Looking for a Day Job?...Jobs for Editors

I've searched Monster.com, CareerBuilder.com, TheBiz.com and HotJobs.com for editor positions posted within the last three to five days. There's something for everyone from magazine work to web editing. Click the job title to go to the listing.

See yourself as a magazine editor?

Associate Editor - Woodcraft Magazine: you need knowledge of woodworking s well as research, writing and editing skills for this job, must also have a bachelor's degree, HotJobs ID# - 13517, posted 8/10.
Copy Editor - Soap Opera Digest: responsibilities include managing assigned articles, edititng copy for the magazine and the website, bachelor's degree in Journalism, English or related field, one to two years experience, QPS and Mac experience, interest in soap operas and daytime TV, posted 8/8.
Freelance Copy Editor - Ziff Davies Media: needed for Electronic Gaming Monthly and 1UP.com, responsibilities include editing content for both magazine and website, proof-reading and fact-checking, BA degree, experience with InDesign, AP and Chicago style guides, HotJobs ID# - CE-VP, posted 8/8.
Managing Editor - Brides.com: this website supports three national magazines and 16 local ones and is technically a web position, however, the responsibilities are very much like a magazine editor's. Qualities sought in a candidate include writing, editing and organization skills, experience with html and other web tools, supervisory or managerial experience, posted 8/7.


How about a newspaper job?

Anchorage Daily News is currently advertising three positions: familiarity with Alaska required in all positions, posted 8/10.

• Assistant Section Editor II: weekly entertainment magazine, responsible for assigning stories, editing freelance, staff and wire copy, newspaper or magazine experience, blogging experience, and bachelor's degree.
• Copy Editor: responsible for editing copy, designing pages, choosing wire stories and posting to the web, bachelor's degree and daily newspaper experience.
• On-Call Copy Editor: part time position, responsible for editing copy and writing headlines, page layout and design experience, daily newspaper experience.

Sports Copy Editor - North Jersey Media Group: company publishes daily and weekly papers throughout northern New Jersey, part time position, responsible for editing staff and wire copy, daily newspaper experience, reporting experience and the ability to work under deadlines, posted 8/10.

Got anything else?

Communications Specialist/Writer/Editor - BET Network: this is primarily a communications/PR position, but also responsible for ghostwriting a book with a senior VP, BA degree in journalism or English, published writing experience, book proposal experience, HotJobs ID# 7086021, posted 8/9.
Features Editor - SearchStorage.com: responsibilities include working closely with site editor, assigning stories, edit content, plan editorial calendar, writing articles of other print publications, content and copy editing experience, experience with online tools, technical writing experience, experience with Word, Excel, html and alternative media preferred, posted 8/10.
Technical Writer/Editor -WritingCrossing: responsible for research, writing, editing publications and technical documents, Masters degree preferred, experience in editing, researching and producing documents, knowledge of issues "impacting the operational environment of the counterterrorism community," HotJobs ID# - 7110330, posted 8/9.
Web Content Editor - Volt Workforce Solutions: game publisher and developer studio, responsible for creating character descriptions, story elements, news articles, game info, videos, responsible for playing and understanding assigned games, plan, write and edit content, two years web experience, html, xml and VO script experience, bachelor's degree in Journalism, English or Technical Communications or related work experience, posted 8/8.

3 Tips for Searching for Magazine Markets…and 10 Travel-Related Markets

When you're a freelance writer, you have to constantly search for more markets, better paying markets and markets that offer you more and better exposure. Knowing how to conduct a thorough market search is key to a freelancer's survival. Here are a few tips I've picked up from my own experiences and from other writers.

Why not mix it up?

Writers, especially beginners, write their words then look for the perfect spot for them. That works, but don’t forget to reverse the flow. Looking for a magazine where you would like to publish can open your mind to hoards of ideas and you never know when an editor might be waiting for you to come along. So when you find a magazine you like, drop an introductory email to the editor. If you have a story idea, include it briefly - one or two sentences - but if you don't, give a short list of appropriate credits. The editor could have a story waiting for a writer, but if he doesn't, you've opened a door for future queries and potential sales.

You read it, but can you write for it?

Never neglect your own favorite magazines when you're doing a market search. You already know who the target audience is. You know the tone and style and you know what's been covered before. A perfect match, don't you think? Of course, you can't convince an editor that you're right for his magazine just because you subscribe, but it will help to mention it along with your stellar bylines and sample clippings. He'll see the benefit in hiring a writer completely familiar with his readers.


