Finding the Bacon
By Meg Weaver

Hello everybody,

This time Ginny McCracken, our researcher, has included some well-paying...eh, decent paying magazines.  $1 per word is what writers' organizations, such as National Writer's Union and the American Association of Journalists and Authors, feel writers should be paid.  Alas, we're not there yet.

Today, when a magazine pays $1 per word it's generally a well-known national magazine and the competition is tough.  Often, the editors don't even consider queries but requires that you submit a portfolio or a "sample of published clips" as the editors of MARTHA STEWART LIVING below puts it.

So - if you want to get paid better - do you have a portfolio?

A successful portfolio is not just a pile of published clips; it's a careful collection of clips that show your progress in the same area of interest the magazine is edited in.  If you're lusting for an assignment from M/S LIVING, a clip from a health magazine, however accomplished, may actually work against you.  Since LIVING doesn't publish health articles, the editors may wonder whether you know the kind of articles their magazine needs.  And that's not going to get you an assignment.

So, start a portfolio now, even if you're not planning to go for assignments immediately.  But if you're planning to make a living as a writer, whether full- or part-time, now is the time to start working on getting the kind of clips you will need later.

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AMERICAN PROFILE
Publishing Group of America
341 Cool Springs Blvd, Suite 400
Franklin, TN 37067
Phone: (615) 468-6000
Fax: (615) 468-6100

Website: http://www.americanprofile.com 

E-queries: No, mail a query letter or the complete manuscript

Contact: Editorial Department/Queries

Writers' guidelines online: http://www.americanprofile.com/aboutus/writers.asp

Pays: $0.25 to $1.00 per word

Rights: First rights

Description: American Profile is a weekly, full-color newspaper magazine insert that targets readers of smaller hometown and community newspapers. 

Circulation: 1,800,000

Notes: An editorial calendar is available.

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EXOTIC PLACES TO RETIRE
Places To Retire Inc
54 Elgin Street
Sudbury, Ontario
Canada P3E 3N2
Phone: (705) 670-8099
Fax: (705) 670-9097

Contact: Greg Huneault

Writers' guidelines online: No; this magazine does not provide writers' guidelines.

Pays: $0.05 to $0.10 per word

Rights: All rights

Description: Exotic Places to Retire explores lifestyle options for retirees.  The magazine features advice for retirement and semi-retirement options.

Circulation: 185,000

Notes: "We invite experienced professional writers and photographers to contact us if interested in assignments for Exotic Places to Retire and Places to Retire in Canada.  Please provide no more than three samples.  We prefer local professionals who are knowledgeable of the area to be featured.  Please complete the contact information form on the website and press "submit." We will contact you upon receipt of your information.  For further information, please contact the editor, Greg Huneault, by e-mail or telephone.  If applicable, include in your comments any links to work published online or references to any print work published you would like to submit as samples.  We look forward to hearing from you."

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MARTHA STEWART LIVING
Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia
20 West 43rd Street
New York, NY 10019
Phone: (212) 827-8000

Website: http://www.marthastewart.com

Contact: Debra Puchalla

Writers' guidelines online: No; this magazine does not provide writers' guidelines.

Pays: $1.00 to $1.50 per word

Rights: All rights

Description: Martha Stewart Living is a lifestyle magazine featuring decorating, cooking, gardening and entertaining.

Circulation: 2,100,000

Notes Send queries by mail with SASE.  To be considered for freelance opportunities, send queries to the editor with samples of published work. The magazine does not accept unsolicited manuscripts or story ideas.

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METROPOLIS
Bellerophon Publications Inc.
61 W 23rd Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10010
Phone: (212) 627-9977
Fax: (212) 627-9988

Website: http://www.metropolismag.com

E-queries: No, mail a query letter.

Contact: Julien Devereux

Writers' guidelines online: No

Pays: $1.00 to $1.20 per word

Photos: Some additional payment

Rights: All rights

Description: Metropolis is committed to the examination of contemporary life through the various design disciplines (architecture, interior design, product design, graphic design, crafts, planning, and preservation).

Circulation: 47,000

Notes: No profiles on individual architectural practices.  Magazine is only interested in the consumer end of architecture and design.

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NATIVE PEOPLES 
Media Concepts Group Inc.
5333 N. 7th Street, Suite C-224
Phoenix, AZ 85014-2804
Phone: (602) 265-4855
Fax: (602) 265-3113

Website: http://www.nativepeoples.com

E-queries: Yes, mail or e-mail a query letter

Contact: Daniel Gibson

Email: editorial@nativepeoples.com

Writers' guidelines online: http://www.nativepeoples.com

Pays: $0.25 per word

Photos: Payment is negotiated separately

Rights: First rights

Description: This magazine strives to offer a sensitive portrayal of the arts and lifeways of the Native peoples of the Americas.

Circulation: 58,000 

Notes: The readers are 35% male, 65% female and 14% are Native American.

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NATURAL HOME
Natural Home LLC
201 E Fourth Street, Loveland, CO 80537-5655
Phone: (970) 669-7672
Fax: (970) 667-8317

Website: http://www.naturalhomemagazine.com

E-queries: No, mail a query letter or the complete manuscript

Contact: Maren Thompson Black

Writers' guidelines online: No.

