Rx for Writers

Transcripts

April 13, 2000

MODERATOR is Kristi Holl, author and web editor of the Institute's web site. Kristi has published 22 middle grade and teen novels, as well as l00 magazine articles and stories.

Elaine is Elaine Marie Alphin, author of l4 books and over 200 magazine pieces for young readers from preschoolers to young adults. She won the SCBWI Magazine Merit Award for Fiction in l990 and for Nonfiction in l995.

Names color coded in blue are viewers who asked questions.

Interviews begin promptly at 8 Eastern, 7 Central, 6 Mountain, and 5 Pacific.

MODERATOR: Welcome, everyone! I'm anxious to get started and let you meet Elaine Marie Alphin, who is going to discuss "Writing for the Magazine Market." Besides her l4 books, Elaine has published over 200 magazine pieces for young readers from preschoolers to young adults. She won the SCBWI Magazine Merit Award for Fiction in l990 and for Nonfiction in l995. Many of us began our writing careers by writing for magazines, and tonight Elaine will discuss everything from getting ideas in the first place, to handling reprints and turning these magazine ideas into books. So, without further ado, let me welcome Elaine Alphin!

Elaine: Many thanks, Kristi - I'm glad to be here, chatting with writing friends.

MODERATOR: First of all, Elaine, why write for magazines instead of books?

Elaine: First of all, it's on-the-job training for book publishing. It shows you, in microcosm, everything you need to know about the marketing process: how to do market research, how to write a query letter and prepare a proposal, how to do market research, how to write a query letter/proposal, how to write a cover letter and prepare a proposal, how to write a cover letter, how to submit mss., follow up on submissions, and revise. Second - it's also a more regular paycheck than unpredictable book royalties, which may only come twice a year. And sometimes a magazine sale can lead to a book sale.

MODERATOR: Wow! That's a lot of good reasons! Since you've launched your career and moved on to books--why are you still writing for magazines?

Elaine: Kids love magazines because they contain so many different things - stories and articles and puzzles and poetry and crafts. Also - magazines reach a lot of kids. A first novel may have a printing of 5,000 copies, 7,500 or 10,000 for a first picture book. Most writers think it's great when a book sells 30,000 copies. But Children's Digest has 115,000 subscribers - nearly four times as many readers as that successful novel! And Highlights has 3 million subscribers! If you want to reach kids with what you have to say in your stories, you can reach them by writing for magazines.

MODERATOR: Who takes magazine credits seriously, besides your family?

Elaine: The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators does. They give out Magazine Merit Awards every year in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. The International Reading Association also recognizes extraordinary magazine stories. And book editors take magazine credits seriously, both in lifting you out of the slush pile and also in seeking you out as a potential writer for them if they like your magazine work.

Kevin: What about writing for online magazines--are those credits taken seriously?

Elaine: That depends on the credit. Some of the e-zines that don't pay and will publish anybody aren't taken seriously. But those that do pay are recognized as legitimate credits.

Steve: How can we find out about writing for online magazines?

Elaine: The best way is online. : ) You can subscribe to online newsletters about online publishing. Go to this URL: http://www.writersweekly.com It will give you market information and tell you how to subscribe. And at this URL http://www.briefme.com/a/article.cgi?id=17664&uid=345640&link=emilyv you can find out more about online markets and subscribe to another newsletter. These are more current than print information about online opportunities.

MODERATOR: But what if you really want to publish books?

Elaine: Well, both magazines and book editors have slush piles, but magazine slush piles are smaller and magazine editors buy more mss., so you stand a better chance of breaking in. Once you're published in magazines, you can cite a published track record when you query a book editor. Being published in magazines tells the book editor that you can write for kids and also that you're familiar with the nuts and bolts of working with an editor, making revisions, meeting deadlines, etc. That makes it easier to sell your book.

MODERATOR: How can a magazine sale generate a book sale?

