbian issues. 

• Mennonite Brethren Herald - Guidelines:  Pays on publication.  Seeks nonfiction, fiction, columns/departments, photos/artwork.  Subjects: Mennonite Religion and Lifestyle, Poetry. 

• New York Spirit - Guidelines:  Pays on publication.  Seeks nonfiction, columns/departments, photos/artwork.  Subjects: Holistic Health. 

• Northern Breezes, Sailing Magazine - Guidelines:  Pays on publication.  Seeks nonfiction, columns/departments, photos/artwork.  Subjects: Great Lakes, Midwest sailing community. 

• Northern Woodlands Magazine - Guidelines:  Pays on publication.  Seeks nonfiction, columns/departments, fillers, photos/artwork.  Subjects: Natural history, Conservation, Forest Management in the Northeast. 

• Reading Today - Guidelines:  Pays on acceptance.  Seeks nonfiction, photos/artwork.  Subjects: Reading and reading education from PreK to Adult. 

• Room of Ones Own - Guidelines:  Pays on publication.  Seeks nonfiction, fiction, fillers, photos/artwork.  Subjects: Original short stories, poems, creative non-fiction, or art by women. 

• Spinetingler Magazine - Guidelines:  Pays on publication.  Seeks fiction.  Subjects: Mystery, thriller, suspense, supernatural, ghost story, love, fantasy or science fiction. 

• Teacher Magazine - Guidelines:  Pays on publication.  Seeks nonfiction.  Subjects: School issues to challenge, provoke, connect, and entertain teachers. 

More paying markets

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