Author Topic: Is anyone here writing for magazines any more? (Read 11029 times)

awful waffles · « **Reply #120 on:** September 09, 2012, 03:58 PM »

Got quite the Sunday morning surprise in my e-mail--an assignment from the editor of Appleseeds, one of the Cobblestone magazines! I had submitted an outline and reference list in April, and figured that no reply meant they weren't interested. But today she asked me to write up my piece on the animals of Cleopatra's day, in 150 words, for the back cover of the March 2013 Cleopatra issue and get it to her by October 8th. I know my facts have to be checked and rechecked, and first I have to write the thing! But I'm excited just to hear back from them. This all happened because I met the head of the Cobblestone group at the Highlights workshop, who said to mention him to the editor, so once again, Highlights rocks!

Cindyb · « **Reply #121 on:** September 09, 2012, 04:21 PM »

Congrats! And back cover exposure! Woo Hoo!

mlbrown · « **Reply #122 on:** September 09, 2012, 06:39 PM »

That's awesome news!!! And yes, Highlights people are the best!

vanderwerp · « **Reply #123 on:** September 10, 2012, 07:41 PM »

I still sub to magazines. Like several others, an occasional sale keeps me keeping on.

Alison Stevens · « **Reply #124 on:** September 11, 2012, 02:59 PM »

Congrats, Deb, that's fantastic! Your string of successes keeps me going!

Cindyb · « **Reply #125 on:** October 09, 2012, 12:48 PM »

Vijaya, I saw your rebus in Ladybug! Always fun when I "know" the author! (And now I'm second-guessing myself, because I saw this yesterday at the library- it was a rebus, and it was in Ladybug, wasn't it? Memory, memory, wherefore art thou, Memory?)

kdgrier · « **Reply #126 on:** January 10, 2013, 10:25 AM »

I have a question and I hope this is the right place to post it. I have several poems that I feel would fit the young adult market, and maybe even a few articles and essays I could possibly sell as reprints.

My question is what magazine would you suggest I approach to break into the children's market? I have a middle reader being read by a publisher, so I have written for children, just haven't had anything published yet. I didn't think about submitting the stuff I have to kids markets until I began doing some research of submission guidelines. I just thought I might do better if I got some advice from ya'll before I decide who to submit to.

Thanks in advance!

Alison Stevens · « **Reply #127 on:** January 10, 2013, 02:04 PM »

kdgrier, have you checked out MAGAZINE MARKETS FOR CHILDREN'S WRITERS or CHILDREN'S WRITER'S AND ILLUSTRATOR'S MARKET? They list the magazines that are out there, what the editors are looking for, and the target age group. I refer to mine regularly and have found them very helpful. Maybe see if your local library has one or both, to get you started. Good luck!

kdgrier · « **Reply #128 on:** January 10, 2013, 03:28 PM »

Thanks Allison

Bobi Martin · « **Reply #129 on:** January 10, 2013, 10:28 PM »

Many children's magazines accept poetry. Here are a few you might start with==I'm assuming these poems have not been previously published. (If they were, be sure you check guidelines of your target magazines to be sure they accept "one time" rights.)

Beyond Centuri, Cicada, Devozine and Berry Blue Haiku are all for teens and accept poetry.

Jan Fields · « **Reply #130 on:** January 11, 2013, 05:31 AM »

Just a small aside, Berry Blue Haiku has closed.
Ev Christensen does a great job of keeping up with the magazines that have closed (or just closed for submissions) at her online Writing for Children's Magazines
http://evelynchristensen.com/magsCL.html

kdgrier · « **Reply #131 on:** January 11, 2013, 08:16 AM »

thanks, both of you, that gives me a great start!

Bobi Martin · « **Reply #132 on:** January 12, 2013, 10:36 PM »

Thanks, Jan, for the update on Berry Blue. I pulled that one from the 2013 Children's Writers Market. Will mark my book so it's current.

Starfish · « **Reply #133 on:** January 13, 2013, 09:41 AM »

I don't post a lot on the boards but I've been reading the posts for a few years now. Now I finally have some good magazine news to share!

Highlights just published my story, "A Valentine for Nanima," in their February 2013 issue. My first acceptance and publication with Highlights!

Also, hi Bobi!

Allison · « **Reply #134 on:** January 13, 2013, 11:06 AM »

Interesting discussion! When I found myself a few years ago with only a part-time job, I decided to use my afternoons to write short stories. That resulted in two stories being published at paying ezines, one of which was reprinted in an anthology. Yet my husband and I have both come to feel that this format doesn't really fit my personality.

A year ago, I added nonfiction to my pursuits and received a personal rejection from Boys' Quest. Since that time, I've gotten two articles published is our local newspaper and a request from our local dog organization to write for them along with suggestions of state publications to which I could submit. If I can juggle their requests with writing articles for children's magazines, I'd still love to break into Boys Quest, Cricket, and Highlights.

This past fall I participated in National Novel Writing Month. Obviously, I have no idea if I'll find any more success in the novel world than the magazine world, but my husband and I do feel the breadth of a novel better fits my personality for fiction. So, I might be done with the fiction stuff when it comes to magazines.

awful waffles · « **Reply #135 on:** January 13, 2013, 02:23 PM »

Hey, Starfish--congrats on your story in Highlights! I'm sure it's just the first of many. You'll love working with the staff there. I met them and toured the office when I attended a workshop, and they are just top notch-- professional, helpful and fun! Good for you!!