Elaine: Book editors read children's magazines. It's not at all unusual for an editor to see a wonderful story in a magazine that could work as a picture book, or could work as a story in an anthology and contact the writer to see about publishing it. Also, a book editor might see a piece in a magazine that could be expanded into a book. For example, I wrote an article about the invention of the vacuum cleaner for Cricket. An editor at Carolrhoda saw it, and contacted me to see if I'd be interested in writing a book! So I wrote a book about the history of the vacuum cleaner for their new series about Household History. That led to my writing four books in the series, and they've now asked me to send them a proposal for a book in a different series - all because the editor read a magazine article of mine.

Steve: Do editors read any particular magazines looking for "book ideas" they might want to develop?

Elaine: Hi, Steve. Editors read the best magazines available in their area. Most editors read Highlights and the Cricket family and the Children's Better Health Institute magazines. Catholic editors read My Friend, and Mormon editors read The Friend. As a rule, figure that editors read in their special interest area - which is where you'd be submitting manuscripts in *your* special interest area as well. It's a perfect match made in magazine print. : )

Maudy: Are magazine publishers generally willing to share their list of current themes?

Elaine: Hi, Maudy - magazine editors *yearn* to share their theme lists! Having writers know their themes guarantees that writers will submit mss. that are right on target.

Bernadette: How many of your stories from the magazines have become books?

Elaine: Well, in addition to my vacuum cleaner foray, I've had one story go directly from magazines to books. I originally sold A BEAR FOR MIGUEL to two Sunday School magazines before deciding it had book potential as a beginning reader. It's a story of Maria and her bear, played out during the guerrilla war in El Salvador in the 1980s. When Maria goes to market with Papa, she longs to help him trade for milk for the baby and other things for the family. When Papa leaves her alone for a little while, she makes a good trade. Then two people come and see her teddy bear, and want to trade all they have to get the bear for their son, Miguel. He was hurt in the fighting, and he wants a bear. Maria has to decide what to do. I contacted HarperCollins (they publish I Can Reads) and, after a series of revisions, they published it as a book. It's on this year's New Jersey state award list.

Friendchild: How do you know if online publishers are creditable?

Elaine: Hi, Friendchild - the first thing to look for is whether they pay, and what they pay for. In other words, if they don't pay and publish anything, they're not so creditable. If they pay a specified fee for specified rights, then they're creditable.

MODERATOR: What if you sell a great story to a magazine - can you turn around and sell it to a book publisher?

Elaine: That really depends on which rights you sell. If you sell all rights, then you've sold your book rights. Some magazines will give them back if you ask, but if you've sold them, they're not required to do so. But if you've sold only serial rights, then you can sell book rights again (serial = magazine).

neahkanie: Are rights tricky when you go from something of yours published in a magazine to a book? I sold first English language rights on a fiction piece. Would that make getting it done in picture book form difficult?

Elaine: Okay, if you sold first English language rights, that includes book rights. To sell it as a picture book, you would have to request (in writing) your book rights returned to you. If you get those rights returned in writing, then there's no problem. If the editor doesn't want to return book rights, then you can't sell it as a book, I'm sorry to say.

Maudy: Do the publishers automatically send the theme list when you ask for guidelines, or do you have to request them?

Elaine: I'm glad you're concerned about theme lists, Maudy. Usually they will send theme lists along with guidelines, but to be safe you should see whether they use a theme list (usually clear from the market listings) and specifically ask for both theme list and guidelines when you write.

Bean: Hi, Elaine. How were you able to sell MIGUEL to *2* magazines, please? Which rights did each have?

Elaine: Hi, Bean. Each magazine bought one-time serial rights, so there was no problem.

Friendchild: How long does it usually take for a reply from a magazine editor?

