Celebrating US Memorial Day…Military-themed Markets

Many groups and cities lay claim to founding Memorial Day in the United States, but it was officially proclaimed and observed in 1868 in a ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, honoring the Union and Confederate soldiers who died during the Civil War. Although the May 30th holiday was observed by all northern states by 1890, the South did not acknowledge it until after WWI when its purpose was changed to honor all American soldiers who died fighting in all wars. In 1971, Memorial Day was designated to the last Monday in May when Congress passed the National Holiday Act. It is now observed by all states. (source: USMemorialDay.org)

Are military-themed magazines open for any contributor or just military people?

Of the ones listed below, all are open to any contributor in most departments. Most guidelines say to read back issues to get a solid feel for the type of stories they want and who the readers are.

Can you sell military-themed stories to non-military markets?

Yes. History magazines often print stories about wars. Some aviation enthusiast magazines will consider stories about military planes or pilots while general interest magazines will look at profiles or first-person narratives from or about individuals in the military. Of course, news magazines and newspapers also will print military-related stories. Military stories, if angled to the demographic, can fit in almost any magazine. Study the market and learn about both the readers and the editors before submitting an idea.

Where are most military magazines published?

I can't answer that one with any authority. Most of the magazines I found were in the US, but there are others among the ones listed below from Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. I found one other in Pakistan, but I didn't include it because the website had no information on editors or writer's guidelines.

Markets for Military-themed Articles (click names to go to their websites)

Air & Space Magazine - The Smithsonian Institute - it is a general interest magazine about flight, break-in as a first-time contributor with one of the departments.
Airforce Magazine - this is a Canadian magazine, seeking news and feature articles as well as historical articles on military and civilian aerospace topics as well as the Canadian Air Force and Royal Canadian Air Cadets, website doesn't have guidelines for writers, but there is a contact page with the editor's name/email, phone and mailing address.
AirForces Monthly - Key Publishing Group - this magazine is published in the United Kingdom but the latest issue features US, Russian, German and English stories, extensive guidelines are on the website.
Airman - Air Force News Agency - this is the official magazine of the US Air Force, it is downloadable in pdf files from the website, there are no guidelines on the website, but it is open to contributors.
Flightpath - Yaffa Publishing Group - this is an Australian magazine aimed at devotees and owners of antique, classic and ex-military airplanes, seeks stories about restoration and recovery of antique and vintage planes, and on Australian aviation heritage,
History Magazine - seeks feature stories about events, occasions and achievements rather than profiles; break-in as a first-time contributor with a "trivia piece," e-queries preferred.
Military Officers Magazine - Military Officers Association of America - this is a general interest magazine for officers, families and surviving spouses of the Army, USMC, USN, Air Force, Coast Guard, Public Health Service ad the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, plus the National Guard and Reserve servicemen, NO reprints, e-submissions ok.
Naval History - US Naval Institute - seeks articles, pictorials and book reviews, e-queries and e-submissions ok.
Proceedings - US Naval Institute - general interest magazine for members of the US Navy, Marines, Coast Guard and Merchant Marines, among others, seeks submissions in several departments plus feature length articles, e-submissions and e-queries ok.

Workshops & Retreats…Ireland's Anam Cara

What is Anam Cara?

It is a retreat for writers and artists on the Beara Peninsula in West Cork, Ireland. The cottage and five acres of gardens hosts both workshops for groups of writers and artists or simply a creative getaway for individuals working on existing projects or developing new ones. Hostess Sue Booth-Forbes, a writer and editor, has set a daily schedule to help guests focus their creative minds on the project at hand. For example, from 9:30 to 5:30 each day are the "Quiet Working Hours." Even if you don't feel like working, you are expected to be courteous of others. Morning and evening meals are shared with all the residents. Lunch can be shared or on your own.

The cottage houses five guests and the bedrooms have large desks and work areas and "inspiring" views of the Beara landscape. There are several community areas in the house where you can work: the library, the conservatory/sunroom, and the gallery to name a few. Internet access is available but limited, and residents have access to a copier, scanner, printers, fax and a telephone if you have a phone card. If you need extensive Internet access, the nearest town with such services is four kilometers (2.5 miles) away.


The gardens offer five acres with benches, swings, hammocks and other areas for creativity outdoors. There are two kilometers (1.2 miles) of walking trails in the garden, a duck pond, the Kealincha River, a mountain stream, flower and vegetable gardens among other features.

What writing workshops are offered?

Anam Cara offers five workshops this summer and fall. Three of them are for writers.