Cindyb · « **Reply #136 on:** January 13, 2013, 06:28 PM »

Congrats, Starfish. I will go look for your story at my library.

CarrieF · « **Reply #137 on:** January 13, 2013, 09:23 PM »

Congratulations, Starfish! That's great news.

Anthony · « **Reply #138 on:** January 13, 2013, 09:34 PM »

Regarding Highlights, I just looked over their submission guidelines for fiction, and it says they purchase all rights, including copyright - is that a standard sort of arrangement? I didn't realize that magazines usually did that.

Ev · « **Reply #139 on:** January 14, 2013, 08:49 AM »

Congratulations, Starfish! Terrific news!

And congratulations, Allison, on your publications. Sounds like you're making good progress toward your goals.

Best wishes to you, kdgrier, on finding a place for your pieces. Thanks, Jan, for suggesting my ezine for the closed mags. Kd, you might also check my ezine for other possible places to sub.

Anthony, a lot more mags are asking for all rights than used to. All the Carus/Cobblestone mags do. Highlights is nice in that if they resell your piece, they'll share the profits with you even though the contract doesn't say that. And in most cases, they're more likely to have the opportunity to resell a piece than we authors are, so it's not necessarily a bad deal.

Bobi Martin · « **Reply #140 on:** January 14, 2013, 11:34 PM »

Quote from: Anthony on January 13, 2013, 09:34 PM

Regarding Highlights, I just looked over their submission guidelines for fiction, and it says they purchase all rights, including copyright - is that a standard sort of arrangement? I didn't realize that magazines usually did that.

First--congratulations Starfish!! I will look for the Feb issue so I can read your story. I'm excited for you. I sold an article to Highlights in October 2010, but am still waiting to see it in print. Hoping this spring.

Anthony, although Highlights buys all rights, they are fabulous about paying authors again if they reuse your piece in another publication of theirs. They will also revert rights on occasion when asked. And it is pretty standard for the magazine to retain the copyright.

Starfish · « **Reply #141 on:** January 20, 2013, 12:11 PM »

Thanks everyone! I thought the illustrations were really wonderful, too. I still can't believe I actually have a story published in Highlights.

Starfish · « **Reply #142 on:** January 20, 2013, 06:21 PM »

Also, congratulations on your sale to Highlights, Bobi. My wait for publication was a little less than two years, so hopefully you won't have to wait much longer!

tmrobeson · « **Reply #143 on:** January 22, 2013, 01:34 PM »

Congratulations to Starfish and Bobi!!

JenJ, keep at it! At $25/poem, Cricket Magazine group pays quite well (though in recent years, they have been really slow in payments. They reprinted a poem of mine back in March - maybe April - of last year and I still haven't received a check yet).

To answer the original question, I'm exclusively published in magazines. Never even thought about writing a novel until just a couple of years ago. I never thought I had a long enough attention span to write a nov...*squirrel!!*

As others have said, it's good to write short pieces just to keep the submission muscles limber while I'm working on my MG novel.

Vijaya · « **Reply #144 on:** January 22, 2013, 02:11 PM »

I've got lots of catching up to do. Congratulations on the new ventures and acceptances.

CindyB- yes, it was a rebus in Ladybug (about the missing cat). Thanks for mentioning it. I too, enjoy telling my kids I *know* certain writers. Of course, it would be nice if I got paid too.

Teresa- I also continue to write for magazines to keep the writing muscles limber in-between novel writing and revisions.

Vijaya

tmrobeson · « **Reply #145 on:** January 22, 2013, 04:05 PM »

Quote from: Vijaya on January 22, 2013, 02:11 PM

Teresa- I also continue to write for magazines to keep the writing muscles limber in-between novel writing and revisions.

Vijaya, I think writing muscles are like body muscles: if you don't use them, they atrophy!

awful waffles · « **Reply #146 on:** March 13, 2013, 09:07 PM »

Just wanted to share my good news

about my article in the March issue of AppleSeeds, on holy dung beetles and other sacred creatures of Cleopatra's day, and a craft project in the March/April Turtle, painting with lilacs.

I hope you'll get the chance to check them out! --Deborah Holt Williams

Jan Fields · « **Reply #147 on:** March 14, 2013, 05:45 AM »

Just wanted to say congratulations on the article and project -- they both sound really cool.

Audrey · « **Reply #148 on:** March 14, 2013, 08:55 AM »

Quote from: awful waffles on March 13, 2013, 09:07 PM

Just wanted to share my good news about my article in the March issue of AppleSeeds, on holy dung beetles and other sacred creatures of Cleopatra's day, and a craft project in the March/April Turtle, painting with lilacs. I hope you'll get the chance to check them out! --Deborah Holt Williams

Your ideas are creative and interesting...way to go

tmrobeson · « **Reply #149 on:** March 14, 2013, 09:16 AM »

Quote from: awful waffles on March 13, 2013, 09:07 PM

Just wanted to share my good news about my article in the March issue of AppleSeeds, on holy dung beetles and other sacred creatures of Cleopatra's day, and a craft project in the March/April Turtle, painting with lilacs. I hope you'll get the chance to check them out! --Deborah Holt Williams

Way to go, Deborah!

I'm especially intrigued with the ancient sacred creatures article and will check them out.

Teresa

News:

Author Topic: Is anyone here writing for magazines any more? (Read 11029 times)