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Writers Retreat > Student Talk > Course Lessons > Help! - Magazine Markets
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LoLo
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« on: December 17, 2008, 02:59:54 PM »
I need your help!!  I've tried doing this alone and I'm going crazy, not to mention it's eating up precious time.  I'm working on assignment #8 which requires a little research on magazine markets.  I have the Magazine Markets book for 2006 and didn't renew subscription because I really didn't need it till I was ready.  Last time I used the book I found out that the magazine I targeted was belly up.  I thought you could go to a magazine's website and get the guidelines for submission.  I can't figure out how to do that.  I end up at some site that wants me to pay to join a club that tells me about markets and warns about fraud and such. 
What's this all about?  I just have red flags going off in my head.  What's safe and is the internet a tool for markets?  If yes, any advice on how to use would be much appreciated.
 Huh? Huh? Huh?
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Angelia Almos
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« Reply #1 on: December 17, 2008, 03:08:26 PM »
Yes the internet is a great place to look up markets. You should always check the website of any magazine you have looked up in a book to make sure it is still 1) in business (as you discovered) and 2) it's submission procedure, contact person, etc. is still the same.

I'm not sure what website you went to so can't really comment on what you found. If you aren't sure if the magazine has a website. Just google the title and magazine and see what comes up.

Angelia
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ColoradoKate
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« Reply #2 on: December 17, 2008, 03:19:41 PM »
Yes, what Angelia said...

To add to that, you don't have to pay anybody anything for the information. I've only found one or two magazines where I couldn't find any online writer's guidelines.

Google will help you find each magazine's website; sometimes you have to hunt around for their submission guidelines, though. I discovered that, often, clicking on a magazine's "About Us" or "Contact Us" button on its homepage would get me there if there's not a direct link.

Oh--d'oh--or go to Jan's KidMagWriters.com and use the "Market Guide" menu on the top right--she has links to magazine homepages and often to their guidelines pages as well.

http://kidmagwriters.com/

Kate
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LoLo
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« Reply #3 on: December 17, 2008, 03:31:25 PM »
Okay..... I thought it would be that easy, but I'll give 2 examples.
1.  Seventeen Magazine (yes I'm aiming big! but I'm not scared of rejection) - I think I've hunted everywhere on their site but I just can't seem to find.

2. What's Hers Magazine (www.whatshers.com) - I feel stupid, but looking at it, I'm thinking they are belly up too??

What's your take?
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ColoradoKate
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« Reply #4 on: December 17, 2008, 03:47:31 PM »
LOL--Seventeen is one of those mags I mentioned that doesn't have online guidelines, sorry. If you let me know what info you need, I'll post what's available in the 2009 Mag Markets book.

What's Hers isn't in that book or in the 2009 CWIM; I vaguely remember something about either closing or a name-change... Jan? Yoo hoo, Jan?

Kate
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Angelia Almos
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« Reply #5 on: December 17, 2008, 03:50:09 PM »
Seventeen's guidelines are on their FAQ page. http://www.seventeen.com/faq. It's on the bottom: Pitch Ideas.

I couldn't find anything for What's Hers. The last thing was from 2005. So, I would assume they are out of business or were bought by someone else. If you have a copy of the magazine look on the info page for who owns them and then look at their website to see if the magazine is still listed.

Angelia
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Dani
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« Reply #6 on: December 17, 2008, 03:52:33 PM »
Seventeen has a fiction contest though for those who are females aged 13 -21 (not me  Sad ):
http://www.seventeen.com/fun-stuff/special/official-rules-fiction

Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia and Canada who are female and are ages 13 to 21 in their state or province of residence at time of entry. Void in Puerto Rico, Quebec Province and where prohibited by law. Employees of Sponsor, its parents, affiliates and subsidiaries, participating advertising and promotion agencies, the judges and prize suppliers (and members of their immediate family and/or those living in the same of household of each such employee) are not eligible.

How to Enter: Beginning August 12, 2008 at 12:01 AM (ET) through December 31, 2008 at 11:59 PM (ET) go to seventeen.com/fiction and complete and submit the entry form pursuant to the onscreen instructions. Or mail your entry with your name, age, complete address, telephone number, email address (optional) [with first-class postage affixed] to: Seventeen, 2009 Fiction Contest, 300 W. 57th St., 17th Floor, New York, NY 10019. Mail entry must be postmarked by December 31, 2008 and received by January 7, 2009.
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Danielle
LoLo
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« Reply #7 on: December 17, 2008, 04:24:51 PM »
Thanks!
I feel much less stupid now.. Embarrassed  What's Hers has some sort of website.  It's out of Winnipeg, so it was of interest to me as it's very close to home, but we're small potatoes here so it doesn't surprise me that they may be out of business.  Many years ago, some friends and I started up a magazine.  It was fun, but a lot of work and it didn't go very far.  Winnipeg is a tough market.

