Road & Travel Magazine

From the Web Site:

ROAD & TRAVEL Magazine is an online, in-market, consumer magazine and resource specializing in automotive, travel, and personal safety topics aimed at upscale consumers, with a slant towards women, 29-59.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES & REQUIREMENTS

Feature articles should be approximately 1000-1200 words. Columns approximately 500 words. Writers are contacted upon acceptance only which could take up to 3 months. RTM works on a 3-month lead time.

Blog articles must be 200-300 words only and include one clear web quality jpeg to accompany the article.

SUBMISSIONS ACCEPTED VIA EMAIL ONLY: Once we have received your acceptance of RTM Writer Guidelines, your query and/or manuscript should be saved as an attachment in a word document and be sent to the email provided. Please do not include articles in the body of your email. RTM editors no longer type in author articles however we reserve the right to edit writer content for spelling, grammar, style and format.

ORIGINAL WORK: All articles submitted to RTM must be the original work of the submitting author. Permission to run your article on RTM and in its content partner publications must include your guarantee that the article you are submitting is your original work and images. If writer submits articles for use in RTM with written permission and said article(s) are not original work, writer is subject to legal consequences and damages.

PHOTO REQUIREMENTS

Website photos: Good clear web quality photos must accompany your article. RTM accepts photos via email saved in gif or jpeg formats. They must be attached with your article. Please submit jpegs no larger than 2X3 inches. Large photo files that require long download times will not be accepted. Only web quality photos are accepted. As an online magazine RTM no longer accepts photos by mail.

Photos that accompany articles must be owned by and authorized for use by author. Authors must provide written guarantee that the art they provide belongs to them or that they have full authority to use art in association with their articles. If art is from a third party photographer or website, writer must provide permission in writing from the source that authorizes the writer and RTM to use said art. Writer’s who submit art for use in RTM that do not have proper authority to use said art will be subject to legal damages.

PAYMENT & BYLINE POLICY
Assigned articles range from byline only up to $100 for automotive reviews only, an amount to be negotiated and agreed upon in writing by author and publisher before publication of article. Acceptance and payment of article depends on quality and content.

Unsolicited articles that are professionally written and submitted as full manuscripts receive priority consideration, but only when accompanied by acceptance of RTM’s Writer Guideline policy.

Story ideas are not considered at this time.

Syndicated Writers: RTM will consider automotive and travel syndicated writer’s work for monthly placement for $25.00 per article. Syndicated writers must agree to and accept the $25 fee when submitting their work to RTM. Accepted writers will be notified by email from editor within 3 months of submission.

Cat Fancy

From the Web Site:

Thank you for your interest in CAT FANCY, a consumer magazine dedicated to cat care for the responsible owner. Before submitting any materials, read several issues to acquaint yourself with the type of material we use. Our magazine is available at many pet stores, bookstores and other places magazines are sold. Do not send unsolicited manuscripts. We will return them (if accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope) or discard them unread. If you have an idea for an article, please send a written query with a SASE.

Feature Articles
We assign most feature articles to regular contributors, but we occasionally accept a feature from a new contributor.

Each month, we try to provide our readers a mix of informative articles dealing with feline health, nutrition, grooming, behavior and training, as well as special interest articles on cat-related events, hobbies, entertainment or crafts. Breeders, cat-show judges and other experts write our monthly breed profiles, which we assign well in advance. We assign medical features to veterinarians or other health experts. Length: 1,200-1,500 words. Payment: $200-$400.

Departments and Columns
Regular contributors write most of our monthly departments and columns. Exceptions include:
· Kids for Cats. Puzzles, games and how-to pieces for our younger readers. Payment: $20-$75
· Flights of Fancy. Short fiction, poetry or other creative expressions of feeling for cats. Length: 650-800 words. Payment: 2 complimentary copies of the issue in which your story appears.

Queries
Your typewritten, single-page query should include the following:
· The topic of your proposed article, expressed in one or two sentences.
· Why this topic will interest our readers.
· Key points you will cover in your article
· Sources you will interview.
· How you will present this topic in a fresh, appealing way.

If possible, include one or two previously published samples of your best writing. Mail your query to the Features Editor, or e-mail it to [email protected] Include your telephone number and e-mail address. We do not accept phone or fax queries. We may take six weeks to respond.

Terms
CAT FANCY pays following publication and buys first North American Serial Rights on an exclusive basis; the nonexclusive right to use the article and/or artwork in electronic media; and the nonexclusive right to use the article and/or artwork as well as your name, image and biographical data in advertising and promotion. We cannot assume responsibility for materials you submit, but we assure you that we will take all reasonable care in handling your work.

Family Business

From the Web Site:

Your audience consists primarily of owners and managers of family-owned businesses. Their various needs are covered by many publications; only Family Business focuses on the family aspect of businesses, and the business aspect of families. For example: Succession, estate planning, sibling rivalries, cousin jealousies, attracting and holding non-family talent, compensating family members vs. non-family employees, raising capital without giving up control. Make these “family business” concerns paramount.

In a family business, many problems that appear to be financial or technical actually stem from emotional roots. Try to delve beneath the surface and get your subjects to talk candidly and introspectively about the human side of the business.

Your readers are busy people. You must entice them to read your story with a compelling lead. Thereafter, you must hold their attention. Any one of the following devices will probably suffice:

Dramatize your subject. Ask yourself: What’s the problem here? How was it solved—or, conversely, how was it fumbled?
Humanize. Wherever possible, illustrate your general points with specific examples, either from your own research or from business news or history. Pseudonymous examples are better than none, but real people are preferable. That’s what readers can relate to.
Paint word pictures. Visual words and images stick to people’s minds. Ask yourself: Would you rather attend a lecture or a movie?
Your article must have a compelling point. Before you plunge too far into the details of your story, ask yourself, “So what?”—and answer that question in your text.

E-mail is the preferred method for submitting queries. Freelance writers are encouraged to propose article ideas. Identify the family business owners you plan to interview.

Have a question? Contact:

Barbara Spector, Editor-in-Chief, Family Business
1845 Walnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19103
Phone: (215) 405-6084. Fax: (215) 405-6078
e-mail: [email protected]

Washington Monthly

From the Web Site:

The Washington Monthly is a publication covering politics, government, culture and the media. Before you pitch a story to us, we recommend you read through a few of our back issues online or in print to get a feel for the type of investigative, system-analysis journalism we value and promote.

The magazine is published Bimonthly and includes investigative and opinion-based feature articles (2,000 to 5,000 words), occasional short news items and humorous sidebars (500 to 1,000 words), and book reviews of recent political and cultural titles (usually about 800 words). We occasionally print excerpts from forthcoming political books. We never publish fiction, poetry, or celebrity profiles.

Our editors welcome story pitches that suit our editorial mix. We ask freelancers to submit query letters in writing by either emailing us at [email protected] or mailing submissions to our mailing address (below).

Due to the volume of mail we receive, we regret that we cannot respond to every story pitch.

All freelance pieces are submitted “on spec”; we don’t pay kill fees. The pay rate for published articles is 10 cents per word.

Complimentary copies of the magazine in which their articles appears are mailed to freelancers. Published articles are also available online.

Thank you for your interest in The Washington Monthly.

Herizons

From the Web Site:

Herizons aims to reflect a feminist philosophy that is diverse and relevant to women’s daily lives. The purpose of Herizons is to empower women; to inspire hope and foster a state of wellness that enriches women’s lives; to build awareness of issues as they affect women; to foster a spirit of co operation; to promote the strength, wisdom and creativity of women; to broaden the boundaries of feminism to include building coalitions and support among other marginalized peoples; to foster peace and ecological awareness and to expand the influence of feminist principles in the world. Herizons is a non-profit organization based in Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada.