Elaine: Oh, that's the million dollar question, isn't it, Friendchild? Editors long to respond quickly. But editors spend only part of their time reading submissions. They also edit accepted mss., and put together each issue of the magazine. Often they travel to speak at conferences, too. So they can't always get back to you quickly. Sometimes editors say that they take the longest time when a ms. is almost right because they want to write a letter explaining how it fell short, and that takes extra time. So it sits in limbo on their desks. As a rule, you should wait at least three months and not be surprised if it takes four or five months for a big magazine. After that, you should write a polite follow-up letter asking about the status of your manuscript. If they're holding it because they're interested, they'll let you know at that point.

Bernadette: What has been your quickest response? : )

Elaine: When I submit to an editor I've dealt with, Bernadette, I've gotten responses as quickly as a week or two. When I submit by e-mail, it can be even faster - a day or two. But that presupposes a connection between writer and editor, or a timely piece that goes to the top of the stack. I usually wait several months, like every other writer!

Norene: What if an editor asks you to resubmit a story but with pictures - are illustrations okay?

Elaine: Hi, Norene - If an editor asks you to resubmit with pictures, be sure whether he or she means illustrations or photos. Usually a magazine does its own line illustrations (drawings or even paintings) in-house, but some magazines really need the writer to provide photos, because they can't travel on site to get them.

AnneKelly: Hi, Elaine. When selling a magazine piece for the first time, what kind of rights are the best to sell (from the author's point of view)? What would leave you with the most options to use your work again?

Elaine: Hi, AnneKelly - well, the best rights to sell from the writer's viewpoint are usually first serial rights because first rights brings greater payment than one-time rights and allows you to sell reprints. Realistically, however, the best rights to sell are the rights that the perfect magazine wants to buy. By that I mean that if your story is perfect for a magazine that buys all rights, then you should go ahead and send it to that magazine. Highlights, for instance, buys all rights, but is perfect for certain pieces. And you're not actually losing all future benefits from a sale to Highlights. Just last month I got a check from them for reprint rights on an article I had in their 1989 magazine! They're not obligated to pay me anything when the piece is reprinted, but they always try to find the writer and pay the reprint fee. So I didn't lose by selling all rights to them.

Ducky: Is there a good book that explains the various rights so that an idiot like myself can understand them?

Elaine: Hi, Ducky - you're not an idiot! Rights are confusing. : ) If you look in the front of most market books you'll see that they have a section that explains all the rights. That way you know what you're selling.

Bean: Here's a reverse situation, Elaine. I know a book writer who was approached by Cricket to have her picture book reprinted as one of their stories and she hesitated. Do you have any thoughts about this? (She worried it might cut book sales.)

Elaine: That certainly is a reverse situation, Bean! If I'd been her, I would have checked immediately with the book editor I worked with. Book contracts have a clause that controls the appearance of the book text in magazines. However, my guess is that the book editor would have been delighted, because exposure in a widespread magazine like Cricket should generate interest for the book. If the book was out of print, the question would be whether or not your friend had gotten back her rights. If she had, saying yes to Cricket would have been a good idea.

Ika: So what you are saying is, if it's a credible magazine, sell them what they want if you want your story printed?

Elaine: Yes, Ika - that's what I'm saying. Even if you never see another penny on the piece, a credit in a great magazine will help sell future manuscripts elsewhere.

Maudy: Are you referring to a manuscript submission or a proposal when you are talking about waiting 4 to 5 months?

Elaine: I'm referring to a manuscript submission, Maudy. In my experience, a proposal cuts the time significantly. I usually hear back within a month on a nonfiction proposal.

neahkanie: Can I ask what is the longest time you've had to wait between acceptance/contract and publication? I've been waiting two months shy of three years on one particular piece.

Elaine: Well, I've got you beat, Neahkanie. : ) I sold a magazine piece in 1984 that did not see print until 1989! But that was the one that went on to win the SCBWI Magazine Merit Award and I hadn't been a member of SCBWI earlier, so sometimes things work out perfectly, even if it doesn't seem so at the time.

Friendchild: How do they determine what to pay? 5-10 cents a word . . . how do they decide who gets 5 and who gets 10?

