7-23

Finding the Bacon: Market Listings

Sable Jak, Editor

I'm a country girl, although when I hit a certain age I wanted to be a city girl and moved to the city. I've wised up in the meantime and now with every season that rolls around I grow nostalgic for my country roots. I even miss my big brother dumping me off the inner tube into the leech-filled weed patch five feet from shore. Well, maybe I don't REALLY miss that, but I do miss the lake and the loons and the butterflies landing on my hands. If you love nature, this month's market listing is just for you!

Oh, and there is a national butterfly magazine, but I haven't heard back from them about writer's guidelines so I'll keep bugging them until they get back to me… no pun intended. J

Audubon
The Magazine of the National Audubon Society
National Audubon Society
700 Broadway
New York, NY 10003-9501 USA
Fx: 212-477-9069
http://www.audubon.org
E-Queries: No. Send a brief query letter accompanied by clips and a SASE. From their online guidelines: "Be sure the query not only outlines the subject matter but also indicates the approach you would take."
Contact: Editor
Email: writersqueries@audubon.org
Writer's guidelines online: http://magazine.audubon.org/guidelines.html
Pays: Competitive rates, $100-$3,000. Pays on acceptance.
Rights: All. Byline given. 33% kill fee.
Description: Published six times a year. From the online guidelines: "The mission of Audubon magazine is to help its readers appreciate, understand, and preserve the natural world, with a particular focus on birds and wildlife and their habitats."
Circulation: 500,000. Readers: "The readers of Audubon magazine are educated, affluent, and active. They represent a dual audience (50 percent male, 50 percent female) with a median age of 48 and a household income of $61,480. Source: 2001 Spring MRI."
Needs: Interviews, essays, exposés. From the online guidelines: "Audubon articles deal with the natural and human environment. They cover the remote as well as the familiar. What they all have in common, however, is that they have a story to tell, one that will interest not only Audubon
readers but also everyone with a concern for the affairs of humans and nature. We want good, solid journalism. We want stories of people and places, good news and bad: humans and nature in conflict, humans and nature working together, humans attempting to comprehend, protect, and renew the natural world.

We are looking for new voices and fresh ideas. Read the magazine, both features and departments, before sending a query. Among the types of stories we seek: balanced reporting on environmental issues and events -- especially those related to birds and wildlife and their habitats here in North America -- and analyses of events, policies, and issues from a fresh point of view. We do not publish fiction or poetry. Please, no phone calls."

Nature Conservancy Magazine
International Headquarters
The Nature Conservancy
4245 North Fairfax Dr., Suite 100
Arlington, VA 22203-1606 USA
Ph: 1-800-628-6860
http://nature.org/magazine/2001/mayjun/
E-Queries: Yes
Contact: I managed to get two names for this site -- Ron Gaetz and Gordon Tubbs.
Email: magazine@tnc.org
This is the addy I used to get the below-listed guidelines. It appears my question went first to Ron Gaetz at Rgeatz@tnc.org (and whose name is listed as the Executive Editor at the bottom of the guidelines) then on to Mr. Tubbs at: gtubbs@tnc.org.
Writer's guidelines online: None found. What I have listed below are the guidelines as they were sent to me:
Nature Conservancy Magazine is the primary membership communications vehicle for The Nature Conservancy, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation of "plants, animals and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive." The 44-page, full-color magazine is published bimonthly and does not take outside advertising.

As a membership magazine, all content is related directly to the accomplishments and challenges of the organization and its on-the-ground work throughout the United States, Latin America, the Caribbean and the Asia/Pacific region. The magazine is not a general- interest environmental publication. As a result, nearly all features and other articles are assigned and at least half are written internally. There is rarely an opportunity for an unsolicited article, unless it relates very directly to the Conservancy's work. Articles about biodiversity issues but unrelated to Conservancy projects are discouraged.

Each bimonthly edition includes two features of approximately 2,500 words. The features are thematically linked, and the themes are generally determined a year out. Freelance writers based in the geographic vicinity of the article's subject matter write approximately half of these twelve features annually. Our current pay rate is $.75 per word for edited copy.

Besides features, departments within the magazine include:

The Face of Conservation: A double-page, 1,200-word profile of an interesting or unusual person who is working with the Conservancy to accomplish its mission. Whenever possible this profile is directly related to the theme of the magazine.

