Publication Hunter

"There's a word for a writer that never gives up... published."

J.A. Konrath, author of the Jack Daniels mysteries, said that. It's on his profile at jakonrath.blogspot.com. I found his blog through Maria Schneider (writersdigest.com/writersperspective)'s blog, as well as finding Susan Johnston's blog (theurbanmuse.blogspot.com) and through hers finding The Chick Lit Review, which I'm submitting to.

See a pattern here? I used to think there weren't enough magazines for me to write for. Now I realize I wasn't looking (I have that problem a lot.) If you want to get published, read the writing lit. Read Writer's Digest, The Writer, ByLine. Read writing blogs and sites. Look for places that publish you. I'm always on the lookout for a possible article or short story market.

Market books (like Children's Writer and Illustrator Market, organized listing of magazines) are great but never limit yourself to them. They can't contain every zine. They're also organized by genre. I love fiction and I write it a lot. But I also write nonfiction articles, and so I'm looking for markets in both areas.

If this feels really overwhelming, don't let the feeling overwhelm you :). I've worked for three years to get to the point that I read all this stuff. Cold turkey won't cook your Thanksgiving meal, so here are a few suggestions to "ease in" to being a Publication Hunter.

1. Research the Innovative Spotlighted! magazines. These do accept teen writing, which eliminates a step for you. Never submit to them without going on their website at least. I can't publish all the information on submissions in a paragraph.

2. Read www.kidmagwriters.com, and pay attention to two things in particular.
a. The Inside Markets section. Jan Fields lists different magazines every month, with news and guidelines. Normally, there are three to five listings. This is a perfect amount, because out of five probably one of them is applicable to you.
b. The authors' bios. KidMagWriters.com publishes articles by both experienced and newbie writers. Read their bios and note down where they've been published. Then Google the magazines in particular, and see if you could fit in with them. That's how I discovered Fandangle, and my short story is being published with them this month.

Whatever you do, don't give in and don't give up. There's a word for a writer that does that.