What Herizons Publishes
Herizons’ audience is a feminist readership. Articles about applying feminist principles in work, in relationships and organizations, and in social justice are welcome. Our readers are interested in health issues, social and political issues, environmental issues, equality issues, justice issues, spiritual issues; parenting issues and all issues informed by diverse racial and cultural experiences. Articles in which the writer is engaged with the material work best; personal experiences, journalism style articles, interviews, articles which bring in current research and a clear feminist perspective are all things we look for.

NEWS
500 – 700 words. News items of interest to feminist readers taking place in communities across Canada.

FEATURES
1,000 – 3,000 In depth articles on feminist debates, current social/ political/legal/environmental/culture emerging issues or personal stories with a broader social relevance. Can be interview style, essay style or journalism style. Non academic writing is preferred.

REVIEWS
350-words Book, music and film reviews; preference is given to Canadian authors, filmmakers, musicians. $55

Payment License Use:
Payment is made in Canadian funds upon publication. Articles in Herizons are licensed for first time North American rights @ .25 cents per word with an additional .5 cents per word for non-exclusive subsidiary rights, including the right to transfer articles to CD rom for educational/academic libraries and/or secure on-line database services. (Total .30 per word) Herizons reserves the right to post select articles on Herizons’ web site in order to promote the magazine.

Hyphen

From the Web Site:

Hyphen has limited resources, but we pay $500 for in-depth, feature stories that carry the theme for each issue. We’re looking for writers who can depart from the predictable daily-news structure and tell a story well, with keen observations and strict accuracy. We welcome investigative reporting as well as literary journalism, thoughtful pieces as well as tongue-in-cheek ones.

We’ve got a bit of a split personality, so we want both fun and serious writing. As long as it’s well written and solidly reported, we’re very open. Bonus points if the story takes place in the South or Midwest. Asian America doesn’t exist only on the coasts, you know.

We are interested in issues that affect Asian Americans, but, please, no Asian American Studies 101. We are also interested in tangentially Asian American stories, in quirky stories, and in stories about emerging artists rather than established ones. We don’t have many rules, but here are a few. If you break these, your submission will be rejected:

1) Do not send ideas about people and events in Asia. We cover Asian America, not Asia.

2) Absolutely no reprints, though substantially revised or expanded stories will be considered. This means don’t send us something that has already been published elsewhere.

3) Do not pitch us a story about a conference. There is nothing more boring than a story about a conference.

4) Don’t send us anything that uses the phrase “East meets West.” Just don’t.

WRITERS

Make proposals for articles that would interest our readers, provoke dialogue and enrich our readers’ learning experiences. Articles must be jargon-free and attributable to unassailable sources. We frown upon clichés and embrace original thinking. We prefer articles rich in color and driven by narrative scenes.

Keep in mind that Hyphen readers range in age from early 20s to mid-30s, but they share an intellectual curiosity that was fused and fueled by their experiences as Asian Americans. This restless curiosity fundamentally shapes our consideration of articles for Hyphen.

As a not-for-profit, volunteer-run organization, Hyphen has limited resources, but we can pay $500 for in-depth, feature-length stories that can carry the theme for each issue. Unfortunately we cannot offer compensation for articles in other departments.

To submit an article query, send us a two-page proposal by email (preferred) or standard mail. The proposal should include the following:

5280

From the Web Site:

5280 is the premiere monthly guide to the arts, entertainment, dining, and lifestyle issues in Denver. First published in 1993, the magazine has a circulation of 85,000 and is consistently among the top-selling magazines on metro newsstands. Many of our stories are written by 5280 staffers and a group of established freelance writers, but we welcome ideas from journalists we haven’t worked with in the past.

Story pitches should convey that the writer understands the editorial thrust of the magazine and should be well researched, concise, and offer a creative and original argument.

We accept pitches for our front-of-the-book section, Atmosphere; for our “departments;” and for our feature well. Atmosphere stories, which are short, lively takes on life in Denver, run anywhere from 50 to 400 words. Departments are generally 800 to 1,200 words and cover everything from travel to sports to politics. Features can run up to 6,000 words.

Literary Traveler

From the Web Site:

Literary Traveler was launched in March of 1998. We currently have around 80,000 visitors per month and over 5,000 subscribers. Our audience is made up of people who love to read and travel and who are interested in literature and the arts.

We are seeking articles that capture the literary imagination. Is there an artist or writer that has inspired you? Have you taken a journey or pilgrimage that was inspired by a work of literature? We focus mainly on literary artists but we welcome articles about other artists: composers, painters, songwriters, storytellers, etc.

Subject matter can be anything artistic or creative. Each one of our articles in some way is about someone who creates. Some of our articles are subjective first person travel pieces. Some take a meditative slant on a visit somewhere, and reflect on a theme. Others are objective articles about places or writers, or artists.

ARTICLE GUIDELINES

– 1500 – 2000 words in length

– First-person narrative that inspires our readers

– Please send accompanying jpegs (sized small)

**We cannot emphasize enough how important it is to read our current articles before writing.  New writers to LT often make this mistake and we have to ask them to rewrite.  Our articles have a unique style (i.e. no travel guide writing).

RIGHTS

We run material that has not been previously published.  We hold exclusive rights, and will keep your article archived on the web.

Wend

From the Web Site:

Wend is namely interested in first person accounts of literate adventure travel with a social/anthropological/environmental awareness that permeates throughout the story. Our stories are about ordinary people doing extraordinary things, not extraordinary people doing ordinary things. We give a lot of space to our features to give the writer a chance to really express him or herself, and take our readers along for the ride. Beyond that, Wend is the magazine you REALLY want to write for, not the one you’re simply trying to make money from. Of course, we pay, and pay competitively, but our goal is to be the darling in your journalistic quiver. We’re nice folks and will treat you well.

Your story should be dripping with passion, with a perspective of the world informed by a big and tolerant global view. And PLEASE, PRETTY PLEASE, don’t even think of querying us if you haven’t read the magazine. Wend is a different sort of journal and familiarity with our tone and style is of the utmost importance.

Simultaneous submissions will be considered, but in the event that the writer isn’t transparent about story placement or previous publication, we’ll be grumpy.

You will be fact checked. Wend maintains a high standard for journalistic ethics and accuracy, so please have relevant sources available to our editorial department at the time of submission.

PHOTO GUIDELINES:

Make sure that you have access to photos to accompany your story or access to relevant photographers that we may contact. 35mm slides or negatives are accepted, but must be accompanied with reference prints or contact sheets. Digital resolution of 7 mega-pixels or higher accepted (which means some point-and-shoots work, but a digital SLR is way better). Do not alter or render photos unless otherwise specified.

We prefer to work out compensation with writers/photographers as a package. Occasionally we can supply photos, but for the most part, no photos, no deal. In the event we need to contract for photos independently from writers, adjustments to the writer’s compensation will be reflected in this cost.

Departments:

Now: Short, newsy pieces about what’s going on in the outdoor world. This section is usually done in house, but if you have a great idea, we’ll consider it. 1000 words.

Footprint: Hard charging environmental reporting on subjects such as environmental degradation, the economy of adventure sport/travel, and the hope of renewable energy. The world is our playground, and we as players are its stewards.

Feast: Traveling the world is all about new experiences. And often, new experiences come in the form of food. Feast celebrates some of the stranger culinary encounters our writers have on the road. Whether it’s drinking Chang (rice wine steeped in rendered yak fat) in NE India, eating fried worms in Africa, or searching for the best kabob in Istanbul, Feast is dedicated to the fuel our bodies need for adventure.

Platform: In this section, we donate space to environmental non-profits so that they may address our readers directly about the issues they work on. Are you an activist interested in this section? Contact us to find out how we can help amplify your message, and raise some money for you too.

