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Do you have an artistic hankering and the desire to get published in national magazines? Combine your creative design skills with your
knack for the written word and you’ll soon see your work in print.
A craft magazine is a magazine that teaches its readers the steps necessary to making specific craft projects (i.e. bird feeder, a pair
of earrings, or a quilt); it’s a magazine where the majority of the articles are projects. Many craft magazines also run technique
articles, profiles, first-person stories, and other non-project articles.
I have a “day job” as the editorial associate for Art Jewelry magazine. As an editorial associate, all of the magazine’s submissions
come through me first, so I know a thing or two about what works and what doesn’t. If you follow my advice, you can carve out your own
niche in the lucrative craft magazine market.
Tip: The best way to break into craft magazines is to “wow” editors with your design ability and knowledge of the craft you’re
presenting.
Discover Your Talents
Think you’re not crafty? What about the Brownie sewing project you helped out with or the pumpkin-carving party you organized? Crafts
don't just consist of expensive, high-end projects; many craft magazines cater to kids or carry easy-to-make projects for adults.
What types of crafts have you done in the past? Make a list of every type of craft you’ve tried, including ones you don’t think you’ll
ever write about. Even ideas that seem silly now can spark flashes of brilliance later. Then make another list of the crafts you’d like
to try. Keep your lists of your interests in mind while you study craft magazines to query.
Study Craft Magazines
Live by the writers’ credo and study your markets. Do a casual overview of craft magazines online, at your local library, or bookstore.
As you study each publication, pay attention to the types of projects they run. Are they mostly geared toward beginner, intermediate, or
advanced readers? Then read the materials lists. Are they made up of items available at your local craft and hobby store, or are they
mostly found in specialty shops? The more you learn about the craft magazine and its audience, the easier it will be for you to know
what the editors want in a submission.
Read The Guidelines
This is one rule of writing for craft magazines that I can’t stress enough. Knowing what the editors want and in what style can mean the
difference between an acceptance and a rejection.
As the editorial associate for Art Jewelry magazine, I’ve seen lots of prospective writers make the mistake of not reading our
guidelines. The guidelines clearly state that because we are the sister publication of Bead&Button and BeadStyle, we do
not accept beaded jewelry. Yet, I continue to receive a minimum of five beaded jewelry submissions per month. Even if the jewelry is
spectacular, we can’t use the submission. Not following our writes guidelines makes these writers look unprofessional.
Make A Craft
What types of crafts interest you the most? Whatever your crafting niche, there are probably at least two magazines to support it. Narrow
your search down to a few prospective craft magazines. After you feel you’ve got a good handle on the type of projects they run, try your
hand at making something in that style.
Evaluate your craft project. Are you happy with the results? If so, ask a spouse, friend, or family member to take a look at it and give
you their honest opinion. If the edges need to be trimmed or part of the project looks unfinished, keep refining it until it seems
perfect. Imperfections give editors a reason to reject your project—don’t give them a reason to reject your query.
Good Writing Gives You An Edge
The most important thing about craft writing is the craft, not the writing. So while a well-written proposal won’t get you in alone, good
writing can give you an edge over the competition. The less an already-busy editor has to do, the more she’ll value your services as a
writer and designer.
Craft magazine editors are used to receiving projects with poor grammar, run-on sentences, and logical errors. If they see you can design
a great craft and convey how to make it in a grammatical and logical way, they’ll want you to design and write more projects—in the
future.
Write The Query Letter
Write a query letter based on the craft magazine’s guidelines and/or editorial calendar. If the editorial calendar mentions the craft
magazine is looking for Christmas projects and your project fits the bill, be sure to mention it up front.
Tell the editors a little bit about the inspiration for your craft, the materials and the techniques used. Mention the craft’s skill
level, and your experience with the craft. If you’ve been published in other craft magazines, mention that as well.
Clips Aren’t Necessary
Most craft magazines don’t care about your publishing credits; therefore, it’s not necessary to include clips with your submission. The
editors opening your proposal are not likely to spend a lot of time reading your bevy of clips; what they really want to see is your
design.
