The WMF Archives

By Angela Atkinson

The WM Freelance Connection is honored to have had the opportunity to interview novelist Mike Angley, author of The Child Finder Trilogy. Mike talks about his books, his careers and passions, his craft and his life. He offers a glimpse into his writing career, touching on everything from rejection to what it means to be a "real" writer. Learn what Mike says is the best writing advice he ever got and find out what he thinks all new writers should know about the publishing industry.

Want to know more about Mike? Check out his bio following the interview!

The Interview

Writing Mommies: Can you tell us what inspired you to create the Child Finder Trilogy? Was your 25 year career as a Special Agent with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI) part of your inspiration?

Mike Angley: Generically, yes. The main reason I decided on this concept for the book was because of the number of crimes against children I worked in the Air Force. Every one of them literally broke my heart, and as a dad myself, it made it even tougher on me. In some respects, Child Finder is a kind of catharsis for me, enabling me to save some kids even if fictional.

Writing Mommies: Exactly what is the OSI and what did you do during your career?

Mike Angley: The OSI is the Air Force equivalent of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) which most people can relate to from the TV series. My wife tells me I’m a cross between DiNozzo and Gibbs, so for those who watch the program, I guess that will give you some insight!

The OSI has been the Air Force's major investigative service since August 1, 1948. The agency reports to the Inspector General, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force. OSI is headquartered at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., but has units in 221 places globally -- both on Air Force bases and in strategically-important locations around the globe.

OSI provides professional investigative service to commanders of all Air Force activities. Its mission is to identify, exploit and neutralize criminal, terrorist and intelligence threats to the U.S. Air Force, Department of Defense and U.S. Government. In my long career I think I’ve seen just about everything from rapes, child sexual assaults, murders, arson, robbery, even counterfeiting.

I spent about half my time in the criminal investigative realm, and the remaining time conducting counterintelligence and counterterrorism operations.

Writing Mommies: Are any of your characters based on yourself or others you know? How do you develop characters?

Mike Angley: Not really, but it’s hard not to write fiction without sprinkling some of your own real life in the plot or character development. I would say my characters are 90% fictional…10% real. In terms of my protagonist, Special Agent Patrick O’Donnell, I took a chance. I realized that most heroes in this genre (mystery/suspense thrillers) are rough and tough, and rarely show a soft side.

I wanted both! Pat is a family man (has two small children), a deeply-faithful Christian, happily- married, and has an incredibly strong moral/ethical compass. At the same time, he is a kick-ass investigator and counterterrorism operator (I provide some back story to his prior Middle East exploits).

These contrasts come into play as he enters this Top Secret program – he finds himself pulled in many directions where he must make tough moral/ethical decisions (is everything he is asked to do actually legal?). He wants to save kids, but at what price? I used his faith for contrast, as well. He is a man who grew up with an unfulfilled sense of calling – is it the psychic gift and rescue of children? He’s not sure, so he grapples with what it all means.

Writing Mommies: What should a reader expect from the Child Finder Trilogy? Can you give us an overview of the series? Each book?

Mike Angley: If people feel inspired after reading each Child Finder book, I will have achieved a powerful goal. Each story is a journey of sorts, not just for my protagonist, but for the reader. I want people to cheer him on as he faces danger and makes decisions, weep when his heart breaks, and feel his joy when God reaches down into his soul and gives him hope.

When the first novel debuted in June, the prestigious Library Journal placed it on its Summer Reads list and called it a ―compelling debut novel‖ and ―a real find.‖ It also recently received a Silver Medal for fiction from the Military Writers Society of America. In it, Major Patrick O’Donnell, an Air Force Special Agent assigned to the Pentagon, begins experiencing haunting nightmares about children who have been abducted and murdered – before their bodies are found. It quickly becomes apparent he has a special psychic gift the government is all too eager to exploit. He is drawn into a secret black world community, overseen by the FBI, which leverages his skills to solve child abductions. But he soon discovers this black world has an even darker underbelly, when those close to him begin to die mysteriously…and his own family gets trapped in a twisted web of government intrigue.

The second novel, Child Finder: Resurrection, will publish in December 2009. It has been a year and a half since Agent O’Donnell left the TOP SECRET child rescue program after it went horribly off-track, resulting in murder and endangering his own family. And just when he thinks he’s comfortably put this painful past behind him, he receives a call from his mentor.

The murky, shadowy TOP SECRET community where he once was center-stage has been revised, revamped, resurrected! The government needs his psychic skills more than ever. A sick, twisted, menacing child killer is on the loose, and no one but Pat can stop him. But Agent O’Donnell soon discovers this new nemesis is more than he bargained for. Nothing can prepare him for the psychotic genius he must fight…and the life and death cat-and-mouse game that entraps him! Once again, Pat must call upon his faith and strong spiritual connection with God to sustain and guide him, especially during his darkest hours as he battles…pure evil.

Finally, the third novel, Child Finder: Revelation, will launch circa December 2010. Special Agent O’Donnell is dispatched to Korea on a TOP SECRET mission to crack the disturbing abduction of a high ranking U.S. official’s children. What he discovers about their sudden disappearance — especially where they have been taken — shocks the foundation of international relations. But more intriguing is what makes these particular children so special.

What O’Donnell learns about them, and himself, involves sensitive government secrets he regrets ever knowing. These new revelations will rock his faith, his concept of life, and his understanding of his place in the universe. Think Da Vinci Code, but with a favorable portrayal of the Vatican!

Writing Mommies: Did you write during your military career? Can you tell us about your writing career in relation to your military career?

Mike Angley: I wrote the first draft of CF in 2001 during an assignment I had in Miami, FL. It was an unusual military assignment where I enjoyed the rare luxury of a lot of free time, so I finally buckled down and disciplined myself to complete the initial manuscript. It was hard work because I had become so accustomed to the very sterile writing style of official government reports! I put the first draft away for six more years until I retired in 2007…dusted it off and went shopping for an agent.

Writing Mommies: Was there a specific moment in which you knew you were a "real" writer?

Mike Angley: Well, not sure I am yet! I don’t think there’s a bright line of distinction one crosses, no formal accreditation, or ceremony. I must admit though, that getting the Library Journal review and the annual award gave me a hint of validation.

Writing Mommies: Many of our readers are just starting out in the writing business. What would you say to a new writer who wanted to get a novel published?

Mike Angley: Two things – learn the business end of writing with the same passion as you write. Learn all about agents and publishers, book review processes, and industry trends. Second – be patient yet persistent, and don’t take rejection personally.

Writing Mommies: How do you stay focused on the task at hand when you’re writing? Do you find that you get distracted? How do you handle that?

Mike Angley: I’m nowhere near as disciplined as many other writers. Some days I write a few sentences, other days chapters. Many days nothing at all. I really must be mentally ready and fully inspired to write, otherwise it’s not fun and the words that flow are terrible. When I’m distracted, I balance the checkbook or walk my beagle so as not to spoil the words I want to write but can’t seem to move from head to fingertips.

Writing Mommies: What is the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever been given, and who did it come from?

Mike Angley: The two items I mentioned previously about the business end of writing and persistence – many authors told me the same thing. Several others also told me to network with as many authors and publishers as I can, even on social networking sites. I think that’s been some good advice that has helped me greatly.

Writing Mommies: Who are your favorite writers?

Mike Angley: I’m a big Tom Clancy fan – and had the chance to meet him many years back when he was the guest of honor at a military function I attended. I’m also a fan of Joel Rosenberg, particularly his book, The Last Jihad.

