Write Timely Articles Parenting Magazine Editors Want to Purchase

As parenting magazine writers, we all need ideas for articles to write about all year long.

Do you feel like you have written everything you have to say on the topic of birthday parties or camp or holidays?

Need some inspiration because your brain has run dry?

Check out this site. Turns out there are not only those obvious and popular things we knew about like Valentine's Day in February, but also things that should be on our radar like Black History Month ... and did you know that February 20 is Love Your Pet Day? What a great time to whip out that piece about whether or not your kid should get a pet. Or maybe you sold it in December about getting a pet for Christmas and it just needs a little tweak and a re-send.

To me, this is writing idea GOLD. I am brainstorming like crazy because the regionals work a few months ahead. Some have their editorial calendar all laid out for the whole YEAR, but I get quite a few last-minute assignments, so it never hurts to have some of these babies in your stable of articles.

Now get your butt in your seat and WRITE! Or, you can try what I do and dictate into your phone while you are driving or walking for exercise or waiting for kids to come out of something. At least get the ideas down and they will start ruminating in your head and turn into an article with a little research, maybe a human quote or two, and a lot of crafting and care.

For more brainstorming inspiration, check out my upcoming Write for Magazines: The Workbook, which will be available as an instant download on e-junkie, as an ebook on Amazon, and also as a print book on Amazon. Stay tuned!

Write for Highlights for Children Magazine -- Submission Writers Guidelines

We do not accept work through Submittable (or through e-mail) from writers younger than 16. Young writers and artists may send their work to: Highlights for Children, 803 Church Street, Honesdale, PA 18431. 

Highlights is a general-interest magazine for children ages 6-12. By publishing stories, puzzles, articles, and activities that are fun and engaging, we aim to inspire kids to be their best selves–creative, curious, caring, and confident. Highlights was founded in 1946 by Dr. Garry Cleveland Myers and Caroline Clark Myers, and is still owned and run by their family. The magazine accepts no outside advertising and has no religious or organizational affiliation. Highlights has a circulation of about a million and is published monthly.

UPDATES to "The Mother of All Writing Market Books"

Last updated 5/18/23

For this post to make sense, you're going to need to get this resource: The Mother of All Writing Market Books: 600 Homes for Your Family, Parenting & Women's Articles, Essays & More (Book 1 in the Write Anywhere series)

I created this post because the publishing industry changes FAST. One day you're submitting an article to your favorite regional parenting publication, and the next day that magazine is printing its final issue. 

Or maybe send a reprint as a simultaneous submission to 100 regional parenting magazines and a couple of the emails bounce back.

Now what?

You bookmark this tab and come back periodically (maybe set a reminder on your Google Calendar?). This is where you'll find updates to the 8th edition of my parenting, family, and women's writing markets book—for free. 

So scan this list regularly for all the updates because I'm ALWAYS looking for new markets!

**The most current versions of the books are out now, so there will be very limited updates.

Updated Information in Date Order (Newest First)

5/18/23 Potential new market: Growing up in Santa Cruz editor@growingupsc.com

5/4/23 Bham Family says: "We utilize local writers in our publications, and all content is original and local."

5/4/23 Black Hills Parent is now at stephen@egmrc.com

4/29/23 New market: Triangle Family, Beth Shugg, Executive Editor (sound familiar? she was with Carolina Parent). Debut issue March/April 2023. info@trianglefamilymag.com

4/29/23 Shared in the group: Celeste Little, Senior Editor at Parents, is looking for pitches:

Pitch me. Now looking for diverse voices for Parents. And always looking out for Kindred Parents, a community for people raising up a generation of Black children. Any topics. Rates start at $200. DM me and I’ll send along my email address.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

• Questions/submissions: DM Celeste on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ocaelo

4/22/23 Westchester Family's Ultimate Guide to Summer Camp (ancillary publication addition)

4/22/23: Memphis Parent is no longer a paying market: "Thanks for reaching out to Memphis Parent about your work. We appreciate you thinking of us as a source and certainly welcome guest posts that directly benefit our parent community. However, we currently do not purchase articles."

Writer beware: A writer in the FB group shared this post: Long-Standing Payment Problems at Cricket Media

Found market: Ultimate Family Vacations – This is an Ensemble Travel Group publication I'd never heard of until a member of the Facebook group mentioned having trouble getting paid for an article she wrote for them. So ... tread lightly. 

Write for Magazines: The Basics (Book 2 in the Write Anywhere series)

 

This little red beauty about selling magazine article reprints was a true labor of love. She came about when I realized that maybe not everyone wanted to jump right into Book 1, The Mother of All Writing Market Books. 