How do you find guidelines online?

You should always go to a magazine's website directly to find the most up to date guidelines. Sometimes the editors spell out current needs or post an editorial calendar. So even if you use a directory like WritersMarket.com to find your list of magazines and a write up for each title, remember most directories update once a year, maybe twice and rarely quarterly. They can't afford to do it more often so your best bet for current information is on the magazine's own website.

Some magazines will make your life easy and put a button or a menu item saying "guidelines" or "submissions" on the front page. Others want you to prove you really want them and hide the guidelines somewhere in the depths of the web. If there is no front-page button or menu item, look for the FAQ page. The link to the FAQ page is usually on the front page or connected to the "Customer Service" page. I have found links on the "About Us" page. Often the "How do I write for (blank) magazine?" is listed with the answer either being the guidelines or having a link to the guidelines page. Another place to check is the "Contact Us" page. If you don't find full guidelines there, the magazine will often say something like "For submissions, contact…" and list an editor's email address.

Finally if you've checked all those pages and found nothing, see if there's a "site map" link on the front page. The link is either at the very top or at the very bottom of the page. Often magazines that are part of a publishing firm that publishes multiple titles will have one set of guidelines for all the magazines on its corporate website. The site map will show you how to access the corporate site and even where the guidelines page is on that site.

Many of the websites for the following travel-related magazines made me "prove" that I wanted their guidelines, but better me than you, right? Click the titles to go to the magazines' guidelines pages.

Adirondack Life - query only with clippings, break in point for new writers is the departments (1200-2500 words).
Alaska Magazine - e-queries preferred with detailed story ideas, all stories must be connected to Alaska and there are many topics and departments seeking content.
Backpacker Magazine - prefers e-queries with attachments or web links, lists different editors and emails for different departments, departments (100-1200 words) are a good break in point for new writers.
Internationally Living - seeks content for both website and magazine, focus is on living abroad at least part-time, seeks "postcards" for site, magazine seeks features 1500-2500 words, e-submissions preferred.
Lake Country Journal - seriously prefers e-queries and submissions, "we will work with 'hard copy' but will deduct re-typing costs from the contributor's payment," seeks a variety of articles but must be tied to the lake country region of the Midwest.
National Parks Magazine - query by mail with an SASE, seeks stories about threats to parks and wildlife, new trends in park use and others related to the national park system.
Northwest Regional Magazines - includes Oregon Coast and Northwest Travel, query by mail or email, new writers include clippings, no more than three story ideas at a time.
Transitions Abroad - seeks articles for its new webzine, including "the working traveler," study abroad, student travel, long term travel and budget travel, check out the site and guidelines for an extensive "do and don't list."
Travel + Leisure Magazine - query only by mail or through online form with no more than three story ideas at once.
Western RV News - an RV newspaper, lead time 9-12 months, query first through form online ONLY, currently seeking shorts (300 words or less) on RV events, destinations or "finds right off the freeway on their way to where they are going."










Remember: the deadline for "How did 9/11 affect your writing?" is Monday, August 25. See full guidelines here.

Publishing Short Fiction…12 Markets to Get You Started

Can you sell short fiction today?

Many novelists begin their careers writing short fiction. Today, there are few mainstream markets for short fiction, but if you search you can find them, and if you look really hard, you can find some that pay decently and offer you a good deal of exposure.

What kinds of magazines are out there?

The best place to publish short fiction is in magazines like The New Yorker or The Saturday Evening Post. However, The New Yorker only takes agented fiction, while The Saturday Evening Post says, "we seldom publish new fiction."

If you want decent pay and exposure, try a literary magazine. Usually affiliated with a college or university, the competition for publication in literary review is tight and fierce. Literary magazines don't usually consider genre fiction but will sometimes consider experimental short stories. Having the right literary magazine on your resume can boost your reputation significantly in the eyes of agents and publishers.

Science fiction/fantasy and mystery magazines are some of the more popular genre magazines. Ellery Queen, Alfred Hitchcock and Asimov's Science Fiction have long histories in publishing short fiction. Like publishing in the right literary review, publishing in these magazines tells the genre industry that you've got what it takes.

The number of fiction/literary magazines on the Internet has grown over the last several years. Some are building reputations for excellence too. However, pay is often nominal or nothing at all. And most print publications recognize e-publications and will not accept work that has been published online. So if you decide to publish online, make sure it is the best spot for your story because you may not be able to sell it elsewhere.

Do you know what comes next?

