the art of getting published, part III
by Kelly Joi Phelan
It sometimes seems like an endless chain: you've written a story that you think is good enough to be a book, but publishers and agents only want someone who has already proven themselves in the publishing world. Someone whose already well-known name and reputation will make consumers eager to buy their book. And usually that someone is a writer who has already been published in reputable magazines. "No problem," you think, "I'll just submit my work to these magazines and be well on my way!" Unfortunately for you, "these magazines" frequently request that authors send in "clips" along with their submissions or query letters. And clips just happen to be examples of your of work that have already been published in other magazines.
Although overnight success stories seem rampant in the world of writing, most aspiring authors have to work their way up from the bottom. I know it sounds like a long and torturous never-ending process, but working your way toward your dream can be a lot easier than you think. Even though many of the high-level magazines are nearly impossible to break into when you've never been published before, there are several other medium-sized and smaller magazines (and sometimes even the big ones, especially in the fantasy/sci-fi genres) and e-zines that are willing, even eager, to discover and develop new talent. By using some of the strategies and publishers I've listed below, you can easily find ways to get published that are simpler than you thought.
 Working the Local Scene
This is an excellent option if you live in a small town that publishes a weekly newspaper focused on local issues. For the past couple of years, I have noticed that my local newspaper publishes the occasional guest article or editorial written by high school students about school or related events. Another student is featured nearly every week with coverage of the local high school swimming and track meets (both of which he is on, which allows for a more intimate and accurate coverage of the events).
Small local newspapers such as these have a certain sense of town pride and are often willing to print contributions by area citizens in order to maintain a sense of connectedness to the community, including the youth, which is evidenced by their frequent coverage of school and sporting events. If you're a member of a sports team, you could offer to cover upcoming games (offer to cover just one at first as a trial run to see how you do). If you're in the drama club that's putting on a play in the near future, you can offer to write up a short summary of what the play's about, when it opens, how much tickets are, or even how the drama club is preparing for it.
To ask a newspaper if they're interested, send the editor a query letter that briefly details what you have in mind for the article and list what experience you have, such as school newspaper staff, great grades in Journalism or English class, or even online zines you have written for (which brings me to my next point…)
Tapping into the Online World
As the Internet continually grows, online magazines are rapidly becoming recognized as legitimate forms of publication. As a rule, the more well-known an e-zine is, the better it looks to traditional publishers (but never underestimate the power of the familiar AOL e-zine, especially the more successful ones). Below I give a little info on a great and wildly popular online magazine that is wide open to new writers.
Spank! is the legendary online teen magazine that claims to be the very first publication in cyberspace dedicated to youth culture. It started modestly in 1995 and now has over 100,000 readers in 32 different countries. Spank! is an irreverent and always entertaining magazine written by permanent staff members and guest writers from all over the globe. To find out more about Spank! and how to write for them, just visit their website: http://www.spankmag.com
Big Magazines, Part I
There are large, traditional magazines out there that are interested in publishing the work of teens. In fact, they encourage it. Below are two of these such magazines who love it when their subscribers get involved (a visit to their website highly recommended to learn more about them).
Blue Jean magazine is a monthly publication almost completely written by teens. They are on the lookout for teen written fiction (700-1400 words), poetry, and art (photography, illustrations, paintings, visual art, and multi-media). You can submit your work by either snail mail or e-mail (no attached files). I strongly suggest writing to them (be sure to enclose a SASE or you won't get a response) and asking for their writer guidelines before submitting anything. Web Address: http://www.bluejeanmag.com
BLUE JEAN MAGAZINE
P.O. Box 507
Victor, NY 14564-0507
E-Mail: editors@bluejeanmag.com
Although Twist isn't almost completely teen written like Blue Jean, they do encourage teenage writers to submit their work. They ask that you send them a query letter first (a brief letter stating what your article is about) instead of a submission. Again, I strongly suggest you write to them and request a copy of their writer guidelines.
TWIST
270 Sylvan Ave.
Edgewood Cliffs, NJ 07632
Big Magazines, Part II
Some of the magazines most eager to discover new writers are respected, high-level science fiction and fantasy publications. Unlike magazines that publish non-fiction and journalism articles and fiction set in the everyday world, which are rather exclusive, sci-fi/fantasy (often called speculative fiction) magazines are always on the lookout for the next talented breakthrough writer that will add a new spark of life to their genre. These kind of magazines but stories solely on their merit, not by a famous name in the byline.
The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction was established in 1949 and is listed in the top 20 by Writer's Digest as one of the hottest magazines to be published in. It has a subscriber base of over 80,000 and is known for being very open to new writers. Rates: 5-8 cents/word. Response time: 2 months. Requirements: 2,000 to 20,000 words. Likes character-oriented stories. Needs more hard science fiction and humor.
The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction
Gordon Van Gelder, editor
P.O. Box 1806
New York, NY 10159
Analog Science Fiction & Fact was established in 1930 and is also listed in the top 20 by Writer's Digest as one of the hottest magazines to be published in. It is on the lookout for new writers and works closely with those who show promise. It has a subscriber base of 60,000 and is also known for being very open. Rates: 4¢/word for novels; 5-6¢/word for novelettes; 6-8¢/word for shorts under 7,500 words; $450-600 for intermediate lengths. Response time: 1 month. Requirements: 2,000 to 80,000 words. Futuristic science or technology must be integral. No Occult or Fantasy.
Analog Science Fiction & Fact
Dr. Stanley Schmidt, Editor
1270 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
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