Sightings: A double-page of 4 or 5 news briefs or short takes on issues, discoveries or findings relevant to the Conservancy and its work and a listing of 5 to 10 research projects undertaken by the Conservancy or others at Conservancy sites.

Vital Science: A double-page including a 700-word featurette on a new science finding or research project within the Conservancy; a graph or map depiction of biodiversity data related to the central theme of the issue.

Landmarks: A fifty-word entry from each state program and international subregion describing a recent conservation achievement by the Conservancy in that geographic region. (These are supplied internally and never written by freelancers.)

Footprints: A 3-page column devoted to trips, tours and encouraging appropriate visitation to Conservancy preserves and other protected areas -- domestic and international. Written internally.

Ways & Means: 3 pages devoted to innovative ways members may support or supplement their support of Conservancy work. Written internally.

Natural Selections: A "last page" profile of a charismatic species -- driven by a breathtaking photograph -- with a relevant inspirational quotation and statistics about its habitat needs, lifecycle and where it can be seen at Conservancy projects. Written internally.

Hot Property: A back-cover focus on a Conservancy project in need of urgent support. Written internally.

Flower and Garden Magazine
4645 Bellevue
Kansas City, MO 64112 USA
Ph: 816-531-5730
Fx: 816-531-3873
http://www.flowerandgardenmag.com
E-Queries: Yes. Also snail mail and fax. Send $3 for a sample edition and a #10 SASE for writer's guidelines.
Contact: Senior Editor
Email: kcpublishing@earthlink.net
Writer's guidelines online: At the time of compiling this list, the site for Flower and Garden Magazine was under reconstruction. In an email the editors said to send for guidelines.
Pays: Pays on acceptance. $200-$500 for 500-1,000 word articles.
Note: Publication, on average, is a year after acceptance.
Photos: A must! $300 for cover photo, $60-$175 for inside photos. Prefer transparencies and color slides. Cover photos should be submitted as transparencies 2-1/4 x 2-1/4 or larger. 35mm prints or slides are not good for cover. Make sure photos are labeled and accompanied with a description log that includes common names and botanical names. Mark which end is the top.
Rights: First-time non-exclusive rights. Byline given sometimes. Buys reprints. Description: Published six times a year.
Circulation: 300,000 Readers: Gardeners of all ages.
Needs: Practical articles from a how-to standpoint. Articles must be slanted toward a national and not regional audience. From flower-arranging to patio gardening, it should be evident that the author knows his/her subject.

High Country News
High Country Foundation
P.O. Box 1090
Paonia, CO 81428-1090 USA
Ph: 303-527-4898
http://www.hcn.org
E-Queries: New writers should query by mail. Send clips of any published writing
Contact: Betsy Marston, Editor
Email: betsym@hcn.org
Writer's guidelines online: http://www.hcn.org/home_page/dir/freelance.html
Pays: "Feature articles and opinion pieces are usually purchased at 20 cents or more a word, depending upon the quality of work, the editing required and the writer's working relationship with the paper. Regular contributors usually receive higher rates than occasional writers. Payment will be made immediately after publication."
Note: Publication is usually two months after acceptance. Reprints are accepted. Include info as to where and when article was previously published. 15 cents/word.
Photos: "Solicited work: High Country News accepts good quality color or black-and-white prints (8x10 preferred) and 35mm negatives and slides. Electronic images are welcome, as well, and should be saved as JPEG files, at 300 dpi or higher at about 7 inches on the long side. E-mail as attached files to cindy@hcn.org." Pays $35-$100 depending on quality, published size, and location within the paper. Payment is upon publication.
Rights: One-time rights. Byline given.
Description: From the webpage: High Country News is a non-profit, every-other-week newspaper covering the Rocky Mountain West, the desert Southwest and the Pacific Northwest.
Circulation: 20,000 (estimated 50,000 readers). Readers: Grass-roots activists, public land managers, educators, tribal leaders and government policy makers.
Needs: (from the web site) "HCN welcomes and encourages well-researched, analytical pieces that give the reader a sense of the importance of events and issues affecting the region. We divide submissions into four general categories: "Hotlines," 250-word news briefs; "Roundups," topical stories of about 800 words which we print in the front of the paper; features, generally up to 3,000 words, of which we print one per issue; and opinion pieces, of no standard length but generally under 1,000 words. New writers should begin by writing Hotlines and Roundups, and always query before submitting a feature. HCN occasionally features a 'centerspread,' highlighting photography or artwork on a subject or artist of interest."
Insider's note: In an email with the editor I was told to stress to new freelancers that you please know what High Country has been covering in the past. Also from the website: Please include your social security number with all submissions.