Elaine: Usually editors base that sliding scale on two factors. The first one is the ease of editing. If the piece is near perfect and requires little editing, they tend to pay the upper end of the scale. If it needs a lot of work, they pay the lower end, because they've put in time and effort also. The other factor is the name of the writer. If a Newbery winner writes a magazine piece an editor will usually pay top dollar. : )

bernie: I have sent a story to a magazine thinking it fit one of their themes and they sent it back saying it didn't. How can you be sure what fits?

Elaine: Honestly, Bernie, you can't ever be sure. All you can do is read the magazine as well as the theme list and get a good feel for their tone and style. Be sure your manuscript matches that tone and style as well as the stated theme. Also, be aware that they might have already had something that fit that theme perfectly, so they sent yours back not because it didn't fit, but because the issue was already full.

MODERATOR: Several viewers wonder this: How do you know if you've written a magazine story or a picture book?

Elaine: That's another million dollar question. : ) The practical deciding question to ask yourself is: Does the story have enough action and visual changes to fill a 32-page picture book? The more subtle question to ask yourself is: Does it have deeper resonance? Ask yourself how important the idea really is to you - if it's pleasant and seems satisfying to read once, then it's probably a magazine-sized story. If it has a deeper resonance, if it explores ideas on different levels, ideas that make a fundamental difference to the child and the adult reading it, then it probably goes beyond a one-time magazine appearance and should be a book.

daya: How can we think *young* to write for preschoolers?

Elaine: Hi, Daya - the best way to think "young" is to remember when you were young, and how you thought. Also it helps to get out and watch preschoolers and play with them and talk to them as equals, not as a parent. Kids are very accepting of playful adults. : ) Ask yourself what they're thinking when they do something. As you do, you'll get a handle on how their logic works and you'll find yourself writing for them more naturally.

AnneKelly: If you have decided that your story should be a book, how do you decide if it should be a picture book or another type of book?

Elaine: In part, AnneKelly, that depends on the age of the characters in your story. Remember that kids like to read about someone around their age or a little older, so a story about teens probably isn't suited to a picture book. But you also want to look at complexity. If the plot involves subtle nuances that a preschooler won't get, it's probably not a picture book. If it relies on detailed descriptions that can't be conveyed by illustration alone, then it's probably not a picture book.

Norene: What size photos do you send on average with a submission?

Elaine: Norene, that depends on what the editor asks for in guidelines. Usually they'll specify whether they want slides or transparencies (same thing as slides), color prints, or black and white prints. The size for slides is obvious. For prints, usually 5" x 8" is best, but sometimes you can send a regular snapshot you have developed at your local store. If they ask for the negative along with the print, be sure to send that too. And bear in mind that some editors are now asking for pictures to be sent digitally on disc or as an e-mail attachment, so they can download them directly into their computer and use PhotoShop to adjust for size, color, and their specific needs.

bernie: When you do take pictures for articles what type of permissions do you prepare, for the subjects in the pictures? Do you generally send pictures with submissions or wait till acceptance?

Elaine: If I take a photo for publication, Bernie, I get signed permission from the subject to use his or her picture to accompany an article. I just get a simple statement that it's okay to use this picture in print. If the subject is a child, of course, you have to get the parent to sign the permission. I mention the availability of photos in the query, and I send them with the submission if the editor gives me the go-ahead based on the query. If it's a cold submission to a magazine that requires photos in order to make the sale, then I send in the photos with the manuscript also. I figure they help my chances of selling, so why wait until acceptance is already a sure thing? I like to make it easy for the editor to say yes. : )

Norene: If you send on disc and they ask for Mac compatible and you only have IBM compatible, where do you get them exchanged? Will photo developers do this?

Elaine: Norene, I'm a Mac person, so you've touched on a sore point here, because it's so easy with a Mac to send them in any format at all! However, if you use Photoshop, I believe even the Windows version allows you to choose the format in which you save the photo. Check with the editor and ask which format (JPEG, GIF, etc) will work, and save it to your disc in that format. Graphics can transcend computer operating systems. : )

Edna: If you need a picture of something like an animal, such as a wolf, how can you get one that you can send with your ms.?