Send It In
Do you send in the actual craft, pictures of the craft, or the design only? Each craft magazine has its own policies on how it accepts
craft submissions. Some craft magazines want completed manuscripts and some only want the manuscript after they accept your query. Some
craft magazines ask for the actual craft, while others just want a photo or a slide. Some accept submissions by email, others do not.
Find out all these particulars before you send anything in.
Art Jewelry’s editors prefers to see pieces “in person,” but also accepts photos. The problem with photos is that your response time is
longer. You send a photo of your craft, the editor thinks it might be interesting but can’t decide based on the photo alone, so you’re
asked to send the piece in. You ship your craft to the editor, who then evaluates the craft and shows it to the staff for possible
inclusion in an upcoming issue.
If you want a fast response time and the magazine allows you to send your work it, send it in. Many magazines will pay the return
postage, just make sure you note how much you would like the piece insured for upon return.
Wait For An Acceptance
Every craft magazine has its own way of deciding which craft projects will be accepted. Sometimes the crafts for a particular section of
the magazine are chosen by that section’s editor, other times they are chosen by a staff of editors (and possibly the publisher, art
director, and others). The editors hold a meeting to view the craft projects that have been submitted and discuss their merits.
The frequency with which the submissions are decided upon also varies by publication. Art Jewelry holds monthly meetings;
BeadStyle shows projects at their weekly staff meetings. Many magazines list their response times in their guidelines. If not,
look for them in a writers’ market guide. If the magazine has not gotten back to you by the expected response time, it is perfectly
acceptable to send a polite note, or email, asking if a decision has been made.
Acceptance!
What happens if your submission is accepted? An editor, at the magazine, will contact you with more instructions. If you haven’t sent in
your completed craft, you should send it in now—for photography. If you have not sent in a complete manuscript, the editor will also ask
you do so.
Most craft magazines will give you a contract with a deadline. Take a look at the rights the craft magazine buys: First North American
Serial Rights (FNASR), All Rights, or some other type of rights. Craft magazines usually ask for all rights because many of their parent
companies publish compilation books of crafts in their magazines. If you don’t agree with the contract, it’s perfectly okay to (politely)
ask the editor to change it. The worst he or she can say is no.
Complete The Manuscript
Project instructions should be written in a step-by-step, logical order. Make sure you include a list of materials and tools; naming
stores and resources for hard-to-find items. And if you have an idea for a sidebar (an informational tidbit that can be pulled away
from the rest of the text), suggest it! Craft editors welcome this type of input. Don’t forget to spell check and check for double
spaces.
Before you send your manuscript, refer to the guidelines to see if the magazine likes to receive manuscripts by email (as attachments or
in the body), on disk, or CD. Under no circumstances should you ever send in a handwritten manuscript. And never send just a print-out
unless the magazines specifically asks you to do so. When in doubt, ask.
Get Paid
If the magazine pays on acceptance, you should receive a check soon after the editor receives your accepted manuscript. If the magazine
pays on publication, you’ll have to wait until your manuscript appears in print. The magazine should give you a tentative date and issue
in which your article is scheduled to appear. Keep in mind that schedules change quickly and often, which means if your publication date
changes, so will your payment date.
Most craft magazines send complimentary copies of the issue with your craft. Keep one copy for your clip file; show off the rest to
relatives and friends.
Do It Again
Crafters need craft magazines to give them both inspiration and a sense of community. That’s good news for you—crafting magazines need
tons of content, and most of the time it’s fairly easy for new writers (provided they are familiar with the craft) to break in. Why not
get paid for the crafts you’d do anyway—as a hobby?
Help Is A Link Away
When searching online for craft magazines, do a Google search on your favorite hobby followed by the word “magazine” or “craft magazine.”
The following is a list of craft magazine guidelines to help you get started:
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About The Author:
Amy Robleski has worked for Art Jewelry magazine for one year. She was recently promoted to editorial associate. Her hobbies
include crafts of all varieties, freelance writing, and spending time with her cats, Callie and Gizmo, and her husband,
Jason.
* This article is available for your publication, for a F-E-E.
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