This issue’s editor – Patricia Fry
Here’s What’s New – A dozen to report
Opportunities for Freelance Writers – High paying markets, 845 mag. listings and more
Opportunities for Authors – Listings for 15 newer publishing companies.
Book Promotion Opportunities – 4 listed, representing hundreds of ideas and resources.
Opportunities for Screenplay Writers – Scripts wanted.
Opportunities for Photographers – 8 ideas and resources.
Editor’s remarks (from Patricia Fry): A listing in the WPN Market Update does not imply an endorsement by WPN or the editor. Please always do your own thorough research before using any of the services, sites, or companies listed here.
Here’s What’s New
The latest edition of the Writer’s Market is out and it’s loaded with fresh information and updated listings. Order your copy of the 2015 Writer’s Market at Amazon or http://www.writersmarket.com Why do you need this directory? It’s crammed with news and information every author and freelance writer can use. It has extensive magazine and publisher listings, which include contact persons, current needs, word count, deadline dates, and more. Plus there are over 25 articles on topics of interest to you.
The 102-year-old Nazarene Publishing House will close its operation, including their Beacon Hill Press imprint, December 1. If you have a book with Beacon Hill Press, you may want to check on its status.
Worthy Publishing has taken over Ideals Children’s Books from Guideposts. They’re already planning titles for 2015, however, they are not accepting manuscripts at this time. http://www.worthypublishing.com
BookBaby continues to add online and downtown stores and libraries to their distribution list. They claim to have over sixty stores globally. Just last month, they added EBSCO (reportedly, the world’s largest resale link between libraries and publishers), and ePubDirect (with 23 major regional ebook outlets and genre-specific stores). BookBaby invites you to publish, promote, and sell your book with them for a wider distribution than most. This is not a recommendation or a paid commercial. It is simply information. Please check it out for yourself and decide if a business partnership with BookBaby is right for you. http://www.bookbaby.com
I Love To Write Day was launched in 2002 by an author named John Riddle. Each year, I Love To Write Day is on November 15: http://www.ilovetowriteday.org
Have you heard of Blue Ash Publishing? This “self-publishing” company is presumably part of Writer’s Digest via a partnership with BookBaby. More information here: http://www.blueashpublishing.com
Two-year-old Indie Author Land has been renamed. It is now ReadFree.ly. According to owners, David and Sola, their mission will still be to promote self-published authors. http://www.readfree.ly
Vook has acquired Byliner as its first imprint. https://vook.com
Are you having trouble finding some of your favorite car and truck magazines? Here’s some news. Custom Classic Trucks has folded into Classic Truck. 4 Wheel Drive and SUV and Mud Life have merged with Four Wheeler. Hot Rod has combined with High Performance Pontiac and Popular Hot Rodding. Modified Mustangs and Fords is now part of Mustang Monthly. Honda Tuning and Import Tuner will soon merge with Super Street.
All American Crafts, Inc, publisher of many craft magazines including Creative Woodworks and Crafts, The Quilter, Paper Creations, Scrapbooking and Beyond and several others has closed its doors.
Some periodicals are planning to publish for iPads. Here are a few: Perspective, Time, Golf Digest, O, and Montreal Gazette. To learn about the other 140 or so, visit: http://www.nextissue.com
Opportunities for Freelance Writers
If you are a freelance writer or you often write magazine and newsletter articles to promote your book(s), I recommend that you subscribe to Freelance Writer’s Report. http://www.writers-editors.com There are several membership options, so take time to study them. I don’t write many articles for publication these days, but when I did, I found this newsletter a valuable tool. I especially needed to know about new and closing magazines, names of new editors for the magazines I regularly approached, and so forth. If you’re an editor, not only are there articles and tips for you, but opportunities, as well. Here’s a good tip I found in the September issue—check http://www.chickensoup.com/story-submissions/possible-book-topics every few months to learn what topics are planned for the Chicken Soup books. You might just discover topics you could write about.
Our longtime member, Barbara Florio-Graham has a good article in the July 2014 issue of the Freelance Writer’s Report on the best tool for time management for writers.
At the Freelance Writing site, you’ll find 845 guidelines for writers from magazines who use freelance writers. They list magazines related to health, children, parenting, pets, business, hobbies, foods, and much more. They even have guidelines for 89 regional magazines. If you’re a serious freelance writer or you have a book to promote, you really should check out this site. http://www.freelancewriting.com/guidelines/pages
Some of the better paying magazines listed in the 2015 Writer’s Market include Boy’s Life ($400 to $1,500 for 500-1,500/words), National Black MBA Magazine ($500 to $1,000 for 1,200-1,700/words), Bedtimes (up to $2,000 for a cover story), How ($700 to $900 for 1,500 to 2,000/words), National ($1/word), InsideCounsel ($500 to $2,000 for 500-3,000/words), USAA Magazine ($750 to $1,500 for 600 to 1,500/words), Hemispheres (50 cents/word and up), Shape ($1.50/word).
