The Art and Business of Writing by Chris Jones

Loved this book. So much helpful advice. Perfect size ... not too long and not too short. It even went beyond where I am in my career right now and took it to business cards and web hosting (I just use free Blogger and have for about 10 years) advice.

Here are some takeaways for me personally, and I have been writing for publication since about 2006 and ebooks since 2009. I know you'll get something great out of this book no matter how long you've been in the business!

• Check out the Pomodoro timer in your phone's app store. Interesting to see how much work I was actually getting done versus how much time I THOUGHT I was spending working. It was much less, actually. Here's my post about discovering this helpful app!

• This book made me realize that it would be doable for me to write 500 words per day if I made room in my life for that and did it first, BEFORE sitting down to my proofreading jobs. It's all about priorities.

• The book is about the Art + Business of writing. To me that's like being good at English + Math, you know? You can't be all about the art of it ... because you also have to worry about record keeping, collections, getting clients, marketing and so much more!

• Who is my reader? What do I hope they will learn and how will I help them? Like with my cookbooks, that's easy. And same for my book about making money to write for magazines. But my parenting Christmas and Halloweens? Kinda general and might need to be reworked into a more general holidays-with-kids book that's more focused on solutions.

• Am I writing for them or for me? You have to somewhat write for yourself. Like most of my parenting articles were for me and same for the tater tot cookbook and even the magazine book I published was so I could compile all my markets, but then I wrote all the tips in the beginning for the reader! I put all the tater tot recipes in one place so I would have them for myself, but then I spiced them up and created more and added desserts! This gets me so excited to work on my other 8 projects I want to do, like this one!

What are some helpful things that work for you in your life as a writer?

Have files of article reprints that you own but have no clue where to start reselling them? Have ideas for some fantastic new pieces but no idea who might want them? Check out my thick 441-page print book of tips, tricks, and insider information, as well as 384 paying parenting and family markets! You can order "How to Get Published (and Paid!) Writing About Your Kids" on Amazon here.

Sign up for an email subscription to The Published Parent and get two amazing freebies: 10 Parenting Markets That Pay $100+ and 10 Markets That Pay Writers to Write About Writing! And join my Facebook group called Parenting Magazine Writers ... it's FREE and full of tips and tricks and markets and like-minded writer friends!

UPDATED Highlights for Children Magazine Submission Writers Guidelines

*Update 4/5/19: Highlights magazine is closed for a reading period from June 1 through August 31, 2019. Any submissions received during this time period will be declined. 

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.

Please upload only one manuscript or query per submission. We welcome multiple submissions, but we prefer that each be submitted separately.

• We encourage writers to read several recent copies of Highlights before submitting work.
• We pay on acceptance, and we buy all rights, including copyright. We do not consider previously published material.
• We accept material at any time of the year, including seasonal material.
• For submissions that require research, please include references, interview transcripts or notes, correspondence with experts, and any other pertinent backup.
• Please submit each manuscript only once, to the most appropriate magazine (Highlights, High Five, or Hello), keeping in mind the different age ranges.
• Please note that after declining a submission, we delete your manuscript file. In this way, you can be assured that we are not keeping or storing creative work that we have not purchased.  

Crafts and Activities

Crafts and activities (including recipes, science experiments, and engineering projects) should have concise, numbered directions, around 4 to 6 steps. Please submit step-by-step photos of a well-made sample of the project.

Materials should be inexpensive and easy to obtain.

Crafts and recipes that celebrate holidays and religious traditions are welcome.

Current Needs

• Crafts from various cultures that include a few contextual sentences that have been reviewed by an expert
• Games kids can make
• STEM activities
• Interesting, easy- to intermediate-level recipes

Payment: $40 and up

Puzzles   

Instructions should be concise. Playful themes and language are welcome.

Current Needs

• We need all kinds of puzzles at this time–word puzzles, visual puzzles, code puzzles, logic puzzles, and so on.
• We especially need math puzzles that are fun and don't feel like schoolwork. For example, they might include a payoff or some enticing tidbit that makes kids want to solve the puzzle.
• Because we don't encourage kids to write in the magazine, we do not buy crossword or sudoku puzzles, word searches, and so on.

Payment: $40 and up

My Sci submissions

Current Needs

Photo-based features

Queries should include the topic, the angle you plan to take, and the credentials of an expert you plan to ask for a review.

Subject should lend itself well to a great photo–science "eye-candy"–to intrigue young readers. Photos do not need to be provided by the author, but the author should consider how the text might drive the choice of photo. (For example, if text about a beehive focuses on what happens inside the hive, we may not be able to find the required strong, quality image of a hive’s interior.)

