This issue of the WPN Market Update includes an introduction to a new platform development program for authors. There are over three dozen opportunities, tips and ideas for writers and authors and links to 3 large job boards for artists and photographers. We also bring news for California Amazon Affiliates, announce that Kindle is in the library system, and introduce PW’s Job Zone for those seeking work in the publishing industry.
Here’s What’s New – News for CA Amazon Affiliates, Kindle in libraries, PW’s Job Zone
Opportunities for Freelance Writers – Nearly a dozen paying markets, plus poetry markets
Opportunities for Authors – 8 publishers seek submissions. Should you send cover art? 4 Directories of poetry publishers.
Book Promotion Opportunities – 4 ideas you should consider
Opportunities for Artists and Photographers – 3 huge job boards.
Going, Going, Gone – 10 magazines and a publisher
Bonus Item – GreenLeaf Group’s new Platform Development Program
Here’s What’s New
Amazon Affiliate Program members doing business in California have been welcomed back to Amazon with open arms after the governor signed legislation repealing the law that, as Amazon’s spokesman says, “Forced us to terminate our California Associates.” Amazon is inviting California Associates to re-enroll in the program at https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/gp/associates/reinstatement/main.html. If you have a problem enrolling or you need further information, visit this site: https://affiliate-program.amazon.com/gp/associates/help/t48
Did you know that Publisher’s Weekly (free daily email subscription) has a job section called “PW Job Zone?” Here, they feature jobs in the industry. In fact, you can find job opportunities for account managers, marketing managers, editors, sales personnel, etc. at Perseus, Lerner, Guilford and other publishing houses. If you’d like to land a job in the publishing industry, sign up for Publisher’s Weekly online at: http://www.publishersweekly.com and keep an eye on the Job Zone.
MediaFinder.com reports that 151 magazines were launched during the first nine months of 2011 and 119 of them have already folded. This makes it a little scary to go out on a limb and provide material for a new publication. If they go out of business (which seems to be the trend) how will you get paid for your work? And it isn’t just new magazines that are folding. Check out some of the older publications that are going out of business in our Going, Going, Gone section. Two of them are over 100 years old.
Have you seen the hype about Amazon’s new Kindle Fire tablet—the one that features all of that color? Several major magazines will soon be formatted for this new device, including Esquire, Elle, Cosmo, Glamour and Martha Stewart Living. The Kindle Fire tablet will ship this month!
AdAge reports that the numbers are still way above the ¾ range for people who read their magazines and newspapers in print form as opposed to online or on an electronic reader.
Byte has been resurrected as an online magazine only. http://www.byte.com.
Carolina Wren Press is no longer accepting general submissions of poetry and fiction. Watch for their special submission periods. http://www.carolinawrenpress.org.
Kindle is now in the library system. For the first time, readers can locate books through the library card catalog and have them sent to their Kindle for a period of two weeks per book.
Opportunities for Freelance Writers
Oestara Publishing is seeking short erotic vampire stories of 1,000 to 3,000-words to be compiled into a book. Send to Mel Fleming at acknchip@pacbell.net
Verbatim Magazine is no longer accepting submissions. In fact, they’re looking for a new editor. If you write for Verbatim Magazine (which they consider “The Language Quarterly”), visit their blog often for an announcement as to when they will resume reading manuscripts. http://www.verbatimmag.com. I’m not sure this is sound advice and I’ll tell you why. I visited this link, as I always try to do before finalizing each issue of the WPN Market Update. And I noticed that the last entry was posted in December of 2008. If you want to contact someone at the magazine, try editor@verbatimmag.com.
The editors at Untreed Reads are seeking holiday stories to include in their holiday offerings for their readers. Currently, they need articles of from 1,500 to 5,000 related to Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah and New Years. Send submissions to Jay Hartman at jhartman@untreedreads.com. I suggest studying their website first: http://www.untreedreads.com. The deadline is November 15, 2011.
Brick is a paying Canadian magazine that’s seeking essays, historical material, interviews and travel. I checked the magazine’s submission guidelines and discovered that the editorial staff is rare in that they do not want to do business over the Internet. You must send your submission via snail mail to Brick, POB 609, Station P, Toronto, Ontario M5S 2Y4. They pay up to $500 for up to 3,000 words. http://www.brick-mag.com.
Regional Magazines
I’m still seeing a lot of regional magazines launching in various corners of the U.S. Are regionals worth submitting to? Absolutely. When I was supporting myself through article-writing, I often wrote for regional publications locally as well as those in other cities/states. Some editors of regional magazines welcome material from out of town, as long as there is a strong regional tie within the story or article. Others require that writers live within certain boundaries. As always, I recommend that you study each publications submission guidelines and comply.