Elaine: Hi, Edna. You may be able to find copyright-free clip art nature photos that you can use if you use a computer. If you live in a city with a natural history museum, you could go there and ask them if they've got any photos they could let you send with your submission for no charge, or for a nominal charge, but be sure that the editor wants you to send the photos before you go to any expense getting them. Many larger magazines expect to get their own photos, and that expense is built into their budget, not into their author payment.

Cece: How important is interviewing an expert in nonfiction articles?

Elaine: Hi, Cece. It's *very* important! It can make a sale, or break an otherwise interesting article.

MODERATOR: If you look at the listing in the market book, why do you have to get sample copies and editorial guidelines?

Elaine: Because the listing is only a brief summary of what you'll find out from sample copies and guidelines. The sample copy shows you the tone and style of what they publish - the difference between a literary short story written in rich vocabulary, and a hip short story written on a hi-lo level, for instance. The guidelines tell you an editor's wish list - say they want holiday stories, but not Thanksgiving, Halloween or Christmas. You'd only know that from reading the guidelines. They also give you ideas about special needs. For example, some religious magazines don't want to see characters dancing, or going to the movies. Some don't want to see girls wearing jeans, or families eathing meat. You might have a casual descriptive detail that would make your story unacceptable to those editors. It wouldn't really alter your plot to have them eating salad instead of hot dogs, but you won't know you should make that change until you read the guidelines.

MODERATOR: We hear the advice to "read six months to a year of back issues. Find out what they have published, what they haven't, and the focus of their market." Do you do this and/or recommend it?

Elaine: If I read a magazine, and I like it and can see myself writing for it (in other words, the tone and ideas feel "right" for me) then yes, I do go to the library and read back issues. I'll also subscribe to it so I can continue to read it regularly, to keep up with any changes.

Maudy: How often should you "re-request" guidelines from the same publisher? I assume their needs and wish lists change.

Elaine: You're exactly right, Maudy. They do change. I update my guidelines annually, but here I must caution you to be sure to ask for updated guidelines. This is because the normal procedure is for a secretary to pull out the guidelines and sample copy from a large collection. The thinking is that they don't change so much over time. So you could get a sample copy that was actually older than the one you already have! But if you ask for the latest guidelines and sample because you're updating your files, you should get the most recent iteration of their guidelines, and a current sample.

MODERATOR: Can you send the same manuscript to several magazines at once?

Elaine: Sure you can, provided they take simultaneous submissions - their guidelines will tell you that. If you have a track record with a particular editor, though, and you feel the ms. is perfect for him or her, then I'd recommend letting that editor have an exclusive. That's what I do. If you do send it out to several magazines, you must tell the editors it's a simultaneous submission. Here's a worst case scenario: Suppose you have two markets that both pay on publication, and suppose they don't accept until they know whether or not they're going to publish. If they don't know it's a simultaneous submission, you could actually have *both* magazines send you acceptances within days of each other, for issues coming out the same month! Believe me - those editors won't buy anything from you ever again after seeing *their* story in someone else's magazine! Telling them it was a simultaneous submission upfront could have prevented the problem.

Marv: If I sell to a magazine that requires I sell all rights, should I try to negotiate to keep some of my rights, or is that a futile attempt that could jeopardize my relationship with the editors?

Elaine: Like so many things, it depends on the particular magazine in question. If you're asking about Highlights (since it is the most high profile magazine that buys all rights) the answer is that negotiation won't help you there. They buy all rights, period. However, as I mentioned earlier, if they re-sell that piece, they'll send you a check even though they're not obligated to. If you have a long track record of sales with other magazines that want to buy all rights you can ask to keep some rights, but if you don't have a track record you probably won't get them. It shouldn't jeopardize any business relationship with an editor to ask, though, as long as you're professional about asking. Demanding rudely would probably turn the editor off, but no one here would do that, of course. : )

imhopeful: When sending simultaneous submissions, how long after receiving an acceptance should you wait for another editor who may possibly give you a better offer?