The Poem and the Dream - June 21-28 - Paula Meehan (Ireland) and Juliet Clancy (USA) - contact anamcararetreat(at)eircom(dot)net
Writing from Within - July 12-19 - Maeve O'Sullivan (Ireland) and Kim Richardson (England) - contact anamcararetreat(at)eircom(dot)net
Writing in Ireland - October 11-18 - Karen Blomain (USA) - contact karenblomain(at)gmail(dot)com

For more information about the individual workshops and the instructors, visit the website. All participants either stay at the cottage or at one of the Bed and Breakfasts nearby. Transportation is provided during inclement weather. Lunch and dinner is served at Anam Cara.

For information on registering, rates, space availability and everything else, please email the corresponding addresses above.


Why should you try a writer's retreat?

Here's one good reason: getting away from your daily like may be just the spark you need to finish your latest project. Instead of driving kids to and fro, instead of washing clothes and washing faces, instead of being pulled in 14 different directions at work and at home, you'll have only one purpose: to finish your manuscript. Given the opportunity to focus on just one task, your brain will spit out idea after idea. Studies in Belgium and England have found that the brain learns while sleeping. At Anam Cara, you can doze off in the hammock on the island in the river and wake up with the perfect solution for framing unsuspecting Uncle Fred in chapter four with the murder of the police commissioner on page one.

There is a lot to be said for the camaraderie you find in workshops, but even if you're retreating alone at Anam Cara, there will be other artists or writers with whom you can share your work, discuss or share a pint at the local pub. Writing is a solitary task, but it doesn't have to be solitary confinement. At Anam Cara, you can have your work time and your creative communing. It's the best of both worlds.




Photos are from Beara Tourism's website.

Interview…with children's author James Dashner

The writing bug bit James Dashner at the age of 10, but he didn't follow the typical path of a would-be novelist. He didn't write for the school paper in high school, didn't submit to the student literary magazine in college.

"Mainly (I wrote) short stories for fun until I got serious about writing novels," he says.

That was 10 years ago. A Door in the Woods, Book One of the Jimmy Fincher Saga, was published five years later. In March 2008, Dashner published the first book in his second fantasy series, The 13th Reality: The Journal of Curious Letters, which Borders selected as one of its "Original Voices" in April. The novel's presales alone eclipsed the sales of his earlier series and it is collecting rave reviews from critics and readers alike.

The Journal of Curious Letters begins with 13-year-old Atticus "Tick" Higginbottom receiving strange letters with riddles and clues from the mysterious "M.G." in Alaska. He is soon drawn into the secrets of the 13 parallel realities and the struggle to protect them against evil forces.

Why did Dashner choose to write for children?

"I love the innocence and energy of children, and their bright-eyed wonder," he explained. Plus fantasy is what he likes to read. "And I have a psycho crazy imagination."

He decided on writing series instead of stand-alone books because kids tend to get attached to the characters and enjoy visiting them again and again in other books. Although he feels writing is writing no matter the genre, children's writing can be hard because you have to keep kids engaged while creating detailed pictures in their minds. There is an easy part, however. "Coming up with cool stories," he says.


Dashner also likes interacting with his readers. His publisher Shadow Mountain has sent him on a national book tour - his first - and he loves going into schools to meet the children.

"We do lots of fun stuff…We create a story together, play a riddle game, look at funny pictures....We have a blast," he says. "Then I 'slam' them with a message…about being brave enough and smart enough to change the world someday and make it a better place."

How does The 13th Reality compare to his earlier Jimmy Fincher Saga series?

"The biggest difference is that my writing has improved (I hope) a lot," he says, adding," but also I think (The) 13th Reality just has a lot more depth and stronger characters."

Another difference is the reader response. Whenever you begin a new series, you must build a new fan base. Given the sales and response so far to The Journal of Curious Letters, Dashner is having no problem doing just that for this series. Jimmy Fincher was with a regional publisher and didn't get the exposure and support that The 13th Reality is getting. Although it is too early to tell, being chosen for the Border's "Original Voices" hasn't hurt either.

One connection between the books is a small Easter egg that Dashner transferred from the first series to the second. Other than that, he says both main characters are autobiographical, not that he had any mystical adventures in his hometown of Duluth, Georgia. Anyone who knows him can point out things in the novels that remind them of him. "Especially Jimmy Fincher," he says. "He's basically me."

How did he know when to end the Jimmy Fincher Saga and start a new series?


Dashner decided that before he published his first book. Jimmy Fincher was planned to run for four novels. The 13th Reality will run for five. He outlined the overall story arc while developing his proposal. He sketches out the individual novels book by book, usually ending up with a two to three page outline.

Dashner's second novel will be released next March and he is currently brainstorming Book Three. He has something else in the works, too.

"I'm a CPA," he says, "but (I) plan to be a full-time writer starting in September." It's the fulfillment of his own childhood fantasy.







You can follow Dashner during his book tour on his blog "The Dashner Dude." To learn more about Tick and The 13th Reality, visit the book's website.