Going, Going, Gone
RN is out of business.
Solano shut down last month
Goats Across Canada has closed.
Church Magazine has gone out of business
Accent Home and Garden Magazine has been suspended
Canadian Apparel has closed down.
Cotton & Quail Antiques Gazette has also folded.
Incite Magazine has gone online only.
Lucky has decided to close all regional editions of the magazine.
Metal Producing & Processing Magazine is gone.
Oregon Cycling Magazine has quit publishing.
Contractors magazine has ceased publication.
I’m sure that most of you have heard the news that Gourmet has closed. This even came across my radio as the big news event of the day—something that affects thousands of people—and it does. Gourmet was the nation’s oldest food magazine. It had a circulation of 980,000. But it still wasn’t making the company enough money. Why? Not enough advertising support. Also going down with Gourmet are Modern Bride, Elegant Bride and Cookie.
Here’s What’s New
Foreword Magazine has changed its title to Foreword Reviews. Here’s the new website address: http://www.forewordreviews.com. What does Foreword Reviews offer authors and publishers? They review approximately 100 books every two months, which is only about 5 percent of the total they receive during that time. But don’t worry too much about the competition and the possible rejection, as they’ve recently launched another program that will give authors/publishers of the books that do not get selected, a second chance. Those books that stand out in the editors’ minds will be indexed at the Foreword Reviews website. Authors can then purchase a review which will be posted at the website. Once a month, these reviews are uploaded to the databases of Baker and Taylor’s Title Source lll, Ingram’s iPage, Bowker’s Books in Print and others.
Rodale is testing a new magazine to be titled, Children’s Health. Watch for the launch.
Businessweek is soon to become Bloomberg Businessweek.
Get a Freelancer is now simply Freelancer, http://www.getafreelancer.com. (Read more about Freelancer under “Opportunities for Freelance Writers”—below.)
East West Magazine has started up publishing again.
Canadian Business Edge has also been re-launched.
Creativity and Advertising Age will merge.
Opportunities for Freelance Writers
Have you heard of Get a Freelancer? This site features profiles of writers, so that folks who need a writer can find one. And it also includes jobs for writers, so writers can locate appropriate writing work. Get a Freelancer is now simply called, Freelancer. Check it out at: http://www.getafreelancer.com/
Meg Weaver at Wooden Horse Pub is looking for volunteers to spend maybe 20 minutes per week doing odd clerical jobs. Compensation is access to the Wooden Horse database (an amazing online listing of magazines, their descriptions, pay scale, contact information and so forth.) If you are interested, send the following to Meg in an email to mweaver@woodenhorsepub.com: a brief resume, why you would like to volunteer for Wooden Horse, why you are the perfect candidate, what is your computer set up, your software skill level and your availability. Put “Wooden Horse volunteer position” in the subject line. Learn more about the Wooden Horse Publishing site at http://www.woodenhorsepub.com.
Are you familiar with Writing Raw? It’s a website dedicated to helping writers get exposure for their writing efforts and make sales. Learn more at http://writingraw.com
If you live in or near Madison, Wisconsin or you know the area and the people, you might be able to sell BRAVA, the regional magazine, a piece or two. Yes, BRAVA folded in the spring, but is back under new ownership. This is a paying market for freelancers with the right information and slant. They buy first rights, but do not state in their guidelines how much they pay. Study the guidelines at: http://www.bravamagazine.com/about.jsp. Click on “Writer’s Guidelines.” Contact Sarah DeRoo at sarah@bravaenterprises.com
Special Report—Write for Business Publications
Are you one of many freelancers who bypass business magazines when you’re seeking an assignment or you have an article idea? I have to tell you that a great deal of my income came from business publications when freelance writing was my primary work. And I don’t generally write hardcore business pieces, either. I write on the softer side of business (think emotions, relationships, peripheral skills, etc.)
Even if you write on subjects considered outside the realm of business, you may be able to sell the editors of business magazines on your cleverly designed article ideas. Here are some of the subjects I covered and that were published in a wide array of business, organization and trade magazines over the years: intuition in business, improving your communication skills, the art of small talk, office politics, various management issues (sold to a variety of trade publications), organization techniques, how to deal with an irate customer, teaching children the work ethic, teaching children how to handle money and others. I also did profile pieces featuring a variety of personalities and scenarios—teens in business, couples in business, home-based businesses, start-ups, franchises, pet-related businesses, etc. These articles appeared in Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurial Woman, Career Woman, Communication Briefings, Country Business, Minority Engineering, Executive Update and others. (I share this to demonstrate the vast opportunities if only we will open our minds.)