Pays: $0.33 to $0.50 per word

Rights: First North American serial rights

Description: Natural Home is a bimonthly magazine devoted to health-conscious, earth-conscious readers who are concerned with the quality of their personal environment.

Circulation: 150,000

Notes: The readers are 18% male, 82% female.  76% are married and their median household income is $67,000.

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These markets are brought to you by Wooden Horse Publishing - a news and resource site for article writers at http://www.woodenhorsepub.com.  Check it out for the latest magazine news and markets, markets, markets.

Air Mail Markets
By Amy Brozio-Andrews

Hello again and welcome to the latest issue of Air Mail Markets. Calling all fiction writers - here are three paying markets actively seeking your work! I know, it's always the nonfiction writers who get all the markets, but this week, there's not a nonfiction publication to be had. From Canada to the UK, these are magazines looking for the best in innovative and creative Christian fiction, speculative fiction, science fiction and fantasy. So get comfy, make yourself a cup of tea, and let that creative ink flow. 

Bonne chance!

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Dreams & Visions: New Frontiers in Christian Fiction
Skysong Press
35 Peter St. South 
Orillia, Ontario 
Canada L3V 5A8

Website: http://www.bconnex.net/~skysong/dream28.htm 
Email: skysong@bconnex.net 

Snapshot: Published since 1988, Dreams & Visions is a Christian literary journal published three times per year. While work accepted for publication must reflect Biblical values, spiritual truths should be presented in new and creative ways. While Dreams & Visions does intend to encourage readers to find deeper and more meaningful relationships with God, the publication is meant to be entertaining, not preachy. 

Writers' Guidelines Online: Yes, at http://www.bconnex.net/~skysong/submit.htm 

E-Queries: No

Payment: $0.05 (USD$0.03) per word upon publication; most published work is between 2000 and 6000 words

Rights: First North American Serial or non-exclusive reprint rights

Notes: Dreams & Visions does not publish poetry nor stories that celebrate violence or perversity. Retellings of Biblical stories are not published, nor is fiction for teens or young adults. Aside from these restrictions, no limit is placed on the literary genre of submissions; previously published pieces include metafiction, science fiction, humor, fantasy, magical realism and inspirational. 

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On Spec Magazine
Box 4727
Edmonton, Alberta 
Canada T6E 5G6 

Website: http://www.icomm.ca/onspec/current.htm 

Snapshot: Published quarterly, On Spec seeks quality speculative fiction from around the world, including fantasy, horror, ghost stories, magical realism, and more. Check out On Spec's page on The Passion to get an insider's look at how work is selected and what the editors are looking for (http://www.icomm.ca/onspec/passion.htm). 

Writers' Guidelines Online: Yes, at http://www.icomm.ca/onspec/Writers.htm 

E-Queries: No

Payment: $50-180 (USD$31-114) upon acceptance for fiction, $20 (USD$12) for poetry (4-100 lines) and $50 (USD$31) for short-short stories (under 1000 words). One or two contributor's copies also included with payment, depending upon format of accepted work (fiction, poetry or short-short fiction).

Rights: First North American Serial

Notes: On Spec does not accept reprints. Deadlines are four times per year: February 28, May 31, August 31, and November 30. Response time may take up to 12 weeks after the deadline closes. Material received that misses a deadline will be held for the next one. On Spec does require a completed contract prior to publication. The writers' guidelines provide in-depth answers to FAQ about the selection process; please see the guidelines for complete details. In order to maintain grant funding, the magazine must maintain 80% Canadian content, so non-Canadian writers may have to wait longer than Canadian writers to see their accepted work published in an issue of On Spec. 

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Interzone
217 Preston Drove,
Brighton BN1 6FL,
UK 

Website: http://www.sfsite.com/interzone/index.htm 
Email: interzone@cix.co.uk 
Editor: David Pringle

Snapshot: A leading British sci fi and fantasy magazine, Interzone is widely read and respected as a publisher of well known writers and newcomers to the genre. Published since 1982, it has been short-listed for the Hugo Award several times and was a winner in 1995.

Writers' Guidelines Online: Yes, at http://www.sfsite.com/interzone/guide.htm 

E-Queries: No

Payment: Pays on publication; rate not specified

Rights: First English Language Serial; no reprints

Notes: Allow for response times up to two months on submissions. No space-opera, sword and sorcery, or ghost stories will be considered. Submitted work should be between 2000 and 6000 words. Before mailing it, be sure your submission conforms to the format indicated in the writers' guidelines. 

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Amy Brozio-Andrews is a freelance writer living in New York;  she writes on a variety of topics for print and online publications, and is hard at work on her first novel.  Please feel free to check out her website at www.penpadandpixel.com, and e-mail her at amy@penpadandpixel.com. 

Promoting Your Prose
By Mary Emma Allen

USING NEWSLETTERS FOR PUBLICITY

Many authors utilize newsletters as a way to get the word out about their work and to keep in touch with their readers. The newsletter is more expansive than a press release, reaches specific people or readers who subscribe and would be interested in your books, workshops, and talks.

Read the rest of this article by clicking here.