I am way overdue for a blog update on my writing…
Here’s the skinny!
- Guideposts Magazine has contacted me about printing my story “A Birthday Wish.” This is a rewrite of one of my favorite blog posts. They are going to edit it down (way, way down) and hope to print it in their February issue. After looking around the bookstores in my town, I’m suspicious that this magazine (though in the top 30 selling magazines) is not commonly carried on newstands. So, if you want to see the column, catch it online or send in your subscription. I’ll be sure to post a link when it comes online.
- If you were anywhere near my neighborhood, you might have heard happy shrieks last week. I finally reached my 60K word count goal on my work-in-process, Shaken. That doesn’t mean that it is “done,” but it gives me renewed hope that it will eventually get there.
- I’ve contacted a professional editor (NOT publisher) to help me make the story even better before sending it off to agents and publishers. I’ll start working with her next week. Not every writer needs to do this, but I feel that it will help move me along in the right (write?) direction. I’m very eager to get started.
I’ve heard from many writers that there are weeks when you question why you are in the business. And then there are weeks when you say, “Oh, yeah…” The last few weeks have clearly been in the second category.
Thank you to everyone who has been supporting me with your kind words and prayers! I couldn’t do this without you.
Karen
Congratulations on your progress.
Blessings, andrea
Karen:
I am so happy for you. Guideposts is a BIG magazine; this will look great on your bio.
Congrats on your progress–this is encouraging news!
Jen
Audience of ONE
Thanks Andrew and Jeanette! I’m very excited about the Guideposts column. When their editor told me that they had a readership of 3 million, I about fainted. I knew they were big, but I had NO idea. My last publishing credit was in Ladybug magazine which is written for two to six year olds, so this will be quite a switch for me!
There is a simple explanation for the absence of Guideposts from newsstands despite high “readership” numbers. One look at “Cosmo” or “Vogue” will show you. The covers of these magazines are obviously optimized for newsstand sales, with vacuous celebrity photos and racy cover lines to promote impulse purchases.
Some magazines achieve their numbers through subscriptions and for reasons of editorial integrity or brand identity prefer not to go that route.
Newsstand distribution in North America is tightly controlled by just a few corporations. Two leading publishers of consumer magazines, Hearst and Conde Nast, joined forces to form one such company, COMAG. Many smaller publishers who do not control their distribution cannot get the rack space or profitability that would make a newsstand push profitable.
On the other hand after 12 years in the industry I’ve see a lot of BS in circulation numbers! There are a number of methods magazines use to calculate circulation. One of them is the “pass-along” rate which includes not only the original purchaser but every person who subsequently views any part of that copy of a magazine. By that metric, Good Housekeeping boasts a “readership” of over 26 million, though its more conservative – and audited – “base rate” (paid circulation guaranteed in advance to advertisers) is only 4.3 million.
Nice work on the blog. I not only enjoy the writing, the image pairings are particularly effective.
Thanks, Mark! It’s nice to have an “insiders” view.