), comparative pay rates for a magazine (
-
), and more.Writer’s Market is here to help you decide where and how to submit your writing to appropriate markets. Each listing contains information about the editorial focus of the market, how it prefers material to be submitted, payment information, and other helpful tips.
Since 1921, Writer’s Market has been giving you the information you need to knowledgeably approach a market. We’ve continued to develop improvements to help you access that information more efficiently.
NAVIGATIONAL TOOLS. We’ve designed the pages of Writer’s Market with you, the writer, in mind. Within the pages you will find readable market listings and accessible charts and graphs. One such chart can be found in the ever-popular “How Much Should I Charge?” article.
We’ve taken all of the updated information in this feature and put it into an easy-to-read-and-navigate chart, making it convenient for you to find the rates that accompany the freelance jobs you’re seeking.
ICONS. There are a variety of icons that appear before each listing. A complete Key to Icons & Abbreviations appears on the right. Icons let you know whether a book publisher accepts only agented writers (), comparative pay rates for a magazine (-), and more.
CONTACT NAMES, ROYALTY RATES AND ADVANCES. In every section, we identify key contact people with the boldface word Contact to help you get your manuscript to the right person.
EDITORS, PAY RATES, ROYALTIES, ADVANCES, AND PERCENTAGE OF MATERIAL WRITTEN BY FREELANCE WRITERS. For Book Publishers, royalty rates and advances are highlighted in boldface, as is other important information on the percentage of first-time writers and unagented writers the company publishes, the number of books published, and the number of manuscripts received each year. In the Consumer Magazines and Trade Journals sections, we identify the amount (percentage) of material accepted from freelance writers, and the pay rates for features, columns and departments, and fillers in boldface to help you quickly identify the information you need to know when considering whether to submit your work.
QUERY FORMATS. We asked editors how they prefer to receive queries and have indicated in the listings whether they prefer them by mail, e-mail, fax or phone. Be sure to check an editor’s individual preference before sending your query.
ARTICLES. Writers who want to improve their submission techniques should read the articles in the Finding Work section. The Managing Work section is geared more toward post-acceptance topics, such as contract negotiation, organization, and self-promotion.
Look at the Contents pages to familiarize you with the arrangement of Writer’s Market. The three largest sections of the book are the market listings of Book Publishers; Consumer Magazines; and Trade Journals. You will also find other sections of market listings for Literary Agents and Contests & Awards. More opportunities can be found on the WritersMarket.com website.
 | market accepts agented submissions only |
 | market does not accept unsolicited submissions |
 | Canadian market |
 | market located outside of the U.S. and Canada |
| market pays 0-9¢/word or $0-$150/article |
| market pays 10-49¢/word or $151-$750/article |
| market pays 50-99¢/word or $751-$1,500/article |
| market pays $1/word or over $1,500/article |
 | comment from the editor of Writer’s Market |
 | tips to break into a specific market |
| MS, MSS | manuscript(s) |
| B&W | black & white (photo) |
| SASE | self-addressed, stamped envelope |
| SAE | self-addressed envelope |
| IRC | International Reply Coupon, for use when mailing to countries other than your own |
After you’ve identified the market categories that interest you, you can begin researching specific markets within each section.
Consumer Magazines and Trade Journals are categorized by subject within their respective sections to make it easier for you to identify markets for your work.
There is a subject index available for Book Publishers in the back of the book. It is broken into fiction and nonfiction categories and subcategories.
Contests & Awards are categorized by genre of writing. If you want to find journalism contests, you would search the Journalism category; if you have an unpublished novel, check the Fiction category.
Once you’ve identified companies or publications that cover the subjects in which you’re interested, you can begin evaluating specific listings to pinpoint the markets most receptive to your work and most beneficial to you.
In evaluating individual listings, check the location of the company, the types of material it is interested in seeing, submission requirements, and rights and payment policies. Depending on your personal concerns, any of these items could be a deciding factor as you determine which markets you plan to approach. Many listings also include a reporting time.
Whenever possible, obtain submission guidelines before submitting material. You can usually obtain guidelines by sending a SASE to the address in the listing or by checking online. Many of the listings contain instructions on how to obtain sample copies, catalogs or market lists. The more research you do upfront, the better your chances of acceptance, publication and payment.