From Beginning to End
Getting Started (Part 8)
Obtaining Free Sample Magazines and Writers’ Guidelines
By Joanne D. Kiggins
In my last column, I talked
about studying the markets and obtaining writers’ guidelines and several past
issues of each magazine you have on your target list. Sometimes sample
issues from the publication could cost you more than newsstand price. Here
are several ways I’ve found back issues for free, or by paying next to
nothing.
Free Sample Copies
·
Visit the library. Most libraries have
a large selection of magazines. You can review the magazine while at the
library or check it out for a week. Some libraries even have a magazine
exchange bin or a bin with free books and magazines. Make sure you check
publication dates for current year. Magazines from the 1990s will not help
you determine what the magazine has recently published.
·
Scan the piles of magazines at the doctor’s and
dentist’s office, drug stores and hospitals. If you find a magazine
you’re interested in, ask the receptionist if you can borrow it. I always take
a few magazines with me to help replace what I may borrow. Sometimes you’ll
even find free issues of baby magazines and parenting magazines on a rack at the
drug stores.
·
Check bookstores, Wal-Mart, grocery stores and specialty
stores.
I’ve found several free sample issues of magazines in the free bins in the
entrances to all of these stores.
·
Visit magazine websites. Many magazines offer
a free issue to solicit subscribers. Some also archive the publication
online and you can review it at your leisure from your desktop.
·
Check out “free trial offers.”
Some magazines offer the free trial online. If you can’t find the
magazine you want online, keep your eyes open for the junk mail postcard-type
free issue offers. Once you’ve received the free copy, you are not obligated
to subscribe; you simply just write “cancel” on the subscription invoice.
·
Look through Writer’s Market. Pick
all the publications you’re interested in writing for and find as many as you
can that offer a free sample copy. Sometimes you don’t even have to
waste a stamp; you can e-mail a request for the sample.
·
Start a magazine exchange with
friends, relatives, neighbors and writing groups.
Writers’ Guidelines
·
Check
Writer’s Market for each magazine you have
targeted. Sometimes
guidelines are listed right there. Others may state “writers’
guidelines online” and others “writers’ guidelines for #10 SASE.”
Try to find as many posted online as possible to keep your spending down.
·
Those
magazines listing free guidelines usually can be sent an
e-mail and the guidelines are e-mailed back to you.
·
Check
with writer’s groups and ask them for copies of
guidelines you are interested in.
·
Writing
workshop participants are always eager to help.
If you joined a workshop recently, simply post a request for a list of
magazine guidelines you need e-mailed to you. This not only gets you
acquainted with the workshop participants, but also accomplishes your need for
gathering marketing information.
Get involved with other
writers: Join workshops or writers’ groups online and in your home area.
(We’ll talk about writers’ groups and workshops in another column.)
There is nothing better than to have constructive criticism and helpful writer
friends around when you are beginning your career.
Magazine Sites:
·
Just
copy and paste the URL and start searching through the lists:
ByLine Magazine for writers
- Click on the Guidelines menu button for your free guidelines. http://www.bylinemag.com/
FreeSiteX - This is a
list of free magazines you can get in the mail. Some are completely free.
Some are no risk free trial offers and some no risk 90-day free trial.
http://www.freesitex.com/magazine.html
FreeMagazines - Great list.
http://www.magazines.com/ncom/mag?subject=67&afd_number=4297&ggkey=Free+Magazines
Free Construction Magazines
- For those writers, men or women, who are interested in any type of
construction: electrical, homes, decks, remodeling etc. http://www.freeconstructionmagazines.com/index.aspx
FreeCenter - Free
Magazines and Ezines – http://www.freecenter.com/magazines.html
Free2Try - Just click on
the URL and look in the menu for magazines. There are several listed.
http://www.free2try.com
Try the list above or
try your favorite search engine to find free magazines. Good Luck!
-Joanne will accept questions by email about writing from readers and answer those questions in her column.
E-mail Joanne: joannedkiggins@comcast.net.
Visit her site at http://home.comcast.net/~joannedkiggins
Joanne (Stanko) Kiggins has published more than 2,500 articles. She was award recipient of the 1990 Woman of the Year for Beaver County, Pennsylvania, for her accomplishments in her community and excellence in journalism.
She was on the staff of Slippery Rock University teaching her copyrighted writing course "Sell What You Write" and creative and freelance writing. She has appeared on television and radio, hosted several writers' conferences, and spoken at many conferences and writer's organizations. Her most recent articles were published in ByLine Magazine, AbsoluteWrite.com, and
Moondance.org.
For more columns by Joanne (Stanko) Kiggins, please click here.