Writing Mommies: Have you ever had to deal with rejection as a writer? How did you handle it?

Mike Angley: I sure have. I shopped Child Finder around to many agents for a year and a half and received dozens of rejection letters. It hurt at first, but after receiving many of them, I got over it. A few agents offered me some free advice and suggestions which I eagerly gobbled up and followed.

Writing Mommies: Were you always a novelist? Do you do any other kind of writing?

Mike Angley: My lifelong passion has been to write novels. It’s something that I’ve wanted to do since I was a little boy. I used to write a lot of short stories in high school and college, which teachers would rave about, so I found the feedback very inspiring. I must confess, I dabbled in poetry during high school, mostly to impress girls I had crushes on. One time during a lunch period, I stood up and read out loud a poem I wrote to one girl who never seemed to even notice me, but I sure liked her a lot. I embarrassed us both, but she kissed me as everyone in the cafeteria cheered. That was pretty cool.

Writing Mommies: Can you tell us about your experiences in the publishing industry?

Mike Angley: My only experience is my current one. Child Finder is my debut novel and I’m pleased with how well it is doing. I came into the literary market during a recession, with fewer people buying books than ever before. It also meant fewer authors were getting contracts. I went with a small publishing house that happened to be looking for new fiction authors, so I’m grateful to have been given this opportunity!

Writing Mommies: Beyond a trilogy, what are your writing plans for the future?

Mike Angley: I like the idea of continuing to feature Patrick O’Donnell in other stories beyond the Child Finder trilogy. In many respects he has come to life for me, and I enjoy mentoring him as a fictional character as much as I enjoyed mentoring junior officers when I was on active duty. I anticipate many new adventures capturing dangerous criminals, spies, and terrorists!

More About Mike

MICHAEL “Mike” ANGLEY is the award-winning author of the mystery/suspense thriller series, the Child Finder Trilogy, which features USAF Special Agent protagonist, Major Patrick S. O’Donnell. More information about the entire trilogy can be found at: www.childfinder.us.

His debut novel, Child Finder, received the Silver Medal for fiction in the 2009
Military Writers Society of America’s Annual Awards program, and when the book launched in June
2009, the Library Journal placed it on its Summer Reads list and called it a “compelling debut novel” and
“a real find.”

Mike retired from the U.S. Air Force in September 2007 in the rank of Colonel, following an exciting and dangerous 25-year career as a Special Agent with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI). During his career, he held thirteen different assignments throughout the world. Among these assignments were five tours as a Commander of different units, to include two Air Force Squadrons and a Wing.

Michael Angley is a seasoned criminal investigator and a counterintelligence and counterterrorism specialist. Following the 1996 Khobar Towers terrorist attack in Saudi Arabia, Angley was dispatched to command all OSI units throughout the Middle East, with responsibility for 23 countries. During his tenure, he and his teams effectively neutralized numerous terrorist threats to U.S. forces in the region, to include an imminent threat to senior Department of Defense officials. In 2004 he commanded all OSI units in South Korea where he and his teams countered a classified target in Seoul. For his efforts, the President of South Korea presented him with a Presidential Citation and medal, and the Korean National Police Agency (KNPA) Commissioner decorated him with the KNPA Medal of Cooperation.

Earlier in his career, while commanding an OSI unit in northern Japan, Angley conducted an operation that effectively blocked a KGB agent’s efforts to steal critical U.S. technology, and thereby stymied Soviet military advances for years. In 1999, he was the Chief of Counterintelligence within the Directorate of Intelligence, U.S. Strategic Command. His office competed for the prestigious Killian Award, a White House-level honor that annually recognizes the very best intelligence unit in the entire U.S. government. His unit came in as first runner-up for this significant honor.

EDUCATION: Michael Angley has an M.A. in National Security Affairs from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA, and a B.A. in Criminal Justice and Psychology from King’s College, Wilkes-Barre, PA. In 2001 he served as a National Defense Fellow and Adjunct Professor of
International Relations at Florida International University, Miami, FL.

FAMILY: Mike and Evelyn, his wife of 24 years, make their home in Colorado Springs, CO. They have three children, and they usually can be found chasing after their rambunctious beagle named Brynn.

*Check out other WM Writers to Watch!

Writers to Watch: Mike Angley

Almost everyone these days has at least one blog. Did you know by maintaining a blog you can actually improve your writing? There are many benefits to having a blog. You can easily improve your writing while doing something you enjoy.

Daily Writing
One benefit of having a blog is that it gets you in the habit of writing daily. Even if your blog posts are short, it still gets your mind thinking and you develop the habit of writing every day. Writing daily is a great idea if you are serious about becoming a professional writer.

Feedback
Maintaining a blog can help you improve your writing in another way. A blog offers you almost instant feedback. The people that read your blog can allow you to have a great perspective on improvements you may need to make or what people enjoy most about your writing. This feedback will help you improve your writing.

Motivation
Another benefit of having a blog is it can give you motivation. When you have a lot of work to do, you can often find your self sitting at the computer with a case of writers block. A blog will allow you to break free for a minute and gain some motivation to make it through another day of writing.

Can Blogging Really 'Improve Your Writing?

Obviously, we can’t all pull evergreen topics out of our butt to write about. So if you’re going to submit articles, make sure you’re doing it at the appropriate time. Here are some of my other bonehead mistakes:

I recently uploaded a piece to eHow on How to Have a Grandparents’ Day Celebration for Homeschoolers AFTER Grandparents’ Day. Maybe it will get lots of hits NEXT YEAR. So I’m a year early. Yeah, me!

I wrote an article about how to have a cheap, green birthday party, but sent it out to regional parenting magazines in May. Most of these publications publish their birthday articles in May or June, so I was LATE.

I started sending out my Christmas Peace piece in July because I wanted to make sure I had time to grab local sidebars for all the pubs that would want to buy it. That turned out to be all of 4 publications, hopefully (editors aren’t the best with follow-up communication or something like “thank you for the local sidebar we asked for; we’ll send you a tearsheet and a check in December”). I think I was too early.

Re-sent the Christmas piece in September … still too early? Only got 2 more bites.

ESPECIALLY if you’re submitting to larger publications, read their writer’s guidelines carefully to see exactly when they want “seasonal material” (e.g., 3 months before the issue is due to come out or more like 6 months before).

Have a great week!

Timing

I just wanted to post a brief reminder of the fact that winter is coming. Yeah, I know. It's not like you needed reminding. The thing is, for writers that means that we are about to go on a sort of lock down. We already spend most of our time indoors on the computer. During the winter this will be even more likely. We need to make sure we stretch our legs before the cold spells no longer allow us to stretch them so far. Not only that, but in doing so, we also need to start thinking of the holidays.

So, make sure you get out and take some long walks in the sun. Play outdoors with the kids and breath in some fresh air. Then, start making the list. Not the naughty and nice one just yet, but the one that brings in the holiday readers. I thought I would throw in some tips for holiday writers.

-Free crafts are hot items in any recession. Christmas is coming so this is a good time to focus on those Christmas craft articles.

-Cheap Halloween costumes are going to be the ticket this Halloween. Better yet, write articles on how to make specific costumes at home.

-Have a great Thanksgiving recipe to share? Now's the time!

The bottom line is that you need to think about the economy. Think about what concerns you and your family about the coming winter and find the keywords to go along with it. Use them in your articles and know that you are doing society a service while boosting your page views!

