How I Got My Start as a Paid Parenting and Family Magazine Writer

Everybody is different, so how we go about launching a writing career is going to be a different story for everyone. For some of you, a quick query to Working Mother might be the first you’ve ever written. You nervously hit the SEND button on your email program and go about your life. You check your email later that day and find an acceptance of your pitch at a pay rate of $1.00 per word! You create an article based on that piece that’s just different enough to send to the regional parenting magazines, and you sell nothing … for a week. Then the acceptances come pouring in.

Or maybe you always got As in college writing classes and everyone you know says you rock as a writer. But you are having trouble getting any of the RPMs to give you even so much as a nibble. Then you try an online literary magazine that pays and you have found your niche. You go on to sell many pieces to Chicken Soup for the Soul, then try the regionals again and find even more success.

This is my Writing Story because I think it’s important to remember how you started doing something you are very passionate about.

What is a Regional Parenting Magazine or Publication and Why do They Want Your Reprints?

A Regional Parenting Magazine (RPM) is a publication that caters to parents and families in a specific geographic area. For example, Kansas City Parent, my local publication, distributes their magazine all over the Kansas City metropolitan area, which is huge and covers two states!

The articles in RPMs range from how to handle newborn sleep issues to how to deal with too many activities and your middle schooler to how to deal with a surly teenager to how to deal with living with an aging parent. Many also have special separate issues dedicated to babies, special needs, teens, etc.

RPMs depend on freelancers to fill their pages with articles, essays, how-tos, etc., usually on a monthly basis, but sometimes bi-monthly or quarterly.

They make most of their money from advertisers and give out their magazine for free, which means pay to writers is usually low ($15-200 per article in general, depending on advertising income and subscriptions), and they need a steady diet of new and reprint articles, listicles (combination of an article and a list) and essays.

NOT PUBLISHING: Redbook's The Mix

As of July 2016, Hearst has shut down The Mix. See this post on Jezebel.

For general Redbook submission guidelines, see this post.

The following is from Redbook's brand-new contributor network, The Mix:

Have you ever wanted to write for a major women's magazine? Now you can! Join The Mix, our contributor network, and you'll have the opportunity to write for RedbookMag.com, as well as Cosmopolitan.com, WomansDay.com, GoodHousekeeping.com, and ELLE.com. Whether you're a professional writer, avid blogger, or someone with a great story to tell, we're interested in sharing your voice with our readers.

If you'd like to be considered for The Mix, you can find more information right here. Every day, you'll receive an assignments email that includes story topics created by our editors. You can submit stories on as many assignments as you'd like, and if we publish your work, you'll get paid!

Do You Need an Editor or a Proofreader? There is a Difference!

Did you know that there is a difference between an editor and a proofreader? 

My job as proofreader/copyeditor does not entail developmental editing, or hard editing to include rearranging of text. I will always, however, create a comment in the document if I catch an inconsistency or have a question about the text as a reader. 

To see the different types of editors/proofreaders and what they normally charge (hint: my service is a steal!), head here to Dave Chesson's article "The Mastery Guide to Selecting an Editor" on his Kindlepreneur page.

You don't need to ask me what my rate is because I freely share that information right here on this very blog post.

Happy Mama Publishing/The Published Parent 2020 Income Report

Welcome to my 2020 income report. I love knowing how others are doing in my industry, and I enjoy sharing my own successes and challenges. I hope this inspires you in some way!

Confused about Happy Mama Publishing and The Published Parent? Happy Mama Publishing is my entire at-home or on-the-go business name to include proofreading, articles, my own books, and blogs (and sometimes Door Dashing). The Published Parent is this site with all its writing helps and hacks.

Keep scrolling to see the details of my 2020 income report in a much larger format!

The Published Parent/The Kerrie Show Summer Reading Lists 2020

I am a firm believer in the idea that you become a better writer through reading. When I'm deep into a great memoir, I might be doing dishes sometime and start thinking of great ways to write my own life in words, sentences, paragraphs, and chapters.

Check out the summer reading list 2020 from my blog I started in 2008, The Kerrie Show. It's quite a hodge-podge of genres and authors. Then look for fall and winter reading lists as well!