If you aren’t accustomed to writing for regional magazines, let me offer a few tips:
- Seek out magazines in your area. Locate local, county-wide and state-wide publications via the Internet, by checking newsstands around town/the county, through ads in local newspapers, where tourists go, etc. Also locate regional magazines in Writer’s Market.
- Study the guidelines carefully and think outside the box to come up with ideas.
- Write about some of your own interesting experiences, perspective, opinion, etc.
- Interview someone else about their experiences, expertise, knowledge and so forth.
- Keep your finger on the pulse of the community—what is happening behind the scenes that would make an interesting story? Who are the movers and shakers?
- Become familiar with regional magazines from other areas—where you visit frequently, where you used to live or a place you simply like. Study the people of the area—authors, businessmen/women, athletes, volunteers, etc.
- Locate stories and then match them to a regional magazine. Pitch a story to The Iowan about a father/son team from Iowa who walked many miles to support a charity. Devise a story for Milwaukee Magazine featuring locals who are excelling in unusual businesses there. Come up with a piece for Honolulu Magazine on an aspect of Hawaiian history.
In other words, use your imagination and you’ll earn yourself some extra money to start out the new year. Here are a few regional publications.
North Dakota Living uses general interest nonfiction, historical pieces, how-to and travel as well as fiction. They only publish one fiction piece per year, however, so the opportunity there isn’t so great. If you can offer a 750-word article for their energy or financial planning columns, you could earn $100 to $300. Other articles should range from 1,500 to 2,000-words and the magazine pays anywhere from $100 to $600 per piece. I could not find their submission guidelines at their website. You may have to contact the editor and request a copy. kbrick@ndarec.com. Website: http://www.ndarec.com/dakotaLiving/index.htm (Note, it appears that you MUST capitalize the L in “Living” in order for this link to work.)
New Jersey Monthly is a high paying mag—offering up to $2,500 per piece and reasonable, agreed-upon expenses of writers on assignment. They will publish just about anything related to New Jersey from politics to sports to home decorating. http://www.njmonthly.com
Philadelphia Style buys as many as 100 manuscripts per year on subjects related to Philadelphia fashion, style, food, home and design, real estate, beauty, travel, entertainment and more. They also have several columns to fill—and these are open to freelancers. Pay is up to $500 per piece. http://www.phillystylemag.com.
Texas Monthly pays as much as $1/word for articles with a Texas angle. http://www.texasmonthly.com.
(See the opportunities for poets below under “Opportunities for Authors”)
Opportunities for Authors
Emily Steele is editorial director at Medallion Press, she contacted us this month to let members know they are seeking manuscripts of 80,000 to 120,000 words. They publish both fiction and nonfiction in many genres and subgenres. But they are not interested in previously published work at this time. Is this a traditional publishing company? It appears so, but I haven’t seen a contract, so I am not certain. Here is their mission statement: “To publish well-written, visually appealing products based upon quality editing, excellent cover art, and an aggressive marketing campaign. We seek to publish adult and young adult fiction and nonfiction in a variety of genres and will do so in a way that raises the level of expectations of the book-buying public so that they look to Medallion Press Inc. as a leader in the publishing industry.” They also claim that they have found a way to streamline the submission process so they are able to keep current—unlike so many other publishing companies that take many weeks or months to respond to authors. Learn more about Medallion Press here: http://www.medallionpress.com. Submission guidelines: http://www.medallionpress.com/guidlines/index.html (Yes, “guidelines” is misspelled in the link on purpose.)
Barbarian Books is open to submissions. While they plan to eventually produce books in many fiction genres, they are now only interested in novel-length mystery/crime manuscripts. They will produce ebooks, only. And they claim that there is no fee and they will aggressively promote your ebook. Learn more at http://www.barbarianbooks.com
Do you write books for young middle-grade boys? Move Books in Beacon Falls, CT is considering submissions and they are open to all genres on many topics—as long as they are boy-centered stories or topics. Visit their website here: http://www.move-books.com.
Poetry Markets
Are you looking for someplace to publish your poetry? Black Ocean is a publishing house that focuses only on works of poetry. This company, established in 2006, publishes three titles per year. http://www.blackocean.org. Contact Carrie Olivia Adams at carrie@blackocean.org.
Elohi Gadug/The Habit of Rainy Nights Press also publishes poetry as well as fiction and nonfiction books. Each category has a different editor/contact person, so be sure to address the correct one. Learn more about the publishing house here: http://rainynightspress.org. Submission guidelines are here: http://rainynightspress.org/submissions. Submissions are accepted between January 1 and May 1, 2012. I will remind you of this in January.