Winter Prep

By Angela Atkinson

RANGE Magazine* is currently accepting submissions for features, mini-features, columns and more. Pay is $50 to $400 per article, depending on type.

(Note: filmmakers and photographers should also check out this link to see freelance film and photo guidelines.)

Full writer's guidelines reprinted from the website below:

RANGE magazine is an award-winning quarterly devoted to the issues that threaten the West, its people, lifestyles, lands, and wildlife. Known for its powerful photos and straight talk, RANGE portrays "The Cowboy Spirit on Americaís Outback." It exposes a land in crisis and shows how daily challenges are being met with grit, determination and humor. No stranger to controversy, RANGE is the leading forum for opposing viewpoints in the search for solutions that will halt the depletion of a national resource-the American cowboy.

Completed manuscripts are OK, but so are query letters explaining your story idea, along with a sample of your work. Good photographs (each captioned and credited) also help tell the story. Reprints will be considered but let us know where and when it was published. We use very few scenic photographs, preferring to see people at work, on the land, and in the ranch house, plus shots of wildlife and livestock on the range.

We use a lot of freelance material. Regular features (tight writing preferred) run from 1,200-2,000 words; mini-features 600-1,200 words; columns and "Confessions of Red Meat Survivors" (great nostalgia from people over 80) run from 500-600 words. Payments are from $50 to $400 per article. RANGE buys first North American serial rights, but we also consider reprints (with necessary permission and attribution).

Please submit manuscript by e-mail to cj@rangemagazine.com. Or send dated manuscript typed, double-spaced, with your name, address, phone number, and social security number in the top right corner of the first page. Include a suggested title, blurb and byline with your story on the first page, and a brief bio at the end. A CD, preferably in Microsoft Word, as well as your double-spaced hard copy, would be appreciated. Be sure to specify the application you used for our translation purposes. We work on Mac computers.

Payment will be discussed after receipt of acceptable story ideas and sample. If you want to sell to RANGE, read the publication first. Subscriptions are $19.95 per year. Pick up a copy at newsstands nationwide or send $5 for a sample copy. Our address is RANGE magazine, P.O. Box 639, Carson City, NV 89702. 775-884-2200. FAX 775-884-2213.

*Not the gig for you? Check out other WM writing opportunities!

Writing Opportunity: RANGE Magazine

When you spend a large portion of your time working on articles to get a nice paycheck, your creative side often gets pushed away. Lets face it, a paycheck now is a lot nice then a possible paycheck in the future. Despite this, it is a good idea to let your creative side shine through every once in a while. So how do you do this when you have such a busy schedule? I have learned a few things over the past year to help me release my creative side and end up more productive in the long run.

Set Time Aside
As difficult as it may seem, set time a side for your creative side. I spend a few minutes in the morning every day just blogging. This is a great outlet for my creative side. Although it is only a few brief minutes it gives me the drive to continue through out the day on the money making stuff.

Once a week I try to take a day off to just work on creative stuff. This is a perfect break through out the week to keep me charged and focused through out the remainder of the week. Afterwards I am better able to focus and become more productive on my work.

Set a Goal
Set goals for yourself. Whether they are monthly, weekly, or daily set creative goals for your self. Maybe set a word count to meet, or to complete a chapter in a book you are writing a month. Setting goals is a great way to keep you motivated to let your creative side shine.

Finding Time to Get Creative

By Angela Atkinson

Do you find that people are always laughing with you (as opposed to at you)? If so, today's writing opportunity* may be perfect for you.

Funny Times is looking for stories (and cartoons, for our artist friends) to tickle their readers' funny bones.

Writer's guidelines reprinted from the website below:

First, thanks for thinking of us. We are always looking to expose our readers.... to hilarious new material. Everything we publish is funny, so please don't send in something that isn't. We only publish cartoons and funny stories. Cartoons should be "scannable" (good quality photocopies are fine) and stories should be about 500-700 words.

There is no limit to our scope and we cover just about everything that can be funny including politics, news, relationships, food, technology, pets, work, death, environmental issues, business, religion, seasonal events and everything else relating to the general human condition. Since we carry no advertising we don't have an editorial calendar, but we have a lead-time of several months, e.g., December holiday material should be mailed for consideration in September. We only buy one-time reproduction rights and do not require exclusives; all other rights stay with the copyright holder. We pay $25-40 for cartoons based on reproduced size and $60 for stories. We pay upon publication. In addition to being paid, we also provide our published contributors with a complimentary Funny Times subscription and will swap website links.
Submissions should be mailed to:

THE FUNNY TIMES
C/O THE EDITORS
P.O. BOX 18530
CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, OH 44118

All submissions should include a SASE so you can get your material back and will know if, dare we say it, your material is "rejected." We do not accept faxed or e-mailed submissions. Given the volume of unsolicited submissions we receive, it may take us several months to get to them, so please be patient.

HINTS: Don't overwhelm the editors. Pick 5-10 of your favorites just to get us interested and we'll contact you if we want more. In your cover letter, please tell us where you've been published because it lets us know who else thinks you're funny (this will not necessarily be held against you). Also, don't give up if we mail your packet back, several of our contributors mailed stuff to us for months before we found something we liked or before we learned to appreciate their perspective.

*Not the gig you're looking for? Check out other WM writing opportunities! Subscribe through the box to your right to have Writing Mommies updates delivered to your in box!

Writing Opportunity: Funny Times

Here’s some junk that came to me while I couldn’t sleep because SOMEONE was kicking me nonstop from the inside of my body. It’s about why we are sometimes not successful at something we are good at doing.

1. Get rid of the clutter in your house. Do you really need all those classics to make you look smart? Grab some great writing reference books, and ditch all the unnecessary crap. And please sell your prom dress from 15 years ago. You’ll never fit into it again, and your daughter (if you ever have one) won’t want to wear it.

2. Dump your negative friends who sneak in snide comments about you becoming a writer. They are jealous.

3. Cling for dear life to your friends who are completely non-jealous of your writing and praise you to anyone who will listen. Buy them presents, too.

4. Don’t fear success. The people who are your true friends will be proud of your accomplishments, not jealous.

5. Don’t worry so much that if you become famous you will forget your friends and will acquire several stalkers. You will still be you, and stalkers have better things to do (like write daily fan mail to Stephen King or J.K. Rowling, who is way cuter than you anyway).

6. Don’t try to lose weight first. Just be yourself and write. Nobody cares if you are a fat, famous writer. You have brains, and that counts for more! Like Judge Judy says, “Beauty fades, but dumb is forever.”

7. Quit screwing around on Twitter and Facebook and all those networking sites. Sure, you need to devote SOME time to promoting your work, getting quotes and relaxing, but watch out for these time sucks!

Don’t be dumb! Get writing!

Being Successful

Let's face it. We all have out own comfort zones we like to stay in. How's that work out for online writers though? Not well in case you're wondering.

There are a lot of sites that start out strong and pay decent. Then they disappear. It's the same with personal clients. Listen to what your mother told you and don't put all your eggs in one basket. The cash cow today may be what puts you in tears tomorrow.

Don't forget that you are a freelancer. That means that what you write and when you write are all up to you. Feel empowered! Have some options and don't be afraid to try new things! That doesn't mean to sign up for things you know you don't have time for, but to make sure you have a variety to choose from.

Take it from me, a single mom who supports her child on writing alone. Variety is a good thing and every now and then I get a reminder of that. It usually happens when I devote all my time to one project or one site and then I get burnt out. Now what? That, my friend is why I am on a variety of sites and have my personal blog to vent on.