Let's be Goodreads friends!

Working from Home During a Pandemic: Perspective, Positive, Productive!

Writer friends, it has never been a better time to work from home! When all this COVID-19 stuff hit, my life didn't change all that much. We have been homeschoolers since 2006, and I've been working from home since my first child was born in 2001. Still, there are challenges for me as well. I hope this post helps you keep things in perspective, stay positive, and remain PRODUCTIVE, where you have kids and/or a spouse at home during the time or not!

My family went from 60 to 0 in a matter of days. My husband had been working in Kuwait (non-military) for 7 weeks, and we were ready for him to come back on March 19. However, on March 12 some big changes started happening, and he had to get on a flight fast. So by Friday night we had my husband home on self-quarantine for who knows how long, and you know the rest (everything is cancelled or closed!).

I found myself checking for updates and closings CONSTANTLY instead of using all the glorious free time to do all the things I had always wanted to do as far as writing, organizing, reading, playing games with the kids, going on nature hikes with the family, etc. Instead, the biggest thing on my mind was, "I don't own hand sanitizer but we have enough toilet paper; should I buy more canned goods and why?"

STRUCTURE is important! I am not that mom who has the perfect daily schedule going on, but there is a sort of laid-back structure to our days, meaning after each kids wakes up, they have breakfast and chill before I start the homeschool day. The time might change every day, but it's a routine at least. My family knows lunch is around 1-2 (and we read at the table) and dinner is around 6-7, so we plan everything else around that, including my work.

Now that schools are closing all over the place, you'll want to get some structure/routine going for your kids so you all know that, for instance, from 7-9 every morning it's WORK TIME FOR MOM OR DAD. And that at 7 p.m. dinner is over and the kids can have screen time while you get another couple of hours of work in.

Here's some Help for the Non-Homeschooler!

PLAN your days. I recently got my first Passion Planner and it really helps me stay on track. I try to plan things in 30-minute or 1-hour increments. I write in pencil, though, so I can easily change things, like if the kids are up for an impromptu game of One Night Ultimate Werewolf. Planning includes creating a MEAL PLAN, a HOMESCHOOL PLAN (my kids are older so I can assign them things in Homeschool Tracker and print out a sheet per kid, clipped to a clipboard), and a CHORE CHART. Here's my homemade chore and toothbrushing chart from back in the day. The more independent your kids are, the more you can get done during your work day.

BE UNINFORMED and AT PEACE part of the day. Turn off the news and all social media for a set period of time daily. Checking on your computer, on your television, on your phone, etc. every five minutes doesn't do anything but fuel anxiety and depression. I consider myself to be a very happy person, but this thing has got me depressed just because of all the changes that are happening so quickly. I'm sad for those who are stuck inside, sad for those who are lonely, sad for those who won't have a lot of contact with anyone for quite a while other than getting groceries.

EXERCISE and FRESH AIR. Take a walk with or without your family. Meet up with a neighbor and walk on opposite sides of the street.

READ a book you've been wanting to read for a long time but were too busy to dive into. Read a book to your kids. Check out Read-Aloud Revival! This is a great way to relax your brain and get ideas for writing projects! Same goes for watching a MOVIE. Check out Scribd for a free trial of ebooks and audiobooks. We love the audiobooks for when we're in the car and also bedtime when I'm just too tired to read. It's also a great way for the kids to learn independently while you're trying to work.

Go for a DRIVE. Is there a drive-through open where you can maybe get a quick treat, a soda, something comforting? You went for a walk, so you get some extra comfort calories! (I'm on Weight Watchers, so I'm an expert LOL)

STAY CONNECTED. Get the Marco Polo app and encourage your loved ones to do the same. It's like FaceTime meets messaging. With the time difference from Kuwait to Kansas City being 9 hours, my husband and I used this quite a bit. And with my parents and grandparents being in self-quarantine, it's nice to be able to see their faces when it's convenient for everyone.

BE ALONE. If you're feeling nutty or salty, get out for a drive alone to catch up on Marco Polo messages, listen to podcasts or audiobooks, sing along to loud music, pray, hunt toilet paper.