Opportunities for Authors
As we mentioned, the 2015 Writer’s Market is out and it includes a few—unfortunately, very few—new publishing houses. Here’s one, Harrington & Harrington Press based in San Diego. They publish four to ten titles per year on ethnic issues and women’s issues. They specialize in memoirs and creative nonfiction. They also publish feminist, gay, lesbian, and young adult fiction. http://www.harringtonandharrington.com. Contact Laurie Champion. Submissions@harringtonandharrington.com
Hipso Media publishes cooking, foods, health, medicine, nutrition, travel, and contemporary culture topics. They particularly want books that can be enhanced with media, video, audio, animation, etc. http://www.hipsomedia.com Contact Rob Simon at rob@hipsomedia.com
Ledge Hill Publishing was established in 2011. They publish poetry as well as many fiction topics including adventure, experimental, humor, juvenile, mystery, occult and more. Nonfiction subjects include animals, child guidance, entertainment, gardening, health, hobbies, New Age, women’s issues, and more. They publish 10 – 15 titles per year. http://www.ledgehillpublishing.com. Contact Amanda at info@ledgehillpublishing.com
Melange Books, publishes 75 titles each year, including adventure, fantasy, gay issues, mystery, mainstream, sci-fi, Western, and young adult. http://www.melange-books.com Contact Nancy Schumacher, submissions@melange-books.com
Old Harbour Press, established in 2013, publishes 20-50 books/year. They prefer publishing creative nonfiction and travel for a general audience, as well as adventure and historical stories, humor, mainstream fiction, military, mystery, regional, spiritual, young adult, and more. Contact, Paul Morin editor@oldharbourpress.com
Ripple Grove Press, www.ripplegrovepress.com, established last year, publishes children’s picture books for 2 to 6-year-olds—both fiction and nonfiction. submit@ripplegrovepress.com
Shipwreckt Books Publishing Company publishes 6 titles/year. The editors are interested in nonfiction, fiction, and poetry. They produce comic books and appreciate pitches related to fantasy, humor, mystery, regional, suspense, spirituality, sports, hobbies, health, and more. http://www.shipwrecktbooks.com Contact Tom Driscoll, publisher@shipwrecktbooks.com
Most of the publishers listed above were established in 2011 or later. I think it’s important to consider newer publishers as they may be more open to first-time authors and they may not be inundated by submissions yet. Below, I’ve listed a few other publishing houses launched within the last four years.
The editors at Strategic Media Books are seeking books in many nonfiction and fiction topics. http://www.strategicmediabooks.com.
Stoneslide Books publishes fiction and they’re open to a variety of genres. http://www.stoneslidecorrective.com
Seriously Good Books specializes in historical fiction. www.seriouslygoodbks.net
Ruka Press 2010, at www.rukapress.com, publishes 3-4 titles per year related to nature and the environment.
Ring of Fire publishing publishes fiction “for well-read fiction readers.” http://www.ringoffirebooks.com
The Poisoned Pencil was established by Ellen Larson in 2012 in order to produce young adult mystery novels. Here’s the link to their submissions page. http://thepoisonedpencil.submittable.com/submit
Michael Muller at New Libri Press is seeking manuscripts in many fiction and nonfiction topics and genres. www.newlibri.com. Contact: query@newlibri.com
Ilium Press produces memoirs and erotica as well as books on writing and music. www.iliumpress.com Contact: contact@iliumpress.com.
Book Promotion Opportunities
Do you subscribe to Marsha Friedman’s The PR Insider? If you have a book to promote, you should be visiting blogs, websites, and social media sites related to book promotion. You need to study books on the topic and attend lectures and writers/authors conferences. There are webinars presented by specialists and experts every week. And there are several good newsletters circulated. Here are a few I recommend, The PR Insider by Marsha Friedman. The September issue explains how to get on the Ellen Show. Sign up here: http://marshafriedman.com
There are eight articles in the 2015 Writer’s Market on promoting your work. Blogging as a marketing tool, and building your author platform are popular topics this year.
Here’s a jewel I discovered for you this month. This site lists 46 websites where you can promote your book for free. http://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/2012/03/11/18-top-websites-to-promote-your-book-for-free/
Perhaps some of you are familiar with my 50-ways books—50 Ways to Promote a Novel, 50 Ways to Build Your Author Platform, 50 Ways to Sell Your Book Using Your Personality, 50 Ways to Promote Your eBook, etc. (http://www.matilijapress.com). Well, here’s a site listing 71 ways to promote your book. http://www.yourwriterplatform.com/promote-and-market-your-book
Opportunities for Screenplay Writers
Jerrol LeBaron at InkTip lists the following among his list of screenplay requests this week. Indiewood Pictures is seeking ghost stories. Someone is also looking for thriller scripts in the vein of Mystic River. Do you have a script for a strong teenage girl character or a faith-based script, or one with Chinese elements? You might be able to sell it through InkTip. How about a story featuring twin girls? There’s someone out there who wants one. Do you write comedies? Your stories may be in demand. http://www.inktip.com
Opportunities for Photographers
Check out the Artist’s Market, put out by Writer’s Digest. Not only will you find markets for artists and graphic artists, but also photographers. The directory offers listings for jobs with magazines, book publishers, calendar publishers, stock photo services, advertising agencies and more. Here are a few magazines that pay for photographs: Harper’s Magazine pays $50 to $500 per photo, Trail Runner pays $50 to $250, Skiing Magazine pays $75 to $300,
Many magazines use photos with articles, and many freelance writers cannot provide adequate photos. So I urge you to become familiar with the writers in your area of photography interest and contact them offering your services for a fee. Locate freelance writers by studying magazines and frequenting Help a Reporter Out (http://www.helpareporter.com), for example.
There are also sites dedicated to jobs for photographers:
http://www.freelancephotojobs.com
http://www.careerbuilder.com/jobs/keyword/photography
http://www.getphotographyjobs.com