So, I challenge every reader to sign up on two new sites this week. Don't stop there though. Sign up and actually write something for them! I'll even give you an easy one to start with. This site allows you to cut and paste nonexclusives from other sites. Seriously..two minutes worth of work for all the page view pay you can get on there? I double dog dare ya!

Comfort Zones

With the constant in flow of work, it is very easy to get writer burn out. Usually writer burn out occurs at the worst possible time and ends up setting you behind on your work. At least once a month I end up suffering from writer burn out. But, I have noticed a few things I can do to try and make these occurrences less often.

Pace Your Self
To avoid writer burn out, pace your self through out the month. When a huge deadline lingers in the near future, don't save all the work for the last minute. Instead, try to evenly space the amount of work you need to accomplish through out the remaining days before the deadline.

Don't Bite Off More Than You Can Chew!
The quickest way to suffer from writer burn out is to get in over your head. Make sure you do not take on more work that you feel comfortable with. The higher your stress level is, the more likely you will burn out.

Take Time Off
Although every writer will tell you, taking a day off of work is not an easy task. When you take a day off work you still find your self thinking about working. Despite this, it is important to schedule at least one day a week to turn off the computer and just relax.

Alternate Your Work
To avoid writer burn out, try to alternate the writing you work on through out the day. There are things we enjoy writing about, and other topics we are given that can feel forced. Try to alternate the enjoyable work with the less enjoyable work. If you are stuck writing one of those dreaded pieces, at least you know after you finish it, you get to work on something fun.

Every writer suffers from writer burn out once in a while. What are some of the things you do to avoid this problem?

Avoiding Writer Burn Out

By Angela Atkinson

Today's Writing Opportunity* is perfect for Christian writers. Group Publishing is currently accepting manuscripts has a few different opportunities available, including books, curriculum, a kid's magazine, a magazine for Christian adults and more. Pay varies by job. Writer's guidelines and contact info reprinted from the website below.

Writer's Guidelines
Group Publishing, Inc.
P.O. Box 481, Loveland, CO 80539
(970) 669-3836

contacts:
Kerri Loesche (for church resource or curriculum resource submissions)
Carmen Kamrath (for Children's Ministry Magazine submissions)
Kathy Dieterich (for Rev! Magazine submissions)
Scott Firestone IV (for Group Magazine submissions)

Church Resource and Curriculum Writer's Guidelines

Group Publishing' s mission is: To equip churches to help children, youth, and adults grow in their relationship with Jesus. To that end, Group publishes more than 30 titles each year:

Group Publishing, Inc.
Resources for Christian education in local churches, including youth, childrens, adult, and pastoral ministry. Both single-author royalty books and multiple-author compilations assigned on a work-for-hire basis.

Church Resources
Resources for Christian pastors and leaders, including family ministry. Both single-author royalty books and multiple-author compilations assigned on a work-for-hire basis.

Submitting a Church or Curriculum Resource Proposal
If you have a submission that meets the criteria just listed, we' d like to know about it. You' re welcome to submit a resource proposal that includes:

• A cover letter briefly summarizing your resource idea and telling about your background.

• An outline of how you' d structure the resource.

• An introduction to the resource explaining how it can be used easily in a ministry setting and why people need or want your resource (write this as if the buyer were reading it while he or she browses in a bookstore).
• A sample which could include any of the following:

1. two sample chapters (written and formatted in such a way that any average church leader could read, understand, and implement your ideas with his or her group);
2. two sample sessions or studies (if it' s a resource Bible Study, events, meeting ideas, and so on);
3. about a dozen sample experiences/ideas (if it' s a resource of short ideas, worship, devotions, skits, or the like);
4. a CD/DVD clearly labeled to match a manuscript with a Web link, if applicable (for media proposals). If you send in a media piece without the other bulleted items listed above, it will likely be rejected.

• If you would like your submission returned, please include a postage-paid, self-addressed envelope. Anything not returned will be recycled 30 days from the date on the response letter.

What We' re Looking For
(All R.E.A.L. and church leader/Sunday school teacher-oriented)

We do not publish fiction, games, children' s books, autobiographies, or any type of poetry. All of our materials are leader/teacher-oriented (they are not expressly directed toward children or families).

Children' s...
• sermons & worship ideas
• service project ideas
• Bible lessons & Bible-based activities
• crafts
• object lessons
• creative Bible story presentations (no fiction)
• devotions
• game ideas or books (not puzzles, R-bits, board games, or coloring books)
• plays & skits (as a book, not individually)
• leadership

Youth & young adult...
• administration/leadership (includes spiritual growth)
• Bible studies/lessons (includes Bible study programs)
• Bibles
• counseling
• devotions
• electronic/media
• events
• foundational
• games
• high-profile
• ideas (includes discussion starters)
• messages
• music/songbook
• retreats
• skits
• small groups
• teenage
• worship

Adult/Pastor...
• practical ideas for pastors, speakers or church leaders regarding everyday church ministries
• foundational books on adult ministry
• relationship-building ideas
• family ministry ideas
• small group studies or other programs
• out front thinkers with a mind & heart for ministry, tell us something we don' t already know

Writing Group Books

Group Publishing, Inc. receives hundreds of resource proposals each year. These questions are designed to help you evaluate your own idea the way our editors would.

• Is it original? Is the idea for the resource yours alone? What makes you the best person to provide this resource for ministry leaders?

• Is it practical? Group publishes resources that our readers, youth workers, parents, Sunday school teachers, and Christian education directors can pull off the shelf and use immediately.

• Would its sales benefit from your ministry influence or special efforts? How are you uniquely positioned to market this resource? What kind of platform do you have that would help its sales?

• Is it need-oriented? People buy ministry resources that meet their needs. What needs does your proposal address? Why would people feel compelled to buy and use it?

• Does it reflect biblical principles? Group is an interdenominational Christian publisher and everything we produce reflects that perspective.

• Is there anything else out there like it? Is there any competition for this resource? What else has been published that is similar to your idea, and how will your be superior and unique enough that people will buy it over anything else? Tell our readers something they don' t already know in a way that they' ve not seen before.

• Is it clear and easy to use? Does it make its point concisely? Are instructions easy to follow?

Writing Group Curriculum
We' re always looking for good writers who know kids, understand active learning, and have the ability to write lessons that help kids apply the Bible to their lives.

Check out and read Why Nobody Learns Much of Anything at Church: And How to Fix It, The Dirt on Learning, and The 1 Thing® by Thom and Joani Schultz. These will give you the best example of our philosophy.

Check out our various curriculum lines at your local Christian bookstore.

Your submission will be logged and forwarded. We will try to respond to your inquiry or submission as quickly as possible (based on current project/editor deadlines and the number of submissions which were received ahead of yours), but the turn-around can take six months plus.

DON' T FORGET TO SEND A POSTAGE-PAID ENVELOPE IF YOU WOULD LIKE YOUR SUBMISSION RETURNED. ANYTHING NOT RETURNED 30 DAYS FROM THE DATE ON YOUR RESPONSE LETTER WILL BE RECYCLED.

Mail your submission to:

Church/Curriculum Resource Proposal
Group Publishing, Inc.
ATTN: Kerri Loesche, E.A./C.C.
P.O. Box 481
Loveland, CO 80539

E-mail your submission to: kloesche@group.com


Group Publishing' s mission is: To equip churches to help children, youth, and adults grow in their relationship with Jesus. To that end, Group publishes more than 30 titles each year under the following imprints:


Group Publishing, Inc.
Resources for Christian education in local churches, including Christian pastors and leaders (includes family ministry), youth, and children' s ministry. Both single-author royalty books and multiple-author compilations assigned on a work-for-hire basis.


