Magazines are one of the best ways for a new writer to break into the publishing world. The number of magazines on the bookstore shelves continues to grow, and magazine publishing has grown to keep stride. Magazine publishers are becoming increasingly diverse and specialized. In order to help you take advantage of this opportunity, this page gives you resources to find out the right magazine publisher for you.
The Magazine Publishers of America (MPA) is the industry association for consumer magazines, found at www.magazine.org. Established in 1919, the MPA represents more than 240 domestic magazine publishing companies with approximately 1,400 titles, more than 80 international companies and more than 100 associate members. Part of its stated mission is to be the primary source of information and expertise about the magazine publishing industry for both its members and the community at large.
Two excellent directories of magazine publishing firms can be found in your local bookstore, library, or Internet stores. Here are some of the best ones:
The International Directory of Little Magazines and Small Presses. This directory is a publishing legend. It includes information on over 5,000 presses and journals from around the world, listing addresses, manuscript requirements, payment rates, and recent publications. Issued annually, it presents an alphabetically arranged catalog of 4,000 publishing magazines with a circulation under 50,000, and presses that publish only a few books a year. Each entry lists publisher contact information, type of material, number of issues or books published in the given year, copy price, average number of pages, length of reporting time on manuscripts, percentage of submissions published, and payment rate.
The Writer's Market. It gives over 4000 market listings for consumer magazines, publishers, trade journals, and contests and awards, along with 50 listings for literary agents. It also offers dynamic interviews with established fiction writers and industry insiders, including book publishers, editors and successful freelancers, as well as essential publishing information and advice, a guide to publisher imprints, online publishing basics, and valuable self-marketing tips.
Of course, extensive directories of magazine publishing companies can be found on the Internet:
