Keeping My Canadian Pride

Let me just say from the get-go that I am a proud Canadian writer and author. I mention it in my blog, my bio and whenever I do interviews. “Why then has most of your work been published in the U.S. and Abroad?” you’re probably asking. Well…just because I’m proud of where I was born and raised doesn’t mean I’ve had the easiest time getting published here—even now. I have no idea why! Maybe it’s because some editors don’t feel that I have a very Canadian perspective after writing for U.S. and International audiences for the last several years. Or maybe it’s because I was setting the bar too high by going for some of those big-wig glossies right off the bat.

The truth is here in Canada a lot of the big glossies are Government funded, which means the publishers and editors have to follow very specific guidelines in order to receive their funding. What this means is several places are only able to accept submissions from Canadian writers and those Canadian writers need to offer up Canadian content. The U.S. and International publications seem to have a bit more freedom in terms of who they choose to write for them and when. And that’s why when I was first starting out I turned to the south of the border and beyond in order to get my work out there.

Now that I think of it...the ideas I was pitching weren’t always about Canada or issues that effect Canadians only; my ideas were more global…or I’d like to think they were. No matter what, though, there are still some fantastic publications up here—some of which I’d love to write for one day and others I never will—and they pay really well. What I thought I’d do today is offer up five great places for Canadians (or anyone else) to try. Why not? Some of these places will give non-Canadians a shot if you present your pitch in a way that would be interesting and beneficial to Canadian readers.

Good luck, have fun and be sure to let us know if your work was accepted by any of these places. Having your advice and pearls of wisdom on what worked would be helpful for those who are trying to break in.

Chynna

PS: Happy Canadian Thanksgiving! =oD


Azure Design, Architecture and Art (www.azuremagazine.com): This is a magazine that covers everything about architectural art and design. They look for people with experience and knowledge in this area and look for nonfiction articles from 350 to 2000 words. Pay is $1/word (Cdn).

Family Fun (www.familyfun.com): This magazine is all about how families can have fun together from playtime to travel. They accept pitches in all their departments, including features and they have detailed guidelines on their site in terms of who to contact and what they need in a particular area. Pay is $1.25/word.

Today’s Parent (www.todaysparent.com): Monthly magazine for Canadian parents with kids from birth to 12 years of age. The look for articles “grounded in the reality of Canadian family life.” Pay ranged from $200 to $2200 an article depending on word length and department.

Reader’s Digest Canada (www.readersdigest.ca): Pretty much the same as the U.S. version. Mostly look for those “true life stories” that touch the heart, get us thinking or give insight into a current issue. They pay $1.50 - $2.50/word depending on the type and length of the story. Prefer original, unpublished pieces.

AlbertaViews (www.albertaviews.ab.ca): Got a story about Alberta? This is the place to pitch it to. Whether you’ve visited here or lived here all of your life, they want stories Alberta-based. They pay anywhere from $350 to $1500 depending on subject and whether the article is solicited or not.