That's right - I have a list of a dozen short fiction markets for you. First, I found a new resource for market searches: Duotrope's Digest. Duotrope's Digest is a database of over 2200 fiction and poetry markets. It is free to search and it has a submission tracker and other free services for those who sign up. The staff updates the database throughout the day so it is probably one of the most current databases available.

The markets below seek short fiction among other things. Click the titles to go to the guidelines, unless noted.

108 - seeks original fiction that is directly related to baseball, its history, culture, society connections.
The Afternoon Reading Broadcast - This is a BBC radio program, featured five days a week, stories should be strong on narrative, one story per writer.
The American Scholar - NO unsolicited fiction manuscripts, query with publishing history.
The Bear Deluxe - website takes you to the parent company site, click magazine title, then submissions for full guidelines.
BRAND - British magazine, NO excerpts, next deadline: end of September.
Georgia Review - considers new, unpublished writers, NO novel excerpts or translations, submit between August 15-May 15 ONLY.

Great Western Fiction - seeks unpublished stories set in the American West before 1914, NO submissions until October.
Lyrical Ballads - a monthly e-zine, seeks "emotional" fiction, "make the reader feel something - anything at all."
The Saturday Evening Post - seeks humorous fiction.
Tesseracts Thirteen - an anthology of dark fantasy and horror, "open to Canadians, landed immigrants, long-time residents, and expatriates."
Zoetrope: All-Story - submit one story at a time/two stories a year, NO submissions between September 1-December 31, has a short fiction contest.
ZYZZVA - US West Coast writers ONLY, NO e-submissions, especially seeking translations from Latin American and Asian writers.

A Little Bit of This…and That - 4!

What's New?

A couple of authors recently interviewed by 3 Questions…and Answers have had some big announcements in the last couple of weeks. Kezia the Poet, a.k.a. Kezia Snipe, recently released her book of poetry, Unclassifiable: Entries from Entities, co-written with Louis W. Bryant, III. The book is available on Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com. You can contact Kezia through her FaceBook page.

Children's author James Dashner has signed with Random House to publish his book Maze Runner in 2009. His second 13th Reality novel also comes out in 2009 so he will have his hands full for the remainder of this year and beyond. You can read his announcement and check out his upcoming tour on his blog "The Dashner Dude."

What are "Book Trailers" or "Book Screeners"?

Promoting your book can involved video as ironic as that sounds. One of the fastest growing promotional trends in publishing is video. Book trailers or screeners are brief dramatic summaries of your book, not unlike movie trailers, but much longer. Book trailers typically run five to seven minutes long and are used to promote books to booksellers as well as to the general public. I haven't heard of a publishing house paying for these yet, usually it falls to the individual author, but there may be exceptions.

The two production companies I have found also produce author interview videos, which authors use to introduce themselves to members of the media. The media is also free to use some or all of the video in any promotional or news event they may schedule.


One of the most common uses of both the trailers and the interviews are on the author's own website. Web surfers like the immediacy and the interactive aspects of videos over plain text.

Here are two companies: Reel Line Productions and Writers-in-Motion. James Dashner has used Reel Line both for a screener and a interview. Screenwriter/filmmaker Bill Olsen is a director and writer for Writers-in-Motion. Visit the companies' websites for more information and sample videos.

Do you find useful stuff on blogs?

Well, I would hope so. Recently two articles from blogs have come to my attention.

Author Julie L. Cannon introduced me to A Good Blog is Hard to Find, written by a series of southern writers including Cannon. The other day I found "11 Tips for the Debut Novelist" by Karen Harrington, a first-time author of the novel Janeology. She lists and explains all the things she has learned in her first three months as a newly published author. There's general advice like "1. Have courage" and the more specific like "7. Figure out how to flex your pitch to men and women." Some of it is common sense; some of it you just need to hear and some will spark a "why didn't I think of that" moment.

My favorite librarian Leslie put me on to this article, originally on the website JobsProfile.org. "50 Awesome Open Source Resources for Online Writers" asks writers, "why not take advantage of all the opportunities to get great free and open source resources that can help you to write, edit and organize your work?" The 50 resources are divided into such categories as word processors, web tools, references and others.

A First Step to Published Success…12 Novel Contests

Why spend time on a contest v. submitting to a publisher?

You should take advantage of all the benefits a contest can offer your novel manuscript. First contests offer you one guarantee: your manuscript will be read. A publisher can't guarantee that. Granted, most contests only want you to submit a portion of your novel, but know that those pages will be read and considered by an industry professional - either a published author, an editor, an agent, etc.