If the query receives a favorable response, please follow these guidelines:

• Word limit: 100-175, which includes a short introductory paragraph and four or five full-sentence image labels. Text should have a tight focus. Labels should not merely name parts of a subject but should tell about the science involved.
• Expert review required. (Tip: You might locate potential reviewers by contacting authors of pertinent peer-reviewed research papers.)
• We especially need non-animal subjects at this time.

Payment: $75 and up

Nonfiction Articles

We are accepting only detailed queries at this time. Queries should include the proposed topic and focus as well as a list of sources and potential interview subjects.

If the query receives a favorable response, please follow these guidelines:

• Articles for beginning readers should have fewer than 400 words. 
• Articles for independent readers should have fewer than 700 words.
• We prefer research based on firsthand experience, consultation with experts, and primary sources.
• Articles about cultural traditions and ways of life should reflect a deep understanding of the subject.
• We prefer biographies that are rich in quotes and anecdotes and that place the subject in a historical or cultural context.
• Digital images, if included, should be no less than 300 dpi.

Payment: $175 and up

Fiction

Stories should have an engaging plot, strong characterization, a specific setting, and lively language.

Stories for beginning readers should have fewer than 475 words and should not seem babyish to older readers.

Stories for independent readers should have fewer than 750 words and should be appealing to younger readers if read aloud.

Graphic (comic-book format) stories should have fewer than 400 words. In addition, they might include ideas for panel breaks and basic art notes.

Current Needs

• historical fiction set during periods other than World War II
• graphic (comic-book format) stories
• humorous stories
• fantasy stories
• mystery stories
• stories set in countries outside the United States. (We currently do not need stories that focus on food traditions.)
• We welcome holiday stories. We especially need Thanksgiving, Easter, Passover, and Hanukkah stories at this time. We do not need Christmas or Halloween stories.

Payment: $175 and up

Please note: Highlights magazine is not currently holding fiction contests. Any manuscripts we receive for that purpose will be reviewed as regular submissions to Highlights.

Verse  

Current Needs

• We are currently in need of short verse (up to 10 lines), especially non-rhyming and/or humorous poetry.
• We are not accepting poems with nature or seasonal themes or poems about dogs at this time.

Payment: $40 and up

Cartoons 

Cartoons can be single-panel or multiple-panel, black-and-white or full-color, with or without a caption, and with either human or animal characters.

Current Needs

• Cartoons that are fresh, original, and geared to kids.
• We do not need cartoons with adult characters at this time.

Payment: $40 and up for black-and-white; $50 and up for full-color

Submit here.

For more tips and information of interest to writers, visit www.HighlightsFoundation.org.

Have files of article reprints that you own but have no clue where to start reselling them? Have ideas for some fantastic new pieces but no idea who might want them? Check out my thick 441-page print book of tips, tricks, and insider information, as well as 384 paying parenting and family markets! You can order "How to Get Published (and Paid!) Writing About Your Kids" on Amazon here.

Sign up for an email subscription to The Published Parent and get two amazing freebies: 10 Parenting Markets That Pay $100+ and 10 Markets That Pay Writers to Write About Writing! And join my Facebook group called Parenting Magazine Writers ... it's FREE and full of tips and tricks and markets and like-minded writer friends!

Write for Narratively

Just got this information in my Parenting Magazine Writers Facebook group from one of our writers. She's going to be working as a guest editor for Narratively, "a digital publication focused on ordinary people with extraordinary stories." Amazing news!

She's looking for "first-person stories in the parenting space or hybrid first-person/reported. I'm also looking for other stories, so it doesn't need to be parenting-related. Stories should be framed around active, narrative scenes. I need drafts of first-person stories and will consider pitches for reported. Looking for quirky, weird experiences (not anecdotes or think pieces) that transformed you or shifted your perception in some way."

Payment: $300 first-person and $400 reported

1,500 words for first-person, 2,000-3,000 for reported

Check out Narratively for examples of the types of stories they are looking for.

Email drafts/pitches to estellewriter at aol dot com.

Have files of article reprints that you own but have no clue where to start reselling them? Have ideas for some fantastic new pieces but no idea who might want them? Check out my thick 441-page print book of tips, tricks, and insider information, as well as 384 paying parenting and family markets! You can order "How to Get Published (and Paid!) Writing About Your Kids" on Amazon here.

Sign up for an email subscription to The Published Parent and get two amazing freebies: 10 Parenting Markets That Pay $100+ and 10 Markets That Pay Writers to Write About Writing! And join my Facebook group called Parenting Magazine Writers ... it's FREE and full of tips and tricks and markets and like-minded writer friends!

How Can I Find #Proofreading Jobs? Here are 9 Places to Get You Started!

