Re: [Harp-L] hey, thanks for the kind words...

[Dave Payne <dave@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Gary, 
   
  I was once an unemployed journalist, before I became an employed journalist. In those lean days, I found my bread and butter in these regional magazines. Problem is when you start freelancing, it takes a few weeks. Check out writersmarket.com It's like three or four dollars a month and you can look at all these listings. Find magazines that interest you, look over their Web site and figure out what they want, then come up with an idea. Send a query, say who you are, explain the story and why their readers will want it, cite your qualifications, close letter. You HAVE to choose your words carefully in the query for one reason: if you can't say a lot with few words in a query, they are going to expect your stories to be just as longwinded. The story idea needs to be summed up in a single paragraph, the rule of thumb for editors is if you can't do that, they assume you can't write a cohert story. Market the stories to the appropriate magazines, etc. and make sure you have a
 good idea what that publication is like before you do. Most queries are rejected because the writer has no idea what the publication is like. 
  I have NEVER written a story and then marketed it. I always market it before I write it. If they accept a query that doesn't mean necessaarily they will buy the story, but only once have I had a story accepted on speculation and then the manuscript be rejected. It was the Old Farmer's Almanac. 
  If you have any other questions, just ask me.