Elaine: Hi, Imhopeful - I like your user name. : ) Personally, I'm of the school that a contract in the hand is worth two in the mail. If you really want to sell to *one* specific magazine, then send it to that editor exclusively. If you send it out to a bunch of magazines simultaneously, then you should probably take the first offer that comes your way and be happy with it.

MODERATOR: Do you subscribe to online publications such as Inklings, Global Writers' Ink, Writer Online, Inscriptions, and Writing for Dollars? Do you check the Writer's Digest website that gives a market of the day, with guidelines? Is online market study helpful?

Elaine: I subscribe to a few online publications, and I'm a member of several children's writers' listservs. I find the discussion on the listservs more helpful than online publications, frankly. I do check out the Writer's Digest website for markets, Harold Underdown's website (Purple Crayon at http://www.underdown.org ) for movement of editors from place to place, and a number of other children's writing websites - I just have them bookmarked - and I find these updates helpful. I also bookmark magazine websites, because they'll often post updated guidelines and needs directly on their web page. This is wonderfully helpful, because it tells you what the editor wants to see *today*, not six months ago when the guidelines were printed in bulk.

Ducky: What is a listserv?

Cece: Where do you find listservs?

Elaine: Ducky, a listserv is a mailing list, where members post messages back and forth to each other. These messages are read by everyone in the group. It's like having a conference every day in your online mailbox! Cece, you can do a search for listservs using any search engine - just specify mailing lists or listservs, instead of web pages.

bernie: Could you give us a list of a few of your favorite, more helpful listservers for children's and/or writers in general?

Elaine: Bernie, my two favorite listservs are invitation listservs, I'm afraid. But there's another one called YAWRITE that is not an invitation listserv. The main listserv is WRITING. You first join that one, and then select the list you'd like to specialize in, in this case, YAWRITE (which is nominally Young Adult writing, but includes writing for kids as well as teens). Send an e-mail to: listserv@lists.psu.edu In the message box of your e-mail, put: subscribe WRITING Your Name In response you should get an e-mail with instructions to show you how to sign onto YAWRITE, as well as other lists for adult fiction, nonfiction, poetry, etc. If for some reason you don't receive that, send an e-mail to the same address, and put in the message box: subscribe YAWRITE Your Name You should get an e-mail directing you how to proceed from there. Enjoy chatting with your fellow writers and critiquing their work!

And here's the home page for a whole collection of listservs. Both of my invitation children's writing listservs are in this system, and there are many others. You can go to: http://www.onelist.com and type "writing" into the search box - you'll get a huge list of potential mailing lists that you can try out and see what you think.

colleen: How much do magazines pay for an article on average?

Elaine: Hi, Colleen - There's probably a statistical average, but I don't know what it is. Each magazine has its own rates. You can find out an individual magazine's rates by looking at a market listing for it, or at their guidelines. You can figure that most small magazines pay somewhere from 3 cents to 5 cents a word, and larger magazines pay around 10 cents to 25 cents a word, or more. So what you can expect to earn depends on where you send it, and on how long it is. Though, of course, it can't be longer than the magazine's maximum word count, and shorter pieces usually sell better.

Cece: To what extent can a magazine alter your article?

Elaine: It depends on the magazine, Cece. Some of them buy all rights, and they can basically rewrite your piece entirely, if they choose. Fortunately, they rarely do that (after all, they wanted what you put into the piece in the first place). Usually a magazine will specify that they can edit your manuscript in order to fit with in-house style and policy and you have to let them alter it so that it fits. Sometimes this means just changing a few things, but sometimes it can be more radical. You can ask the editor to let you see any changes, or participate in any revisions, but not every editor will do this. Sometimes it's a matter of not enough time, and sometimes it's a matter of thinking the editor knows best, like Father.

Cece: If they alter it too much can you pull it or take your name off it?