I have met many writers and published parents who are also passionate about editing and proofreading, so this post is for you!

If my kids were in school and I didn't care how my house looked or what anyone ate and if I never wrote books or parenting articles or blogged, I could easily make $5,000 per month just proofreading (don't forget to take taxes out of that at the end of the year and it's not as much as it seems like but still a lovely income from home).

I have had INSANE months where I was able to make close to $2,000 proofreading in a month but I wanted to die at the end, only because I have other things going on for income and managing everything gets difficult. I like to have other income streams because proofreading can be feast or famine, usually feast once you get going and get some good reviews and recs.

Here's what I have come up with so far so maybe you can do what I'm doing! The first two 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!

1. Elance (update: this is now Upwork so I'm working on finding a replacement for this since two have merged!)

2. Upwork (formerly Odesk)

3. Scripted is a great way to find proofreading work but you have to BE ON TOP OF YOUR GAME, as in full-on GRAMMAR NAZI MODE. I did some writing for them and also some proofreading.

4. Hunt down people when you see things written wrong! Is your doctor's website riddled with errors? Offer to proofread it for cheap. Did you get a piece of direct mail that had errors? Figure out who to contact and offer your services.

5. Tenrr is a place I gave a shot and got some work but it trickled in. I haven't promoted my proofing there or anything. Knockoff of Fiverr, which I talk about later.

6. Gigbucks is akin to Tenrr. I am only signed up at all of these places because I like putting my chocolate proofreading eggs in lots of different baskets.

7. PeoplePerHour is another place I signed up at for free but nothing came of it. Some of these sites are flooded so you just have to sign up all over the place and wait and promote your services.

8. Remote.com is a place I tried for a hot second but didn't have the patience to keep at it. (It used to be called Outsource.com so if you are looking for info on it, look for that name). I had to pay for credits so I could bid jobs. I did have plenty of credits in the end and the jobs to bid on were picking up, but the competition was fierce. I did get chosen for one job and it went well and I made back what I spent in credits. I was up for another job but they had a zillion and one requirements instead of just the simple proofing and editing I do and I can't focus on jumping through hoops. I like to fix documents and get out. I don't want to get wrangled into trying to write copy or critique what they've done because those things get touchy and subjective. You might have a better experience. I broke my own rule of paying to get jobs so I could basically get the experience to share here!

9. Fiverr is my go-to place since I signed up in April 2013 and the jobs started flooding in. You can hire me here or just see how I set up my gig and all my rockin' reviews. I have a separate post for it because I have so much to say on the topic! I've done many different gigs on Fiverr besides proofreading so poke around to see what else you can offer. I put my delivery on at least 3 days so that keeps my orders low enough to manage. There is a main seller on Fiverr who does 24-hour delivery and he seems to basically work full-time all day long doing small jobs. The client is charged $5 and you receive $4. At first I thought that was robbery but now I realize THEY are finding the clients for me pretty much so I will happily take my $4 for proofreading 1,500 words. Here are some Fiverr tutorials!

If you want to see samples of my proofreading, I do proofread my own books here on Amazon.

Have files of article reprints that you own but have no clue where to start reselling them? Have ideas for some fantastic new pieces but no idea who might want them? Check out my thick 441-page print book of tips, tricks, and insider information, as well as 384 paying parenting and family markets! You can order "How to Get Published (and Paid!) Writing About Your Kids" on Amazon here.

Sign up for an email subscription to The Published Parent and get two amazing freebies: 10 Parenting Markets That Pay $100+ and 10 Markets That Pay Writers to Write About Writing! And join my Facebook group called Parenting Magazine Writers ... it's FREE and full of tips and tricks and markets and like-minded writer friends!

2019 1Q Income Report #ThePublishedParent

Writer friends, the McLoughlin household is healthy and happy and ready to head into Q2 2019 and I wish the same for you!

I am still blessed to be able to work from home proofreading, blogging, writing articles, and writing books and to be able to do it in my sweatpants or swimsuit, out on the deck or at the dining room table, at my house or traveling with my kids and husband for his work to places like Wyoming, Arizona, Texas, Chicago, Florida, and more.

I like to share my income with you to show you that I am a real person with real challenges and successes. No, it is not a full-time income, but I am not aiming for that. I am thankful and grateful that my husband has a good job, and my main job is homeschooling. Words are my part-time job for now. When the kids are grown I foresee working more hours with my word career and helping to pay for travel and retirement. But that's at least 10 years away :-)

First quarter 2019 went well. We had a lot of snow days, so I was able to pick up extra proofreading jobs. I didn't have time to focus on the creation of more books, but I did still work a bit on the Busy Parents on the Go Cookbook and Homeschooling with Less Stress and More Fun. Articles took a backseat. Homeschooling, proofreading, and running a household took priority this quarter. We'll see what 2Q2019 brings.