A second benefit is that if your manuscript wins or places high in a contest, it builds history and a solid reputation. Because contests are judged by people in the industry, agents or editors will take that prize as a reference. "Editor Smith at X-House Publishing said this book was worthy of this prize. Therefore, it must be worthy of my time."

The prizes themselves are a great benefit. Many contests offer publication as their grand prize. See you met your goal after all. Others will help you set meetings with agents or editors to pitch your manuscript. And don't forget the cash. What writer can't use good ol' cash in his pocket?

What do novel contest want in terms of submissions?

There are two types of novel contests. The first and most predominant contest type wants previously unpublished novels. The International 3-Day Novel Contest (listed below) wants previously UNWRITTEN novels. The other type of contest is for books that have been published. Usually those contests seek to honor first books, often from specific demographic groups.

Novel contests vary in terms of genre. There are genre specific contests, but open genre contests are more prevalent. Some go a step further in their openness and accept not only novels, but novellas, book-length short story collections and more. For instance, Chiasmus (also listed below) seeks "innovative novels, anti-novels, novellas, graphic novels, short story collections, hybrids." I don't know what an "anti-novel" or a "hybrid" is but if you have one, Chiasmus will accept it.

Where can you find novel contests listings?

As always start with Google and search both "novel contests" and "book contests." Other resources include NewPages.com, Poets & Writers Grants and Awards Database, both of which are searchable by deadline date. FundsforWriters.com offers a contest page available through a link on the home page, and there are two newsletters you can subscribe to that include contests listings. One's free. The other is reasonably priced. Editor Hope Clark lists all kinds of contests, not just book/novel contests. Another resource is the subscription service WritersMarket.com. Again, this website lists all kind of contests but there are menus to help you narrow your research.

Finally, here's a dozen to get you started. Click the contest name to go to the website. Unless noted, all competitions are for previously unpublished manuscripts.

Chiasmus Undoing the Novel - First Book Contest - "looking for new writers at the front edge of fictional form", deadline: August 30, entry fee: $25, prize: publication plus 10 copies.
George Garrett Fiction Prize - deadline: September 15, entry fee: $20, prize: $200 plus publication by Texas Review Press.
International 3-Day Novel Contest - must write the novel between August 30 and September 1 ONLY, grand prize: publication, 2nd: $500, 3rd: $100.
Julia Ward Howe Book Awards - deadline: January 15, 2009, awards to an adult book and a children's book of any genre, books must be published in 2008, limited to writers who "live, have lived or attended college within 100 miles of Boston," prize: $1000.
Juniper Prize for Fiction - deadline: August 1-September 30, novels, novellas and book-length short story collections accepted, entry fee: $20, prize: $1500 plus publication with University of Massachusetts Press.

Mountain Plains Regional Book Award - deadline: October 1, seeks books published in 2008 that relate in some way to the Mountains and Plains areas of the western US, six award categories, entry form REQUIRED, entry fee: $50, prize: extensive press and promotion campaign for each category winner.
MVP Project 2008 - deadline: September 15- November 1, open to residents in Minnesota or New York City ONLY, entry fee: $20, entry form REQUIRED, prize: (2 to be awarded) $1000 plus a book contract with New Rivers Press.
Paradigm Novel Contest - deadline: July 31, entry fee: $20, prize: $500 plus publication by Rain Farm Press, 3 copies of the book, and feature article in Paradigm art-literary journal.
Ronald Sukenick/American Book Review Innovative Fiction Prize - deadline: August 15-November 1, seeks short story collection, one or more novellas, or novel, writers who have published with co-sponsor Fiction Collective Two are NOT eligible, entry fee: $25, prize: $1000 plus publication with Fiction Collective Two.
Ruthanne Wiley Memorial Novella Contest - deadline: August 1-October 1, entry fee: $25, prize: $1000 plus publication by Cleveland State University.
W.Y. Boyd Literary Award - deadline: December 1, seeks novels published in 2008 set during a period when the US was at war, submissions may come from authors or publishers, entry form REQUIRED, prize: $5000.
Young Lions Fiction Award - deadline: August 25, seeks novels or short story collection published in 2008 by a US citizen 35 or younger, authors and publishers may submit published copies or galley copies of books scheduled to be published in 2008, entry form REQUIRED, prize: $10,000.

Top Books Since 1983?

Why these 25 years?