And you don’t have to search far to locate business magazines that pay well. Hispanic Business offers as much as $1,500 per piece and they buy 120 manuscripts per year; MyBusiness Magazine purchases only 8 manuscripts per year, but they pay $1,000 for 1,800 words; Corporate Board Member pays as much as $5,000 per piece and they pay the expenses of writers on assignment; Atlantic Business Magazine uses up to 36 articles per year and they pay $300 to $750; Distribution Channels pays .50 cents word.
Use your imagination and approach some of these (and other) paying business and trade magazines with your ideas on advertising, settling into a new job, dealing with a layoff, how to keep your job, bringing spirituality into the workplace, how to set up an on-site daycare for employee’s families…
You’ll find a generous list of business publications here: http://www.newspaperdrive.com/business.
Newspaper Drive also has a database featuring religious magazines, college and university publications and those related to entertainment. http://www.newspaperdrive.com.
Job Sites
Newspaper Drive provides an enormous database of job sites and job site directories. If you’re looking for a job, you’ve gotta spend some time here! This one database represents tens of thousands of potential jobs. Here, you’ll have access to JobSmack, Portal (for career opportunities in the video games, software, graphics, broadband and web development industries), JobSniper and JobHunt. And this is just the tip of the iceberg. Here’s the link that could lead to your next career in the writing field or in your field of expertise: http://www.newspaperdrive.com/jobs.
MediaBistro also lists jobs, all within the publishing/magazine/media industry. http://www.mediabistro.com/joblistings. What sort of jobs? Here are a few: Production Assistant at Random House Children’s Group, Editor at Radar Online, Press Secretary, Account Executive, Journalist, Editorial Internship for US News and World Report, Art Manager, Proofreader, Photo Researcher, Health Editor.
If you’re interested in a career in operating a magazine, check out the opportunities at Publishing Central: http://www.publishingcentral.com/magazinepublishing.
Opportunities for Authors
Do you dream of having your book reviewed in Publishers Weekly? Here are their submission guidelines. Submissions must be sent 3 (preferably 4) months before your publication date. Send two copies of each title. Galleys should have the following information on the cover: title, author, price, publisher and imprint, format, number of pages in finished book, 13-digit ISBN, month and day of publication, distribution arrangements and publicity contact info.
They also want a synopsis of the book and any pertinent publicity information, including author’s previous titles, reviews, etc. You can send galleys, finished books or bound manuscripts. This includes nonfiction, fiction, mystery, science fiction/fantasy/horror, poetry, comics, lifestyle (cooking, gardening and home, health and fitness or parents) and mass market titles. Children’s books have a different set of guidelines.
Now these guidelines apply only to traditionally published books. Publishers Weekly does NOT review self-published books. If your book qualifies, send to Publishers Weekly, your book’s category (nonfiction reviews, poetry reviews, etc.), 360 Park Avenue South, NY 10010.
See guidelines for religious titles and children’s books: http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/ca6428088.html
Do you have a story idea or a book in the works? I guess they’re getting quite a bit of activity over at Open Salon with good book concepts. At least one author posted her story at Open Salon and along came a major publisher who issued her a book contract. Check it out at http://www.open.salon.com.
Book Promotion Opportunities
The Bookworm site provides a list of nearly 200 online and offline bookstores, many of which are looking for books that are selling. Check out the specialty bookstores featuring books related to travel, crime, metaphysical topics, sports, art and architecture and more. http://www.ads-links.com/bookworm
Biblio also lists bookstores. I particularly enjoyed studying their specialty bookstore list, which includes stores that carry books on zoology, true crime, science fiction, poetry, children’s, cookbooks, fantasy, mysteries, romance and more. http://www.biblio.com/booksellers_by_specialty.php
WrightBookReviews reviews self-published books. Don’t count your chickens too soon, though. The books they accept for review are screened. But if you have a good, carefully-edited book, submit it to this website for possible review. http://www.wrightbookreviews.com According to one WPN member who did a more thorough search at this site than I did, it seems that they charge to review your book. So be sure to do your research so you know whether the benefit is worth the price.
Opportunities for Artists and Photographers
If you’d like to make some money with your art or photography, study the listing above under “Opportunities for Freelance Writers” related to MediaBistro. There are a few jobs related to your field: Art Manager, Art Director, Photo Researcher and Web Producer, for example: http://www.mediabistro.com/joblistings.
