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How once woman went from being a SAHM of four to a published freelance science journalist |
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I'm revising this intro after more than 15 years to better reflect my intention When I started this blog in 2004, I was a stay at home mom to two small children, a college graduate with a degree in English and Astrophysics. By 2007, I had four small children, ages newborn, 2, 4, and 6. For several years, Writing.com was how I kept my sanity. This blog began, first as a way of staying connected. Later, when I worked on a novel, I used it to stoke the writing fires as I plotted out short stories and the next step of my novel. Ultimately, I moved my writing preparation to "Invalid Item"  In 2010, I became a single mom who had homeschooled her children for several years. I had a 2, 4, 6 and 8 year old and had never had a "real" full time job, since I was married while in college. Everyone told me that I would have to buckle down and take on a "real" job. Instead, I decided to attempt to live my dream: to make it as a writer. I knew that if I didn't try then, I would never really dive in. I counted my money and set a deadline. If I hadn't began making a decent (defined) amount of money after so many months, I would suck it up and get a J-O-B. After some thought, I decided to play to my strengths. I served an internship at Sky & Telescope magazine while in college and enjoyed writing about space and astronomy. With an astrophysics degree, I thought I would be able to sell myself more easily, and a small niche should be easier to penetrate. It's been about ten years since I was first paid for an article on Space.com. In that time, writing - journalism - has been my primary moneymaker. I've often thought about setting up a blog on my website - www.astrowriter.com - but just haven't gotten around to it. There are a few things I would like to share for those who are interested in scientific journalism in general. Now that I'm back on WDC, there's no reason not to combine the two and use the site blog for that sort of interaction. There are certainly plenty of folks on this site interested in the publication process. So while I'll probably meander around some, that's the intention of of this blog: to share some of my struggles as a published journalist and to help answer oft-asked questions. |
I convinced dh to go ahead and let me order the Writer's Market 2007 Deluxe edition, with the online access. <happy dance> I ordered it now and then, once I get my $50 gift card, we decided to order the digital recorder. (IE, I finally wore him down).
It is supposed to arrive around August 16th to August 18th, which is a week. Bums bumped the price up by about $1.50 once it came out. I knew I shoulda ordered it last week. I really wish now that I had. Anyway, I will just keep dancing around with joy until I get it - and harrassing the amazon.com page to check on shipping. You will probably get daily updates.  Things don't look so hot with dh getting a full-time position with the job, but Dave said he would give him 'some' work. Granted (as I said before), two full weeks would be enough to sustain us, if everything goes well and the contract gets signed on the house today <please please please>. And the extra $250-300/month would be great if I could ever hear back from families.com. Maybe they are calling my Bishop to check up on me. I don't know. All I know is that it has been two weeks and two days, and I'm going NUTS!! Plus, I'm still waiting to hear back from the guy about the other application, the content-writing one. LFC. I didn't think it would take this long.In the meantime, I am on my way to the gym (if the kids ever finish eating; we slept in today; I am still completely worn out) to get some work done. So that will be a few extra bucks. I guess I'll go now and see what I can get done. DH actually said I could leave them here; he's out mowing the yard (it's taller than I am, or it was). I'm just waiting for them to finish eating. The email for my Contemporary Pediatrics went out today, and I may swing by the library to grab Parents to check out and study. I didn't see any copies of AARP, but I wonder, too, if there are any daycare magazines. I'm not so excited about writing the Atlanta Parent article on spec. Then again, if I don't hear back positively from Parents, maybe I will do that. Still waiting for my Writer's Market so I can start this whole thing off..... |
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| Okay, I just wanted to share with you guys a great source of sample query letters. The writer shares several queries that were actually sent, and tells us what magazine they were accepted at, and for how much pay. Send a blank email (no subject, no body, nada) to queries@renegadewriter.com I am going to go back and study, study, study these letters. So far I have just really read the first two or three out of ten, but they were great. I believe the woman who created the list is also a successful freelance writer and has a book out. Sadly, not in my library, but perhaps in ya'lls. These were just very well written and clear, and quite enjoyable and helpful. Let me share with you the first one, which I fully credit to the source. I figure this is okay, based on the email line Please pass these queries along to all your writer friends -- just be sure to credit us, and so I fully credit...