Waving the Flag…Americana Markets

Independence Day in America is July 4. So let's take a look at the Americana magazine market.

What is Americana?

Think "baseball, hotdogs, apple pie and Chevrolet" to quote the car company's 1970s ad campaign, that's Americana. But if you need a more precise meaning, the Merriam-Webster dictionary online says Americana means "1: materials concerning or characteristic of America, its civilization, or its culture; broadly: things typical of America or 2: American culture."

In terms of magazine writing, Americana is also about things typical to small town or community life. In general, Americana story ideas will appeal to middle-class, middle America readers. They cover everyday people doing interesting things and old-fashioned events or places still finding a purpose today. Stories that you would expect to find on the community pages of your local newspaper likely will fall under the Americana banner.

What are examples of Americana articles?

The May/June issue of Grit, which is the epitome of an Americana magazine, visits the Schuylkill County Fair in Summit Station, PA for its article "Fair Full of Treasures." The article begins with this on county fair then expands to talk about the appeal and delights of county fairs in general. Who didn't look forward to the county fair as a kid?

American Profile's latest issue nestles recipes along side profiles of a 100-year-old newspaperwoman, the world's most famous fisherman, baby-boomers volunteering for the Peace Corps and a story on the lasting popularity of the soda fountain shop. Again, here are homey stories and subjects to which readers across the country can relate.

In addition to national magazines, a lot of regional publications seek Americana-type articles, as do some women's magazines and history magazines. Check out the magazines and their websites to see if they've published Americana themed articles before and don't forget to look at the advertising too. Ads reveal the magazine's target demographic.

Am I going to list some magazines seeking Americana?

Of course, I am! Was there any doubt?

The first batch are truly Americana magazines, while the second set are regionals that have a feel for Americana. As always, click the titles go to the magazine's website and/or submissions guidelines page. Most want queries first by snail mail and all want sample clippings included with the query. Check the guidelines for the specifics.

American Profile - "audience is hometown America," NO fiction, poetry, nostalgia, seeks articles about people and places that are "enlightening" and "have broad national relevance."
American Heritage - focus slants toward history and military, but publishes some other stories, guidelines are a PDF download on the contacts page.
Grit - writers who find success here know small town life and rural life, e-queries preferred - put "query" in the subject line.
The Old Farmer's Almanac - seeks a large variety of material but only publishes once a year, humor is highly sought, readership are split almost evenly between suburbanites and farmers and ranchers, guidelines are very detailed with likes and dislikes.

Regional magazines:

Blue Ridge Country - subject area includes all mountain areas from Maryland to northern Alabama and the traditions, people, places and other topics within, query only.
Capper's - "emphasizes home and family," target market are rural Midwesterners, publishes serialized novels, query for novels; all others - send complete manuscript, NO e-submissions/queries.
Central PA Magazine - "Voices" and "A la Carte" offer the best break-in opportunities for freelancers, topics must be anchored in Central Pennsylvania.
Down East Magazine - a magazine about Maine, best break-in spot is the "My Maine" column: short narratives about a personal experience or a unique aspect of life in Maine, 750 words max.
Missouri Life - would like to see "just about anything that makes our readers say, 'I didn't know that'", must be about Missouri, of course.
Over the Back Fence - readers live in southern Ohio, seeks articles and profiles on people, history and organizations in "our own backyard."