Curriculum Resources
Sunday school, midweek, and children' s church Christian education resources for infants to adults. All programs incorporate active and interactive-learning techniques and are assigned on a work-for-hire basis.

Rev! Magazine Guidelines

Purpose:

Providing innovative and practical how-to ideas for pastors. Rev! is a practical, easy-to-digest bimonthly magazine for pastors and church leaders—the primary decision-makers who provide vision and cultivate the spiritual life of the church. Rev! is packed with innovative, problem-solving ideas for all areas of church life. We believe in team ministry, so whatever you can do to help pastors equip ministry leaders, we're for it.

Needs:

Features: Practical, full-length articles that provide easy-to-read, but significant content in the following categories:

* Administration: How-to's and models for the business life of the church.
* Equipping Ministry: Empowering staff and church members for ministry.
* Ministry Trends: Models of new ways of doing ministry, which include specifics on how readers can apply these strategies to their own ministries.

Departments: Practical mini-articles in the following categories:

* Ministry Leadership: developing as a leader; stewardship; equipping staff and church members for ministry
* Outreach & Discipleship: outreach within the church and community
* Preaching & Worship: all aspects of worship and preaching
* Church Management: working with boards/church leadership/administrators; staff issues; facilities

WORD COUNT AND PAYMENT — Features 1,500 to 3,000 words $300 - $500; Departments 200 to 1,400 words $50 - $250
Payment is on acceptance. We buy all rights.

We see this primarily as a ministry to pastors, allowing you to influence thousands of leaders and providing you with a national and international presence for your ideas, ministry, and resources.


We strongly prefer emailed manuscripts: Please be sure the body of your email includes your name, address, phone number, and email address. If you send your idea as an attachment, also include your contact information within the document. Email submissions to: kdieterich@group.com

Preparation of hard-copy manuscripts: Manuscripts should be typewritten or printed from a computer, Your name, address, and phone number should appear on the cover letter and the upper right corner of the first page. Each page should be numbered and include the title or your name. Include a stamped, self-addressed envelope to receive a written response. Our normal response time to manuscript submissions is eight to ten weeks. We're working nine to ten months ahead of distribution. Please keep that in mind if you are submitting dated or seasonal material. Mail submissions to: Rev. Magazine,
P.O.. Box 481, Loveland, CO 80539-0481

Children's Ministry Magazine GuidelinesPurpose: Children' s Ministry is the premiere magazine for those who serve children in the church. Each bimonthly issue is packed with dozens of ideas and inspirational articles to help leaders encourage children to grow spiritually. Each issue also contains helpful pages to photocopy and send to parents and teachers to give them new ideas and insights into today' s kids. Needs: CHILDREN' S MINISTRY needs practical articles covering topics such as working with volunteers; discipline; and communicating with children about faith, morals, money, friends, grades and choices. Articles on understanding children are also regularly featured. Each issue features regular columns on age-level development, outreach, family ministry, leading volunteers, special needs, and discipline. CHILDREN' S MINISTRY publishes ideas, activities, crafts and tips for different ages. No fiction, prose, or poetry. Word Length and Payment Feature articles 1000-2200 words - payment $75 to $400 Teacher and Parent Tips 200 words - payment $40 Games, crafts, and activities 200-500 words - payment $40 Payment is on acceptance. We buy all rights. Preparation of copy: Manuscripts should be typewritten, double-spaced, on one side of the paper. Please include a brief cover letter with information about the author and article. Your name, address, phone number, email address and word count should appear on the cover letter in the upper right corner of each page. Include an SASE for return of unaccepted manuscript. Our normal response time to manuscript submissions is eight to ten weeks. We work nine to ten months ahead of distribution. Please keep that in mind if you are submitting dated or seasonal material. Children' s Ministry is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts. Guidelines for submissions: 1. Format - Articles should be typewritten and double-spaced. 2. Sources - Complete and return a source list, including the names and pertinent information of every person you quote or refer to. 3. Facts - Include photocopies of every printed source you quote or refer to. Highlight the information used. If the source is a page in a book, include photocopies of the book title page. 4. Submission - You may send your submission to ATTN: Carmen Kamrath, Children' s Ministry Magazine, P.O. Box 481, Loveland, CO 80539 or e-mail it to ckamrath@cmmag.com

GROUP Magazine Writers Guidelines What we believe:
Young people learn best by doing...The key to spiritual growth is biblical truth learned and applied in real-life situations...Relationships form the best context for kids' growth...Young people can do the work of ministry - they can think, lead, and handle significant responsibilities...Effective youth leaders are well-trained coaches, teachers, and spiritual mentors who are passionate advocates of young people...Parents and other faithful adults are crucial to kids' spiritual growth...Youth ministry is a high calling, worthy of a life commitment. Needs:
GROUP needs articles on successful youth ministry strategies, including youth-led ministry ideas, understanding kids and youth culture, recruiting/training/keeping adult leaders, family ministry, staff issues, serving and training parents, professionalism, and self-nurture. How-to articles on personal spiritual growth, time management, issues vital to working with young people, leadership skills (listening, discussion-leading), worship ideas, handling specific group problems, fun and experiential programming ideas, and active-learning meeting plans and retreats.
- Try This One - section needs short ideas for group use. These include games, fund-raisers, crowdbreakers, Bible studies, helpful hints, outreach ideas, and discussion starters.
- Hands-on Help - section needs mini-articles (up to 200 words) that feature tips for youth leaders on working with youth, adult leaders, and parents. Word length and payment:
GROUP Articles
500 to 700 words $150
800 to 1,100 words $175
1,200 to 1,700 words $200
2,000 and up words $250-350

Department:
- Try This One - (up to 300 words) $50
- Hands-on Help - (up to 175 words) $50
Preparation of copy:
Manuscripts should be typewritten or printed from a computer, double-spaced, on one side of the paper. Please include a brief cover letter with information about the author and article. Your name, address, phone number and Social Security Number should appear on the cover letter and the upper right corner of first page. Each page should be numbered and include title or your name. Include stamped, self-addressed envelope for a written response. Submissions may also be emailed to Scott Firestone IV. Our normal response time to manuscript submissions is eight to ten weeks. We are working nine to ten months ahead of distribution. Please keep that in mind if you are submitting dated or seasonal material. No fiction, prose, or poetry. Payment is on acceptance. We buy all rights.

*Not the gig for you? Check out other WM writing opportunities!

Writing Opportunity: Group Publishing

As a writer, it is very important you keep a portfolio of all your best work. There are a number of reason why you should keep an up to date portfolio. A writers portfolio does not have to be very elaborate and fancy but there are few things you should do to keep it looking professional.

What is a portfolio?
A writing portfolio is a place for you to display your writing to editors or employers. It is a good idea to have a portfolio to neatly present your work. It does not look very professional if you walk into an editors office or possible employer carrying a bunch of loose leaf papers. A neatly organized portfolio is much more professional.

How to keep a portfolio?
Keeping a portfolio is easy. It does not have to be an elaborate thing. You can get a three ring binder and plastic page protector to organize your work. It is important to keep your portfolio up to date and well organized. It is a good idea to use page protectors because your work can become dirty or smudged. This is something an editor or employer will frown upon. With a clean and well organized portfolio, they will see you pride yourself in your work.

Not only can a portfolio be used for editors and future employers, but it can be passed down from generation to generation, allowing your family to see your work.