Opportunities for Screenplay Writers
Are you familiar with TVFilmRights.com—the marketplace for scouting and selling TV and film rights? Here, you have the opportunity to sell your book as a movie, sell your story or concept as a film. It’s a member organization and, as a writer/creator, you can join by the month ($50) or year ($200). Let us know if you scored with the help of this new site. http://www.tvfilmrights.com
The TV Writers Vault is offering a limited time only discount on their annual membership. Rather than $359, their membership is $179. Learn more about this company and how they may help to you get your foot in the door at http://www.tvwritersvault.com. Be sure to sign up for their newsletter.
Resources for Authors and Writers
Do you sometimes seek articles related to your book’s topic in order to flesh out an article you’re writing, a speech or in order to respond to a customer’s inquiry, for example? Here is a research resource that might help the next time you need information on feral cats, ghostwriting, Dubai, unemployment statistics or shade trees, for example. http://www.mydigitalnewspaper.com. Search by topic, country, publication date or type of publication.
Call for Submissions
Electric Literature seeks strong literary fiction of between 1,500 and 8,000 words. There is no submission fee—in fact, if your work is chosen to appear in their publication, they will pay you. Learn more about this opportunity at http://electricliterature.com. Spend a little time at the site checking out the “about” page and the “submissions” page. They also recommend that you purchase their latest publication so you’ll get an idea of what they’re looking for. Contact editors Andy Hunter or Scott Lindenbaum at editors@electricliterature.com
Here is a nonpaying opportunity for author and freelance writers who welcome exposure—and that should be all of us. Moira Allen has been asked by her publisher, Allworth Press, to update her book, the “Writer’s Guide to Queries, Pitches and Proposals.” If one of your queries or proposals, for example, was successful (you landed a publisher or an assignment), send it to Moira for possible inclusion in her book as a good example. She’s also interested in cover letters and pitches to agents that were successful. If you have something to submit to Moira, sent it along to her at editors@writing-world.com with the subject line, “Query Book.” Her deadline is in December, so make your submission as soon as possible.
DRT Press seeks personal essays written by parents of children with ADD, ADHD and/or other mental, emotional and behavioral disorders. Compensation includes 10 copies of the completed book and discounts on additional copies. Payment may be offered in some cases. For more information contact Kay Marner at kay@kaymarner.com. Learn more about the project at http://www.drtpress.com/anthology.html. The book is scheduled for publication in January of 2011, submission deadline is March 1, 2010.
Editorial Commentary
How to Beef Up Your Research Skills
When you find a good site with lots of resources, do you spend enough time exploring it before clicking off to something else? Many sites include resources galore and links to other sites and even large directories. For example, maybe you’re looking for a distributor for your book and you land on a site with a good article on distributors. Does the article include links to distributors or directories of distributors? Maybe the site, itself, has a great list of links. Check it out. Don’t short-circuit your search by your short-sighted web visits.
I just did some research for a client who was seeking book review sites and other opportunities in order to gain exposure for his particular book. He was absolutely astounded by the resources I compiled for him. And a few weeks later, he came back asking for more. He said that almost all of my resources were pertinent and he used them. But I seriously doubt that he took my advice and really dug deeply into the crevices of the sites and took true advantage of the directories (which always lead to additional directories and sites with amazing resources imbedded within). And this is what I urge you to do.
Don’t just surface surf. Dive into the depths of the site. Uncover hidden resource lists and pursue them. Seek out resource lists and links at each of these resources. Sure you’ll stumble on a few repeats, broken links and such. But just think about what you might gain in the process.
Publishing Terminology
I see that the editors of the Savvy Self-Publisher (by Dan Poynter and Danny O. Snow) have been busy thinking about new terminology amidst a changing industry. They propose the term “Author-Publisher” to define/label those of us who, up until now, were known as “self-publishers.” Works for me.
In the meantime, I’ve coined a new title in an attempt to distinguish the fee-based publishers from traditional and independent publishers. It is “pay-to-publish.” Rather than POD publishers or self-publishing companies, how about pay-to-publish companies. Those colleagues with whom I have discussed this are in complete agreement. What do you think? Patricia@spawn.org.
Responsibility
I’d like to remind you that we do not necessarily recommend or endorse any of the resources we list in this issue of WPN Market Update or any of those in the WPN archives. We spend a great deal of time seeking out possible resources and potential opportunities for you. It is your responsibility to any additional research necessary before entering into an agreement or signing up for a service. Be cautious and proactive on behalf of your project. How?
- Check the Internet to make sure that there are no complaints issued against this publisher, organization, company or individual. And if there are one or two, investigate them to make sure they aren’t bogus or sour apples.
- Study their website thoroughly.
- Make sure you understand any agreement or contract.
- Ask for references and pursue them.