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Submission guidelines for The Writer
Published: June 1, 2003
The Writer is dedicated to helping professional and aspiring writers with a straightforward presentation of information, instruction and motivation. In the pages of our 123-year-old magazine, writers come together to share their experiences, expertise, struggles, successes and suggestions. The magazine's efforts have been recognized in recent years with gold and silver medals for Editorial Excellence in Folio magazine's national competition.
About 90 percent of our articles are written by freelance writers. The best way to get an assignment is to send a good query letter on a topic that is fresh for our magazine and well suited to our mission.
Please familiarize yourself with our magazine before querying--our tone, audience, approach, the types of articles we do and don't do. Try to skim through the last year or two of issues to get an idea of what we've recently written about.
In your query, be sure to describe your writing background, and don't keep us in suspense: If you promise in your proposed article to provide eight tips on how to find an agent, tell us what all or most of your tips are. We can't properly evaluate your query if you don't.
On those occasions when the magazine's staff originates a story idea and assigns it, we use writers who have previously been in the magazine.
We do not accept fiction or poetry.
Unless otherwise noted below, send queries to queries@writermag.com. Submissions may be sent as .doc files or by copying and pasting text into the body of an e-mail message. Please DO NOT send .docx files. Hard copies are also acceptable.
Feature articles generally run 600 to 3,500 words. These include our "Step by Step" how-to articles and our regular in-depth author interviews. A separate memo is available by e-mail on our "Step by Step" articles, which are built around a series of interactive steps. These articles are done only by experienced writers. Most of our "Step by Steps" address a specific aspect of fiction writing, but we also consider general nonfiction and creative-nonfiction topics.
We encourage a roundup approach for articles on market or publishing trends, such as the changing youth market, the growing interest in inspirational writing, the best of the small presses, how to get your manuscript past the first reading, what small-press editors want, and how to find an agent.
We will consider personal essays about writing as both general features and Off the Cuff columns, but these essays should not be of the "navel-gazing" variety that is excessively focused on self and one's life story. An essay should provide some take-away advice and benefits to a writing audience just as our other features do.
Columns and departments usually run around 600 to 1,600 words. Our lineup is:
Breakthrough: Formatted first-person articles of 700 words about a writer's experience in "breaking through" to publication (with an article, book, etc.). Query senior editor Ron Kovach at rkovach@writermag.com.
Freelance Success: Tips on the business of freelancing. Length is 1,600 words. (Note: We are not currently accepting queries for Freelance Success.)
Get Started: Short articles specifically angled toward instructing the beginning writer. Most of these are assigned by an editor, but queries are accepted. About 830 words, including a short sidebar of resources. Query associate editor Sarah Lange at slange@writermag.com.
How I Write: One-page, formatted interviews with authors including a bio blurb. About 600 words, plus 100 for bio blurb and credits. Query senior editor Ron Kovach at rkovach@writermag.com first.
Literary Spotlight: A one-page look at a literary journal. Most of these are assigned by an editor. Query associate editor Sarah Lange at slange@writermag.com.
Market Focus: Reports on specific market areas such as trade journals, alumni magazines, parenting, sports and travel. Usually 1,600 words. Query associate editor Sarah Lange at slange@writermag.com.
Off the Cuff: Personal essays on a particular aspect of writing or the writing life. Usually 1,600 words. Submit finished essays to associate editor Sarah Lange at slange@writermag.com. Please send .doc files or copy and paste text into the body of an e-mail message. Please DO NOT send .docx files.
Poet to Poet: Specific aspects of writing poetry, such as imagery, revision or poetic forms. Note: A regular columnist currently does all the Poet to Poet columns and queries are not accepted.
Take Note: Brief, topical items of literary interest. Should be 150 to 400 words. Query associate editor Sarah Lange at slange@writermag.com.
Writer at Work: A writer describes a specific writing problem and how it was successfully overcome on the way to publication. Most of the columns deal with fiction. Experienced writers only. A separate memo is available by e-mail on the Writer at Work column. Query senior editor Ron Kovach at rkovach@writermag.com first.
WriteStuff: Reviews of books on the craft and business of writing as well as other products of interest to writers. Experienced book reviewers write for this column. Reviews are 450 to 800 words. Send letter and book-review clips to associate editor Sarah Lange at slange@writermag.com.
Basics
All queries should be submitted in writing. Do not call. We prefer electronic queries, to queries@writermag.com, except where noted above.
Hard-copy queries can be mailed to The Writer at 21027 Crossroads Circle, P.O. Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187. Include a SASE for a response and return of materials.
We do our best to respond to queries within 6-8 weeks, and most are dealt with much sooner. Queries that make it into our "Maybe" basket can sometimes take longer.
We acknowledge assignments with an e-mailed confirmation message. We give an article an "acceptance read" around the due date; if the article is in acceptable shape, we mail a contract within the next few weeks. We send payment after we receive a signed copy of the contract.
Generally, we buy first rights. Payment varies. In general, our rates for articles range from $100 for book reviews to $100 to $300 for columns and $300 to $500 for features, depending on length, complexity and the research required. Items for the Take Note section pay $25 to $75. We are also looking for writing-related cartoons ($50); these should be sent to associate editor Sarah Lange at slange@writermag.com.
Payment is initiated upon acceptance. We pay only those expenses agreed upon in advance.
Completed assigned articles should be submitted as a Word attachment to the assigning editor. Be sure to include your name, address, phone number, e-mail address and a list of sources used for the article, along with their contact information. To help us fact-check, we ask that you include copies of any printed background materials you used for the piece. Photo suggestions are appreciated. Please do not send original manuscripts, artwork or slides, as we cannot be responsible for their return.
Editorial calendar
The Writer has no editorial calendar per se, but most months we publish stories or sections that focus on particular topics:
January: MFAs
February Self-publishing
March: Screenwriting; agents
April: Conferences
May: Freelance writing
June: Children's writing
September: Book publishing
October: Mystery writing
November: MFAs
Thank you for considering The Writer as a market for your work!—Updated April 26, 2010
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