What drives magazine editors nuts?
Again it’s not
following their guidelines. If they say they want 1,500 words, don’t
send 2,000 with the hopes they’ll edit it down to the right length
for you. If they say they don’t accept poetry or Bible studies or
devotions—don’t send them anyway because you’re sure yours are
so good they will surely make an exception. They know exactly what
they want and they expect you to discover what that is and respond
accordingly. It is also important to them that you know and
understand their audience. If you are giving advice/how-to, it had
better be based on wide personal experience—not just theory or
conjecture. If you include anecdotes or case studies, they need to be
based on real experience, not fiction. Editors are looking for
writers who understand the periodical, the audience, the subject, and
can write to fit the editor’s/reader’s needs—not just write
what they want to write. Your topic is only relevant and publishable
if it meets the needs of that editor’s readers.
What kinds of changes in the
Christian market have you noticed from when you first started
publishing?
There have been so
many changes in the Christian market since I started publishing—which
was more than 40 years ago now. At that time there were very few
Christian writers around, only a couple of writers' conferences, and
just a few potential markets—mostly the denominational publishers
or publications. I sold my first piece to my denominational magazine
for $6. Since there were so few writers, most topics were assigned to
pastors or denominational leaders. Few book publishers would have
accepted a manuscript through an agent—there were simply no
Christian agents around. Fiction—other than from Grace Livingston
Hill—was nonexistent as well. I don’t remember attending a
writers’ conference where they offered a class in how to write
fiction until after Frank Perretti hit the scene. In those earlier
days, Christian publishing hardly created a blip in the general
publishing scene—and for good reason. The content and quality of
Christian books has grown by leaps and bounds until it is now considered on a par with the general market. As a result we've
seen so many general publishers trying to tap into this market with a
religious imprint. Of course, the advent of desk-top publishing has
opened up the publishing field to almost anyone who wants to be a
publisher or put out a periodical. Over the years of doing the market
guide, I added dozens of new markets every year. Magazines have
raised their pay rates—from that $6 I got for my first article—and
book publishers are paying advances and higher royalties as they
compete for the best authors.
It used to be that
you would always submit your manuscripts by snail mail. When faxes
became more common and prevalent, that became the submission method
of choice for some, but only for a short time. Some would accept
phone calls then—few do now. I watched e-mail emerge
slowly—embraced by a few—feared by the majority. Then over the
last few years it has taken over and is now the preferred choice for
contacts between writers and editors. Most editors have pulled their
phone and fax numbers from the guide—preferring an e-mail contact,
query, and submission only. There are virtually no publishers or
publications who don’t have e-mail and a Website. There continue to
be increases too in online publications, e-books, and
print-on-demand. As print publications continue to decline, many are
switching to an online publication just to survive. The changes
continue year after year as we watch the Christian publishing
industry emerge technologically—but hopefully with a message that
still meets the needs of the seeker and the Christian reader.
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