<digs up the name>...Linda Formichelli & Diana Burrell, authors of The Renegade Writer: A Totally Unconventional Guide to Freelance Writing Success QUERY #1 Here's a query that was accepted by Family Circle for $2,500. I found my sources both through ProfNet (www.profnet.com) and by posting requests to online forums I participate in. Notice that this query is pretty long -- many editors like to see some research and quotes in your query, even if this bumps it over one or two pages. I would normally include a list of writing credits at the end of my query, but I'd worked with this editor before so it wasn't necessary. -- Linda Dear Ms. X: NO PAIN, ALL GAIN: HOW TO SAVE MONEY WITHOUT FEELING THE PINCH Most money-saving articles tell readers, "If you cut out your daily $3 cappuccino, you'll save $780 per year!" But let's face it--for women who are working eight hours a day (or more) and then coming home to take care of their families, that cappuccino is one of the few luxuries they get. Why deprive them of it? I've spoken with several women already to find out how to save money without feeling deprived. For example: * Sure, you'll save $780 per year if you ditch the $3 before-work cappuccinos. But you'll also feel resentful. Why not spend a couple hundred dollars on a cappuccino machine and make your own at home? You'll get your daily fix, and you'll still be saving over $500 per year. * You won't miss what you never use, especially when it comes to food. "I take note of my fridge," says Lisa Danielson, 30, of Tempe, AZ. "If certain items always seem to go bad before I use them, I stop buying them." For example, if you buy a bunch of broccoli every week for $2 with all sorts of healthy meals in mind, but the broccoli always ends up rotting in the vegetable drawer, stop buying it and save over $100 per year. * Eating out can be a real money drain, but it's one of the few luxuries we get in our rushed, stressful lives. You can have the best of both worlds by eating out for lunch instead of dinner. The dishes are the same but usually cheaper, and you won't be as tempted to order wine and dessert. * "Evaluate the amount of money you have taken out of each paycheck for taxes," suggests Michelle DeJarnett, 31, of St. Louis, MO. "If you love to get a big refund check from the IRS every year, consider this: If your refund is $2000, you could have kept that money yourself out of every paycheck, put it into a money market, and received a tiny check from the IRS instead. This would have made you a bit richer in the long run." Eighteen months ago, Dejarnett's firm's money market was earning 5.75%--so by investing the extra money from her paycheck instead of waiting to get it refunded in April, she earned an easy $115. These and many more examples will help your readers get the most out of their paychecks--and their lives. I've written for more than 100 magazines, including Woman's Day, Family Circle, Men's Fitness, and Psychology Today. May I write "No Pain, All Gain: How to Save Money Without Feeling the Pinch" for you? Forgive the line breaks, but it's too much hassle to go back and fix 'em all. By the way, I really appreciated the tips from the first query, LOL. Now, this is a long and detailed query, obviously. I also saw it was for Family Circle, the folks who require national clips (which she obviously has). Very interesting. In the meantime, it looks like we are not going out of town. DH will not be working full time, but if he can just get two weeks worth of work (and he seems to think he can even get three) a month, then we will be okay. I'm a little nervous, but we'll see how it goes. If he can make the same amount of money, basically, working hard two weeks and then not working the other two (but taking occasional small jobs here and there), that works out. <evil laugh> If we are doing fine monetarily, and he is home for two weeks, then he can watch the kids while I go to Emory next week, and while I am doing research. In fact, that might even make it easier for me to do the freelancing, because we can set aside time when he is home and not working for me to research, interview, and write. In the meantime, no Amazon gift card yet <boohoo> so I have not yet ordered Writer's Market. It looks like I can request the 2005 guide from the library; they don't have any at my local branch, which stinks. The 2006s are all reference books so I can't check them out. But if I can go ahead and get the guide, perhaps that will work for subscription guidelines. Then again, I may just take the $4 plunge. In the meantime, I'm going to go nuts waiting for the gift card. Perhaps I can convince dh to let me order the Writer's Market now, and then use the gift card to purchase the digital recorder. <deep breaths> <deep breaths> The problem is, I know myself. Loss of momentum is very bad. It will keep me from making other inroads. I am going to visit www.profnet.com (I think that's what the web address is) and post a request for information/experts on my subject. They will contact me and I can call them for a preliminary interview. I was going to ask my Bishop but I will just go ahead and ask. Also, I just emailed my doctor-filled ward at church asking for any back or extra copies of Contemporary Pediatrics that they could spare. Anyway, if my poor husband is going to wind up with babysitting this week and possibly next, I should probably go help him make dinner. Then again, we're having hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill, so like he really needs my help. Anyway, looks like we'll be home for another few days. |