Keeping a Writing Portfolio

By Angela Atkinson

The Chicago Reader* is currently accepting submissions. The pay varies from $25 for the shorter items to $1000 for feature items. Writer's guidelines from the website reprinted below:

Writer's Guidelines

The Reader publishes articles by freelancers, including material that comes in "over the transom"—from writers we've never heard of and may never hear from again. We think that keeping the Reader open to the greatest possible number of contributors makes for a fresher, less predictable, more interesting paper. So we not only publish unsolicited freelance writing, we depend on it.

Below are our answers to the questions freelancers most commonly ask:

What kind of articles are you looking for? Generally speaking, our greatest need is for magazine-style feature stories of varying lengths on Chicago topics. Beyond saying this, we usually answer this question with a list of the things we're not looking for: hard news (What the Mayor Said About the Schools Yesterday), commentary and opinion (What I Think About What the Mayor Said About the Schools Yesterday), poetry. We are not particularly interested in national stories unless there's a local angle, or in celebrity for celebrity's sake.

We value good writing more than we value any particular topic—and, it should be added, more than we value the above list of rules. We are always willing to violate our own guidelines—to publish news, commentary, a celebrity interview—if we like a particular article enough. Virtually any topic can make a good Reader story if it's written well enough. Similarly, any terrific-sounding article can miss the mark, no matter how fascinating the idea, if it's butchered badly enough.

We publish quite a bit of arts and entertainment criticism—reviews of movies, music, theater, dance, art, etc. Don't be put off if these essays seem to be written by the same people every week—we're always open to new reviewers who can do as well as or better than our regulars. Be aware, however, that many reviews are reserved by our regulars in advance. You can ask if the art exhibit or movie you want to review has been reserved by someone else. Or, better, you can just go ahead and review it anyway. If we like your piece but can't print it, we'll get back to you and suggest something we can print. If you'd like to become one of our regulars, submitting freelance material on spec is the only way to audition.

We also run short articles (typically 250-1,000 words) on places to go, things to do, restaurants, shops, etc. We welcome short profiles and humor pieces. A good rule of thumb: if you don't see it in the Reader (whatever it is), don't assume we don't want it.

We have occasional special issues focusing, among other things, on fashion, books, fiction, and stories from around the region. Fiction submissions are welcome year-round, but see below for our caveat about slow response time.

Should I send a query? Sure. Occasionally we know in advance that we don't want a particular story ­because we've just published it, or someone else has, or the idea is patently revolting. But the rest of the time we're likely to respond: "You're welcome to try this on spec."We don't usually make assignments to people we haven't worked with before, but if you're willing to take a risk, we're willing to read your work. Feel free to e-mail us with a query anytime.

What about contracts? If we've worked with you before, we might make an assignment and discuss a deadline and payment. We've found that e-mail exchanges serve well as contracts (keeping everyone on the same page). We do our best to make sure assigned stories make it into the paper, but if an assigned story or rewrite doesn't work out we'll pay a kill fee of at least 25 percent of the agreed-upon minimum.

What lengths do you prefer? We run short features of 250-1,200 words. Our larger feature stories start at about 2,500 and are often much longer. Reviews are generally 600-1,200 words but can be more. If we make an assignment, we'll likely recommend a length.

Once my story's accepted, will your editors destroy my deathless prose? We have a healthy appreciation for writerly idiosyncrasies but little patience for lazy reporting or bad logic. If we have to edit your story heavily, we'll explain our changes, and we show edited work to writers before publication. Naturally, a writer can refuse at any time to submit a rewrite or withdraw a story from consideration. Stories that need a lot of editing tend to migrate to editors' back burners. If we want your story but it's taking a long time to get it edited, we'll be happy to give you an advance.

How much do you pay? As of this writing (January 2009), from about $25 (the shortest items) to $1,000 (the longest cover features). Short features usually run $150-$300, and reviews pay set rates of $150 or $250, depending on length. A more complete schedule of fees is available upon request. We pay weekly.

Do you pay expenses? Not usually. Check with us ahead of time if you plan to spend our money. Expense requests, including receipts, should be submitted within a month of publication.

What rights are you buying? Unless a different arrangement is made prior to publication, our freelance fee for articles includes first-time serial rights, nonexclusive Web use, archival rights (microfilm, microfiche, etc), and the right to publish in anthologies, for an additional amount to be negotiated. Our fee for listings (such as a movie capsule) includes all of the above plus the right to repeat publication in print. We also assume permission to make articles available via third-party online databases such as Proquest Alt-Press Watch and AltWeeklies.com.

How soon do you report on acceptance/rejection? Usually pretty quickly, but if we don't love your article or hate it, we could hold it for weeks or even months, waiting for the right time to publish it. If you know that you'll need a response in a hurry, inform us in a cover note.

How about artwork and photos? We prefer to take care of art ourselves. You're welcome to submit photos, drawings, diagrams, etc, but we may decide we can do better with our own artists and photographers. Of course, if it's going to be impossible for our people to do the artwork ­the subject of your story is leaving town for six months, or the art requires technical expertise that you happen to have­ it may be to your advantage to supply us with something.

Photographers and illustrators who want to contribute to the Reader should send the editor a link to samples. If we like your work we'll add you to our roster of available artists and let you know when we have an assignment for you. Occasionally we accept unsolicited photographs, photo essays, and comics. And occasionally we publish photos uploaded to our Flickr group.

Do you accept rewrites or simultaneous submissions? We have on rare occasion accepted rewritten versions of articles that have already appeared elsewhere, and we have no objection in principle to simultaneous submissions (manuscripts submitted to several publishers at the same time). But in both cases we need to know up front what we're dealing with: please inform us in your cover note.

What manuscript form do you prefer? We prefer e-mail (mail@chicagoreader.com) with your text pasted into the message rather than sent as an attachment.
Feel free to e-mail us if you have any further questions. And thanks for your interest in the Reader.

*Not your kind of gig? Check out other WM writing opportunities!

Writing Opportunity: The Chicago Reader

I just got the coolest business cards in the mail from VistaPrint, and I paid under $6 for 250 of them. I’m always out at parks and play areas with the kids and I run into moms who want to trade phone numbers or e-mail addresses. So the idea of getting business cards just because I’m a mom was always on my mind.


Then once I started writing in earnest, I realized I should be passing out the cards with my blog address on them at least. After I published the e-book, I thought business cards would be the perfect way to advertise it. Below is the one I got … it’s easy to play with the formatting, choose your style, etc. If you want to go super-cheap, just choose the matte option and let VistaPrint advertise on the back of your card so all you pay is shipping.

Just for fun, I like to leave my card places like McDonald’s Playland bathrooms, in library books, and other places where moms might enjoy reading what I have to say.

Business Cards

In the writing world, there are these people that we sometimes love to hate. They are the editors. They are the second pair of eyes and ears that every author deals with. They aren't always nice, though at times we are blessed with the ones that we couldn't live without. The thing is that the goal for a writer is to have their work read. It can't be read if it isn't published and ...trust me on this one, it isn't going to get published until the editor says it is. So, how do we as writers get the point across that we are trying to get across while dealing with the editor?

Remember that they are simply human. They make mistakes and they are only trying to do a job. With that being said, know that you will come across the one who got on a power trip or theone who just doens't feel right if they don't meet a rejection quota directed by Satan. For these types of editors, there is only one thing to do. I like to think of it as beefing up my hourly wage. I ignore the comments and emails that are simply my editors trying to turn me into them. I respond when I have to and make changes when I need to. I will not argue with them.