Is it just me or does the release of Entertainment Weekly's list of the top 100 books of the last 25 years seem like a case of odd timing? Twenty-five year spans fit neatly between years like 1925 and 1950, 1975 and 2000, but 1983 and 2008? Waiting two more years and doing the top 100 from the last 30 years makes more sense and is much easier math.

Actually, Entertainment Weekly does have a reason for selecting these particular 25 years. The pop culture magazine is celebrating its 1000th issue with a double-issue edition June 27/July 4. In addition to books, the magazine tackled movies, music, TV shows and more, compiling a list of the 1000 best things in pop culture.

The New Classics: The 100 Best Reads from 1983 to 2008 was released on the ew.com site on June 18, causing book bloggers and columnists everywhere to ponder the selections. Phil Kloer of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution calls the list "preposterous. A Harry Potter Novel at No. 2, ahead of all the literature written in the last 25 years, will start that little vein throbbing in your temple."

Novelist Janice Harayda writes on her blog "One-Minute Book Reviews" that the magazine's annual list of the year's worst books is "usually right on the money. " However, this list "falls a bit wider of the mark." She goes on to name 10 books she would've put on such a list.

Bloggers Jan and Jenny of Sibling Revelry don't comment on the list, but instead throw out a challenge to each other and their readers. The duo plans to read or at least attempt to read each book. They will blog about their thoughts and feelings and invite their readers to comment as well.

What was Entertainment Weekly's measure for a book making the list?

Good question. According to the New York Times book blog "PaperCuts" (June 20), the magazine polled its staff for their favorites. I couldn't find any mention of the criterion on Entertainment Weekly's website, but I did find a commentary on ew.com called "Breaking Down the List," which offered no insight into the selection process.

Only two of the top ten New Classics made the list of "10 Books that Spent the Most Weeks on the New York Times Hardcover Best-Seller List." One book from the top ten made the "Oprah Blessed Titles" list. Of the "Five Prolific Writers," only two had a book apiece listed in the top 20. So Entertainment Weekly didn't take best-selling status or the skill and mastery of the authors or even Oprah into account. And they call these books "classic"?

Which books are on the list?

You can see the entire New Classics: The 100 Best Reads from 1983 to 2008 on Entertainment Weekly's website. Here are the top 10 books:

1. The Road, Cormac McCarthy (2006)
2. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J.K. Rowling (2000)
3. Beloved, Toni Morrison (1987)
4. The Liars’ Club, Mary Karr (1995)
5. American Pastoral, Philip Roth (1997)
6. Mystic River, Dennis Lehane (2001)
7. Maus, Art Spiegelman (1986/1991)
8. Selected Stories, Alice Munro (1996)
9. Cold Mountain, Charles Frazier (1997)
10. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, Haruki Murakami (1997)

This Just In…

Unrelated but with a deadline fast approaching, Memoirs Ink announces its annual writing contest:

"Memoirs Ink is hosting our Fifth Annual Writing Contest. For five years, we have been advancing the cause of creative nonfiction. The late deadline for our annual contest is August 15, 2008. Writers may submit personal essays, chapters of memoir, narrative journalism, and other forms of creative non-fiction. The Grand Prize is $1000 and publication online and in our upcoming anthology. (This is the last annual contest that will be included in our five-year anthology—so if you haven't entered before, this is the year.) Full guidelines are available on our website. Previous entrants get a discounted entry fee."

An Apple A Day…Health-Related Markets

How big a market is out there for health?

Articles about health issues have the reputation of being "evergreen" in mass-market magazines like Redbook, Woman's Day, AARP and GQ. No matter what time of the year it is, editors will need a health-related article. There are also magazines dedicated to health and fitness: Prevention, Men's Health, Shape, etc. In addition, sports magazines often cover topics like injury prevention, injury treatment and recovery, and nutrition. So the market is vast with lots of opportunities for freelancers.

Aren't health related articles scientific?

Some of them are, but the areas most open to freelancers are personal experience pieces and tip articles. That's not to say you don't need science at all. Having an expert to validate the tips you list for weight loss, or to give you the correct medical terminology and explanations for your father's cancer treatment in your personal narrative, lends credibility to your work, especially in the eyes of an editor who doesn't know you.

Also if you have sources with the right credentials, you can write the scientific articles without being scientific yourself. The old adage to "write what you know" can be adapted to "write what you can find out and learn." Don't shy away from health articles because you struggled through high school biology. Just find a new "teacher."

Is it all about health and fitness?

