Publishing articles in woodwork magazines

I wonder whether other forum members have had similar problems to mine in publishing articles in woodwork magazines. I have had three articles accepted for publication, two about a year ago, and one more than two years ago, in Australian and British woodwork magazines; but the articles have not yet actually been published, and I have received no payment for them. It seems to me that payment should be made at the time when an article is accepted for publication, as is the case with American woodwork magazines which pay handsomely upfront. However, I think American magazines are reluctant to accept articles from authors outside America. The Editor of an American magazine seemed rather crestfallen when he realised the article that he had accepted, which I submitted via e-mail, was by an Australian.

Rocker

Had a similar experience. Had a letter to say they were interested in the article, but didn't hear any more for 18 months or so, when they came back to me wanting measurements. By that time I'd sold the piece & tossed away the envelope that I'd sketched it out on. Did enquire of a US magazine, but no reply.

Sorry boys. Payment on publication is the norm, in America as well as elsewhere. To get otherwise is a bonus. Furthermore, the term 'handsome' is not one typically used with any writing payment. Consider yourself lucky if you are.

Normally when an article is accepted, you will be given some indication of when it will be published, so if you are concerned a polite query is okay, especially after a year.

Cheers
Richard

Richard,

I realize that payment on publication is the norm, at least in Australia, but my experience is that I am given no indication of when the article will be published, and I have signed a contract to say that the article will not be offered to anyone else until 6 months after publication. So the magazine has my articles, and I have no way of ensuring that they will publish within a reasonable time, other than nagging them. The British magazine I sent an article to a year ago, accepted it for publication by e-mail, and requested high-resolution versions of the pictures; so I sent them a CD with the picture files on it. Since then, nothing; and they have not answered two e-mails.

The American magazine, to which I sold an article on my box-joint jig, paid me US$750 upfront for a piece that took about three days to prepare. That is almost double what Aussie magazines normally pay.

Rocker

As editor of my own magazine and having had published articles in many others, I can say that while your story may be "accepted", their is really no guarantee it will be published until that magazine goes to the print press.

Sometimes articles are withdrawn at the last minute because an article that has "higher priority" comes in unexpectedly and takes your space. As a result, your article may then not fit into the scheme of things for the following issue, or for issue after that. Magazines (at least good ones) do have a certain balance of articles in each issue to try and please as many people as possible. Sometimes articles just don't fit a magazine's balance or theme for a particular issue.

In theory (at least), until you are paid for the article, you retain the rights to it. The magazine is paying you for the exclusive rights to print your article, and unless you have signed a written contract, may retain those rights indefinitely and could potentially do what they like with it in the future (although 99% of them print it once and then its history).

Upfront payment is not the norm because the magazine business is a business that changes almost by the day, usually as a result of what the competition is doing, or trying to beat the competition. Sometimes articles get dropped as a result, and then there are deadline constraints... Miss having that issue on the print press by even 1 day and it upsets a whole chain of pre-arranged services including distribution, delivery and packing etc that are all scheduled for exacting times.

All you can do as a writer if you material does not get printed is take it as a loss in that instance or try and get it published somewhere else. Unless you are Women's Day or New Idea, magazines, particularly in niche markets don't make a whole lot of money, and if its an aussie mag, well they make even less! Hence why we can't afford to pay huge writer bills. Even so, a good writer can make big $$ if they offer professionally-presented pieces and can churn them out relatively quickly.

As a writer, you need to be offering more than the "others" trying to secure that same space. You have to go beyond what is expected to get your foot in the door. Be pro-active, but not pushy. Ultimately, its the quality of work and the timeliness of delivery that impresses the editors. And forget the three strikes and you're out rule. Miss a deadline more than once with no reasonable excuse and you can often kiss your potential future assignments goodbye! Sounds harsh but thats how it is. Its deadline driven and readers are the first to complain in droves if their issue is more than a few days late.

Remember also that if you are submitting a story and providing your own photos, they also need to be not far short of professional studio quality. You need good light, good clarity and good photographic technique to ensure what you are presenting photographically is as good, or better than what you present in text.

Hope that helps.

Dean,

Thanks for your detailed and well-considered posting. I understand the difficulties of editors, particularly in Australia, where the market is relatively small, and there are only two general woodworking magazines. I just feel that it is a bit unfair to authors, if their articles are formally accepted for publication, and then sat on for years on end. It is reasonable enough, for the reasons you have outlined, that an editor may want to wait several months before publishing an article, but not several years.

Rocker

Rocker, Yes that is true and a bit unfair. I'd take your article elsewhere. Obviously they are not planning to use it, and you still have the rights to the article (unless you signed your life away on it already). But in absense of any payment of contract being signed, the article is still yours to do whatever you like with.

I have written several articles over the years for fly fishing mags, local and US and found that the USA pay about 4 times local rates upon acceptance.
Locals were very slow.
We also sold the rights to video we made to Sky Channel for a three year period and they were prompt and generous payers too.
My big gripe is text of mine that is used by Melb Uni and royalties are paid to the State Gov :mad: :mad: :mad:
I was employed by them at the time but it was my material, generated by me and authored by me (albeit on their paper with their laptop).

At last, after about 2 1/2 years, my article on building a table-saw crosscut sled has finally appeared in the Australian Woodworker. I had thought it had gone down the gurgler long since.

Rocker

Congrats Rocker!
Cheers
RufflyRustic