ORGANIZE. If it makes you feel more in control, set a timer for 30 minutes or an hour and just organize/declutter an area that has been bothering you. Check out my Linen Closet Door Organizer and my Sheet and Pillowcase Storage in a Linen Closet.

REST. Yes, it's okay to rest. You can't work 16 hours a day; it's not healthy (and our health is even more important right now)! I used to feel sooo guilty when I would lay down with some Netflix for half an hour or lay by the pool, but it's perfectly fantastic to take some time off each day to rest body and brain. When you have time to just THINK, some great writing ideas come up! Also, it makes you a nicer, happier person in general.

My hope is that some of these ideas make you feel better (less anxious, more hopeful, better rested), as well as more creative. Stay healthy :-)

*This post contains a referral link for Passion Planner.

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.

Dads Can Write for Parenting Magazines Too!

What do you picture when you think of a parenting and family magazine writer? A woman sitting around in her jammies, laptop in front of her, while kids run underfoot? Or that same writer dropping her kids off at school then going home to write and take care of the house?

It does appear for now that the parenting and family market is dominated by females, but there are plenty of heartfelt and funny and dead-on awesome writers in this niche who also happen to be fathers! Here's why I think dads do great in this market:

Perspective
Dads have such a unique perspective, that's for sure. Something that would send me to the doctor to seek out a Xanax prescription has my husband saying, "The kids are fine!" And they are. Mostly :-)

Grit

Where I feel guilty having the kids help me with chores sometimes (they have so much homework plus activities!), my husband has no problem asking them to pitch in. And they do. Happily. As they have grown into teenagers who volunteer in the community and at church, and gladly help out on our 8 acres, I see he had a point.

Many magazines actively seek out submissions from fathers for just these reasons. They love the stories dads tell about parenting, whether poignant or humorous.

Write-at-home Dads
The stay-at-home dad is becoming more common, and so it would follow that we have the write-at-home dad making his appearance in magazines around the world more often! We also have dads who write in their free time ... late at night, early in the morning, dictating into their phones during a commute, etc.

Check out Patrick Hempfing here. And a fabulous guest blog post by him on my site here.

Here's William R. Bartlett from my own local Kansas City Parent.

The Published Parent 2019 Income Report

Writer friends, the McLoughlin household is healthy and happy and ready for 2020 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 8 years away :-)

Frederick's Child Magazine Acquired by Mid-Atlantic Media

As of August 20, 2019, Frederick's Child is now owned by Mid-Atlantic Media, who also run Baltimore's Child and Washington Family.

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 order "TheMother of All Writing Market Books" here.

Write for Woman's Day Magazine -- Submission Writers Guidelines

Thank you so very much for your interest in writing for Woman's Day. Unfortunately, you are not alone. In fact, you have so much company, and we have such a small cadre of editors, that we have had to develop what you will no doubt find a rather tough policy on unsolicited manuscripts.

This is what you need to know: Our editors work almost exclusively with experienced writers who have clips from major national magazines. As a result, we accept unsolicited manuscripts only from writers with such credentials. There are no exceptions.

If you do have significant national writing experience, and you have an idea or manuscript that you think might interest us, e-mail us at womansday@hearst.com, and please include some of your most recent clips. 

Write for Alaska Parent Magazine -- Submission Writers Guidelines

Alaska Parent magazine is looking for freelance writers who demonstrate a fresh, engaging writing style and a keen sense of the topics that matter to local parents. Before you pitch a story to us, we recommend you learn more about our publication and get a feel for the type of articles we value and promote.

ABOUT ALASKA PARENT

Alaska Parent is a free, full-color family and parenting magazine, published 4 times per year. As Alaska’s exclusive, all-in-one parenting resource, our readers include parents with children ages newborn through teens, as well as expectant moms. We publish several stories in each issue, from hard-hitting articles on serious topics to pieces designed for fun and entertainment. Our writing tone is easy-to-read and conversational, yet packed with plenty of punch. Through our pages, we want our readers to feel understood, supported and empowered to make healthy parenting and life choices.

Write for Narratively -- Submission Writers Guidelines

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."