Snap: Photo essays of our changing world, documented by photographers from around the world. Snap works as a visual metaphor to depict the special places on earth that are threatened or preserved by human engagement. By portraying these places, we see what the affect of human activity on our planet can be, for better or for worse.

Wanderlust: Feature length accounts of mind-boggling journeys, urban explorations, histories, etc. written as a first person narrative. Third person is allowed for certain historical and environmental pieces, but we might suggest the writer demonstrate his/her relevance to the story itself. All the components of a ‘good story’ including character development, tension, fear, personal reflection, problem solving, crisis, beauty, should be crafted in your manuscript. 4000+ words.

Rates:

All departments pay 25 cents a word, plus photos. Typically, we don’t pay on a per photo basis, as our features run VERY photo heavy for the enjoyment of our readers. We will negotiate, but please understand that we are an employee owned, independent publication, printed on FSC certified sustainable paper (which is crazy expensive), and are committed to a green (truly green, not greenwashed) business model working in a market that doesn’t necessarily put their money where their mouth is. If you’re flexible, so are we.

Payment will be made 30-45 days after publication. Rate reflects submissions that require a normal amount of editing. If your story requires a lot of work, we’ll pay less. No kill fee. Due to the amount of submissions we get, it might take us some time to respond.

Today’s Parent

From the Web Site:

Today’s Parent is a consumer magazine for parents with children up to the age of 14. The circulation is approximately 190,000 and we have more than 1.7 million readers from across Canada. There are 12 issues per year. Today’s Parent and its sister publications (Today’s Parent: Pregnancy, Today’s Parent: Baby & Toddler) are wholly owned by Rogers Media Publishing. Today’s Parent offers a mixture of straightforward service articles and more philosophical or issue–oriented stories. The tone is positive and supportive, yet realistic. There are rarely black and white answers to child–rearing issues and we believe in being informative without being dictatorial. We invite parents to adopt those suggestions that may work for their families. ??The magazine embraces a gentle, nurturing parenting style that respects each child’s unique personality. We understand the normal developmental needs and limitations shared by all children as they grow. We respect parents’ ability to understand their children and to make good parenting decisions. Mothers and fathers are “parenting experts” too, and we rely on their anecdotes and experiences as sources of wisdom in our articles. ??Today’s Parent recognizes that good parenting depends, in part, on adequate social support. Thus the magazine is also a voice for change around social issues that affect the quality of family life.

Today’s Parent runs features of varying lengths in each issue, with a balance between the practical and the reflective, the light–hearted and the investigative. All articles should be grounded in the reality of Canadian family life. Without claiming to know all the answers, we try to leave the reader with a sense of positive direction.

Feature topics can include such diverse stories as the evolving role of fathers, choosing the discipline technique that’s right for your child, dealing with picky eaters, postpartum depression, returning to work, sex after childbirth, birthday party ideas, surrogate motherhood and child poverty. With some topics, the writer’s personal experience as a parent adds a rich layer to the storytelling.

Word length and fees vary depending on the length complexity of the story – usually 1,500 to 2,500 words.

Gotham Gazette

From the Web Site:

Gotham Gazette (www.gothamgazette.com) is an on-line publication about the issues facing New York City and New York city and state policies and politics. All of our articles concern these subjects. We look for clear, compelling writing that will attract readers with an interest in New York but not necessarily any expertise in the topic being covered. As a result, we avoid jargon, go easy with technical details and shun acronyms.

The best source for how to write for Gotham Gazette is the Web site itself, but here are some basics.

We buy a limited number of freelance articles. Most are articles on a current topic of concern in New York that feature a policy angle, such as the debate over whether to close schools for Muslim holidays, proposals to preserve small businesses in the city, the debate over how to clean up the polluted Gowanus Canal, how public transportation is inaccessible to the disabled and controversies over installing bike lanes in some neighborhoods. While we do not usually cover breaking news, we are a news site and the article should reflect some current development or controversy. The articles tend to be around 1,250 words and we pay a limited amount for them.

We also publish commentary articles of about 1,000 words, taking a position on a current debate or suggesting a policy for the city. These articles should present a reasoned argument, bolstered by facts, and not be a harangue or a campaign speech. Unfortunately, we do not pay for commentaries.

Backpacker

From the Web Site:

Freelancers most often break into BACKPACKER’s pages in the departments. These shorter assignments (100 to 1,200 words) have specific topics and focus.

Trail Log: This is our monthly collection of reader letters, stories, polls, a photo contest, and a timely news item or interview, which is the only assigned piece for the section.

Adventures: A backpacker’s definitive source for finding new, fun, and worthwhile backcountry hikes. The Adventures section is divided into several departments. Successful pitches are geared toward a specific department and are chocked full of facts, description and enthusiasm. Our goal is to inspire people to get outside, and this section provides them with the tools to do so.

Nature: Informative articles that explore the science and wildlife of the natural world from the unique perspective of hikers and outdoors people. The Nature section helps readers understand and appreciate what they see on the trail by covering the environment, politics, national parks, and how-to advice like observing animals in the wild, and avoiding natural hazards.

Skills: The advice source for all essential hiking and adventure skills, with information targeted to help both beginners and experts. The section is divided into the following categories:

Technique-what you need to day-hike, backpack, or do just about anything in the outdoors, all digested into easily understood articles geared to every ability level.

Food-explores all aspects of trail nutrition, cooking methods, and food preparation. Tested recipes and creative and tasty food suggestions are a must.
Health-examines the physical and psychological aspects of fitness, first aid, and nutrition as it relates to backpacking. This section covers topics from poison ivy to snakebites to altitude sickness.

Gear: This department is filled with short reviews of gear that has been field-tested. Note: Gear, unlike the other departments, is done by assignment only. Instead of submitting a query regarding a specific piece of equipment, query the equipment editor with your qualifications for testing and reviewing gear. All gear reviewed in Gear is acquired by BACKPACKER editors only and shipped by us to assigned reviewers. All reviewed gear must be returned to us at the end of the test so that we may photograph it and return it to the manufacturer. This is not a way to fill your gear closet.

Most BACKPACKER departments take a single topic within the scope of that section and cover it thoroughly. Again, the more take-away value for the reader, the more appropriate it is for BACKPACKER.

Art Calendar

From the Web Site:

We welcome nuts-and-bolts, practical articles of interest to serious visual artists, emerging or professional. Examples: marketing how-to’s, pieces on business practices and other topics of use to artists. The tone of our magazine is practical, can-do and uplifting. We prefer very specific topics, as opposed to general overviews. So, for example, an article on how artists should write a press release and where they should send it would stand a good chance of being accepted, whereas as an article about why marketing is important to artists would not. We also prefer articles from writers who are artists or art professionals with first-hand industry knowledge, as opposed to general interest freelance writers.

Articles should be no more than 1600 words, and high-quality photographs should be available to illustrate any article we elect to print. Please do not submit images unless requested.

What We Don’t Like

We do not run reviews or art historical pieces, nor do we like writing characterized by “critic-speak.” We do not run artist profiles unless the artist is being profiled because of his or her specific business model or practices.

What and When We Pay

Upon publication, we pay $250 for the article and images published. The original owner retains all copyrights to the images, and the writer is free to use the article submitted for whatever other venues he or she chooses. Under the terms we’ve established in our writer’s agreements, we may also run your article on our Web site instead of or in addition to printing it in the magazine. Payment will be mailed within 30 days of receipt of your invoice, which may be submitted after your article has been accepted and edited, and you have made any requested changes or additions to the article.

Louisiana Cookin

From the Web Site:

Please submit a resume, 3 clips and a cover letter stating your knowledge of Louisiana food to Jyl our Editor. Queries are accepted the same way. Please do not send a query without a resume, clips and cover letter.

