Trades Ten

Ten Things About Submission Opportunities for Writer Trade Magazines

Although not technically a trade, lots of writers do read Library Journal, which is "the oldest and most respected publication covering the library field. Considered to be the “bible” of the library world, LJ is read by over 100,000 library directors, administrators, and staff in public, academic, and special libraries. LJ is the single-most comprehensive publication for librarians, with groundbreaking features and analytical news reports covering technology, management, policy, and other professional concerns. Its hefty review sections evaluate nearly 7000 books annually, along with hundreds of audiobooks, videos, databases, web sites, and systems that libraries buy." Unfortunately they don't have much info at all on their one guidelines page which I found here, but they welcome submissions and have a snail mail address up. If you've got a great idea I'd send them a query.

Online trade e-zine Literary Traveler is seeking nonfiction articles with photos about writers or places that have literary or artistic significance. From their website: "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." Length: 1.5-2K; Payment: $50.00 via Paypal; electronic submission only, see guidelines for more details.

Literary trade Poets & Writers magazine publishes: "News & Trends: brief articles (500-1,200 words) that keep our readers abreast of pertinent information in the writing and publishing industries; The Literary Life: essays (1,500-2,500 words) on the more contemplative aspects of writing, ranging from creative process to the art of reading; The Practical Writer: advice and how-to articles (1,500-2,500 words) that offer nuts and bolts information about the business of creative writing; Features: profiles of and interviews with (2,000-3,000 words) contemporary writers who reflect the rich diversity of current American literature. Recent featured authors include Anne Carson, Sandra Cisneros, Jonathan Franzen, Li-Young Lee, Chuck Palahniuk, Colson Whitehead, and C.D. Wright. Other features include articles and essays (2,000-3,000 words), frequently grouped into special sections, that provide an in-depth look at subjects of interest to creative writers, such as writers conferences and residencies, small presses, regional writing, and the distinctions of genre." No info on payment, electronic and snail mail submissions, see guidelines for more details.

Poets & Writers magazine is also now accepting submissions for the 2010 Amy Awards: ". . . open to women poets age 30 and under living in the New York City metropolitan area or on Long Island. The winners will receive an honorarium and public reading in New York City in October 2010. To enter, please send 3 lyric poems (50 lines or less), a short bio, and a self-addressed stamped envelope by June 1, 2010 to: Amy Awards, Poets & Writers, 90 Broad Street, Suite 2100, New York, NY 10004."

Publishers Weekly doesn't seem to have submission guidelines for anything but books you want them to review (not something I'd personally recommend) but they do have this call for information: "Feature: Fall/Winter First Fiction. Please include basic info (title, author, price, pub month, brief description, editor contact) and tell us why your author would be the perfect candidate for this feature. Please send galleys if available. Do not e-mail submissions; mark packages "First Fiction" and send to Publishers Weekly, 71 West 23rd St., Suite 1608, New York, NY 10010, not to arrive before June 2. Any questions, contact Dick Donahue (ddonahue@reedbusiness.com); after June 2: ddonahue@publishersweekly.com." If you've got a debut novel coming out this fall, pass this along to your editor.

Canadian book publishing trade Quill & Quire publishes "both short (300- to 1,200-word) and long (up to 3,000-word) news and feature articles about the business of writing, publishing, and bookselling in Canada. We also publish author profiles (generally of about 1,800 to 2,000 words), and brief reviews of Canadian books." Also noted on their website: "Q&Q only very occasionally accepts unsolicited manuscripts. To pitch an idea for a feature or news story, send an e-mail to Stuart Woods outlining in two or three paragraphs why the article would be of interest to our readers. If you have an idea for a guest column on an issue that relates to the book industry, send an e-mail to Stuart Woods, outlining what you'd like to write about. Quill & Quire also runs guest columns from writers ("The Last Word") on subjects that pertain to the writing life. Contact Nathan Whitlock if you are an author and would like to pitch an idea." Payment: "The fee for published articles is 45¢ a word. Brief reviews (350 words) pay $110 ($60 for picture-book reviews); feature reviews (800-1,000 words) pay $300." No info on reprints; electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details and e-mail contact links.

Screenwriter trade Script is looking for article pitches from screenwriters currently working in the film industry. From their website: "Unsolicited manuscripts cannot be accepted. We don't accept very many pitches, but we do give them all consideration. We do require that authors have industry experience, preferably produced credits or that they have worked in the industry. Interviews are also considered if they are specific to the scriptwriting craft and are timely and informative." No info on length, payment or reprints, seems to be okay with electronic submissions (I might e-mail the editor myself and ask they be more specific); see their guidelines for snail mail address and e-mail link.

The Writer is "dedicated to helping professional and aspiring writers with a straightforward presentation of information, instruction and motivation. In the pages of our 123-year-old magazine, writers come together to share their experiences, expertise, struggles, successes and suggestions. The magazine's efforts have been recognized in recent years with gold and silver medals for Editorial Excellence in Folio magazine's national competition." [Lately their content has not lived up to their sterling rep, but I'm one of their readers and I live in hope. So submit something good, will you?] Does not accept fiction or poetry; prefers queries first. Length: 600 to 3.5K; Payment: on acceptance and (I'll quote here) "varies." Electronic and hard copy submission okay, see guidelines for more details.

Writers Digest magazine, which claims to be "the No. 1 magazine for writers, celebrates the writing life and what it means to be a writer in today's publishing environment. Through the voices of bestselling authors, buzz-worthy newcomers and seasoned editors, we offer everything writers need to stay inspired, to improve their craft, to understand the unique challenges of publishing today and to get their work noticed. Our pages are filled with advice and real-life experiences that go beyond the ordinary and delve deeply into what's important to writers today. Whether they write fiction, nonfiction, poetry, articles or scripts, our readers will walk away from every issue inspired and ready to write, satisfied in the knowledge that we get it, that we all share this passion for writing, and we're all part of grand literary tradition. And that's worth celebrating." [I can't tell you how they are now, but I sold them something in '98, back when I was a rookie, and at the time it was a good experience.] Length: varies according to department; Payment: .30 to .50 per word. Electronic submissions okay, see extensive guidelines for more details.

Writers' Journal is "a bimonthly magazine for writers, including professional communicators, self/independent publishers, part-time or full-time freelancers, screenwriters, desk-top publishers, authors, editors, teachers, and poets. Although most of the columns in the Writers’ Journal are staff-written, articles from freelance writers are always welcome. Complete manuscripts are acceptable, or query with clips first. Several feature articles, running 1200-2200 words, are published in each issue. Please see the table of contents of some of our back issues to get an idea of the types of articles we have covered." Publishes nonfiction, poetry, has lots of contests, too. Length: 1.2-2.2K (articles) 15 lines (poetry); Payment: $5 per poem, articles "vary" depending on their budget (I'd get a quote from the editor before you sign on.) Electronic and snail mail submissions, see extensive guidelines for more info.