HOLIDAY/SEASONAL MATERIAL

        A story, article, filler, poem, etc., that has to do with a specific holiday or season.

This material must reach the publisher the specified number of months prior to the holiday/

season. Some magazines do not recognize holidays in their magazine content—especially if they are a bimonthly or quarterly publication. Publications open to holiday/seasonal material typically get more submissions than they can possibly use for major holidays like Christmas and Easter, but are often desperate for submissions for the smaller holidays, such as Valentines Day, Mother's Day or Father's Day. Submissions for these and other holidays are often gladly accepted. 

        The important thing to observe in submitting this type of material is the lead time for such submissions. If you wait until a month or two before the holiday, it will probably be too late. Most publications will want the submission 6-9 months ahead—sometimes longer. Their guidelines will tell you their preferred lead time. Some publications put out a theme list that indicates the deadline for submissions to each issue—including those that want holiday/seasonal topics. It's best not to wait until that deadline to make your submission, as they may have already selected their holiday pieces. For information on the history of holidays in the United States, go to: http://www.infoplease.com/spot/holidays.html.