Louisiana Cookin’ is seeking writers who are familiar with the culinary traditions of Louisiana and its Cajun and Creole heritage. Writers should be extremely knowledgeable about food and cooking.  Louisiana Cookin’ is available at select Barnes and Noble stores nationwide as well as throughout Louisiana at many retail locations.

All freelancers are paid on publication. Invoices must be emailed to our Accounting department – our office address is at the bottom of each page. Louisiana Cookin’ is published 6 times per year (Jan, Mar, May, July Sept, Nov). We do not publish fiction or poetry. The pay rate is between $.12 and $.18 per word depending on the amount of research involved and the placement within the magazine (feature or department). We buy first-time North American rights for the magazine, website, email newsletter, promotional materials, and any other Louisiana Cookin’-branded property. Because of the amount of queries we receive, we cannot respond to every one.

Natural Solutions: Vibrant Health, Balanced Living

From the Web Site:

Writers Guidelines
Natural Solutions works with the top health writers in the country to develop research-backed content that emphasizes practical solutions and gives readers the information they need to better care for themselves and the planet. Our readers are savvy and passionate about improving their health and the quality of their lives. In each issue, we offer the latest news on herbs and supplements, natural beauty products, healing foods, and natural household products—plus up-to-date research in the fields of complementary medicine and alternative therapies.
We focus on information that will help our readers take charge of their own well-being. Each article must be grounded in some kind of authority—citing studies, where applicable, and interviewing experts in the field—but it also must give our readers practical advice. They want to know what the information means for them, how it fits into their lifestyle and how it can inform the choices they make about their health.
Writers interested in submitting story ideas are encouraged to carefully examine the magazine before sending their queries. Please submit your idea to [email protected] with a brief explanation of why you think your story would be a fit for Natural Solutions,and attach three published clips. Please note that we do not accept unsolicited manuscripts. Although we try to respond to every story pitch, we receive hundreds of emails daily, and you may not receive a timely response. Our editors will contact you if they are interested in pursuing a story.

Here are the sections we are currently accepting pitches for.

HEALTH MATTERS & SIMPLE SOLUTIONS. These newsy, front-of-book and back-of-book sections are the best place to pitch Natural Solutions because we are always looking for innovative ideas. Health Matters and Simple Solutions highlight the latest research studies, trends, tips, and interesting product finds in short, easy-to-digest articles of 50 to 200 words. Each subsection in Health Matters focuses on a particular topic—food, self-care, beauty, pet health, families, balance, and the environment. Simple Solutions stories should always contain doable solutions to common conditions or health issues.
HEALING FOODS. Highlights ways food can support your health and ways it can be used as an alternative therapy for particular conditions. Recent topics have included gluten-free diets, using an elimination diet to address allergies and food intolerance, and eating to ease diabetes. Note that we work with only experienced recipe developers. Stories in this department range from 800 to 1,200 words.

NATURAL RADIANCE. This department looks at the latest trends in natural beauty, present the purest and most effective products available, and provides solutions to promote healthy skin and hair. The editors closely read product labels and identify the not-so-clean—and sometimes toxic—ingredients found in so many cosmetics. Stories in this department range from 800 to 1,200 words.
HEALTHY TONICS. Highlights alternative therapies for common conditions such as insomnia, headaches, high blood pressure, and more. Includes a sub-section called “Alternative Medicine Cabinet” that focuses on nutritional supplements for a particular condition.  Stories in this department range from 500 to 1,200 words.
INNER BALANCE. Our mind-body-spirit section explores practical ways to strengthen the body, clarify the mind, and open the heart. Through personal essays and inspirational stories, this section explores pursuits and practices that can help our readers stay in physical and emotional balance. Topics have included techniques to avoid injuring yourself during your yoga practice, how one reader lost weight with Pilates, living through a divorce, and managing stress. Stories in this department are approximately 1,200 words.
FEATURES. Features generally cover specific conditions (cancer, pain, anxiety, autism), investigative topics, action plans (10 steps to a healthy back, 9 ways to ease insomnia), and the natural lifestyle (stick to New Year’s resolutions, detox the right way, green your home). Features run between 1,200 and 2,000 words.

Leatherneck: Magazine of the Marines

From the Web Site:

We encourage writers who have a Marine Corps background to submit articles. It is best to query first. Material is reviewed on a speculative basis.

Since Leatherneck is a magazine published primarily for U.S. Marines, all of our material must be targeted accordingly.

Our usual requirements for articles are 1,500 to 2,000 words, accompanied by 8 to 10 color or black and white photographs, or illustrations and maps where appropriate, with complete caption information. We reserve the right to edit in order to meet space limitations or magazine format criteria.

All articles must be accurate, with the writer having checked the spelling of names and places as well as having checked all dates, numbers, etc. We do not publish fiction or personal vignettes.

Manuscripts, artwork or photographs should be accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope.

Our audience is highly varied, ranging from potential (high-school-age) recruits to active-duty personnel, former Marines, retirees of all ages and recruits’ parents and spouses.

Our theme is the Marine Corps: “Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow,” and we endeavor to include history, current events and forward-looking stories in each issue.

The publishers of Leatherneck assume no responsibility for the return of unsolicited manuscripts, drawings or photographs.

Young Rider

From the Web Site:

Thank you for your interest in Young Rider. Young Rider is a small magazine at the moment, with an even smaller budget. We don’t use much freelance work, most of it is done in-house by the editor, who also designs the magazine and shoots most of the photographs.

We sometimes buy 800-1,000 word “horsey interest” type stories. Stories or events that will interest kids ALL over the country that the editor is not able to personally. We need 4 to 5 good color pictures with stories like this. The pictures must be color and tack sharp. The pay is about $200 for those types of stories.

We do buy short stories (approximately 800-1,000 words) for about $150. They have to be “realistic” stories and not too sugary sweet. We only use 4 to 5 of these a year. We get a great deal of “children overcoming the odds to win things or struggling to buy or get a horse of their own” so we don’t encourage these types of stories. We would prefer funny stories, with a bit of conflict, which will appeal to the 13-year-old age group. They should be written in the third person, and about kids. The story should have a definite plot, some sort of conflict (humorous, serious or not-so-serious) and a resolution. No “childhood memories” please.

Please do not send in features. We do like receiving queries or ideas and may commission stories. Please review a copy of the actual magazine before sending in any ideas.

Washington Monthly

From the Web Site:

The Washington Monthly is a publication covering politics, government, culture and the media. Before you pitch a story to us, we recommend you read through a few of our back issues online or in print to get a feel for the type of investigative, system-analysis journalism we value and promote.

The magazine is published Bimonthly and includes investigative and opinion-based feature articles (2,000 to 5,000 words), occasional short news items and humorous sidebars (500 to 1,000 words), and book reviews of recent political and cultural titles (usually about 800 words). We occasionally print excerpts from forthcoming political books. We never publish fiction, poetry, or celebrity profiles.

Our editors welcome story pitches that suit our editorial mix. We ask freelancers to submit query letters in writing by either emailing us at [email protected] or mailing submissions to our mailing address (below).

Due to the volume of mail we receive, we regret that we cannot respond to every story pitch.

All freelance pieces are submitted “on spec”; we don’t pay kill fees. The pay rate for published articles is 10 cents per word.

GreenPrints

From the Web Site:

Thanks for your interest! GreenPrints lives because people like you care about gardening—and about sharing with other gardeners. Without your garden writing, the magazine simply would not exist.  So, thank you!

Now, what do I want?

1) The best, personal (important word, that) garden writing I can get. Expressive, thoughtful, humorous, angry, contrite, flippant, searching, witty, observant, sad, inviting— whatever! We focus on the human, not how-to side of gardening. On the people as well as the plants. After all, gardening is a relationship, not a recipe. GreenPrints explores that relationship, not by instructing, preaching, or lecturing about it. Instead, we celebrate it . . . by sharing the stories and experiences we all have trying (and sometimes failing) to get along with plants.