Elaine: Cece, you can certainly pull it if you know about major alterations in advance. If you do so, however, bear in mind that that editor will probably never want to work with you again. Of course, you probably don't want to work with that editor again, either, so that's not a problem. Usually however, you won't find out until it appears in print. You have to just grit your teeth and remember that you got a check and you now have a credit. I know it's hard to take - it's happened to me, and I've done both. One time I pulled the piece, and I never worked with that editor again, and one time I just gritted my teeth.

MODERATOR: Do you know where you will send your work-in-progress? Do you have a list of markets for each of your stories, poems, books or articles?

Elaine: When I get an idea for a story or article and start shaping it in my mind I decide pretty quickly where I'd like to send it, because that market choice impacts on the style and tone I'll use in writing it. I always have at least half a dozen potential markets, though I know I'll need to do some rewriting for different magazines. But I don't count on the first one being the sale, even if I believe it's perfect for them. The editor may already have something similar I couldn't predict, so it's good to have other markets in mind, rather than leaving the manuscript to languish in my computer file.

MODERATOR: Can you e-mail magazine submissions because they're short?

Elaine: Only if the editor is open to e-mail submissions, but more and more are, because magazine pieces are short. If the editor isn't open to e-mail submissions, though, remember that it's a lot easier to delete an unwanted item in your online mailbox than it is for an editor to put a ms. in a SASE and send it back! If you do submit by e-mail, you can cut and paste your ms. into the message box of your e-mail. It will end up single-spaced, but that's okay. The editor knows he or she can then cut and paste it into their publishing software. Or you can send it as an attachment - but be sure it's in the right format! The editor will let you know which format to use. Try not to send a MIME attachment - a lot of e-mail programs can't open this format. A friend recently told me she had trouble trying to send a requested manuscript by MIME attachment. Her editor wanted to buy it, but couldn't open it! Remember, you want to make it *easy* for the editor to read your manuscript and buy it - not hard.

Norene: What about using a regular html format?

Elaine: Sure, Norene - a regular html format can be opened by anyone. The best format to use for an attachment, however, is simple Text, rather than any special format with embedded tab or indent commands.

MODERATOR: Can you e-mail magazine editors to just ask a quick question about a submission or an idea?

Elaine: If you've dealt with an editor before, and the editor invites you to e-mail questions or ideas, sure. Otherwise, follow the same etiquette you'd use if e-mail didn't exist. Mail proposals, and wait to follow up on a submission until at least three or four months have elapsed. Some editors love e-mail, and some dislike it - that's why you should ask an editor, once you form that working relationship, whether or not it's okay to contact him or her routinely by e-mail, and abide by their wishes.

MODERATOR: Since editors come and go, publishers change addresses, houses are swallowed and new ones created, needs and focuses change. Do you keep records of markets and their changes? How do you do it?

Elaine: I file sample copies and editorial guidelines in file folders, categorized by age group and special interest. When editors change, I note that on the guidelines themselves in the file. If there's a major change that results in new guidelines online, I print those out and file them, tossing the old ones, of course. I'll also jot down notes on the guidelines themselves, mentioning special needs and interests I perceive from reading the magazine or that I note from reading writing publications that mention market news.

Cece: I sold one-time rights for an article and it will be out next month. Can I now send it "as is" to other magazines?

Elaine: Congratulations, Cece!! I bet it will look beautiful in print. : ) Sure you can start sending it out to other magazines. One thing to take into account is the lag time with the other magazines. They won't want to duplicate something that has just come out. If a magazine says to send mss. in six months or a year in advance for seasonal pieces, for example, then you're probably safe sending it to them. If they have a shorter lag time, however, you might want to wait a few months. Remember, even the editor buying reprints wants it to be fresh for their readers, and it may not be if it was just published a couple of months ago.

Cece: Do I have to tell them where it was published?