While general interest and mass-market magazines aim at preventative and wellness type health articles, there are magazines that offer support and comfort to people who are dealing with illnesses or conditions. (I know pregnancy is not an illness.) Below are some of those types of magazines. Click the titles to go to their web pages. Several of them also accept material for their websites. The most common topics are coping strategies, lifestyle management/quality of life issues, debunking myths, information/advice for the newly diagnosed, advice and support for caregivers/family members, etc. The tone is generally upbeat and often has a "this is how I did it" slant.

Arthritis Today - a bimonthly magazine that covers lifestyle/quality of life topics as well as treatment and medical advice for people living with arthritis.
bp Magazine - a quarterly journal for people with bipolar disease, their families, friends and caregivers, publishes three to five features each issue of 1500-2500 words.
conceive Magazine - magazine for women who are "contemplating or actively trying to start or expand a family," you can submit personal stories to the website and you may make it into the magazine, freelance writers should submit samples, a résumé and "a few story ideas" for consideration.
MAMM - magazine "devoted to meeting the needs of women diagnosed with breast and reproductive cancer," is also aimed at the families and friends of cancer patients/survivors.
Plum Magazine - magazine for "the 35+ childbearing woman," is more general interest/lifestyle than the others, but seeks informative articles on a wide range of topics dealing with pregnancy, birthing and mothering over the age of 35.
POZ Magazine - published 10 times a year, the magazine covers the HIV epidemic here and abroad, POZ.com has articles with advice, support and information for those with HIV.

Below are some magazines seeking articles with general health and wellness slants:

ascent magazine - seeks articles on "engaged spirituality" and yoga, has an editorial schedule so query for themes before submitting.
Better Health - published by the Saint Raphael Healthcare System, it is "Connecticut's leading health and wellness magazine."
Health Magazine - women's health and lifestyle magazine, also publishes on its website.
Vibrant Lifestyle - a bimonthly magazine that "promotes physical health, mental clarity, and spiritual balance from a practical, Christian perspective."

Stay Young…Write for Kids

Although not as numerous as magazines for adults, kids magazines are just as varied. There are magazines just for girls, for teens, for babies…yes, babies…and on such topics as science, sports, socials studies and fiction and even magazines written by kids. So if you have an idea you think only a kid could love, you can find a magazine to publish it.

What do kids like to read?

If you have to ask this question, I don't think you should write for children. One of the mainstays in children's magazines is a profile of an interesting child. That child could live in an exotic location or maybe he runs his own business or started a charity. Kids like to read about kids their age. Other topics include sports, science, pets, games, hobbies, just about anything.

How is writing for children different?

All the children writers I've talked to have said it is hard. First, articles for kids are short, often only a couple hundred words, rarely over 750. That's not much room to plug your story into. Second, you have to tread carefully between language that is condescending and language that is too sophisticated. Language that is too simple and obvious will bore and insult your readers while complex words and vague symbolism will frustrate them. Third, you have to disguise your "message" in something fun. If you want to explain the plight of the rain forest, do it through the eyes of a person or an animal that lives there. Don't lecture, but give your readers someone or something they can "make friends" with.

How do children's magazines pay?


Like with all magazines, the fees paid vary. However, many kids magazines buy all the rights to an article. Few of them accept reprints. Be sure to look at their guidelines to get a full picture of who the readers are and what the editors want.

Here's a list of magazine and magazine publishers. Click their names to go to their guidelines pages. Some publishers publish multiple magazines. I've noted any special instructions.

American Girl - magazine for girls 8 and up, Girls Express section is the best place for freelance articles.
The Children's Better Health Institute - publishes five magazines for children 2 to 12, Turtle, Humpty Dumpty and Children's Playmate are currently seeking submissions.
Cobblestone Publishing - publishes a variety of 16 magazines for age 6 months to teen, click above and scroll down to "submissions - editorial" for links to the magazines' guidelines, Appleseeds, BabyBug, Calliope, Cicada, Click, Cobblestone, Cricket, Dig, Faces, LadyBug, Odyssey and Spider are seeking submissions.
Girl's Life - bimonthly magazine for girls 9-15.
Guide Magazine - Christian magazine for children 10-14, seeks true stories and filler like quizzes.
New Moon - magazine for girls and by girls, an article written by a girl will always be selected over one by an adult on the same subject.
Stone Soup - seeks "writing and art" from children 13 and under.

A Baker's Dozen…13 Publishers for Your Cookbook

Don't think writing a cookbook is easy. Publishers don't want just pages of recipes. They want an angle, a hook, a theme, anything to make the buying public install your cookbook in their kitchens.

