MARKETS ON-LINE
© Roxianne Moore
Let's face it. One of the biggest challenges any writer faces is finding a market. Every year huge market guides, printed in tiny text on hundreds of pages, attempt to provide writers with a ready guide. Some, like Writer's Market now have a CD-ROM version to make searches a little easier than the old method of searching through one category after another in the index, then paging back to the appropriate reference. This version apparently includes all the listings in the print edition, plus a database to record your freelance writing submissions and track your earnings. It also includes the Writers Encyclopedia with 1,000 answers to questions about contract terms, query letters, and so on.
A one-size-fits-all guide is nice to have on hand, but why not let your keyboard to the walking instead? Several on-line sources offer up-to-date market listings, including paying and nonpaying markets for all types of creative writing. These sites ran the gamut from simple listings to helpful guides:
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Writers Write has searchable lists of paying and nonpaying markets. They also have a good method for tracking submissions, one area I have always had trouble with.
The Book of Zines is an excellent resource guide to e-zines. With links to lists of zines and e-zines, and a "Roll Your Own" page, it makes a great jumping off place. You can also order an autographed copy of webmaster Chip Rowe's Book of Zines. Judging from the content of the site, this would be a good investment if you're interested in zines.
Poets & Writers has always been an excellent and up-to-date resource for contests and magazines seeking submissions. Now you can search their on-line classified section to find the latest outlets for your creativity. While you're there, you can also browse through back issues and order a subscription.
If you're feeling brave, send for a free trial issue of The Write Markets Report. Mine arrived via e-mail with the suggestion that I print it out. After my printer had churned out pages for several minutes, I counted up my total: more than 50 pages of markets. Most of the markets are for nonfiction, but there are plenty of fiction and poetry markets as well. Some of them were worth pursuing. Others seemed doubtful, but might be of interest to others. If you're interested, make sure you put plenty of fresh paper in the printer. I doubt you'll want to wade through this onscreen.
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