Do you want to know a secret? The kind of garden writing Pat most wants? That will win him over every time?

A good STORY.

That’s it. A good, entertaining, clever, moving, funny story. One with, you know, a narrative. A plot. Where something happens—something remarkable, touching, unexpected, hilarious. Let me say it again: a good story. One you’d like to hear or read. Most especially, a true story. Something special that happened to you. That’s the garden writing I most want.

And, please, try to show us the story, not tell us about it. Remember the old high-school English-class dictum: Show, don’t tell. Take us through the experiences in your garden writing with trenchant details and tight descriptions. Don’t say it was profound or funny or beautiful: make us experience the feelings by taking us through them with you. (Hint: Dialogue is good!)

2) We’re not opposed to essays, but the good ones a) evolve directly from personal experience and b) offer new insights or at least new ways of expressing old insights. They’re not just the same garden writing we’ve all seen before. We’re not opposed to fiction, either, but don’t you agree that it should offer something special that the nonfiction stories we get don’t (i.e., don’t just imitate reality).

3) One thing for sure, we don’t want sappy, gooey writing. Tender, moving, poignant is wonderful. But syrupy garden writing is a big trap GreenPrints has to avoid. (Another is preachy. We can all read lectures and sermons other places, n’est-ce pas?)

4) Strong endings. Many, many, many times I send pieces back to say, “This peters out. The ending is weak, obvious, trite. Give me a creative, witty, forceful conclusion. Stop the piece with a wham, not a whimper.” A good ending (some of which make a clever reference back to the beginning) can lift a whole piece of garden writing a notch and make it end with an exclamation point of strength, instead of, well . . . just . . .  fading . . . away . . .

5) Length? I don’t know. Since we’re digest-sized, most of our pieces are no more than 2,000 words. But write what you have to. If it’s good garden writing, we’ll work out length problems.

6) Payment? Did you have to ask? We pay miserably; top payment is $150 and we often pay less. I apologize. You deserve more. If GreenPrints ever starts paying me better than miserably, I will be only too glad to pay more. (Right now, I’m working for peanuts. small peanuts.) We pay on acceptance, buy First North American Serial Rights (unless you’ve already published it somewhere else first; we’re happy to reprint garden writing pieces—as long as they’re good!).

Owners’ Perspective

From the Web Site:

Owners Perspective Magazine is an independent consumer publication for the leisure property and luxury travel markets and is currently distributed via leading UK supermarkets, selected hotels and resorts, travel and property shows and by individual print and online subscriptions with a total readership of more than 42,000 consumers.

Quick Guidelines

Initially we will consider pre-written and pre-published articles so long as you own the rights for reproduction, once selected as a featured writer you can then suggest topics to us for consideration and be either paid on a per word or contract basis depending on what’s involved in creating the article.

We are particularly interested in any article that falls into any of the following categories:
Overseas Property, Fractional Ownership, Timeshare, Private Residence Clubs, Destination Guides, City Guides, Luxury Hotel Reviews, Hospitality Brand Resort Reviews, General Travel, Tourist Attractions, Spas, Spa Resorts, Golf Resorts, Golf Property, Golf Holidays, Skiing, Ski Resorts, Surfing, Yachting, Celebrity Interviews, Luxury Lifestyle Products.

WORD COUNT:
Web Articles – 250-500 words average.
Print Articles – Minimum 800 words, Preferred 1200 – 1400 words

Payment
In brief, here is what we offer freelance experienced journalists / travel writers:

• 1. Web Articles – £15 to £45 ($25 to $65) for short web only articles written to include useful keywords relating to the topics we cover. Typically these can be as short as 250-500 words and can be purchased in regular quantities for proven writers.
• 2. Pre-written articles – £45 to £100 ($65 to $145) for any standard travel related article you have written or are currently writing based on length, quality, accompanying images etc. These would be for print use as well as repeated online.
• 3. High end original content not yet published anywhere else, such as niche market articles, specific reviews or interviews (including celebrity) will be considered at a higher fee on a case by case basis.
• 4. If the quality of your work makes you a regular contributor you may then be asked to take on assignment work, such as interviews we set up, resort reviews, convention reviews etc. This can pay from £100 up to £1,000 ($145 up to $1,450) depending on location and requirements as well as all travel and accommodation expenses. The closest qualified writer to the location of the assignment will usually be asked first.
• 5. Reserved for selected regular freelance and full time journalists, there is also a 10% referral commission to be earned on new advertisers introduced to the publication(s). These would often be the resorts / products you plan to review etc. Ask for more details.

All fees cover use in one or more of our magazines and online and are paid upon publication.

High Country News

From the Web Site:

High Country News is an award-winning nonprofit newsmagazine. Since 1970, we’ve covered environmental, cultural, and social issues in the Western United States. We publish 22 times a year, and are always looking for new voices for our pages and Web site. This page describes our guidelines for written, photographic, and multimedia submissions.

Writers’ Guidelines

HCN will consider well-researched stories on any natural resource or environmental topic, as long as it concerns the West. We define “resources” to include people, politics, culture and aesthetic values — not just coal, oil and timber. Keep in mind that we have an 11-state region (OR, WA, CA, MT,  ID, NV, WY, CO, NM, AZ, UT) to cover in a small news space; we want local stories that have significance across the entire region and that can be told in ways that go beyond what the daily newspapers report.

Our ideal articles are magazine-style. They include strong storytelling, compelling characters, a clear, jargon-free style, and a dedication to intellectual honesty. We want writers who can view topics with a critical eye and dig deeply into issues. We also would like our writers to be as diverse as the region they cover, and encourage Native American, Hispanic, and other minority journalists to send us queries.

We divide submissions into departments (generally 800 to 1,600 words; specific departments are listed below), of which we print 3 to 6 per issue, and narrative feature stories, from 1,600 to 10,000 words (most commonly 4,000 words), of which we print one or two per issue.

Our pay rates are negotiable based on the writer’s experience and working relationship with us. We generally pay upon publication.

Backpacker

From the Web Site:

Our readers are knowledgeable and experienced backpackers, therefore we accept only authentic, well-researched, well-crafted stories (see the section on “Accuracy,” below). We’re not interested in slavish imitations of stories we’ve already done. As always, you should carefully study several issues of the magazine before submitting a query. The best articles have style, depth, emotional impact, and take-away value for the reader.

Good BACKPACKER articles contain the following attributes:

• • Foot-based travel: BACKPACKER primarily covers hiking. When warranted, we cover canoeing, kayaking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and other human-powered modes of travel.
  • Wilderness or backcountry: The true backpacking experience means getting away from the trailhead and into the wilds. Whether a dayhike or a weeklong trip, out-of-the-way, unusual destinations are what we’re looking for.
  • North American destinations: We only occasionally cover foreign locales. Our defined market is North American destinations.
  • Advice for improving the backcountry experience: Our readers want to know how to, when to, where to, and with what. Every BACKPACKER article incorporates one or more of these things. We write not merely to inspire our readers to do something, but to help them identify and research new places to go, techniques and skills to use, or the gear to take.
  • While a portion of BACKPACKER is written by staff and regular contributors, we encourage freelance authors to submit query emails for features and departments. Approximately 50 percent of our features and more than half of our departments are written by freelancers. Please note that it’s rare for a writer new to BACKPACKER to break into the magazine with a feature assignment. Direct your efforts toward establishing a working relationship with us via department assignments first.

FEATURES
BACKPACKER features usually fall into one of several distinct categories: destinations, personality, technique, or gear. Gear features are generally staff written. In order to make the grade, a potential feature needs an unusual hook, a compelling story, a passionate sense of place, or unique individuals finding unique ways to improve or enjoy the wilderness.