Kate,
If you are offering your help from a recent source, I may take it. 
My key one I'm stuck on is for readers approx 10 - 14 - story bottom line is a girl (may have to change to a boy) learning the hard way on a farm about where the food supply comes from.  I can't really say adventure but there is a story to it.  I've considered 'Boy's Life' so far but haven't seen much else.  I'll keep hunting, but in the mean time if you have any suggestions, I'll be forever grateful!
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ColoradoKate
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« Reply #8 on: December 17, 2008, 05:04:01 PM »
LoLo,

It depends how long it is (or is it just an outline at this point?), but if you could make it a little younger (up to 12), maybe Highlights. Cricket is just the right age group, if it's kinda literary. I see Boys' Quest says 6-13 now, so there's a thought if you change it to a boy MC, and Hopscotch says 6-13 now, too, for girls. Of course those last two are themed--maybe they'll have a farm theme. I'm casting a pretty wide net, obviously; the "fit" would depend on length and voice and style. But you might look into those. New Moon (8-12) if it empowers girls. Stories for Children (3-12). Does it have to be 10-14?  Cheesy

Angelia,

Thanks for the directions to the Seventeen pitch info--hard to find! Makes me wonder if they're taking fiction at all anymore, though.

Kate
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jfields
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« Reply #9 on: December 17, 2008, 06:32:37 PM »
If you want to check out a list of belly up/no submission markets
http://www.kidmagwriters.com/magzines/no-submission-zone.htm
I actually need to update since Cicada is taking subs again in a limited way and it's not looking good for Brio.

Now, as to possible markets. From the age you mention and the fact that it's a rural story, Seventeen wouldn't have taken it (they do fiction sometimes but they don't really look for it so it's not in the guidelines. They may just do it for the contest...I'm not sure). And Teen doesn't do rural either. Many girl stories for that age are relationship based (friends/boys/family) while your story seems pretty different.

Without seeing it I might guess Cricket, maybe Pockets (depending on a lot of variables) -- Highlights won't buy violence so I'm thinking even food chain type stuff isn't going to fly there. Boys Quest/Hopscotch buy such incredibly short stuff. New Moon might have trouble with the whole eating animals thing -- hard to say -- it would have to have some kind of empowerment theme. It's hard to say without seeing it. If you want suggestions to put on your assignment, I would go with Cricket, Pockets and hmmm...maybe Boys Life (mentioning that the MC could become a boy). Then your instructor can help refine the choices based on actually reading the piece.
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LoLo
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« Reply #10 on: December 18, 2008, 02:57:19 PM »
Wow!
Excellent advise from all you!  and very much appreciated.  Driving home yesterday, I did think of Highlights and Cricket, just from reading this board.  I can't believe I overlooked those.  Kate,
The readership age is young, but I could do it up to 14 max and no younger than 8.  I just need the markets for my outline right now, but this is a story I plan to write regardless as it is a real life childhood story of mine. 
Jan,
I have already figured out how to eliminate the violence out of it, but I guess I have to ask the question...  If you found out the hamburger, chicken etc that you eat everyday came from the animals that surrounded you, is that considered violence or a real life lesson?  I certainly will skip the butchering process that I experienced as a child, but is the whole lesson itself on the violent side? I never looked at it that way. 
By the way, I wouldn't send this one to Seventeen, that was for one of my other stories that I am going to aim high with.
Again guys.. THANKS.  I love this board for the fact that you all get my brain working and I LOVE IT!
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jfields
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« Reply #11 on: December 18, 2008, 07:42:59 PM »
If you're not spotlighting specific animals as disappearing and ending up on the plate, then it's probably not violence...but I still think it's probably a little grim for Highlights. They might accept a profile where a real life farm kid in a real life interview said something about how she has learned not to think of the animals on the farm as pets because next week they might be dinner...but that's probably the only way Highlights would touch that.
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LoLo
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« Reply #12 on: December 19, 2008, 02:02:59 PM »
Jan,
I'm glad you mentioned that because I never looked at it as violence at all, it was part of life and being fed, even though as a child the lesson was hard at first.  Your kind of correct in both your scenario's here.  It was my pet cow that disappeared and if I were to do it interview style, it would be me on the other side. I didn't want to write the grim reality I experienced, but thought the whole story itself would be interesting.  I think you're right on something here though.... kids today probably don't want to know where the food comes from nor do many likely know how to butcher a chicken, (not that I would want to write about that).  It feels like yesterday for me, and I'm not that old. 

You have me re-considering this one, but I thought it may be educational in some way.  I remember the day when my 8 year old neice threw her plate when something that looked like mashed potatoes oozed from her french fries.
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jfields
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« Reply #13 on: December 19, 2008, 03:02:50 PM »
Often, when a magazine won't touch a topic, it's not because it doesn't interest kids. Sometimes, but not always. Sometimes it's because it might affect the kid to the point where the parents get mad. For example, imagine your reader never thought about how a steak used to be a sweet faced cow with big eyes. And once they really "make" the connection, they might decide never to eat meat again and basically complain about dinner, boycott food, etc. This annoys some moms who want to know where this came from. When the kid says, Highlights, then the mom takes care of THAT by cancelling the subscription. So magazines tend to be very very careful of things that could lead to distressed parents.
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LoLo
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« Reply #14 on: December 19, 2008, 03:25:12 PM »
I agree with you Jan, and I'm glad we had this conversation.  I never personally looked at it like that and somehow I'm starting to think it really could offend a few people.  I would have to write this one very carefully.  I'm going to do it regardless, just for the challenge and if it never makes print, then my nephews can read it to see what Grandpa and Auntie did when they were little.

Thanks a million Jan!!
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