I squinched up my eyes, cocked my head to one side, put my finger on my temple and thought, Hmmm, maybe some people just want to know how to get started, find out if this parenting and family magazine niche is right for them. Maybe they don't need the regional markets and the national markets just yet. And when that time comes, they can grab THOSE books separately as well.

In Rachel Zoe speak: Options.

Write for Magazines: The Basics includes just the how-to-get-started information from the front of The Mother of All Writing Market Books: 600 Homes for Your Family, Parenting & Women’s Articles, Essays & More (Book 1 in the series). It also includes the Appendices, Glossary of Terms, and the website and book recommendations.

Now available on Amazon as an ebook or print book (almost 100 pages). Also available in my e-junkie shop as an instant download (64 pages size 8 1/2 x 11")!

8 Steps to Make Over $500 for a Regional Parenting Magazine Reprint

Let me start by saying not EVERY article I write makes this much money. I've written and submitted over 100 parenting magazine articles. Some have sold a total of a few hundred dollars. But today I want to share with you the 

ARTICLE ROCK STARS

I'm sharing this not to say, "Woo hoo, I am awesome and check out how much money I make doing this." Instead, I'm sharing to say, "Wow, I didn't realize that it all added up like this! I mean, I knew my Christmas Peace piece did pretty great, but it might hit over $1,000 in total sales if I tweak it a bit! This can happen for other writers as well, and there seems to be plenty of room for all of us to make money writing from home!"

Find Out If Your Work Was Published By Using Issuu.com

I stumbled across Issuu.com years ago when I was Googling myself. It's a publishing service like BlueToad, only you can put in your name (best to put it in quotes), and magazine covers will come up that most likely contain an article of yours because you may have simultaneously submitted a regional parenting magazine. You can then click on the cover and see your piece! Using Issuu.com I was able to find a piece of mine that was published that I wasn't aware was going to be used at that time. I usually find at least one piece per month that was used without my permission.

Just type your name in the search bar like this: "Kerrie McLoughlin" (in quotes)

If I find what I call “borrowed work,” I contact the magazine and send an invoice for $50 (unless I know from my own book of markets, guidelines, and pay information that they pay more than that).

I thank them for using my work and ask them to ask me next time just in case there are competitors in the area who might have also snapped at the same piece only they were considerate enough to let me know first.

Happy searching!

Proofreading Jobs from Home: 20 Ideas + Income Potential #remotejobs

I have met many writers and published parents who are also passionate about editing and proofreading, so this post is for you! I work primarily on Fiverr.com, and I have received almost 3,000 positive reviews since I started in 2013. 

Benefits for me include:

* Being able to work from home and homeschool! 

* Being able to pick up and travel with my family and make money while we're away from the house. 

* Being my own boss.

* Not working in a cubicle anymore.

If you want to join Fiverr just to check it out and possibly sign up to do your own proofreading jobs from home, please use my referral code!

Here's what I have come up with so you can also enjoy this kind of lifestyle. The first two services I am not familiar with because I just haven't had the time to dive into them. They are reputable sites that ask for a proofreading test or sample, but I hear competition can be fierce, and I'm not about underbidding my services!

How to Get Started as a Proofreader Online

So you want to be a proofreader? It's a rewarding job that you can do from anywhere in the world! I have worked on Fiverr for 10 years, including while homeschooling my kids, while traveling with my husband for his job, watching my son at basketball practice, teaching at the homeschool co-op, on my back deck on gorgeous summer mornings, and so much more! 

To start proofreading on Fiverr, simply sign up. Then follow these steps and tips, and you'll soon find yourself with a successful work-from-anywhere business! 

1. Do some research and recon work — Start out with the main Writing & Translation section, then dive down into the Proofreading section to find out how others are working their gigs. Some questions to keep in mind are:

How many words are others proofreading for $5? (Don't forget that Fiverr takes 20%, but consider: they are getting the clients for you, handling the payments securely, and providing a platform for showcasing your work and glowing reviews.)

How fast is the turnaround? How quickly can you complete 500 words of proofreading (you can earn more if you can get a job back to a client quickly)? 

Personal experience: I started out proofing at a ridiculously low rate of 3,000 words for $5 (profit = $4) and got VERY busy but wasn’t making good money at all. Once I gained more experience, I was able to raise my price to $5 for 500 words. That may still seem low to some of you, but remember this is not developmental editing; this is simple proofreading/copy editing with a little formatting thrown in here and there for extra-great service. I often earn tips from clients because I provide professional service. 

