Welcome to the first edition of Monday Markets for the New Year and the new decade! This week we have a couple of regional magazines, as well as a publication about comics.
From the Web Site:
About Wisconsin Trails: Wisconsin Trails is a bi-monthly publication intended to showcase the travel destinations, outdoor/indoor activities, nature, history, culture and people that make this state great.
About our contributors: Wisconsin Trails writers are experienced writers that have an in-depth knowledge of Wisconsin and are able to write engaging copy that provides new insight to popular destinations, events and activities.
Contributor’s rights: Wisconsin Trails buys first rights for print and publication on wisconsintrails.com. All rights revert back to the author upon publication. Writers are paid upon publication. Wisconsin Trails editors reserve the right to edit content without approval from the contributor. Contributors receive two copies of the issue upon publication.
Kill fees: If a story is unable to be used, due to lack of editorial space in an issue or an unsatisfactory job on the part of the writer, a kill fee of 20 percent of the assignment fee, up to a maximum fee of $75, will be issued 30 days after the assignment was scheduled for publication.
From the Web Site:
Note: These guidelines were written by Dirk Deppey during his run on the magazine. Our new Managing Editor, Michael Dean, may well have differing ideas in what he wants to see from contributors, but hasn’t yet had a chance to revise the below guidelines. Please bear this in mind when submitting work for publication.
Like most magazines, the best writers guideline is to look at the material within the magazine, and give us something that approximates that material in terms of approach and sophistication. Anything else is a waste of time. For example, if we had a dollar for everyone who sent us articles on stand-up comics, we would have $43 a year. But this advice more specifically applies to comic strips and comic books. We are obviously not the magazine for discussion of comic “universes,” character re-boots and Spider-Man’s new costume — beyond, perhaps, the business or cultural implications of such “events.”
That exception brings up a good point: the key is almost always in the approach and in the writing, not in the basic idea. Therefore, we almost never buy writing unseen, even from our established writers. The editors, particularly Gary Groth, have been doing this long enough they know exactly the level and type of writing they desire and they have to see it in order to know they’ll get it.
To make this blunt: we do not, as a standard practice, accept articles on query. And we only rarely pay kill fees, usually when editorial malfeasance or just plain bad luck keeps an accepted article from being run in a timely fashion.
WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR
We don’t need regularly contributing critics at the moment — we have all we need, thanks. We have been known to accept the occasional blind submission, but the vast majority of such things are turned down.
There are (extremely) limited opportunities for broader essays about comics, but we’re in a “show us” mood here, as well. To the extent that we run such things, they tend to be either knowledgable, insider looks at the comics scenes in foreign countries, or critical essays covering the works of lesser-known cartoonists who’ve fallen by the wayside, and are thus ripe for rediscovery. A preemptive strike: We are most assuredly not in the market for essays detailing the Arthurian origins of Captain America, the Christian underpinnings of Superman, the exciting new direction recently taken by Spawn, or any other such attempts at justifying the author’s longbox. Attempts at submitting pompous, jargon-laden literary theory in an essay about V for Vendetta will be met with howls of derisive laughter.
We need people to conduct interviews — we’re especially interested in someone familiar with manga who speaks and reads fluent Japanese — but before you ask: A successful interviewer should be knowledgable, and should already be skilled in such things. We are not interested in publishing your first interview. Further, the pitched interview subject should be accessable to the writer, and should be someone of solid, proven value as a cartoonist, someone whose perspective on the artform will be interesting to intelligent connoisseurs of the medium. The fly-by-night hack who just wrote this month’s flavor of tits-and-vampires dreck is not getting an interview in this magazine; don’t even ask.
We also need the occasional essay of industry commentary. Such writers should already have experience in the business of comics sufficient to make his or her opinion informed, valid and interesting. We don’t need the existing conventional wisdom regurgitated back to us, and will heartily reject anything that we suspect does this. Our readers pay good money for this magazine, and if we’re going to publish your industry commentary, you’d better know what you’re talking about and say something that readers will find to be of genuine value.
Finally, we need good investigative reporters willing to work on a freelance basis. Writers interested in covering news for the Journal should contact our Managing Editor, Michael Dean.
THE FINE PRINT
Length of submissions is very much dependant on the sorts of pieces submitted. Reviews, for instance, run anywhere from 100-400 words for a Bullet to upwards of 5000 words for a full review. Articles for other features typically run about 2000 to 3000 words. Interviews generally run between 20-40 pages.
Few people make money working in arts-first comics, and you shouldn’t expect to make a lot writing about them. Journal pay rates are normally 4¢ per word, with special cases being made for interviews, commissioned art work, and so forth. Writers will also recieve a complimentary copy of the issues of the Journal containing their submissions.
From the Web Site:
Magazine Focus
Hobby Farms is a general-circulation magazine, directed to hobby and small farmers, or those simply living (or wishing to live) in the country. Hobby farmers are homesteaders, as well as those living in rural areas near larger, suburban areas. They raise traditional livestock like cows, horses, goats, pigs and chickens; and alternative livestock such as alpacas, llamas, emus, Jacob sheep, Scotch Highland cattle and other rare breeds. The magazine caters to all aspects of rural living—from small farm equipment to country style in the home—with an emphasis on the issues relevant to small and hobby farmers.Suggested Articles
The best way to determine if your idea fits Hobby Farms is to look over a sample copy of the magazine, available at newsstands, tack and feed stores, book stores or by calling (888) 738-2665 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (888) 738-2665 end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Look over several issues to get a feel for the material we use and our voice. You can also access our website at www.hobbyfarmsmagazine.com and read archived feature articles.We need informative, in-depth, upbeat articles (about 2,000 to 2,500 words in length) that will help readers better understand and enjoy the rural lifestyle. Topics include: livestock breed profiles, how-to guides, rural, country and farm events, profiles of successful hobby farmers, gardening, produce profiles, marketing ideas and opportunities for cottage industries, the joys of country life, et cetera.
We also accept shorter, news-oriented articles (approximately 500 words) for our “Happenings” column. We do not publish fiction.
Manuscript Requirements
Manuscripts should be typed and double spaced with wide margins, accompanied by a computer disk containing the file. Please indicate the computer program (Word, Wordperfect, etc) and operating system used (Windows, Mac), or send as an ASCII text-only file. We appreciate manuscripts accompanied by appropriate art–either professional-quality color photographs (slides preferred), or professional illustrations. Additional guidelines are available for artists and photographers.Reviewing Material
We are always happy to review material on speculation, but the best procedure is to query before preparing an article. We do not accept simultaneous submissions, but may accept reprint material from noncompetitive publications. We require First North American serial rights. We appreciate knowing if your material does not need to be returned. Otherwise, include an appropriately sized SASE with each submission.Payment
Articles are paid upon publication. Rates of payment are based on quality, not length. We pay between $300 and $450 for feature articles; “Happenings” articles receive $50 to $75 per piece. Articles accompanied by high-quality photographs or illustrations are paid additionally for any material used.