Alright, I am physically exhausted from that trip. I always forget how much a long drive (10 hours in this case) takes out of you, especially when you have no air conditioning. However, we are home, safe and sound, and have lots of good news. Then I'll make my whiney excuses. Our real estate agent called last night. We have a set offer on the house, pending the home inspection which is tonight. If that goes well, we will sign the contract tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed and your prayers said! We will just break even, but after 9 months on the market and 7 months of two house payments, I don't care!!! I just want it gone. Apparently Dave, the guy dh has been doing work for, has been checking up on dh. Things are looking positive that he will get this job full time. In the last two weeks, he made almost as much as he was making in a month. Granted, he worked 126 hours (minus about 10 hours for me) in two weeks, so longer weeks, but that still adds up to more money. And it will most likely be something like three weeks of travel, one week home, give or take. I'd love to get this job, so I'm very excited. Like the house, nothing set yet. We got into town around 8 last night and had dinner with my in-laws. The kids spent the night there last night, with my 15 yo SIL watching them today. This means we got a full night's sleep, and got to sleep late. It was amazing, a miracle. Well, maybe not a miracle, but after two weeks of sleeping with my five year old stealing the blankets, it sure felt like it. Oh, and I got some more books from the library to read. And we are doing the laundry as we speak. It's the little things.On to whining. I went to the library today without the kids, as planned. I considered driving down to Emory, where they would have more medical magazines. However, I always forget how much traveling takes out of me. I am physically exhausted, even after a great night's sleep on a large, comfortable bed, with very comfie pillows. It's not sleepy-tired, it's just exhaustion, KWIM? Now, when I went to the library, I did check out two copies of Reader's Digest (for the funny antedote I told you I thought about before). I thought about checking out Parents but since I already did some decent research while out of town, I didn't see a point. Also, while driving home, I saw the most interesting thing. A drive through convenience store. I can't believe there aren't more of those. <thoughts moving through my head> Also, yesterday, while we were stopped, I picked up five or six free truckers magazines. But, best of all, as we were driving, I came up with the perfect opening for my query letter for the national. I thought, eh, I'll remember it, but then good sense prevailed, and I grabbed my notebook and wrote it down. Which is good, because while I had all of the words and phrases in my head then, I only remember the gist of it now, and that's after writing it down. It still could use a little editing, cut out the passive verbs and vauge language where unnecessary. Drats, now I wish I had grabbed the Parents magazine because I would like to study the openings of each article, just to make sure I have the right tone. <grumbles to self> Fine, I will most likely run by tomorrow before we leave town (depending on the time we go), and I will swing by then. I might even go back tonight, if there are more of my books waiting. I am waiting for the fourth book in a series, I hate reading series part way through. Anyway, I will grab that, read the guidelines, and go from there. For now, I really need to do two things: Set up a portable file cabinet for me to keep clippings, notes, and interviews. All I really have to do is clean out the coupons from one of the portable files we have and stick in some folders and such. Pay the bills. Blech. I am too tired to do anything right now, though, so I will probably be lazy for a little bit and read my book, and basically enjoy the peace and quiet. I can pay bills and clean when the kids are here and my mind is spinning. Hopefully, dh will be willing to eat dinner with my inlaws (and my ILs, too, will be willing), and then I can stay home and pack up the laundry and the files (like the bill-paying one) that we need. I hooked up the Tivo to our house but it looks like we are leaving for Augusta tomorrow, not Alabama. I'm not sure how long we will be; that will dictate whether or not to take the box. The kids loved it, but I grabbed several movies from the library that might make them happy. So we'll see. All in all, it looks like I will have to schedule recouparating in on my 'get home' days, rather than studying. That will be interesting. Hmm, I wonder what types of magazines are available online through Galileo. |
| Okay, I helped dh out today, a great deal. I did a chore he doesn't really like - attaching the sweep to the bottom of those folding doors in the churches and hotels - and, since I insist on working with the radio off, got to think. I like thinking time, and uncomplicated tasks that allow it. Which is what I tried to communicate to dh. When you have something that you can do with basically no thought, it's amazing what your mind can do. But he's one of those background noise folks, who always has to have the tv or the radio on. So, while I was doing this monotonous task - for TWO HOURS, mind you - I came up with one humerous filler (going to submit it to Reader's Digest; may as well go for the big stuff!), two inspirational articles (thinking Chicken Soup type, I heard they had a magazine out now and I'm going to check out the pay scale next), and three articles to query. I also told dh that, since both inspirational essays require interviewing his grandmother (they