Goal: Nationals in '09

[CatMuse33]

So myself and another AWer (she hasn't said if I can tell people who she is yet, but I'm sure she'll be stopping by soon!) set a goal/made a pact to be published in a national consumer newsstand magazine in 2009.

We are inviting any other AWers to join in our quest.


Think BIG if you want! Oprah... Better Homes & Gardens... Good Housekeeping, etc. :D Or, if you haven't hit a niche publication that is on the newsstands yet, go for it.

I can tell you from experience that there is no better feeling than seeing a magazine with your name on it at Borders or Barnes & Noble! You want to run around the store telling everyone! :)

For my purposes, I'm not counting niche magazines, just general interest consumer mags.

We will post here to let everyone know what we are doing to work toward those goals. If you want to set weekly or monthly goals, ala JHS, go ahead. Or you can just post when you've done something that leads you closer to getting published in a national. (sent a query, researched a market, came up with an idea...)

We can also share market information here, tips and tricks we've discovered, victories and rejections.

and we're OFF... :D (cue racing music).

Dawn

[Still Seaking]

Okay, here goes. Writing goals for 2009…..

• Minimum 1 query a week
• To be published in national magazine publication (as defined in the first post)
• To finish my novel and start working on a query pitch for an agent/publisher
• To pay all of my bills through writing


SS

[cress8]

Count me in. I'm currently working on something for Pediatrics for Parents (national, but not glossy, and certainly a niche market) and ADDitude (national glossy, but niche).

I'm curious to know if anyone has had any previous national publications. My first published piece was in "ePregnancy" years ago, but sadly that magazine is no longer in print. The clip is so old, I don't feel I can use it to impress other national editors, but that's life. I had some interruptions to my freelance efforts then, but at least I know even newbies can break in!

[stldenise]

I'll join! In fact, I was thinking of this goal last night. See, I've gotten a lead on a good story idea from my newspaper stringing - I think I could sell it to a bigger audience. I've been published in Boys' Life, which is national, but since it's the Boy Scout magazine, it's definatey a niche. Nice glossy clips though! I've got one clip from last May and I've sold them four more briefs (not published yet) and a 2 page spread that will come out in April.
I've had postive feed back from some regional mags, so I'm hoping to crack them too. I suggested a story to one magazine that they had already assigned, and the other mag said "they'd get back to me" and never did. So I think those are pretty close in the near miss department.
I'm hoping once I get more published clips from my sold stuff I can interest more editors in my work!

[SouthernFriedJulie]

Well, I guess I'll go ahead and chime in since I opened my mouth in the first place.

As I told Catmuse, I am going to be published in at least 3 nationals in '09. Not 'I am going to query' or anything like that. I am going to do it and have them ask for more. Just watch. I figure if I say that I will be, it will hold me stronger than 'I'll try'.

So, watch out world, I'm done piddling. :-D

[Cleopatra Jones]

What a great idea! You guys are reading my mind....this was exactly my goal for the new year: to be published in at least one national mag. I expect to be published in one national niche magazine in January (Renaissance Magazine), but I would like to break into general consumer mags.

I sent queries to FitPregnancy and Modern Bride a few days ago, so please think good thoughts for me!

[JenNipps]

Part of me wants to say I'll be in three nationals, too, but to I feel like with everything else, that'll be a bit much. So I'm going to aim for publication in one national publication in '09. Anything after that will be the proverbial icing on the cake. :)

[CatMuse33]

SFJ glad you chimed in! And sorry for inadvertantly "outing" you and our goals... I hope it's all good. (And seeing as you're here, I guess it is?)

I love your sense of purpose and determination. You're the Yoda of AW: "Do or do not. There is no try."

Well, except you're taller, younger, less wrinkly and... not green, of course. ;)

Dawn

[ravenlea]

I'll join. I'm not as ... ambitious? focused? determined? ... as SFJ, so i think i'll try for one. Now I just have to come up with that one, huh?

raven

[Skyraven]

I'm afraid to commit to this, but I'll give it a shot! Now who to choose?

[Skyraven]

Okay all. I think I figured out where I'd like to query. I want to query for the essay in the Lifestyle section of Latina Magazine for the Mother's Day issue (May). Better get crackin' right?

[inkkognito]

Wow, you guys are so ambitious! I still haven't settled on a publication to aim for, but I'm thinking one of those women's tabloids you see at the checkout...Woman's Weekly or whatever the title is...hmmmm....

I will make a firm commitment by the end of the year as to which one(s) I am going to aim for.

[cress8]

It seems I recall someone saying something about Woman's World playing dirty with writers in the past. Not sure where I got that info now; you might want to check it out.

[inkkognito]

Uh oh, thanks for the warning! I'll do a bit of digging around.

[JenNipps]

I would so love to be in figure magazine or O or... lol

Good luck, evvybuddy. :)

[cress8]

Hi all--

Are you thinking just features or anything (front-of-book, etc) in a national?

[inkkognito]

Hi all--

Are you thinking just features or anything (front-of-book, etc) in a national?
Personally I would count front-of-book. I managed to get into The Writer that way last year...not as exciting as a feature, but hey, whatever it takes!