Here’s another publisher of poetry. Palettes & Quills publishes anthologies and chapbooks. Contact palettesnquills@gmail.com. They have some pretty specific policies, so study their guidelines here: http://www.palettesnquills.com/guidelines_for_unsolicited_mater.htm. Visit their homepage here: http://www.palettesnquills.com
Swan Isle Press publishes poetry as well as fiction and nonfiction. If you have a memoir or a creative nonfiction manuscript, the editors at Swan Isle Press might be interested. http://www.swanislepress.com. For submission guidelines: http://www.swanislepress.com/submissionguide.html
Goodman Beck Publishing focuses on books related to mental health, personal growth, aging and so forth. They also publish fiction and poetry. http://goodmanbeck.com. Their submission guidelines are short and sweet.
Directories of poetry publishers: http://www.awpwriter.org/bookshelf/directory.htm (book for sale); http://www.acqweb.org/pubr/poem.html (FREE web list), http://www.writewords.org.uk/directory/level1_pages.asp?typeid=19 (FREE web list); http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~lcrew/pbonline.html (publishers that accept electronic submissions)
Your Cover Art and Illustrations
Should you send your cover art and/or illustrations with your requested manuscript to a publisher? The answer used to be, no. I notice, however, that more and more publishers are asking authors to send their cover art and illustrations along. This does not mean that the publisher will use your artwork, however. It will depend on the impression it makes on the publisher. Here are a few publishers who consider the authors’ artwork: Medallion Press, Palettes & Quills, Gryphon Publishing, Brighter Books Publishing House, Branden Publishing Company, Ariel Starr Products and Consortium Publishing.
Book Promotion Opportunities
Jennifer Vande Zande contacted us from NewPages to let us know that they are accepting new and forthcoming books to be listed in their database at no cost. Send a review copy to NewPages, POB 1580, Bay City, MI 48706. For additional information go to: http://www.NewPages.com. For inclusion in one of their bookstore/library mailings, download their form at http://www.newpage.com/forms/mailinglist.htm. There is a charge to be included in one of their mailing lists. Fees run from $85 to $225.
There are a couple of new additions to the Directory of Reviewers for “Indie” books. We’ve mentioned this directory of reviewers before, but I don’t think we can ever stress too often the importance of getting your self-published books reviewed. In fact, if you get on Christine Silva’s emailing list, you will be notified of new listings forty-eight hours before they go live at her website. Sign up here: ChristinePSilva@yahoo.com. The reviewer directory is here: http://www.stepbystepselfpublishing.net/reviewer-list.html In the meantime, here are the latest additions to the Indie Reviewer List: “No Wayz Tired,” reviewer, Marsha L. Randolph. She reviews Christian fiction, spiritual growth, historical fiction and black (African-American) fiction in ebook form (and presumably print). nowayztired@gmail.com.
Here’s another review site just posted on Silva’s Indie Reviewer List: “The Literati Press.” This reviewer is pretty much open to most genres of fiction—young adult and adult. She will also occasionally review a nonfiction book if it reads like fiction—generally memoirs. She accepts print and ebooks formatted for Kindle. Starr.k.griggs@gmail.com
Have you been interviewed by Stacy Harp at Active Christian Media, yet? Among other things, Stacy promotes Christian resources to a community of like-minded individuals. She interviews authors, media professionals, people in public service and musicians as well as those with opinions or material on hot topics of the day. I was interviewed by Stacy last month and she recorded our interview for folks to listen to at her website. While my new book, “Promote Your Book,” isn’t spiritual, Stacy reasoned that she has many listeners who are interested in writing and need information about book promotion. I found Stacy to be very friendly and accommodating. And she just might be interested in talking to you about your book on loving parenting, finances for families, planting a healing garden, how to keep your cool even in a bad work environment, helping an elderly or ill loved one, healthy grieving or any number of other topics. Visit the Active Christian Media website at: http://www.activechristianmedia.com. Contact Stacy at: stacy@activechristianmedia.com.
Would you like to personalize your ebooks by autographing them? Evidently there’s a company that can arrange that. Kindlegraph provides a process whereby authors can autograph their books for their customers who are reading them on electronic readers. Check it out at http://kindlegraph.com.
Opportunities for Artists and Photographers
Find jobs for artists here: http://jobs.com/artist_jobs_15. Currently available are marketing artist in San Diego, production artist in Kansas City, graphic artist assistant in Southern California, catalog production coordinator in New York, shoe sketch artist in Beverly Hills, screen print artists in Michigan, clothes designer in New York and a publication artist in Minnesota.
Here’s another job board for artists and for jobs in the arts: http://www.nyfa.org/opportunities.asp?type=Job&id=94&fid=6&sid=17 Jobs range from gallery manager to designer to art handler (warehouse?) and there are many internships available.
There are also job boards for photographers. This one has jobs for product photographer, news photographer in Southern California, professional photographer in Amarillo, impact photographer, sports photographer in the Bronx and many others. http://www.personforce.com/jobs/tags/photographer
Going, Going, Gone
Columbia Gorge Magazine is closing down
Dogs in Canada, reportedly launched in 1889, is folding.