What are some cookbook themes?

You can aim your cookbook at a demographic group. For instance, cooking for kids, meals for one, Dad cooks (see Patio Daddy-O at the Grill - a real cookbook from Chronicle Books). You can target ethnic cooking, like Chinese, Italian or Swedish. Regional publishers look for cookbooks with recipes common to that area and you can always just pick a course: meats, salads or desserts. There are countless themes out there if you want to write a cookbook.

What can you add besides recipes to your cookbook?


You'll want to consider your theme, but it's really up to you. Laura Esquivel wrote a novel around her cookbook for Like Water for Chocolate. Darrell Huckaby's Dinner on the Grounds has old-fashioned potluck dinner dishes coupled with funny church stories and some favorite selections from the Bible.

How you organize and/or accessorize your cookbook is up to you. You could write a camping cookbook that includes cowboy campfire songs or all those goofy summer camp songs you learned as a kid. Or how about a Japanese cookbook with original haikus sprinkled through it? Just be careful to strike a good balance between the recipes and the fillers. Of course, be sure that any filler not written by you is in the public domain or that you have written permission to use it from the author.

Are you ready to get started?

All the publishers listed below will accept unagented queries or proposals. Browse their online catalogs and stores for samples of the cookbooks they publish. Click the publisher name to go to the guidelines page.


Caxton Press - "a long tradition of publishing Western Works of timeless appeal," might be the market for the cowboy campfire cookbook.
Chronicle Books LLC - publishes about 175 books per year including "best-selling cookbooks."
Cornell Maritime Press/Tidewater Publishers - are expanding two of their lines and are particularly interested is seeing books on cooking.
Cumberland House - latest catalog had an eclectic mix of cookbooks from recipes made with beer to daily dinner menus and recipes to fabulous but light and easy cakes.
Hill Street Press - books must "have something to do with the American South."
Montana Historical Society Press - publishes cookbooks with a regional tie and historic themes too.
Overmountain Press - seeks books focusing on the Southern Appalachian area.
Pelican Publishing Company - 50-60 titles a year, including "local and international cookbooks."
Rio Nuevo Publishers - cookbooks should be based in Southwestern regional cuisine.


Sandlapper Publishing - seeks books that will "educate the reader" about South Carolina, would rather see topics that cover the entire state, not just a region.
Ten Speed Press - very open to new ideas of all kinds but NO e-queries or proposals.
Whitecap Books Ltd. - Canadian publisher - typical themes include nature, the outdoors ad the region.
Willow Creek Press - specializes in nature, outdoor, sporting topics.

Wanted…Jobs for Writers/Editors

What's your dream job?

Ask a writer about his dream job and he'll probably say writing full-time. It is an attainable dream for just about everyone, but while you're honing your craft and polishing your manuscript, wouldn't it be nice to have a job that pays you to do what you love and might offer opportunities that will bring you closer to achieving your dream?

Need a writing-related day job?

Here are a few job listings for writers and editors posted in the last week on The Biz.com, CareerBuilder.com, Monster.com and Yahoo! HotJobs: (click job title to go to listing)

Assistant Editor - Simon Spotlight - Simon & Schuster - responsible for editing approximately 12 titles/year and all resulting administrative and editorial duties in the preschool arm of the imprint. Posted 5/28/08. (Yahoo! HotJobs).
Associate Copywriter - World Avenue - responsible for writing content for websites and other promotions and publications. Posted 5/28/08. (CareerBuilder.com)
Associate Editor - Concierge.com - Condé Nast - primarily responsible for maintaining/updating website's Destination Guides. Posted 5/24/08. (The Biz.com, Yahoo! HotJobs)


Content Writer - Customer Service - The Software Giant - 3-month contract position, responsibilities include writing articles about products and updating past product articles. Posted 5/28/08. (Monster.com)
Copywriter- Musician's Friend - responsible for writing copy for the websites and catalogs that "speaks with passion and authenticity to our audience of musicians." Posted 5/28/08. (Monster.com)
Correspondent - The Lone Star Report - staff position reporting on state government and politics for a weekly conservative policy newsletter. Posted 5/28/08. (CareerBuilder.com)
Full-Time Staff Writer - Florida Health Care News - staff position with a health-care information publication, must have feature writing experience. Posted 5/28/08. (CareerBuilder.com)
Product Information Writer - HSN Broadcast TV, HSN.com - responsible for writing product description "with a flair for inspiring and motivating customer action." Posted 5/28/08. (The Biz.com)
Publicist - McGraw-Hill Professional - responsible for maintain publicity program for medical books, digital products and consumer health books. Posted 5/28/08. (CareerBuilder.com)
Senior News Writer - Media Relations - Bucknell University - responsible for writing/editing news stories about the university. Posted 5/28/08. (CareerBuilder.com)

How about one just for fun?