Elaine: It's a good idea, Cece. That also helps them be sure how soon they can reprint it. If they are markets that have no overlap in their readership, then they may well want to buy it immediately. If they do overlap in readership, then you'll avoid an unpleasant misunderstanding by telling the new editor where the piece first appeared.

MODERATOR: Once you've got lots of information, how do you focus it for a magazine article?

Elaine: First of all, decide what's important to you about your subject. For example, I love paleontology. I wanted to write about Roy Chapman Andrews, who first discovered dinosaur eggs. That was a good start, but I knew too much about Andrews, and I needed a focus, so I asked myself what I admired about him most. I decided I admired his determination in achieving what he dreamed, so I chose three incidents from his life that showed that determination. That meant I left out a lot, of course. A magazine should show the reader something tight and focused. That's the only way to make the most out of that limited space. But if the reader is intrigued by the person or the subject, he'll want to read more about it. Then you can write a book. : )

Marv: I have a hard time giving out all rights, then possibly seeing my work being published elsewhere while I stand and watch. It's like selling my own flesh and blood into slavery. I feel as a beginning writer I am in the position of "Beggars can't be choosers" and "I'm a dime a dozen." Is there a solution?

Elaine: If you feel it's wrong to sell all rights, then you shouldn't send your manuscripts to markets that buy all rights. There are plenty of good magazines that buy first rights or one-time rights. It's true that these don't pay as well as those that buy all rights, but they're getting less for their money, so that's fair and you have the right to sell your story again and again, rather than feeling it's going into bondage. You're not a dime a dozen, though - those markets that pay top dollar for all rights are also the toughest to break into. If you sell there, it's a great credit and your story will reach many, many readers.

MODERATOR: How do you sell reprints? What's the actual procedure?

Elaine: First you look for reprint markets - that's shown in market listings and in guidelines. You submit the way you would submit the original, a typed or computer printed manuscript, but in the cover letter you tell the editor that you're offering reprint rights and, as I said a little earlier, you should tell them where and when the piece first appeared. Send a manuscript version rather than a clip, or a photocopy of the earlier appearance of your story or article because that makes it easier for the editor to work on it when it comes to publishing it.

MODERATOR: Time for one last question...

Maudy: If we get some picture off of the Internet, do we have to pursue permission to publish?

Elaine: Most sites will tell you what you need to do, Maudy. If the site says its pictures are copyrighted, then you have to get permission.

MODERATOR: I'm sorry to interrupt here, but I'm afraid we're out of time. Thank you so much, Elaine, for being here tonight to share your expertise in writing for the magazine market.

Elaine: Thank you for having me! And thanks to everyone for such great questions. Good luck to all of you!

MODERATOR: Come back next Thursday night, April 20, 2000 for another "Open Forum" with Web Editor Kristi Holl (me). Kristi has published over 100 magazine articles and stories, as well as 22 books for the juvenile market. Kristi has combined teaching for fifteen years and raising six children with her writing, and welcomes your questions on time management, getting started, writer's block, marketing, or anything else you'd like to discuss. Bring your QUESTIONS and OPINIONS to this moderated open forum next week. And until then, good night, everyone!

Return to Transcripts

93 Long Ridge Road, West Redding, CT 06896 Phone: (203) 792-8600 (800) 243-9645 Fax: (203) 792-8406 E-Mail: WebEditor@institutechildrenslit.com

Home | Writing Course | Short Story  | Full Story | Aptitude Test 
 Send Me Info | Enroll | Our Instructors | Our Credentials | Sample Lesson
College Credits | Tax Deductibility | From Overseas | Writer's Bookstore 
Newsletter | Writing Contests | Write for Adults | Free Writer's News
 Rx for Writers | Chat Room | Open Forum | Writing Tips  | Scheduled Events | Transcripts
Writer's Retreat | Writer's Support  | Student  Center |  Privacy Policy | Web Editor | Comments

Copyright © The Institute, Inc., 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
No part of the electronic transmission to which this notice is appended may be reproduced or redistributed in any form or manner without the express written permission of The Institute, Inc.