Destinations: BACKPACKER uses pieces that go beyond a mere description of a trail or place. Our destination stories are almost always first person and based upon the author’s recent trip experience. Readers should come away with a strong sense of that particular outdoor experience, a firm grasp of the location’s character, and the inspiration to duplicate the trip. Journal-style articles are generally unacceptable. Word counts vary widely from 1,500 to 5,000 or more words but most contain a full Expedition Planner sidebar (contact, permit, season, hazards, map, guidebook, and other useful information; look at past BACKPACKER issues for examples and style).

Personality: Backpacking doesn’t have star athletes like you find in bicycling or some other outdoor sports, but plenty of unique personalities exist to write about. Colorful, controversial, historically significant, amusing, unusual, or unique people are what we’re looking for, especially those who have a direct impact on how or where others hike. In 2007 BACKPACKER inaugurated a new 2-page profile that we call “The BACKPACKER Interview,” which will run in most issues. Contact Associate editor Shannon Davis (see contact info below) to submit potential profiles for this new interview feature.

Technique: Skill-based articles in BACKPACKER feature high levels of take-away value. A good technique piece also has information relevant to all skill levels (e.g., beginner, intermediate, and advanced hikers). Often our technique pieces take non-narrative forms.

Gear: Our Field Tests and comparative gear reviews are always written by writers we’ve worked with before. If you’re interested in writing such articles, start by querying our equipment editor about the Gear department (see “Departments,” below).

DEPARTMENTS
Freelancers most often break into BACKPACKER’s pages in the departments. These shorter assignments (100 to 1,200 words) have specific topics and focus.

Trail Log: This is our monthly collection of reader letters, stories, polls, a photo contest, and a timely news item or interview, which is the only assigned piece for the section.

Adventures: A backpacker’s definitive source for finding new, fun, and worthwhile backcountry hikes. The Adventures section is divided into several departments. Successful pitches are geared toward a specific department and are chocked full of facts, description and enthusiasm. Our goal is to inspire people to get outside, and this section provides them with the tools to do so.

Nature: Informative articles that explore the science and wildlife of the natural world from the unique perspective of hikers and outdoors people. The Nature section helps readers understand and appreciate what they see on the trail by covering the environment, politics, national parks, and how-to advice like observing animals in the wild, and avoiding natural hazards.

Skills: The advice source for all essential hiking and adventure skills, with information targeted to help both beginners and experts. The section is divided into the following categories:

Technique-what you need to day-hike, backpack, or do just about anything in the outdoors, all digested into easily understood articles geared to every ability level.
Food-explores all aspects of trail nutrition, cooking methods, and food preparation. Tested recipes and creative and tasty food suggestions are a must.
Health-examines the physical and psychological aspects of fitness, first aid, and nutrition as it relates to backpacking. This section covers topics from poison ivy to snakebites to altitude sickness.
Gear: This department is filled with short reviews of gear that has been field-tested. Note: Gear, unlike the other departments, is done by assignment only. Instead of submitting a query regarding a specific piece of equipment, query the equipment editor with your qualifications for testing and reviewing gear. All gear reviewed in Gear is acquired by BACKPACKER editors only and shipped by us to assigned reviewers. All reviewed gear must be returned to us at the end of the test so that we may photograph it and return it to the manufacturer. This is not a way to fill your gear closet.

Most BACKPACKER departments take a single topic within the scope of that section and cover it thoroughly. Again, the more take-away value for the reader, the more appropriate it is for BACKPACKER.

ACCURACY
BACKPACKER prides itself on providing outdoor enthusiasts with reliable information. It’s important that our contributors check all facts and figures. A full set of guidelines for fact checking will be provided to you with your first contracted assignment for us. In general, however, we require:

• • Confirmation of all facts and figures used within an article from a primary source.
  • For medical, nutrition, and technical advice, direct quotes from accepted professionals or experts.
  • Full contact information for every source used in creating an article.
  • An extra copy for our files of any map, catalog, brochure, or other primary source you may have acquired from a land agency or manufacturer.

QUERIES
We prefer queries to completed manuscripts. Please send emails with attachments and web links rather than mailing envelopes with letters and clips. We respond sooner to emails, and please include your own email address within the query. If you must mail a query and clips, include a SASE envelope if your samples must be returned. We are not responsible for unsolicited artwork, photographs, and manuscripts, so please don’t send originals or anything that you can’t afford to lose.

Sporting Classics

From the Web Site:

Thank you for your interest in Sporting Classics magazine. Because we have a small editorial staff and because we receive such a large number of unsolicited articles, we would prefer that you e-mail your story and/or query to [email protected] This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Please do not remit any images. If your article is selected for publishing in our magazine, we will then contact you with regards to artwork.

If you do not hear from us within 60 days of e-mailing your story, then we have decided not to purchase it. We hope you understand why we have to take this approach.

Following are general photography/story guidelines:

We pay from $300-$700 per article, depending on the subject and author and how long he or she has been writing for our publication. About 95 percent of our stories are assignments to our contributing editors; still, we do welcome submittals.

Before submitting an article, please review our magazine to familiarize yourself with story length (not to exceed 2500 words) and the kinds of topics we publish. We do not publish how-to stories, and only rarely do we publish poetry. We do publish fiction.

CA Magazine

From the Web Site:

CAmagazine, established in 1911, is the flagship publication of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants. It is published 10 times a year in English and French editions and delivered to all Canadian chartered accountants and CA students, as well as to non-member subscribers. It has a total paid circulation of more than 75,000.

EDITORIAL MISSION AND MAGAZINE CONTENT
The magazine informs CAs about developments affecting their profession, whether they work in public practice, industry, government or academe. It focuses on their information needs as advisers, providers and interpreters of financial and other economic information to clients and employers and as independent attesters to its credibility. CAmagazine reflects the diversity of services offered by CAs and provides a forum for analysis, discussion, debate and constructive criticism on existing practices and on emerging issues in an increasingly changing and complex work environment.

The magazine is divided into a front section, features, regulars and a back section. The Upfront section includes short profiles of CAs with unique hobbies or in unusual lines of business, as well as news of direct interest to members and general business items. It also includes Ask an Expert, Netwatch (a guide to business and accounting on the Internet), Work in process (business and technology)  Numbers Game, Value added (summarized articles on a variety of topics with longer versions on the Web) and News from the profession,. Feature articles cover a wide range of topics of interest to CAs in various spheres of activity. Examples include technological advances, business trends that affect members of the profession and their clients, and growing opportunities for CAs in the global marketplace. Features also include profiles of CAs who have excelled in their chosen areas and CAs working in various industries or sectors, such as health care or forestry. The Regulars cover areas such as assurance services, law, taxation, taxation for small business, personal financial planning, education, business valuation and information technology. The back section of the magazine includes classified ads and a professional directory,as well as
Outlook, a view of current trends from an economist’s perspective.

MANUSCRIPT CONTENT, FORMAT AND LENGTH
Most of our readers are busy people, who read only what is of direct concern to them. Our primary need, therefore, is for articles of immediate interest or applicability. Articles should have a purpose: to raise an issue, detail a new trend, expose a problem or explain a technique. In order to better familiarize yourself with CAmagazine‘s style, you should read a few recent copies of the magazine.

Proposals should be sent either as hard copy or via e-mail ([email protected]). Final drafts should be sent by e-mail.

Feature articles normally run 2,500 to 3,000 words, although some subjects — such as profiles –can be adequately covered in less space. Topics should be of relevance to the largest number of readers possible. Many of our features are written by freelance writers. Regulars are generally shorter than features and have a more technical focus. Minimum length is 1,500 words; the usual maximum is 2,000. Our technical editors (listed on the masthead) welcome queries or completed manuscripts, which can be addressed to them through CAmagazine. Many of our regular articles are written by CAs or other professionals such as lawyers.