When change is requested that I don't agree with I voice my concern. If the change is still requested, I either make the change or I take my work elsewhere. Very simple. How does this make me more money? Are you serious? I'm a writer. I can respond to an editor's arguments with enough words to get a good start on that novel I've been wanting to persue. Why waste time arguing? The result is going to be the same no matter how many unpaid words I write. Change it or take it elsewhere.

Keep in mind as you are tempted to argue and get upset, words are how you make a living. This person has already upset you. Why give them your work for free by arguing with them? Just treat it like a normal job and make your choice. On that note, don't forget to appreciate the editor that has held your hand when you were ready to pull your hair out. Say thanks every now and then because I'm here to tell you, a good editor cannot be replaced.

Editors

By Angela Atkinson

Are you a creative writer? If so, today's writing opportunity* may be just what you're looking for!

AGNI Magazine is accepting a number of different types of manuscripts, including poetry, fiction, commissioned essays, and reviews. AGNI works with both established writers and those trying to break into the field.

Writer's Guidelines from the website printed below:

AGNI publishes poetry, short fiction, and essays. Writers whose work has appeared in the magazine include Derek Walcott, Louise Glück, David Foster Wallace, Seamus Heaney, Jhumpa Lahiri, Ha Jin, Olga Broumas, Tom Sleigh, Jill McCorkle, Thomas Sayers Ellis, Gail Mazur, Noam Chomsky, Ilan Stavans, and Rosanna Warren. AGNI regularly features emerging writers and “among readers around the world . . . is known for publishing important new writers early in their careers, many of them translated into English for the first time” (PEN American Center). Most of what we publish is unsolicited.

The print magazine appears twice yearly, in spring and fall. The website grows biweekly with postings of new online-only fiction, poetry, essays, reviews, and interviews.

AGNI welcomes unsolicited manuscripts between September 1st and May 31st. We adhere strictly to postmark dates, and submissions mailed outside that period will be returned unread, provided that sufficient return postage is included. We do not consider previously published work, which includes work published on any website. AGNI’s reporting time is approximately 2 to 4 months.

Each submission may be accepted for publication in AGNI or (with the writer’s permission) AGNI Online. We buy first North American serial rights for the print magazine and first worldwide serial rights for the webmagazine. We pay $10 per printed (or printed-out) page for all accepted prose, $20 per page for poetry, $150 maximum, along with a year's subscription, and, for the print magazine, two contributor's copies and four gift copies of the issue.

Please:

* Address your submission to Fiction Editor, Poetry Editor, or Nonfiction Editor. Translations and essays are welcomed.

* Send no more than one story, one essay, or five poems at a time. We have no word limits, but generally the longer a piece is, the better it needs to be to justify taking up so much space in the magazine. We will consider novel excerpts provided that they are cohesive enough to stand alone.

* Enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) if you would like us to return your submission. Envelopes that are too small or have insufficient postage for a manuscript’s return will get our response, but the manuscript will be recycled. If you do not require the return of your manuscript and would like to be notified by email, please indicate clearly an email address where we can contact you (and skip the SASE).

* Familiarize yourself with AGNI by ordering a recent print issue or by perusing the work that appears online. This site includes selected pieces from the latest print AGNIs (e.g., 65 and 66), current web-only work, and archived fiction, poetry, and essays from both AGNI and AGNI Online.


Some Notes:

* WE DO NOT READ SUBMISSIONS SENT BY EMAIL; please submit online or send your manuscript to the mailing address below.

* Simultaneous submissions are acceptable and encouraged, but please notify us immediately if the work we are considering has been accepted elsewhere.

* Manuscripts mailed between June 1st and August 31st will be RETURNED UNREAD, provided sufficient postage is included. These dates do not apply to subscribers, whose mailed submissions the editors will read year-round.

* While we endeavor to deal with each submission quickly and fairly, we cannot, due to the overwhelming number of submissions, accept responsibility for your manuscript. Do not send us your only copy.


WHERE to send:

Manuscripts should be addressed to the Fiction Editor, Poetry Editor, or Nonfiction Editor at:

AGNI Magazine
Boston University
236 Bay State Road
Boston, MA 02215

*Not the gig for you? Check out other WM writing opportunities!

Writing Opportunity: AGNI Magazine

Need a Job? Check out MediaBistro!!!

There is an online site for writers called MediaBistro. This is a great resource site for writers and other media professionals. This site offers everything from job postings to online courses.

Job Postings
MediaBistro has a freelance market place that is updated frequently with numerous job postings. Private clients and companies post job offers for writers and media professionals of all types on this site. You can browse jobs or set up a profile for companies and clients to contact you.

Online Courses
MediaBistro offers numerous online classes to help you on your road to success. The classes cover a wide range of topics. There are multiple classes available every year. It also offers workshops for writers and media professionals as well.

MediaBistro has a strong community of professionals to offer support and information to other professionals. This is a great site to find work, take course, and meet new people with similar interests.

Media Bistro Review

I thought I might deviate from my usual Tuesday posts and leave you with some writing words for inspiration. Enjoy!

Writing Words for Inspiration

By Angela Atkinson

Backpacker Magazine* is accepting freelance articles. Pay is $0.60 to $1/word. Excerpt from writer's guidelines from the website below:

BACKPACKER is a proud sponsor of Leave No Trace (check out our book, Leave No Trace, available from The Mountaineers Press). All articles and photos that appear in the magazine must adhere to Leave No Trace's ecologically friendly practices. Likewise, we do not promote motorized use in the wilderness or backcountry.

Our readers are knowledgeable and experienced backpackers, therefore we accept only authentic, well-researched, well-crafted stories (see the section on "Accuracy," below). We're not interested in slavish imitations of stories we've already done. As always, you should carefully study several issues of the magazine before submitting a query. The best articles have style, depth, emotional impact, and take-away value for the reader.


Good BACKPACKER articles contain the following attributes:

* Foot-based travel: BACKPACKER primarily covers hiking. When warranted, we cover canoeing, kayaking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and other human-powered modes of travel.
* Wilderness or backcountry: The true backpacking experience means getting away from the trailhead and into the wilds. Whether a dayhike or a weeklong trip, out-of-the-way, unusual destinations are what we're looking for.
* North American destinations: We only occasionally cover foreign locales. Our defined market is North American destinations.
* Advice for improving the backcountry experience: Our readers want to know how to, when to, where to, and with what. Every BACKPACKER article incorporates one or more of these things. We write not merely to inspire our readers to do something, but to help them identify and research new places to go, techniques and skills to use, or the gear to take.
* While a portion of BACKPACKER is written by staff and regular contributors, we encourage freelance authors to submit query emails for features and departments. Approximately 50 percent of our features and more than half of our departments are written by freelancers. Please note that it's rare for a writer new to BACKPACKER to break into the magazine with a feature assignment. Direct your efforts toward establishing a working relationship with us via department assignments first.

Want to know more? Check out full writer's guidelines at Backpacker's website.

*Not the gig for you? Check out other WM writing opportunities!

Writing Opportunity: Backpacker Magazine

I’m a bad member of my blogging team because I haven’t read all the back posts here yet, and I keep waiting to write about something that’s already been done. I’m just waiting for the other three mommies on this blog to kick my butt. They are WAY motivated writers and whip out large quantities of work! I really don’t know what they are doing hanging around with me.

Anyway, today I’m going to remind you to watch who you write about! Here are two stories from my recent past, both of which I’ll probably get in trouble for AGAIN just for sharing. But you are worth it!

