Six Paying Markets for Short Articles — Revised

We are very much indebted to a reader who called to our attention the fact that some writers have had negative dealings with Cats & Kittens Magazine and its sister publications, Bird Times and Dog & Kennel. Those magazines were listed as possible markets in the previous post, “Six Paying Markets for Short Articles.”

Indeed, since the previous post, we have learned that a number of writers have had difficulty getting paid by the publisher for their work, or even receiving responses to their inquiries. Some of these complaints are listed in the Whispers & Warnings section of WritersWeekly, the online ezine for writers (writersweekly.com).

According to WritersWeekly publisher, Angela Hoy:

“WritersWeekly has received numerous complaints about this publisher. Their list of victims is growing and they don’t respond to our inquiries.

We recommend that ALL writers avoid this publisher!”

Angela’s recommendation was dated Dec. 11, 2006. The complaints about the magazines date back to 2003 and we have no way of knowing if any of the writers have been paid since then. We do know that, as of today (Feb. 24, 2008), their web site is still up, so they are probably still in business.

Our recommendation is that you avoid Cats and Kittens Magazine and its sister publications unless you can determine that the publishers have settled all complaints.

It’s difficult to know about the reputation of some publishers so we must be wary when approaching any publications that are new to us. WritersWeekly and feedback from other writers may be our best sources for information about publications that treat writers unfairly. If you know of others, please let us know.

Your comments are most welcome.
Use the listed information at your own risk. Words into Print gives no warranty to
completeness, accuracy, or fitness of the markets, although research is done to the best of our ability.
©2008 Laverne Daley

markets,
magazines,
publishers,
freelancers

Six Paying Magazine Markets for Short Articles

Short articles not only take less time to research and write than full-length articles, they also can help you break into new magazine markets. Many editors say that writers have the best chance of selling to their publications by submitting short pieces.

All of the following are paying publications. Some pay moderate rates, others are low-paying. If you need your first bylines, one of these magazines might fill that need.

Wooden Boat
Boat owners, builders and designers read the bi-monthly Wooden Boat magazine. The publication focuses on the “design, building, care, preservation and use of wooden boats, both commercial and pleasure, old and new, sail and power.”

The “Currents” column might be a good starting point here. The columns features short articles covering everything from straight news to news about museums, magazines, books, organizations, events, maritime preservation and politics, interesting products, tools and people.

Payment is on publication. You might even send a query for a longer piece. Short items pay $5-$25 and longer features bring $200 to $250. Click here for guidelines and specifics about what the magazine is looking for.

Lake Superior Magazine
This regional magazine with national distribution covers people, places and events in the Lake Superior region. Editors are interested in articles on specific topics like nature and wilderness living, and short articles and photos about boats, ships or watercraft of note and their crews, plus short pieces about individuals who work and play in the region and articles about homes and lifestyles. See complete guidelines here.

Short articles averaging 900 to 1,400 words usually pay from $65 to $125. Features run from 1,600 to 2,200 words and pay up to $600, according to length, importance of the story and writer’s experience. Payment is on publication.

Editors prefer completed manuscripts, although short queries naming possible sources are considered. Do not fax queries or unsolicited manuscripts and do not call. The publication buys First North American Serial Rights and electronic rights, and possibly second serial rights for reprints in its special publications.

Continental
Frequent travelers, both business and leisure, read Continental, the in-flight magazine of Continental Airlines. Business stories and shorter items are the best way for freelancers to break into this market.

Among the sections open for freelancers are “Go Explore,” a 400-word main story, and other items of 125-150 words on a unique and timeless place to visit — somewhere off the beaten path; “Art on the Road,” a 250 word art or architecture story on a destination or an art or architectural project worth seeing; “Go Eat,” a 350-word article about a chef and his or her restaurant in a city listed on the editorial calendar and “Go Home,” 350 words about a topic relevant to the home. Check the 2008 Editorial Guidelines for more areas open to freelancers.

Dog Fancy
Freelancers write most of the articles in Dog Fancy. Don’t send the magazine any tributes to dogs who have died or stories about beloved family pets. Do offer thoroughly researched articles about health, nutrition, care, grooming and training. Editors want roughly 850 to 1,200 words, accompanied by high-quality slides or photos, if possible. Dog Fancy pays on publication. Payment varies with the quality and length of the article and number and quality of photos the author supplies. Complete guidelines are here.

Cats and Kittens Magazine

(Notice: Please see the follow-up post on this market)
Freelancers also might consider submitting to Cats and Kittens Magazine. The magazine and its sister publications, Bird Times and Dog & Kennel, want human interest stories, columns dealing with training and other informative, authoritative and educational articles about the species and their care.