are both about times when her children [she had 7] almost died; in one, she felt prompted not to allow her son to go to a birthday party outing, and everyone who went died; in another, her daughter [my MIL] was in a car wreck and after a few weeks, they said she wouldn't make it and to take her off life-support; dh's grandfather gave her a blessing and she not only pulled through but woke up). Uh, anyway, since I want to get good details from grandma, I am thinking that I should get a recorder. Not that I didn't already want one or anything. LOL. But, c'mon, that's a good excuse. Maybe RD will accept my humerous clip and send me a couple hundred bucks, and dh will give me the go-ahead. Anyway, so that was the good news. Lots of freelance ideas, some rougher an others. The bad news is that I got so distracted that I, er, drilled a hole in my fingernail. Thankfully not my finger. I had to hold something in place and drill through the door, and at one point (remember, I did this for TWO HOURS and have never done it before), the drill bit went through, skidded over the top of my index finger, and straight into my fingernail. Broke my nail off. I had to bite it so it didn't hang, but it's sore. I need to cut the rest of them. Okay, I am going to check out Chicken Soup, book and magazine, and then get ready for bed. I've packed up almost everything, and we'll actually be able to use the laptop in the car (sans internet), but I probably won't. |
A little time on Google provided me with writer's guidelines for everything except Parenting magazine. Most of them were even fairly detailed! I'm going to share the pertinent notes I dug up, first to let you know I actually did something today (grrr, my earlier blog got cut off on submission midway through; thankfully I save & edit as I write), second, in case you guys are interested, and third, so I have it all in one place and I know I did something.  Atlanta Parent --> For whatever reason, the site no longer lists them (I seem to remember that they did). But I found this on Writer's Weekly. The basic details I took were: $50-100 for 500-1200 word submission (so around .10/word), prefers emailed submissions, wants down-to-earth problems in the third person. Article format: 1) write about the problem, 2) give parents the symptoms/signs of problem, 3) solution/where to turn for help; include address, phone #, and web sites fo rlocal/national resource and support groups. Quote either a) all local experts or b) experts from around the country, submit on speculation rather than query, pay on publication, one-time rights, average 4 months response timeWow, four months to find out if they like an article written on spec. <shudder> That should be fun. But it is, frankly, my most likely market, so I'll plauge them til they relent. However, I will have to think a bit more about submitting the on spec article; that means doing all of the work up front. Another reason to save it out. Also, since I found out that Working Mother Magazine doesn't accept parenting articles - only business articles, interesting - I am thinking I will go ahead and pitch the childcare feature to AP. http://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?t=5485& Parents --> no email submissions (downer), query with a one page letter detailingtopic and how you will address it, as well as strategy for writing; mention the sources to use, include expert advice and real-parent examples, list publications you've written in, include photo-copied example of published work, 4-6 weeks. http://www.parents.com/parents/story.jhtml?storyid=/templatedata/parents/story/d... Family Circle --> They want you to send clips that include at least one national publication. Maybe after Parents accepts my idea? If I submit everywhere else I may try to crack them with a stunning query letter, but probably not. Child --> Very short. They want ony a query, include clips, 8 weeks response time. I would probably lean towards parenting issues as the department, though children's health would also be a close fit.http://www.child.com/child/file.jhtml?item=/help/writers_guidelines Blue Suit Mom.com --> Found this while looking for Working Mother Magazine. They help executive working moms find work and family balance. This would work for the childcare market. Email query with a brief description of hte idea, the approach to take, and why it is valuable to the readers. They want 3-5 clips from other websites or in print, 500-1500 words. However, the pay section is blank.http://www.bluesuitmom.com/about/guidelines.html I need to investigate this avenue some more. Probably one of the easiest ways to break in but I don't want to write for free. Contemporary Pediatrics --> discuss the counseling of parents and patients, submit query letter, look for practical info relating directly to working with patients, research-based recommendations supplemented by suggestions based on expert opinions or author's clinical experience, write conscisely, short sentences with active verbs (scary that this must be said, too many medical writers, I guess). No more than 3000 words. I think I will have to give further discussion to the pediatrics in the area and perhaps around the country to get more information. I can do a preliminary query with information I could gather for the Atlanta Parents magazine, and then talk to other pediatricians around the country once I have the article. http://www.contemporarypediatrics.com/contpeds/static/staticHtml.jsp?id=113692 AARP --> One page queries, accompanied by recent writing samples, explain idea for piece and how