1. I wrote for Today.com for a little while (until they stopped paying $1 per day and started paying per page impression). Once I wrote about how I love Christmas Day so much now because I don’t have to pack up all 500 of my kids and drive them 45 minutes away to celebrate with my extended family. I said something like, “My grandma still doesn’t understand this.” Which is true. And I didn’t talk any other smack about her. BUT I chose that day to direct everyone in my e-mail address book to my The Kerrie Show blog to read about my daughter’s birthday. On the side of my blog was a link to my Today.com blog, which I never intended for any family to read. Of course who clicked on that blog? Thanks to Sitemeter and a couple of incensed e-mails from family members, I figured it out pretty quickly and had some family McDamage to clean up.

2. My first regional parenting article about stocking up on groceries and meals to save time, energy, sanity and money was published in January of 2007. In it, I tried to be funny and self-deprecating and said, “I know a mom who goes to the grocery store daily so her family can have the freshest ingredients. I rarely even have time to SHOWER daily.” Of course this mom saw my article and ripped me in a blog post about how I didn’t call her a friend and defended why she goes to the store daily. All her blog fans ripped me about my hygiene (not showering daily), among other things.

Moral: If you write it on the Internet, ANYONE can read it. You are wicked powerful, Writing Mommy! Be prepared to take your whipping.

Watch Who You Write About

Every month is a roller coaster ride for most writers. If we do it to support our families, which I do, then there seems to be no end in sight. We write to meet a monthly goal and at the end of the month the whole process starts all over again. This does not go over well with the human spirit that was meant to look for a light at the end of the tunnel. So how do we combat this?

Personally, I either have a goal or dream or I may as well cash in my chips today. For me, I have gotten lucky and got asked to participate in a decent project that keeps me somewhat motivated. But it will end sooner or later and I will have to have something else to turn to. So, I keep a project in the back of my mind.

The thing is that everyone wants to see some type of progress on their dreams. So, the first thing to do is to have a dream at all. Every writer has some enormous project they want to work on. While writing articles online to pay the bills is fine and a means to an end, we cannot forget to work on the dream as well.

Every person has a "song" and for most writers it comes in the form of a written word. We can beat our heads against the wall with no release writing these brief essays to pay the bills, but the real game..is the dream. I need to remind myself of that every now and then so I thought maybe you needed reminding too. By all means pay your bills, but even if you have to do it at a pace of 5 words a day, pursue that dream!

The Writing Cycle

I have composed a list of blogging sites that pay people to blog for them. I have not written for most of these sites and can not guarantee they are successful or that they pay well. I recommend you do your own research and come to your own decision about them yourself. If you do sign with any of these blogging sites, feel free to drop a line to writing mommies to inform our readers of your experience. Here are the sites:

• BlogVertise
• PayPerPost
• Today
• SponsoredReviews
• ReviewMe
• Smorty
• BuyBlogReviews
• SocialSpark
• Blogitive
• LinkWorth
• PayU2Blog
• LoudLaunch
• BloggerWave

I know there are more out there that I did not mention. If you know of any more or have worked for any of these sites, feel free to leave a comment. I will add to the list as I find more. Thanks!

Blogging Sites that Pay

By Angela Atkinson

Parade Magazine* is distributed in newspapers throughout the country and has an active web presence. Parade accepts queries by mail or fax and accepts simultaneous submissions. The magazine publishes general interest stories (including health, trends, social issues or national stories) as well as "provocative topical pieces of news value."

Parade buys about 150 features each year and pays about $2500 for a featured story. The kill fee varies. Writers who have specific expertise in the topic area they're writing about are more likely to be published.

Download full writer's guidelines here.

*Not the gig for you? Check out other WM writing opportunities!

Writing Opportunity: Parade Magazine

By Angela Atkinson

Did you go "back to school" as an adult? If so, today's writing opportunity* may be your cup of tea. Back to College Magazine is accepting submissions. Writer's Guidelines reprinted from B2C's website below:

Writer's Guidelines

Back to College® is a news and information resource for adult re-entry students pursuing professional development or an advanced degree.

Content
Feature articles must address issues that are of importance to the older student: obtaining financial aid, distance education, finding the right program (comparing costs and quality of curriculum), graduate school, or attaining academic excellence (study skills and success strategies). Career management and articles on successful transition are appreciated. We are especially looking for stories on the re-entry student experience. Articles may be anecdotal, or include examples and resources where readers can obtain more information. Web resources cited are desirable for an online publication. Make sure your article idea has not already been addressed on the Web site. (See Feature article section for examples.)

Compensation
Feature Articles: Payment is $65.00 - $85.00 for original feature articles (up to $50.00 for reprints and derivatives), approximately 1,000 - 1,500+ words in length (payment is determined according to content depth), and is rendered by check 30 days from publication. Please note: Articles will not be accepted for payment if they may be considered promotional in nature or provide testimonials for a Web site, book, product, or service. Feature articles must be submitted in electronic form through our online submissions form for acceptance. Please do not submit manuscripts through the mail or on electronic media (computer disks.)

Publishing Terms and Conditions
By submitting articles for publication on Back to College®, you grant WD Communications LLC exclusive first-serial rights to the articles for the first year, non-exclusive serial rights thereafter (including the right to archive the article online on an indefinite basis), and the world-wide, royalty free and non-exclusive license to use, distribute, reproduce, publish, and incorporate the article (in whole or in part) in any ancilliary or subsidiary product or reprint. If you republish the article after the first year period, we ask that you mention that the article first appeared on Back to College®.

By submitting an article, you represent that you are its sole author or creator, or that you are submitting it with the permission of its author or creator who has agreed to these terms and conditions. You also grant WD Communications LLC permission to publish your photo in any publication or Web site in relation to your article. WD Communications LLC reserves the right to edit articles for grammar and style. Author receives a byline and photo with a short summary of biographical information.

Queries
For best consideration, send the article itself. Writers may submit proposed articles to the editor by using the online submission form below. All queries must include the following: regular query submission of article details or article outline, a 500 word writing sample, biographical information, any publishing credits or references, and estimated length of article.

Before submission, check article for factual correctness, style and content. Articles need to be original, concise and professional and include a short biography and color digital photo of the author (see below.) Please include proposed article title and word count. If a query or submission is accepted, you will generally be notified within 60-90 days of submission. No other acknowledgement can be provided. No phone queries, please.

*Not the gig you were looking for? Check out other WM writing opportunities!

Writing Opportunity: B2C Magazine

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Begin Blogging
In order to land a great blogging job, you must first know how to blog. To do this simply create your own blog. You can have a targeted topic or it can just be about your life. You should update your blog frequently. Write in a tone that interests readers and makes them want to check your blog frequently for new posts. This will help you gain experience and a good following of readers. Experience is necessary when trying to find a great blogging job.

Develop an Area of Expertise
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Build a Following
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Writing Samples and Resume
Blogging companies often want to see writing samples and resumes before hiring a blogger. Make sure the writing samples you use to give to blogging companies are error free. You should feel proud of them and they should be among your best work. It is vital to have a strong resume as well. Following proper resume formats is important. Your resume should include all your strong points, experiences, and expertise.

Job Boards
When trying to find a blogging job, look on blogging job boards. Browsing blogging job boards frequently are a great way to find the perfect blogging job. You will also discover the areas of expertise that companies are looking for, as well at the requirements needed for high paying blogging jobs.

Learn How to Land a Blogging Job