QUERIES
If you wish to write for us, please send a query, in writing, and include a 200-word outline of your proposed article, noting the reasons why you feel the subject is topical, your angle, potential sources and the projected length of your manuscript. If you have a completed, unpublished manuscript, we would be pleased to consider it, unless we have already assigned or published a similar story.

Subaru Drive Magazine
From the Web Site:

Thank you for your interest in contributing to Drive Magazine!

Drive is a quarterly publication by Subaru of America, Inc. and is distributed to more than 850,000 owners of Subaru vehicles in the United States.

Each issue includes a variety of feature articles geared toward the interests of Subaru owners. Many of these articles are written by freelance authors, and typically range from 300 to 1,200 words.

We’re looking for stories that are timely, appropriately researched, engagingly written, and tailored to Drive readers. If you would like to contribute a feature article to Drive, please send us a one-page letter outlining your proposal. Our editorial staff will review your outline, and we’ll contact you if we select your article idea for publication. Please note that article proposals are preferred to finished manuscript submissions.

We strongly encourage you to study several recent issues of the magazine for the best idea of the kind of material we publish. Drive Magazine is available online at www.drive.subaru.com.

Drive Magazine’s features on technical, industry, and company news are usually staff written.

Drive Magazine’s payment scale varies depending on current editorial need, depth of treatment, appeal to the magazine’s readership, manuscript length, and other factors. We pay for manuscripts upon acceptance.

PTO Today Magazine

From the Web Site:

PTO Today magazine is an essential resource for leaders of parent groups (often called parent-teacher organizations) at the 80,000 elementary and middle schools across the United States. Articles focus on helping the volunteer leaders of these groups run their organizations more efficiently and support their schools more effectively.

The magazine is published six times a year, based on the school calendar; issues are dated January, March, April, August, September, and October.

Parent groups go by many different names, including PTA, PTO, and PTC. PTAs are those groups formally affiliated with the National PTA. All other parent groups, more than 75 percent of the total, are independent organizations and are often referred to collectively as PTOs.

We use “PTO” as a generic term—PTO Today writes about all parent groups, including PTAs. At the local level, all parent groups face similar challenges. For most of them, our magazine provides the only opportunity for volunteers to learn how similar groups (whether in the next town or across the country) run effective meetings and programs, solve problems, raise money, and otherwise enhance their children’s school experiences.

Our readers are the most active members of parent groups in K-8 schools. They are almost all women, and they are generally in their late 20s to mid-40s. Typically, they hold an office such as president, vice president, treasurer, or secretary. They chair one or more committees and are responsible for organizing specific events or programs.

In most cases, they have little prior training or experience, yet a typical parent group raises tens of thousands of dollars each year for its school.

Editorial Approach

We run how-to pieces, profiles of programs and people, and articles by experts. The tone is informational and informal rather than newsy. We never talk down to readers, we use PTO-specific examples to express concepts, and we prefer writers who can use the language of parent groups.

We don’t cover child-rearing issues, and we don’t cover general education topics unless they have a very specific parent group angle. We focus exclusively on parent groups serving students in grades K-8; high school parent groups often take a form very different from that of elementary and middle school groups.

Major topic areas we do cover include:

Parent involvement. The number one issue for most parent groups is how to get more parents to participate. More volunteers mean better events and programs and less work for those who do participate. We have published articles about reaching out to parents who are new to the school, making sure volunteers have a positive experience and want to come back, and communicating effectively with parents who aren’t members.

Leadership. These articles focus on soft skills such as settling conflicts and developing good communication skills, as well as hard skills such as running meetings efficiently and managing volunteers effectively.

Fundraising. Fundraising is a major activity for parent groups, especially in these times of shrinking school budgets. Parent groups pay for everything from teaching positions to music programs to ice cream socials.

Group management and organization. Many groups have little understanding of the legal, financial, and tax aspects of running what is essentially a small nonprofit business. Topics include tax issues, applying for 501(c)3 (charitable nonprofit) status under the federal tax code, bookkeeping basics, and legal requirements for keeping meeting minutes and other documents.

Working with school staff. Successful parent groups have a strong working relationship with the school principal, teachers, and staff. Past articles have discusses topics ranging from teacher appreciation to tactics for strengthening ties with the principal.

Playgrounds. The largest and most complex project many parent group undertake is building a new playground. A playground project typically costs $50,000 to $100,000 or more. Parent groups raise the money. They also participate in the playground design and, often, the construction. Safety standards, community involvement, and large-project logistics are all topics that relate to parent group playground projects.

Education. Our coverage of education topics extends only to the role of the parent group; PTOs often run field trips, bring in arts and enrichment performers, and sponsor other programs that complement or enhance the curriculum.

Queries

We recommend that you familiarize yourself with our previous content and our community before submitting a query. Archived articles are sorted into topic areas on our website, which you can find listed on the Topics A-Z page. Read the article “PTO vs. PTA: What’s the Difference?” for an overview of the differences between these two types of organizations, and look through our active message boards to get a sense of the issues that are important to parent groups.

Features run roughly 1,200 to 2,200 words, and the average assignment is 1,500 words. Department pieces run 600 to 1,200 words. Payment depends on the difficulty of the topic and the experience of the writer. We pay by the assignment, not by the word; our pay scale ranges from $200 to $700 for features and $150 to $400 for departments. We occasionally pay more for high-impact stories and highly experienced writers. We buy all rights, and we pay on acceptance (within 30 days of invoice).

We may ask writers to help us acquire appropriate art for articles, and we appreciate queries that offer art suggestions. We will review, but we do not encourage, unsolicited manuscripts.

Metro Family Magazine

From the Web Site:

MetroFamily Magazine is dedicated to informing parents and empowering families. The goal of our features, departments, and columns is to educate, inspire, and uplift readers.

About Submitting

·         E-mail submissions are preferred. Send to [email protected]. We purchase one-time print rights and web rights. Standard-mail submissions are seldom considered and will not be returned.

·         Reprint submissions will be accepted from writers around the United States; articles we assign will be given to local writers to capitalize on local sources. We reserve the right to refuse publication of any piece if the article does not meet our needs and/or standards. All submissions are subject to editing.

·        MetroFamily Magazine is published monthly, 12 issues per year. We work 3-6 months in advance so plan feature queries/submissions accordingly. For a list of general themes, please email [email protected].

About Formatting

·         Send articles in the body of your e-mail. If the article is chosen for publication, I may ask if it is available as a Word document.

·         In a series of three or more terms and a single conjunction, use a comma after each term except the last. Example: Sarah doesn’t own a pig, a rat or a bird.

·         Please, only one space following a period.

·         Include a word count, including sidebar(s), at the top right corner of your first page.

About Writing

·         Leads: An interesting, compelling lead into each story is critical. Just like us, our readers have work to do, meals to prepare, and kids to tend. We must seduce them into reading.

·         Humor: Bring it on! If you can lighten a “heavy” story with some appropriate levity, by all means do so.

·         Surprises: Try to put one in every piece you write. Startle readers with an unexpected statistic (with proper credit given to the source of the information) or raise eyebrows with a surprising outcome.

·         Length: Keep it short. Our features rarely run over 1,000 words, including sidebars.

·         Layering: Many people don’t read, they flip. Each story needs to be layered so that even someone scanning the page can take away an important fact or idea. Include suggested pullout quotes, subheads, bulleted items, and/or sidebars.

·         Art: Photographs grab readers’ attention, so we want to include them whenever possible. If you have photos or leads for photos, please pass that information along as early in the writing process as possible.