approach, mention section piece intended for (finance which has work issues? or general interest?), $1/ word, pays on acceptance, email queries http://www.aarpmagazine.org/Articles/a2003-02-21-mag-writers_guidelines.html  So obviously, just the preliminary research gave me a way to manipulate the marketing slants. I found out that I don't need to spend time on Working Mother (not now, although just thinking 'what in the world would be in there?' gave me an idea) but can explore further. Also, I am thinking of spreading out with the pediatric magazine, which gives me a spread. I learned that I will not be querying Atlanta Parent, which is nerve wracking. But I'm going to spin the article different from what I would submit to the national, and it will give me a chance to do more research, which will ultimately make for a better query. In fact, I may just go ahead and hold off on the national submission for a month until I've written the AP article. Then I will have gotten a good feel for the subject (as if I don't have one now), and, specifically, will have met with the pediatrician. The down side - I will have to talk to the grieving mothers. Parents. Hmm, perhaps I can spend more time and find some online essays. Then I can make a note that "I used online essays because I did not want to intrude on the parents' grief until I was sure of publication. I would be more than willing to interview parents if that is your preference, pending acceptance." Then when I do the interviews, I will have them for the nationals..... I like that idea. It helps me manage things the way I wanted to. I can also let them know that I have located several parents and are waiting on them for the go-ahead. If they say, it's fine as is, well, then I'll just wait. I'll query the nationals without the interviews but let them know I have already located the parents. Alright, I'd better help dh go get some work done. He's such a wimp. Then we will go pack up the hotel room and the van so we can leave bright 'n early tomorrow. Hopefully my kids and dh will go to my in-laws for dinner on Monday and I will stay at home, alone, with peace and quiet, a book, and a bubble bath. <sighs dreamily> Ahhhh...... |
| I hope you enjoy my original title. I worked hard to perfect it. I am feeling the drag now. I hate having to wait. I am waiting for my writer's market. I am waiting for the chance to go home and read up on the magazines I am submitting to. By the way, my five year old is sitting here reading while I type. <waves> Hi Dawn! I hate when I am so psyched to get something done and then hit a 'waiting' wall. I have been doing a lot of reading in the 'other' freelancing forums, since I am having basically no luck in our 'Going Pro' forums. Perhaps I can go kick that one around into some action. I thought we were going to go home today but it turns out dh has another 10-12 hours worth of work to do. So we are going to sleep here tonight and drive home tomorrow (Sunday). That means I probably won't get to say 'hi' tomorrow, but then again, I'm so obsessive that I will probably turn on the computer as soon as I walk in the door. I know what I am doing Monday - the library - but not so sure about today. I am also not sure about the trade magazines or how to best break into them without writer's submission info. It is very frustrating. Perhaps when I get the chance, I will ask my pediatric bishop from church for back issues, either to borrow or to have. Surely he has some in stock. Or maybe I can find something in the trade journals online. Let me go skim... |
| Hi, all, just thought I'd check in here, return and report. I've been doing a great deal of manual labor lately with dh, so less time for writing. I feel the double squeeze of being unable to research the markets right now, due to lack of magazine and lack of writers market. I hate being stuck here sans information. I think I am going to take a break this week and work harder on the next article to query. Um, I don't know what that will be. I do have a slew of articles to deal with. I have an overall notebook of general 'to do' things (okay, granted, it's my FlyLady control journal). I made a page for each month from August 2006 to December 2007. Then I wrote the month that is six months ahead in the top right margin - for August, it is Feb. That assumes a 6 month lead time. Then, in the very front, I have a page for queries that either don't need dates or time period, or I don't know them.Right now, I have two ideas on the 'unknown query' page (one to bee queried in 2008, LOL), and four others. I don't recall if that includes the one I am currently working on, LOL. I have also considered trying to break into the essay crowd - but I'm not sure I can make it. I would like to take a look at how to best make it in that market; I think it would be best to write the essays for specific markets rather than randomly write the essays. But that means studying specific markets to see what should be included. Oh, I have a great recommendation for you, if you are trying to break into writing freelance articles. The book is part of the Elements of Article Writing Series by Writer's Digest and is called Queries & Submissions: How to Research the the Marketplace, Write Energetic Queries and Proposals, Get Your Work In Front of the Right Editor, and Maximize Your Magazine Article and Book Sales. Good grief, that is a mouthful. Anyway, it was well written and interesting, and it is the first time I had to stay up all night reading to finish a nonfiction article. I had lots of good points that I will come back and bullet for you (and me, so I don't forget them). Sadly, amazon.com doesn't carry it anymore.  