Zap2it.com seeks a "Show Recapper" for three summer shows: Meerkat Manor - premiering May 30, Army Wives - premiering June 8, and America's Got Talent - premiering June 17. There's no pay involved but it is good exposure and you can link to your own blog or website. Email a recap writing sample to Managing Editor Brill Bundy - bbundy(at)zap2it(dot)com.

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.

Doing an Agent Search…

There comes a time when almost every writer needs an agent to further his career. The Internet has made searching for an agent so much easier for today's writers. It also has made it easier for the charlatans and scammers to prey on innocent, eager writers. As with everything else, check out anyone or any organization into whose hands you're putting your trust and your career.

Where can you begin an agent search?

Start with the Association of Authors' Representatives. AAR is a professional organization whose members must adhere to ethical and professional standards set forth by the association, such as no reading fees and an industry standard commission rate.

The AAR website offers a free database that you can search a number of different ways. You can specify the state, the category of work they review (adult/children, literary/dramatic, genre), and even by whether or not they are accepting new clients or will take email queries. The profiles will often give the agent's email address and his specific areas of interest, but always go to the agency's website if you can find it. The information is more complete and usually up to date.

Another plus to the AAR directory is that it lists individual agents within the agencies. You have an actual person to whom you can address your query. However, you obviously don't want to query multiple agents in an single agency.


Other sources for information include such books as 2008 Guide to Literary Agents, 2008 Literary Market Place, and websites like WritersMarket.com, eBook Crossroads and Writers.net, among others. You can also meet agents at workshops and conferences and through other writers.

How do you know if an agent is reputable?

Chances are if he is a member of the AAR, he holds himself to their Cannon of Ethics and is reputable. However, agents who aren't members aren't necessarily bad either. There are some databases online that track agents with questionable practices. Most of these databases are open to any contributors so you have to take the reports with a grain of salt, but if several people are posting about the same agent, you should take note and steer clear.

AnotherRealm.com has a preditor/editor database, as does invirtuo.com. The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America has a "Writer Beware" page.

Would you like a head start on your search?

Of course you would! Below are some agents I found when searching "accepting new clients" on the AAR website. Not all of the agencies have useful websites so I listed email addresses where I found them. (Inclusion is not an endorsement.)


Kathleen Anderson - Anderson Literary Management, Inc. - terry(at)anderson(dot)com - seeking various nonfiction and fiction genres and scripts, accepts e-queries.
Nathan Bransford - Curtis Brown, Ltd - nb(at)cbltd(dot)com - seeks a variety of fiction and nonfiction, accepts e-queries.
Laura Dail - Laura Dail Literary Agency, Inc. - queries(at)ldlainc(dot)com - seeks historical and high-concept fiction, humor, funny YA, serious nonfiction, accepts e-queries but no attachments.
Russell Galen - Scovil Chichak Galen Literary Agency, Inc. - info@scglit.com - see website for full list of interests and submission guidelines, accepts e-queries.
Barbara Lowenstein - Lowenstein-Yost Associates - see website for full list of interests and submission guidelines, NO e-queries.
Scott Andrew Mendel - Mendel Media Group LLC - seeks a wide variety of adult fiction and nonfiction, YA fiction and nonfiction plus children's fiction, NO e-queries.
Jessica Regel - Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency - jregel(at)jvnla.com - seeks children's fiction, YA fiction, ethnic and international fiction, literary fiction, women's fiction and various nonfiction genres, accepts e-queries, but no attachments.
Peter Rubio - FinePrint Literary Management - peter(at)fineprintlit(dot.com) - seeks both fiction and nonfiction, see website for full lists of interests and submission guidelines, accepts e-queries but no attachments.
Peter Steinberg - The Steinberg Agency - submission(at)steinbergagency(dot)com - see website for recent titles and submission guidelines, accepts e-queries but no attachments.

3 Tips for Beating Writer's Block…

Dear Readers -

Monday afternoon I lost my Internet connection in my office. Due to a number of circumstances, going out and finding Internet access is difficult. So until I can fix my connection, 3 Questions…and Answers will have to go on a