*You can start by offering more words and then reduce the words per gig as you gain experience and reviews.*

15 Great Links: Working from Home as a Writer

It's true that working from home can bring special challenges, and working for yourself brings even more interesting situations! Further, being a writer takes real focus and brain space. Please enjoy my writing roundup of fabulous posts about working from home as a writer!

6 Essential Things to Make Your Writing Session More Productive

7 Steps to Freelance Writing Success

Dads Can Write for Parenting Publications Too!

AdvancedWriters.com: Book Review Service with Expert Writers

Interview with Jessica Fisher of LifeAsMom.com

Interview with Christina Katz of Writer Mama fame

Tips for Working from Home

Key Things You Can't Overlook Running a Home Business

Ways to Keep a Blog Secure

How to Balance Your Side Gig with Your Full-Time Job

Organize Your Freelance Career Finances

6 Essential Things to Make Your Writing Session More Productive

How to Start Your Own Mommy Blog: 5 Easy Steps to Success

What to Consider when Publishing a Book

How to be More Productive when Writing at Home

Author Interview: How to Make a Living off of Writing Books

 

This author is an authority on book writing and offers tips on supporting yourself as a writer. Read on to find out what he says about public speaking, the kryptonite that keeps some writers from succeeding, and more!

Do you have kryptonite as a writer?

As a writer, you could have a "kryptonite"—that one thing you can't seem to get over. It can be a writing disability, a lack of time, or something else. The most successful authors, like LB Wells, can overcome these challenges.

There are some actions you can do to combat your weakness:

1. You need to identify it.
2. It would be best if you eliminated it.
3. You must take the necessary steps to prevent it from returning.

In a nutshell, developing your writing skills and imagination is essential to become a writer. It's vital to plan your writing week so you can write many words. It would be best if you worked on speed. It will be ideal if you have good time management skills.

Writing for Parenting Magazines

 

I think it’s important to record how you started doing something you are very passionate about, so I’m going to share my writer story. Keep in mind I didn’t have Internet access at my house until roughly 2013, so my early career was spent researching and submitting at the library, at my mom’s house, my dad’s house, friends’ houses, my husband’s workplace, etc. I was determined and I had a fire in my belly!

I always thought of myself as a writer growing up, but I didn’t think I was that great at it…nothing special. I got good grades in English and Creative Writing classes in school and even wrote some decent papers during my community college years. I was always observing, journaling, and venting on paper. Interesting things happened to me, as well as experiences that would have served as great warning stories for others, but I didn’t know how to craft them into something people would want to read.

UPDATED Chicken Soup for the Soul Writing Opportunities and Submission Guidelines

Chicken Soup for the Soul has an astounding collection of inspiring books! I remember about 15 years ago when I got the one for mothers for Mother's Day and I still have it, all Post-It noted and highlighted! Click here to check out their possible upcoming books, which you can contribute to! They update it all the time as they publish more and come up with more ideas! 

Here are some of their upcoming books which are going to be published. 

Here are the submission guidelines for Chicken Soup for the Soul.

Did you know that you can write one article and sell it again for money to dozens of different magazines all over the world? And yes, the editors know we are doing this. It’s not a secret, just something that's not very well known. Check out my resource with 600 markets! (use promo code PPBLOG20 for 20% off) You can grab the instant download here!

Kerrie McLoughlin References and Recommendations

"Kerrie's book has been a springboard for my writing career! I wish I had known this information when I started. I would be so much further along! I'm so grateful that Kerrie is willing to share the secret to her success!  When I was in training to become a stockbroker, I had to take a crash course right before the Series 7 licensing exam. Kerrie's book is the crash course for getting published in regional parenting magazines! I wish I had found it years ago!" — Kelly Stilwell, writer

"Thanks for your wonderful ebook! If it wasn't for your wonderful advice, I wouldn't be getting these articles accepted!!!" — Dr. Anne Zachry, writer

"Kerrie's book has been a go-to resource for me in finding out information about parenting magazines throughout the United States. One of her talents is a willingness to share what she's learned with other writers so that they can make progress in their careers." — Liz Sheffield, writer

"A dandy book about a very specific topic and market (parenting) that should help lots of writers get in print and fatten their larder, modestly. I like that you explain reprints and why it makes huge sense to sell and sell good copy until it expires or you do. A fun book to read too, as is your website." — Gordon Burgett, author of 40 published books and 1,700+ articles

"Kerrie has put together a fabulous resource for beginners as well as seasoned writers. She tells you all you need to know for pitching your work to publishers and editors. Her database is fantastic. And her tips for "behind the scenes," like keeping track of submissions are spot on." — Jessica Fisher, freelance writer and author, blogger/owner at LifeAsMom.com