Some Great Things I Learned From the Book: (in no particular order other than the order of the book cuz I bent down the pages) A section discussing the sources. Clark says that it sounds more confident to note that certain sources have already been contacted.Key points in a query letter, summarized as such: Gain reader's attentionNeed for idea before you present; editor may not know of the situation your article will address or understand impact on readersBenefits not features; why should readers care?Reduce your article to a single sentencePresenting an outline in your query letterFill in your outline with a few details to show you have researched itKeep your outline compactInclude the comments of those you will quote inside your queryThe biggest thing I took from the book right now is the part about detailed outlines in your query letter. I think that if I put more detail into the query, it will show that the article has been well researched (this is as pertains to the national magazines). This, in turn, will make them more confident in investing in a new writer. I am going to try to make an outline tonight for the national article, a little more in-depth than the final draft, to give me an idea of how the article will go. Then, once I have the writer's guidelines, I will go ahead and write the letter, which will primarily stem from the outline. I've written a few interesting lead-ins, as well. I will also have to come up with a great clip. In fact, I should do that soon and get some R&Rs on this site. A nice, informative article. A parenting article. What in the world? I don't even have a clue about what to write fora clip. Okay, well, I'll think about that some more later. I am not even sure how to write such an article. Should I include research and interviews? Maybe I can find a national mag that doesn't want clips. Ha ha ha. Talked to dh about the possibilities with this job. If dh gets a job working 3 weeks a month, and with travel options, then we will be home closer to one week a month, give or take. Remember, dh quit this job in 1997 because in the year 1996 he was home a grand total of 30 days. Sounds good to me. So I discussed with him the possibility of me working during that week we are home. Specifically, doing some market research for the local area and spending some time in the library (I may just take my laptop, LOL). Hmm, that's not a bad idea; I wonder if the local library offers free wi-fi? I may have to ask them about that. Anyway, next week, he said we could give it a shot. I am going to try to spend one day - or a few hours one day, preferably Monday - at the library doing some research. I may even hit a few libraries to get a few magazines to check out and take with us. The one closest to my house is open until 8 pm on Monday. There is another one about two miles away - maybe three or four on the road - that is also open until 8. I think I will give them both a try and see what magazines they have (you can check them out but only 5 at a time, BUT if I go to more than one library - or the same library more than once - they don't track how many you actually have out). I. Want. My. Writer's. Market. I'm seriously considering going ahead and purchasing one month now for $4. I am really looking forward to getting the book. I am also going to have to prepare a better office-in-a-bag to take with me while I travel. Okay, well, I guess that is all I have tonight. I really need to sit down and outline but I am procrastinating. I need to determine a better plan for writing. I can hope that we will heretofore stay in a motel with a 'mobile office' (or else I am going to have to get a travel printer). I highly recommend the Q&S book, which I really did stay up all night reading. It was great, held my attention, and was an enjoyable read. I have this great plan but it's not going to work the way things are going. I think my next goal is to start getting up stinking early - I think I saw someone up at 4 a.m. to get 3 hours of writing - and get things done. I liked the earlier plan that I had of getting up an hour earlier, but I am not sure how well that will work in a regular hotel room. On the other hand, if we can wind up generally staying in a suite, that would be ideal because then I can go into a seperate room to write and research. In the meantime, I have to figure out what type of article I want to pitch next week. I am going to take a few days off from the current article until I can get some better markets. Let's see, I said that now is the time to pitch for February, right? So perhaps I should go ahead and come up with some lovey-dovey pitches. I will look at Atlanta Parent and see what their editorial schedule appears to be, and then query from there. Well, of course, they are down. But that is fine. This is my simple game plan for the next year: 1) Pitch one article a month to Atlanta Parent. Eventually I will get in - right? I will just annoy them until they give me an assignment. So I need to study their editorial calender (I know they are pretty strict on it). I found their guidelines per Writers Weekly: http://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?t=5485& I can't log onto their site right now. But I have a good idea about what sort of articles might fit their theme. If only I could come up with a good mom/love article. 