See you back here on July 1st!

Have files of article reprints that you own but have no clue where to start reselling them? Have ideas for some fantastic new pieces but no idea who might want them? Check out my thick 441-page print book of tips, tricks, and insider information, as well as 384 paying parenting and family markets! You can order "How to Get Published (and Paid!) Writing About Your Kids" on Amazon here.

Sign up for an email subscription to The Published Parent and get two amazing freebies: 10 Parenting Markets That Pay $100+ and 10 Markets That Pay Writers to Write About Writing! And join my Facebook group called Parenting Magazine Writers ... it's FREE and full of tips and tricks and markets and like-minded writer friends!

Write for SheKnows: Food, Home, Travel and Lifestyle

SheKnows is looking for pitches food, home, travel and lifestyle pitches. 

Email kenzie.mastroe@shemedia.com.

A fellow writer shared this about the pay rate:

"The rate for lifestyle stories is $75-125 depending on length and whether or not the piece requires reporting."

Write for The New York Times Parenting Outlet

Jessica Grose, Lead Editor, Parenting

The New York Times
@JessGrose

I am thrilled to announce the NYT Parenting newsletter! For the next month or so, we'll be publishing the newsletter and a handful of articles each week. 

Then in early May, we will launch a beautiful, robust website. We'll be covering fertility and pregnancy up through kids age 5 or 6 and your lives with them, and giving you evidence-based guidance, news, and personal stories every day. It is my sincerest hope that the site will prevent you from a panicked 3 am google that lands you on a BabyCenter message board telling you that crystals and essential oils will heal your baby's rickets. The full site launches in May.

Pitch guidelines:

For general submissions please send to: parenting_submissions@nytimes.com

Rates depend on the type of piece.

What is NYTParenting?

Modeled after what the Times did with NYTCooking, NYTParenting will be a robust section of the Times website (parenting.nytimes.com) with new and archival content, and a newsletter. NYTParenting is set to launch over Spring 2019.

We will mostly cover topics ranging from fertility and pregnancy to kids through ages 5 or 6, but we'll also be doing a lot of coverage on issues that affect parents of young children. 

We will have articles and essays, as well as guides — which are a content form with a specific structure and which are meant to answer thorny parenting problems in a service-y, research-backed way. For now, we’re mostly coming up with ideas for guides in house.

A bit about us, philosophically:
• We are for parents who want evidence-based solutions to problems with their kids or with their own lives. We recognize that you had a baby — not a lobotomy. Your wants and needs still matter.
• We are for mothers AND fathers. Almost all parenting products are explicitly or implicitly gendered. Through design, editorial choices and framing, we will not be. We recognize that every family is different, and we are mindful of that.

What we're looking for:

Essays and articles in the 1,000-1,200 word range.

For articles, we're looking for timely ideas, whether they're cultural or trendy (What's the next baby shark? Why is everyone feeding their kid European formula?), based on new studies and how they affect parents (Are you really supposed to monitor your kid while they brush their teeth til they're 8?), or second-day stories on news events (How does family separation affect brain development?).

While we cover fertility through age 6, and will assign on topics affecting kids and parents in that range, we are especially focusing on the following topics in the near term for essays:

--How parenting has changed your identity, or how your identity has intersected with your parenting experience
--Relationships (with your partner, with your parents or in-laws, with your friends, with your first child when you have a second...)
--Life with babies and toddlers

We're also trying out an essay series called The Hardest Part

The Hardest Part will be a series of essays about the parts of parenting that you’ve found to be the most unexpectedly difficult, and how you worked through them (or didn't).

The tone can be as serious or as funny as the subject matter requires. It can be as straightforward as, "The hardest part of parenting is dealing with my kids during the winter," or "The hardest part of parenting is handling my kid's severe allergies," or as esoteric as, "The hardest part of parenting is how emotionally spent I feel at the end of each day."

Have files of article reprints that you own but have no clue where to start reselling them? Have ideas for some fantastic new pieces but no idea who might want them? Check out my thick 441-page print book of tips, tricks, and insider information, as well as 384 paying parenting and family markets! You can order "How to Get Published (and Paid!) Writing About Your Kids" on Amazon here.

Sign up for an email subscription to The Published Parent and get two amazing freebies: 10 Parenting Markets That Pay $100+ and 10 Markets That Pay Writers to Write About Writing! And join my Facebook group called Parenting Magazine Writers ... it's FREE and full of tips and tricks and markets and like-minded writer friends!