MotorBoating is no longer publishing in print form.
New Jersey Life Health and Beauty has gone out of business.
Harrowsmith Country Life has closed down.
The Scientist has folded after quarter-century of publishing
10/12 Magazine will close.
AKC Gazette closes after 100 years.
Building Products plans to quit
Big Builder will also stop publishing
It appears that the new publisher, Vanhook House, has already gone out of business. At least the website seems to be dead. If anyone had information about this publisher, let us know.
Bonus Item—New Platform Development program offered by Greenleaf Books. Interview with Tanya Hall Director of Marketing and Business Development for the Greenleaf Book Group
Q: Please give us a little background on Greenleaf Book Group, when the company was established, what the focus is, etc. (Is this a traditional royalty publisher?)
A: Greenleaf Book Group was established in 1997 and is a hybrid publisher and distributor specializing in the development of independent authors and the growth of small presses. We have a staff of forty-five full-time employees based in Austin, TX, plus a commissioned book sales force. Our publishing model was designed to support the independent author and to make it possible for writers to retain the rights to their work and still compete with the major publishing houses. We combine the sales benefits of the major publishers’ traditional approach with the ownership, timeline, and control perks of self-publishing.
In addition to the books we publish, we distribute select titles from small and independent publishers to major trade outlets, including bookstores, libraries, and airport retailers. We serve the small and independent publishing community by offering industry guidance, business development, and unmatched production, distribution, and marketing services.
Q: What are some of your most successful books to date?
A: In the past few years, we have released seven New York Times and twelve Wall Street Journal bestsellers. Some of our strong backlist titles include The Exceptional Presenter by Timothy Koegel, Venus on Fire, Mars on Ice by John Gray, Thank You and You’re Welcome by Kanye West, and Deep Dive by Rich Horwath.
Q: Please introduce the Greenleaf Platform Development program and tell us why you developed it.
A: Our growth has always been driven by author needs. Our platform development program certainly falls in that category. It combines targeted market research with services our clients have been asking for to help increase their social mindshare, visibility, and credibility. It’s not publicity or just social media; it’s brand-building. Our clients come to us in various stages of development in terms of their reach and audience, and it’s a natural extension of our editorial, design, sales, and marketing skills to help them translate their ideas into formats beyond the book as we know it. The services we provide under this umbrella range from brand audits to social media strategy to website design, presentation writing/design, and ancillary product development, to name a few. Our award-winning team is top-tier and quality is a critical point of competition for us here.
Our programs are customized to suit each client’s audience type and specific goals. We recognized in a changing industry that there was a strong benefit to focusing on the brand and identity as a whole versus focusing on the content alone. This recognition led us to develop services that would help our clients reach these broader goals, so as to monetize their intellectual property beyond the book.
Q: Is this for your authors only?
A: Platform development is not just for authors. It is for anyone trying to define and reach an audience with a targeted, cohesive message. It is for anyone striving to become a recognized expert in their field. This pool certainly contains many authors or experts that eventually release a book, but it is not at all exclusive to authors.
Q: How can an author get involved? Are there requirements—author must have a published book…etc.?
A: The best first step to get involved is to visit our website http://myexpertscore.com. We designed this tool to help us understand the baseline of where an author or expert is currently in terms of platform and to determine their objectives in growing their platform. Once that assessment is done, someone from our team will be in touch to discuss next steps. The author or expert does not have to have a published book or even a manuscript. We welcome committed experts at all stages of platform development.
Q: What can an author expect to walk away with from this program?
A: This naturally depends on the scope of the program, since every expert’s platform campaign will be different. In general and from a birds-eye view, authors and experts should expect to walk away with a defined strategy for turning ideas into influence and income, plus a set of tools and/or products to take out to the marketplace in order to monetize their knowledge. They’ll still have to pound the pavement…but we’ll give them a map and the tools to do it strategically.
Q: What is the fee?
A: The fees associated with the program vary widely depending on the scope of work to be performed. All fees are presented in an up-front proposal once the expert’s needs have been assessed.
Q: Please add anything else you would like.
A: We’re thrilled to roll out our suite of platform development services for authors and experts looking to build exposure, clout, and income. The staff devoted to this part of the business pulls from broad expertise—from television to ad agencies to creative think tanks. We all know how competitive the expert industry is by virtue of working in publishing and media. Anything we can do to give authors an increased chance for success is exciting to get behind.
Contact:
Tanya Hall, Director of Marketing and Business Development
512-891-6100
tanya@greenleafbookgroup.com
http://www.greenleafbookgroup.com/platformdevelopment
http://72.48.142.210/MyExpertScoreNew/home.php