800-1200 words Either 100% regional experts or 100% country-wide experts. Heh heh. I have an idea. I am going to sneak off now and study the web articles of other parenting magazines and see what I can rework into my own information. Not steal an article, just see what kind of take I can develop on it. Okay, so that's a good game plan, huh? I guess I should add more. 2) Essays. I am going to try to find a good local market for essays. I am not sure what in the world I will do. Probably parent magazines again, because I am so firmly entrenched, but that is what so overdone. That is a hefty, well-filled magazine. I could also see about some local genealogy magazines. I will have to think some more. In the meantime, I will continue to think about it and, by the end of the month, find an appropriate local market, which I will then send an essay to on a monthly basis (or semi-monthly, if it means waiting for rejections). But, if I'm only going to be home for one full week (not next week but the following week), that means I am going to have to be fairly intense on the research field. Then again, I can continue to look while I do the research for the queries. In fact, I am thinking Parents and the like take essays, and I can submit there, although they are well induated. Then again, if I submit often enough to develop a relationship...or, I could even 'snake' my way in with the essay and then followup with the 'big' article. In fact, I like that idea. I just have to write a killer essay to get in. Okay, well, I need to work on a local essay, too. Okay, so one national magazine to assault until they surrender and accept, and one local magazine. I will look at both until I find an appropriate one and then place it. 3) The said number of queries; at least one a week, if not two-four. You know, I was reading a post on the 'other' website (Sorry The StoryMaster  !), which is really devoted to freelancers (at least, where I hang out). Oh, it suggested a book - not available through my library, of course - that talked about pitching five queries per idea. Now, if I did that for two ideas a month, that would give me a little more time to put out a little more quality into my articles. I like that idea. That is a little more invested in each idea, but I also think a more solid query will net more publications...what do you think?Okay, so if I do that, I could just double the time I spend on each of them. Spend four days doing research? Or, what if, instead, I spend three days doing research, two days doing preliminary interviews, three days researching markets, and two days writing queries? With an hour invested each day. Part of the problem, though, is that I can't actually spend three days on market research. Then again, I could spend one full day at the library checking out possible magazines and then two days researching them. The problem is making sure I get the time to go to the library. Okay, well, I will just have to find a way to make it work. Some weeks I may not be home, but I can take the kids to the library while we are out of town. That will actually take me the full time, but that's okay. I can do this. Boy, I have a ton of things to figure out how to do. It is added fun when I am going to be out of town for 2-4 days next week. However, I love my blog because it helps me organize my thoughts. Next Week's Plan: Monday - Go to the library to find markets for children's health article. (I didn't even look at a health magazine; I wonder how that would fit?) Tuesday - We'll be driving to Alabama and staying in a motel. I need to make contact with a pediatrician somehow. Perhaps I can work on this while I am out of town. I think this information will help with the query, though. ARGH, I wish my cell phone worked. Whatever, Tuesday, I will be reading through the articles. Wednesday - Visit the local library in Alabama and see if we can find any local markets there. In fact, on Tuesday, I'll nose around online for Alabama regional markets. Southern markets. Thursday - Finish reading all of the magazines. Take notes on what is included in the magazine features and what the best way to write is. By the way, we'll be driving home. Okay, I still won't have the Writer's Market 2007 which means I can't make it online. ARGH! This is frustrating. However, I will have analyzed the writing for each magazine, and take lots of notes on style and content. So Thursday and Friday, I should have completed my query letters. In fact, I think I will write them as I study each market. IE, I read five issues of Atlanta Parent and then I write the query letter to AP. I read five issues of Working Mother (and their website), and then write the query letter. That is basically what I will do next week. In fact, that is probably how I will continuously operate with two week queries. Next up - get the fifth query by thinking of a Health-type slant. Perhaps there is a kids working out magazine? I will think about it this weekend, and scan the magazine racks at the local library. |
| After finishing my interview, all I can say is 'wow'. I started off, hands shaking, very nervous. I mean, literally, I was shaking. Once I started talking to the, um, survey coordinator, I didn't have a chance for my hands to shake; I was off and running. I really wished at that point that I had the digital recorder. Hopefully I will be able to read my rushed writing. I really enjoyed the interview. Said interviewee makes a good subject, and was very friendly and easy to talk to. When I asked her if I could contact her again with followup questions once I had a definite article, she told me (and I paraphrase), "Sure. Or before then. I could talk to you about the types of parents this involves." She went on to state she could 'talk about the subject all day', offered to email me some of her talking points from a recent presentation she gave. Then, the kicker. She was very excited about the market I proposed - parenting mags - because she said no one has contacted her on the subject. No one. Well, she did say one parenting newsletter called her, but that's it. How does that happen? Well, whatever, it means the market is wide open. That I am going to submit my queries alone. That no one else will be part of the crowd. Which means I stand a good shot of getting the article because it is unique and individual. It could also mean no one wants to do it. But we won't dwell on that subject. |
