Chances are, you'll be busy over the next several weeks. Between preparing for, celebrating, and unwinding from the holidays it may be difficult to maintain your regular writing routine. And if researching potential homes for your work is part of that routine-as it is for many of us who regularly submit stories, essays, poems, articles, and reviews for publication-you may be worried about falling behind.
But it's time to put those worries to rest. In truth, there are many ways to keep up with your market-hunting over the holidays. Here are just four possibilities:
1) When you visit friends and family, peruse the magazines they may have on their coffee tables or stacked in their recycling bins. Chances are they may subscribe to some that you don't receive. Who knows how many new markets you may discover? (Just be sure to ask for permission before you start rummaging!)
2) Be bold with your gift list. If someone close to you should ask what you might like for the holidays, go ahead and say it. Go ahead and tell that person: "I'd like you to bring me/send me all the magazines you've received for the past six months-and haven't yet thrown out." That person won't need to shop, and you will be able to spend the rest of the winter researching markets.
3) If you'll be traveling, take advantage of any complimentary publications that may come your way: inflight magazines, morning newspapers at hotels, and so on. Again, these may provide you sample issues for markets that you haven't considered before.
4) If you're visiting anyone out-of-town, stop by the local library, and check out the magazines the library keeps stocked. It's quite likely that you'll discover some-especially regional publications-that you won't be able to research as easily back home.
Can you think of other possibilities? Add them to the list! Happy holidays, and happy market-hunting.
(C) Copyright 2004 Erika Dreifus. All rights reserved. Article reprint permission is granted provided that the entire article, including the "About the Author" information--remains intact and unaltered. Please send a courtesy copy of the reprint to erikadrei (at ) yahoo (dot) com
Erika Dreifus (Ed.M., M.F.A., Ph.D.) edits the free monthly newsletter, "The Practicing Writer," and has published several resource guides, including "The Practicing Writer's Directory of Paying Short Story Markets" and "The Practicing Writer's Directory of Paying Poetry Markets." Visit her website at http://www.practicing-writer.com to learn more.
Typically when falling asleep in bed at night great thoughts... Read More
When you sit down to write a steamy romance, a... Read More
It's clich?, but true-a picture does paint a thousand words.... Read More
With the advent of email communications in the workplace, it's... Read More
So you want to be a writer, except you don't... Read More
It's important to have a space set aside in your... Read More
You can create a great headline, a dynamic first sentence,... Read More
I hate to admit this, but I rarely get an... Read More
The creativity of Jaisini is not designed to be preaching... Read More
Summer's here and the time is write for dancing in... Read More
Picture this scene.Your hero is sitting in a bar. He's... Read More
For any great novelist, defining your cast of intriguing characters... Read More
Q. My writing sounds stiff and stilted. Help!A. Memories of... Read More
I've noticed a big shift away from traditional horror recently,... Read More
In most aspects of business, we will be expected to... Read More
"You should write a book." For years, I had been... Read More
The first five pages of a novel are critical.Editors make... Read More
And a dreadful thing from the cliff did spring, and... Read More
FIVE MINUTES ... Is All You Need ........to phone a... Read More
Part 1 of this article discussed the experience you need... Read More
If you haven't realized the success you wanted last year,... Read More
Effective screenwriting relies on the good understanding and use of... Read More
A certified proofreader is one that has taken a few... Read More
First drafts are for getting down the ideas. Anna Jacobs... Read More
Writing is a muscle that needs exercise to stay in... Read More
Any article, report or book which is bought or sold... Read More
During the past few months I have received many questions... Read More
Les Edgerton writes in his book, Finding Your Voice, that... Read More
Q and A.Best choice when subject is very verbal or... Read More
Rudolph Flesch, a pioneering advocate of readability, put great stock... Read More
Beyond three and four act story structure, lies the Hero's... Read More
If you are a serious writer who wants to publish... Read More
What am I supposed to give Anthony as a wedding... Read More
Self-examination is brutally honest. Self-indulgence is brutally maudlin.Writing requires the... Read More
Congratulations on writing your first book. That is quite an... Read More
~TYPES~You Want Us to Write What? Understanding the Task AssignedWhich... Read More
Fiction manuscripts receive feedback that addresses and scores:? The theme... Read More
Creative Writing Tips ?You are plotting the story. You write... Read More
Creating incredible characters can be easy if you know of... Read More
Despite the widespread use of e-mail in commerce today, traditional... Read More
If your cash is running out fast and you have... Read More
What Makes a Great Headline?Headlines are far more important than... Read More
Golden Rules For New Writers - Things you need to... Read More
Ever wondered how the most successful children's book writers get... Read More
"I don't know if I should put 'writer' on my... Read More
One Saturday afternoon, I sat in a packed conference room... Read More
Not long ago, I went to an Internet Marketing Seminar.... Read More
A friend and I were talking the other day about... Read More
Writing leads to reading. Therefore, it's only fair to supply... Read More
Sometime one must coax the words out.Each day is a... Read More
Writing |