The pay is low, 10 cents a word on the final edited published word count, payable on publication. Short articles run 500 to 1,000 words, features run 1,200 to 2,000 words. Go here for complete guidelines.

Sierra Magazine
Finally, Sierra Magazine has four departments that are open to short freelance submissions. Sierra notes that its readers are environmentally concerned and politically diverse and that most are active outdoors. Editors are looking for writing that will provoke, entertain and enlighten that readership.

For “The Green Life,” they welcome ideas that incorporate lists, factoids, photos, how-tos, recipes, quotes, statistics, tips and other quick-hit presentations.” Generally these run 50 to 200 words, with payment depending on length and complexity.

“Good Going” in about 300 words describes a superlative place, including fascinating natural and cultural facts.

“Lay of the Land” focuses on environmental issues of national or international concern — tightly focused, provocative, well-researched investigations of environmental issues. These run 500 to 700 words, with payment varying according to length.

“One Small Step” features first-person accounts of ordinary folks doing extraordinary things. The magazine publishes a 100-to-150-word quotation from an interview that explains the person’s actions, motivations, and impact. For more information, read the magazine’s guidelines.

Please let me know if you find these market listings helpful. Your comments will determine if I continue posting them.

Use the listed information at your own risk. Words into Print gives no warranty to
completeness, accuracy, or fitness of the markets, although research is done to the best of our ability.
© 2008 by Laverne Daley

publication,
articles,
query,
writers,
editors,
features,
magazines,
publication
editorial guidelines,
manuscripts,
pays on acceptance,
freelancer

Grammar, Humor and Dangling Participles

The notion of grammar and humor first struck me when I was writing an earlier post (Precision in Writing – Is That Word Necessary?) in which I mentioned dangling participles.

Now I admit that grammar and humor are an unlikely pairing, but put a dangling participle into the mix and you might encounter a bit of humor — not enough for guffaws or chuckles, but maybe enough for a quiet smile when you recognize the humor that is there — although probably not intended by the writer.

In that earlier post, I included two dangling participles that Evan Marshall mentioned in his book, The Marshall Plan for Novel Writing (Leaving the village, the mountains glowed red in the sun) and (Opening the closet door, the cat sprang from the shadows), along with Marshall’s comment, “These statements give the mountains and the cat undue credit.”

Numerous dangling participles turned up when I went searching for more. Some were on college web sites, in instructors’ classnotes advising students how to avoid the danglers, in Strunk and White’s Elements of Style, and on blogs and web sites pointing out how they can cause serious misunderstandings.

Some examples:

“Running through the neighborhood last Saturday afternoon, his nose detected the delectable aroma of barbecued steak on someone’s backyard grill.” (College of Siskiyous)

“Rushing to finish the paper, Bob’s printer broke.” (Guide to Grammar and Style, Jack Lynch).

“Driving home in yesterday’s storm, a tree fell on the back of my car.” (www.papersbyjoantaber.blogspot.com)

“Hanging by their tails from the branches, the children watched the monkeys.” (College of Siskiyous)

“I saw the trailer peeking through the window.” (Elements of Style)

“The man with the bushy mustache carrying a briefcase went into the police station.” (www.associatedcontent.com)

“Walking home last night, a banana fell on my head.” (ScribblesandWords.com)

It’s easy to see how dangling participles can distort your meaning and leave your reader wondering what you’re trying to say. Readers may not actually believe that somebody’s nose was running through the neighborhood or that a tree was driving a car during last night’s storm, but those thoughts will certainly divert them from what you really are trying to say.

Consider the words of Angela Harms, editor of “Don’t Dangle Your Participle.” (www.WritersResources.com)

Even when dangling participles don’t cause confusion, and they aren’t silly, these critters should be avoided. They are stumbling blocks. Your readers may understand well enough, but they will have to pause, if for only a fraction of a second, while their brains process the strange construction.”

Whatever humor we may find in the dangling participles of other writers, we certainly don’t want editors and readers to find them in our own work. To fix a dangling participle, move the offending participle so it follows what it actually describes (The children watched the monkeys hanging by their tails from the branches) (While peeking through the window, I saw the trailer).

Dangling participles happen because the first part of a sentence and the clause that follows don’t belong together and don’t make sense. When editing your work, watch for sentences containing —ing and especially watch for sentences beginning with When —ing. Then zap those dangling participles before they give readers and editors the giggles.

Please leave a comment.
© 2008 by Laverne Daley

TAGS:
dangling participles,
Elements of Style,
grammar,
readers,
writing,
editing your work