·         Payment (includes web rights): $20-$35 up to 500 words; $35-$50 over 500 words, paid upon publication.

Whole Life Times

From the Web Site:

Whole Life Times relies almost entirely on freelance material to fill its pages every month. We have only a few regulars, so the field is wide open. We depend on freelancers like you.

What Kind of Articles Should I Submit?

We are open to articles on holistic health, alternative healing, green living, sustainable and local food, social responsibility, conscious business, the environment, spirituality and personal growth; in short, anything that deals with a progressive, healthy lifestyle. The important words to remember when writing for WLT are ‘information’ and‘narrative style.’ We strive to provide leading-edge editorial that is not only entertaining, but also directly usable by our readers—information that mainstream media often abridges, is unaware of or is unwilling to print.

WLT’s content is largely local — issues, events and people in southern California — but we do publish some stories with a broader focus. In generic features (e.g. health-related), we use local sources for quotes and back-up information.

WLT accepts up to three longer stories (800-1,100 words) per issue, and pay ranges from $150-200.

In addition, we have a number of regular departments on our coverage topics, and these pay $75-125 depending on topic and experience.

Out and About is our FOB section featuring short, newsy blurbs on our coverage topics. These are generally 200-400 words and pay $25-50 depending on length and topic.

Behind the Scenes is a 750-word personal essay that often highlights a seminal moment or event in the life of the writer, and pays $100.

Query Letters

Queries may be sent via e-mail to abigail[at]wholelifemagazine[dot]com.

If you have not written for us before, please be sure to include your bio and up to three published clips or links. Alternatively, you may submit a completed manuscript. If your article addresses the categories described above, your treatment of the issue, the timeliness of the article and the quality of your writing are the main keys to getting published.

General tip: Keep in mind that WLT readers are more sophisticated than the average Joe or Joan when it comes to green living, health, personal growth, social responsibility and metaphysics. We prefer thoughtful, well-researched articles with an informed and upbeat tone. We favor a narrative approach in which story-telling is emphasized. We welcome in-depth reports and personal interviews, but outside of Behind the Scenes we rarely publish personal essays. Please include reference material for fact verification, and avoid using anecdotal claims to support your thesis or argument.

Horse Illustrated

From the Web Site:

Magazine Focus: HORSE ILLUSTRATED is directed to hands-on horse owners and riders of English and western disciplines. The magazine promotes responsible horse ownership, from providing tips to owners on better horse care and training, to alerting horse lovers about pertinent issues in the equine community. We direct our articles to the adult audience.

Suggested Articles: The best way to decide what type of article to submit is to look over a sample copy of the magazine, available at newsstands, tack stores or book stores nationwide. Look over more than one issue, if possible.

We need informative, in-depth, upbeat articles (limited to 2,000 words) that will help readers better care for and enjoy their horses. They may be about such topics as training (for both horse and rider), management or horse-related activities.

What NOT to Send:
• Fiction
• Personal essays
• Tributes to deceased horses
• Poetry
• Book reviews
• Please do not send breed profiles; this monthly feature is always assigned
• Series, columns and multi-part articles are assigned only to our established writers

How to Submit: Address all correspondence to Elizabeth Moyer, Editor, HORSE ILLUSTRATED, P.O. Box 8237, Lexington KY 40533. Enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope with all materials, and please allow eight to twelve weeks for a response. If materials do not need to be returned, we appreciate knowing that.

While e-mail makes it easy to fire off those article proposals, it is harder for us to track, evaluate and respond to these submissions, not to mention concerns with opening attachments from unknown senders. In order to give your article proposal the best consideration, we prefer to receive queries via mail rather than e-mail.

HORSE ILLUSTRATED receives dozens of unsolicited manuscripts and queries every week. The magazine accepts only a small fraction of what is submitted. Due to the high volume of unsolicited work, we cannot review or respond to any material sent to us by fax, or material that isn’t accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope.

Manuscript Requirements: Manuscripts should be double spaced with wide margins. If your article is accepted, we’ll also need an electronic copy of the text as a Word document that can be opened on a PC. Accepted manuscripts may be sent via e-mail.

Many great story ideas cannot be considered if we will be unable to find images to illustrate them. If specific photos will be essential to your manuscript, please indicate what photos are available to accompany your piece. It’s a huge plus if you can include professional-quality color transparencies (preferred), or sharp, well-lit 35mm color prints with these types of articles. Additional guidelines are available for photographers.

Reviewing Material: We prefer to review completed manuscripts on speculation. However, if you would like to query us before preparing an article, you must include a detailed outline of what the proposed article will cover, including any expert resources, and sample paragraphs as well as clips that demonstrate your writing style. We do not accept simultaneous submissions, but may accept reprint material from noncompetitive publications. We require first North American serial rights in the equine industry.

Responsibility: We cannot assume responsibility for material submitted, but reasonable care will be taken in the handling of your work.

Payment: Articles are paid upon publication. Rates of payment are based on quality, not length. We pay between $300 and $425 for feature articles. Smaller items receive $50 to $100 per piece. Articles accompanied by high-quality photographs or illustrations earn the highest rates.

For new (and new to HI) writers:
The majority of our articles are assigned in advance to our regular writers. However, we are always looking to expand our “stable” of talented freelance equestrian journalists. The best way to get your foot in the door is to query with a completed manuscript demonstrating your writing ability, and just as important, an understanding of our tone and audience, and subject matter appropriate to our magazine. Once we have worked successfully with a writer on a manuscript or two, we will feel comfortable entertaining queries or assigning articles.

Because we have limited space to accept and publish queries, it can take up to a year to establish this type of relationship. We always appreciate your patience and professionalism throughout this process.

Fun For Kidz

From the Web Site:

Every Fun For Kidz contributor must remember we publish only six issues a year, which means our editorial needs are extremely limited.

It is obvious that we must reject far more contributions than we accept, no matter how outstanding they may seem to you or to us.

With that said, we would point out that Fun For Kidz is a magazine created for boys and girls from 6 to 13 years, with youngsters 8, 9, and 10 the specific target age. The magazine is designed as an activity publication to be enjoyed by both boys and girls on the alternate months of Hopscotch and Boys’ Quest magazines.

Our point of view is that every child deserves the right to be a child for a number of years before he or she becomes a young adult.

As a result, Fun For Kidz looks for activities that deal with timeless topics, such as pets, nature, hobbies, science, games, sports, careers, simple cooking, and anything else likely to interest a child. Each issue revolves around a theme.

Writers

We are looking for lively writing that involves an activity that is both wholesome and unusual. We are looking for articles around 500 words as well as puzzles, poems, cooking, carpentry projects, jokes, riddles, crafts, and other activities that complement the theme. Articles that are accompanied by good photos are far more likely to be accepted than those that need illustrations.

We will entertain simultaneous submissions as long as that fact is noted on the manuscript. Submissions should be double-spaced.

Fun For Kidz prefers to receive complete manuscripts with cover letters, although we do not rule out query letters. We do not answer submissions sent in by FAX or e-mail. All submissions must be accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope, with sufficient US postage.

We pay a minimum of five cents a word for both fiction and nonfiction, with additional payment given if the piece is accompanied by appropriate photos or art. We pay a minimum of $10 per poem or puzzle, with variable rates offered for games, carpentry projects, etc.

Fun For Kidz buys first American serial rights and pays upon publication. It welcomes the contributions of both published and unpublished writers. We reserve the right to publish all material from the magazine on our website as a sample of the magazine. This is for display only on a limited time basis. Contributors will be compensated whenever their work is published to generate revenue and not strictly for exposure.

Sample copies can be purchased for $6.00 within the US, $8.00 for Canada and $10.50 for all other countries. All payment must be in US funds. A complimentary copy will be sent to each writer who has contributed to a given issue.