YES Mag
Canada's Science Magazine for Kids
3968 Long Gun Pl.
Victoria, BC
V8N 3A9
Canada
Ph: not listed
Fx: not listed
http://www.yesmag.bc.ca/
E-Queries: Yes. Please note: per online guidelines they do not accept freelance work for the website so guidelines apply only to the print edition of YES Mag.
Contact: Editor
Email: editor@yesmag.bc.ca
Writer's guidelines online: http://www.yesmag.bc.ca/interact/guidelines.html
Pays: Pays on publication. From the guidelines: We can't pay a lot right now, but the kids appreciate your efforts (and so do we). Articles and departmental contributions: $.15 (Canadian) per word.
Photos, drawings, graphics: varies
Rights: One-time print rights.
Description: Published bimonthly, 32 pages. From the web page: YES Mag grows out of a partnership with Actua, an award-winning science-promotion organization. Actua is made up of 27 university-based, student-run programs from Victoria to St. John's. Like its partner, YES Mag seeks to encourage interest and appreciation for science in children, provide positive role models for both girls and boys, and inspire children to continue pursuing their interest in science.
Circulation: 16,000 Readers: 8- to 14-year-olds.
Needs: From the online guidelines: There is a focus on Canadian content throughout YES Mag -- Canadian science and scientists are highlighted. The articles in YES Mag tend to be short. With only 32 pages four times per year, we try to pack as much information as we can into each issue. Sci and Tech Watch pieces generally run to 250 words, while features run from about 800 to 1200 words.
Note: The online guidelines are lengthy with specifics to the different departments and needs. You can order a sample issue of the magazine or view sample pages for free in PDF format. You can also visit the webpage to get a feel for the magazine.

The Amicus Journal
The Natural Resources Defense Council
40 W. 20th St.
New York, NY 10011 USA
Ph: 212-727-2700
Fx: 212-727-1773
http://www.nrdc.org/amicus/f-ami.htm
E-Queries: Yes, and by snail mail. Query with published clips. Send #10 SASE for writer guidelines. Sample copy available for $5.
Contact: Kathrin Day Lassila, Editor
Email: amicus@nrdc.org
Writer's guidelines online: Not found.
Pays: Pays on publication. (Note: publication is usually about six months after acceptance.) $.50/word for environmental features of 3,000. Negotiable pay for columns and departments of 500-1,000 words. Poetry (free verse, haiku and avant-garde) is $75 for a manuscript page length.
Photos: Negotiates individual payments, purchases one-time rights.
Rights: FNASR (includes print & electronic simultaneously). Byline given. 25% kill fee. Seasonal material should be submitted six months in advance.
Description: Published quarterly. From their website: "The Amicus Journal is a wide-ranging forum on environmental issues. We cover the unexpected: light pollution, evangelicals and environmentalism, hitchhiking in an electric-car race. We cover the essential: what Congress is doing on the environment, green PR by industrial corporations, the state of global warming science. We publish poems and essays on themes rooted in nature -- by some of today's foremost poets and essayists. In a special section, we cover the work and thought of NRDC, Amicus's publisher and a leading U.S. environmental organization."
Circulation: 250,000. Readers: Those interested in the environment around them, and the preservation for generations to come.
Needs: Environmental stories which inform and enlighten. Issues should be topical and of general interest. Essays, reviews, exposés, interviews and profiles. All work should be up to date and show a thorough knowledge of environmental issues.
Editor's Note: Being a cat lover (both big and small) I was particularly taken with the online magazine this month and its special section on big cats. Elizabeth Grossman's article "Meet Your New Neighbor" was more than just interesting, and how can you ignore a teaser like: "Meet your new neighbor -- she's a single mom with two kids, trying to make ends meet in a suburb. And oh, yeah -- she's a cougar."

Sable Jak is a freelance writer with a special love for radio drama and screenwriting. She writes for Absolute Write www.absolutewrite.com and Script Magazine's ezine www.scriptmag.com, is a charter member of The Screenplayers www.screenplayers.net/screenplayersnet.html and has a mystery radio series, "A Phil Byrnes Mystery," on www.virtuallyamerican.com. She's also an avid crafter. Sable lives in Seattle with her actor-husband and their kitties. In the language of her ancestors her name "Sable" means "sword." She feels it's an appropriate name for a writer and her mighty pen.