Writers Unbound

Many of these are unpaid possibilities, which I know is not as nice as getting cash for your work. However, unpaid publication is still publication and can be well worth the time for the publicity and credibility you receive. Be smart about this and it can be a boost to your paid work.

A few tips before we get to the real list:

• Don’t bother submitting for unpaid jobs that are not in your area of expertise. The point of these publications is to build your credibility, and that only works if it is concentrated on an area that you want to write in long-term. Use unpaid articles to build yourself and your reputation as an expert. Pick topics that are related to your specialty.
• The only exception to the rule above is if you have already established yourself as an expert in one area and are wanting to branch out to another. In that case, you start applying and submitting to those unpaying publications that specialize in your new area. Once you build up enough of those publications, you will have sufficient material on your CV to start submitting to the paying publications in that new area of yours.
• Do use articles you’ve already written. Check the guidelines, first, of course; even some unpaying publications will only take previously unpublished material. Many, however, realize that writers are trying to make it and are content with one-time-rights to a piece. So comb through your blog, your website, your previously published articles, your Associated Content account, your lit class notes from college… Find something appropriate for the publication and tweak it so it fits perfectly, then send it on in. This is really the trick to making these unpaying jobs worthwhile, especially if they’re of smaller circulation (which is often the case). You can spend half an hour or so on finding, tweaking, and submitting a piece, and you get a decent return of publicity and credibility.
• Do follow the guidelines just as seriously as you would for a paying publication. Your reputation matters everywhere you are published. Treat the editors and publishers with respect, read through the FAQs before you email a question, and follow the guidelines with great care. There is always a possibility that they will be so impressed with your conduct and your writing that they might seek you out for later, paying jobs. Never be careless when it comes to your writing and how you get it published.

And here is the Real List.

1. Women’s Interest:LifeToolsForWomen.com. Ezine; 50-word bio; No pay; 500-1200 words; email submission. Topics: “informational articles on family, relationships, work, money, health, nutrition, time management, goal setting and faith. These articles must be uplifting, positive and relevant.”
2. Women’s Interest: Balance Magazine. Print magazine; 15-word bio; No pay; 650-1250 words; email submission as MSWord attachment and indicate section (Health, Wealth, or Happiness); deadline Sep. 1 for winter issue. Topics: “original work providing tips, tools, strategies or a call to action reflecting balanced living and personal growth for women.”
3. Issues/Ethics/Culture: Raving Dove. Online literary journal; Bio w/ weblinks; $10 honorarium; up to 1000 words (nonfiction), 2000 words (fiction); email submission; 2-4 month response time; previously unpublished work only. Topics: “original poetry, nonfiction essays, fiction, photography, and art with (universal) anti-war, anti-violence, peace-related, and human rights themes.”Now Open: The Annual Evolve Beyond Violence Nonfiction Essay Award. Guidelines here. $1000 first prize; entry fee $15, requiring membership (also $15); deadline Sep. 1.
4. Christian Women’s Interest; Christian Books for Women’s Christian Writers Showcase. Online Christian Women’s site, article may be included in the site’s newsletter; published on-site for reader comments; no pay; use submission form. Topics: “the practical, hands on ideas, suggestions, and concepts. So please try to incorporate some of that great stuff!”
5. Fiction/Literary Perpetual Magazine. Online literary journal; publication on-site; no pay; email submissions. Topics: “Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Western/Historical Fiction, Literary, Detective, Romance,” or creative non-fiction in those categories.
6. Women’s Interest - Work at Home Moms; WAHMZone.com. Online WAHM site; article database/learning center; newsletter; publication on-site; bio/byline; no pay; email submissions; possible weekly contributor positions (also unpaid). Topics: Items of interest to WAHM in three categories: Business Zone, Family Zone, or Recipe Zone.
7. Gardening/Horticulture; GreenPrints.com. Print magazine; open-ended, up to 2000 words is a loose suggestion; snail-mail submission but personal response guaranteed; payment, yes, up to $200 but often less. Read the guidelines, as there are some very particular pointers you should be aware of before submitting. Topics: “best, personal (important word, that) garden writing I can get. Expressive, thoughtful, humorous, angry, contrite, flippant, searching, witty, observant, sad, inviting— whatever! We focus on the human, not how-to side of gardening. On the people as well as the plants.”
8. Small Business;MyBusiness Magazine. Print magazine and online companion site with daily updates; length varies depending upon section, see guidelines; queries preferred (I suggest checking the editorial calendar first; pay not mentioned. Topics: “a guide to survival and success in this new small-business economy. We seek to highlight and celebrate the people and ideas making this movement a reality. That’s why the experiences of real small-business owners are essential to every story.”
9. Personal Finance;Budget Savvy Magazine. Online magazine/website; $25 per article; no length guidelines given; no writer’s guidelines onsite, but the editor (Melissa Tosetti) accepts queries (she responded to my request for guidelines that I sent through the contact form). Topics: “Ways to add style and simplicity to your home, Affordable travel and entertainment ideas, Putting together a great look with imagination and style, Cooking and kitchen management basics, Career and personal finance advice and information.”
10. Adventure/History/Travel; Lost Treasure Magazine. Rather specialized, but if this is a hobby then you’re in luck. Monthly publication. 500 to 1500 words, depending; Source documentation required; photos help get you published; not clear on pay; very particular requirements, read the guidelines if you’re interested. Topics: “lost treasure, folklore, personal adventure stories; legends; and how-to articles for treasure hunters and metal detector­ users; personal adventure stories when accompanied by a sidebar consisting of a how-to lesson or tips (hunting, research, technique, etc., related to the story); who’s who features (by query only) and miscellaneous how-to tips.”

11

11. Women’s Interest - Writing; WomenWriters.net. Ezine; byline; no pay; accepts book reviews, poetry, fiction, and scholarly nonfiction; email submission as attachment (preferred format indicated on guidelines). Topics: Women writers, women’s issues, reviews of books written by women, feminism.
12. Women’s Interest - Christian Mommies; ChristianMommies.com. Ezine and website; no length guidelines mentioned; no pay mentioned; online publication, listing in Author Index; email submissions. Topics: Children, Parenting, Home and Family, Health and Spirit. Browse the site for more ideas.
13. Spirituality; Spirituality and Health Magazine. Bimonthly Print Magazine; length ranges depending upon section; manuscript for shorter items, query for features; email submissions. Topics: “the people, practices, and ideas of the spiritual renaissance in contemporary society and their impact on personal and community well being. It provides readers with practices to aid them in their own spiritual formation and strives for journalistic objectivity in the presentation of stories about specific religions and denominations.”

Go get ‘em. Make it a good day.