| The closer we get to noon, the more freaked out I get. I know I am going to be a bundle of nerves soon. Just shake shake shake. Plus I still have to go buy a calling card. DH was going through some thing about 1-800-CALL-ATT, but that doesn't seem to be the cheapest solution. But I'm not excited about taking three kids to the store. ARGH! At least it is keeping me from thinking about the upcoming call. -Fifteen minutes - Still nervous. Went to Walmart and got a 75 minute calling card. Went to Radio Shack and oogled the digital recorders. I really want one, especially if I wind up getting this job, at which point I will plan to try to interview grieving parents. I don't want to have to ask them to repeat themselves; I want to be able to hear it all on the rerun. Heck, depending on how everything works out, I may just go buy one. DH keeps giving me grief on the whole followthrough crap. I have lots of rude thoughts to keep to myself. I suppose I can understand <grudgingly> his perspective. He gives me zilch support and whines about no followthrough. Then he gripes that I don't give him the support he wants/needs. <zips lips> Anyway, totally nervous. I will definitely be back to let you know how it all goes. And if I fainted on the phone. This was the worst part of my interviews for S&T. I had to call so many people. I did get a job offer out of that, though, so I guess I didn't do too terrible. Okay, I'm going to go make the kids lunch with shaking hands. I'll review my questions - I kind of bumped them up in case she wants to do the full monty now, which actually makes more sense, and then I can call back later with additional questions - so that I am ready freddy. Excuse me, I have to go throw up. |
| I have been thinking. I've been going back and forth on selling out. I've been thinking about how I am planning to write articles - which, I was surprised to find, I enjoy - instead of my 'love', short stories and novels. (I haven't written a short story in over a year. ) Then I came upon this thread: http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=19249 (What can I say, I am on page 37 of the archives of the stinking forum. Background reading.) This is what I have decided. I am going to start writing an essay. Essays are a little less stress than articles but not quite a short story. I am going to start thinking a bit more about short stories - I am not sure where I will fit them in, but I'll find a way. I am going to stop stressing over content, although I will most likely continue submitting to LFC since they pay so high for content - but those will be 30 mt to an hour articles, which means I'll make $20-30 or even $40-60/hr. I just flipped through the parenting mags, and they have essays. I am going to go back and analyze them (I don't think I mentioned that we went to the library and I skimmed Parenting [which I hadn't considered before, I always forget it], Parents, and the single issue of American Baby that they had. I need to review Child and I'll be set.). Um, okay, I got lost just writing that sentence, part of it was the WritingML but the rest was general confusion. Oh yeah, I saw one regular essay spot in one of the P. mags about relationships with extended family. Dude, I was born for that essay. And I recall that S&T, my dream job, accepts essays on astronomy. I haven't done it for awhile but... Basically, I think I can pull off the essay look. I think it will be more fun, and probably take more editing, LOL, but it would be enjoyable. So I just have to figure where to slide it and the short story into my writing. And the heck with it. Other than my LFC entries, I'm going to freelance with the idea of making the bucks doing that, not prostitute myself for .001c/word. I'm a good, 4.5-5 star writer (in places other than my blog, LOL), and I think I can make it. Either that, or I need to have my ego deflated, LOL. Seriously, I think I am just lacking in confidence. I'll go through and review the R&Rs of pieces I have written when I need a boost. I am going to do this, and I'm going to do it right. As for the income, well, dh better get his hiney in gear and get a job, eh? Things are looking good for the travel position, which will give me a little extra boost since I can write LOTS of fun traveling things. Okay, off to bed for me. BTW, I am very excited about the fact that we will be going home after this weekend (the Philly job was canceled but dh will have one Alabama job and several local Atlanta jobs, plus Dave said he could have the one in Roanoke where my grandmother lives, and I'm thinking - hoping - praying this will go full time). I went online to the library and reserved ALL THE BOOKS I WANTED TO READ. Because I am almost out of books over here, which makes me desperate. Fun, fun, fun! Is this my fourth entry today, too? So much for scaled back writing! |
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