Brendiver's World

South Florida Adventures - "I doubt we'll publish contributor guidelines"

At last years Florida Dive Show (I was there to run a couple of workshops on diving photojournalism), I met Dave Raterman, the founder and editor of South Florida Adventures.

I liked Dave's approach to budding photojournalists. He was prepared to give them a chance and even offered an assignment there and then to one of the workshop attendees.

A few weeks ago I picked up the following press release from Dave in my in-box. As soon as I read it I knew this would be golden opportunity for any newcomers to the industry, so I wrote to Dave and asked him if he had any contributor guidelines. Have a read of the press release (in a way it is a set of contributor guidelines) and then take a look at his response:  

SOUTH FLORIDA ADVENTURES
TO LAUNCH NEW MAGAZINE

“SFA Fitness” Premieres June 17 In Partnership With
Forum Publishing Group / Sun Sentinel Co.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (March 17, 2009) – South Florida Adventures Media Group is partnering with Forum Publishing Group, a subsidiary of Sun Sentinel Company which is owned by Tribune Company, to publish SFA Fitness once a month. The first issue of this glossy magazine will be inserted into City Link MetroMix.com, FPG’s weekly entertainment newspaper, on June 17. Its audited circulation is 45,000. An additional 2,000 copies will be printed for a total circulation of 47,000.
 
Since June 2005 South Florida Adventures magazine has been distributed at gyms, sporting-goods stores, marathons and scuba expos in Miami-Dade,
Broward and Palm Beach counties. The glossy outdoor-sports magazine, with a bimonthly circulation of 25,000, is published by Fort Lauderdale-based SFAMG.
 
Instead of stories about eating salads or running on a treadmill, SFA Fitness, which is owned by SFAMG, will have stories on subjects such as standup paddleboarding off South Beach, cycling in Pembroke Pines, running in West Palm Beach, hiking in the Everglades, beach boot camp in Hollywood and scuba diving off Boca Raton.
 
Readers will also find stories on celebrities who exercise locally. Ex-Marlin Jeff Conine now trains in Weston for Ironman. Gloria Estefan kayaks in North Miami. Dwayne Johnson (“The Rock”) pumps iron in Sunrise. They exercise like everyone needs to.
 
“City Link Metromix.com is distributed at a broad range of outlets, including restaurants and bars, so it reaches a mass audience,” said SFAMG’s publisher and editor David Raterman. “South Florida Adventures magazine reaches physically active people. By inserting this new fitness magazine into City Link Metromix.com, South Florida Adventures Media Group and Forum Publishing Group reach people who can become physically active, or more physically active if they already exercise.”
 
With America’s obesity epidemic and South Florida’s year-round great weather, this fitness magazine fills an important niche. And the editors promise to keep it entertaining so readers keep turning the pages, then go exercise.


About South Florida Adventures Media Group
SFAMG publishes two magazines, a website and an e-newsletter; in 2010 the University Press of Florida will publish South Florida Adventures: The Book. This is the first time in Florida’s history that a magazine is being turned into a book.

SFAMG is the only outdoor sports and fitness publisher focusing on Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, plus the Everglades and nearby Atlantic. The company is owned by Fort Lauderdale-based Raterman Holdings, Inc.
###

South Florida Adventures Media Group
PO Box 21051 / Fort Lauderdale, FL 33335
(954) 683-5336 / www.SouthFloridaAdventures.com/about/


Contact: David Raterman
(954) 683-5336 / draterman@SouthFloridaAdventures.com

And Dave's reply to my enquiry:

"I doubt we’ll publish contributor guidelines. We’re still a small business and once we publish guidelines we’ll get overwhelmed with pitches. That’s good if we have time, but we’re at least half a year from then. When people currently ask, I respond for them to send several bullet points on the subject and I promise not to steal their idea. Then we can consider the story without them investing time."

The message?

 

Don't be put off if a magazine doesn't have contributor guidelines. In any case, you should be able to formulate them by reading several issues of the title. However, that won't tell you how they would like you to pitch your idea but a simple phone call should do the trick. As Dave says, people do ask him and he does give them a constructive reply.

 

The reality is, sometimes you have to pick up the phone and speak to editors if you want to become a travel journalist or writer for specialist magazines.

 

Keep writing...

 

Brendan 

Interview with an editor - Hannah James from Real Travel Magazine

As some of the individuals who have attended my workshops start to delve into the world of diving / travel magazines they're starting to come across all sorts of unanticipated hurdles and opportunities. By the end of the workshops none of them were under any illusion that getting published would be as simple as writing a story about their latest trip, bundling it up with some nice photographs and sending it off to an editor.

One of the workshop attendees recently pitched an idea to Hannah James, the editor of Real Travel Magazine. Hannah wrote back to say how although the pitch and proposed article looked interesting, it didn't fit into the magazine's current plans. However, she would keep it on file as there was a possibility it may do in the future. There was also an invite to keep the ideas coming and to submit travel tips and images for the reader's gallery (see below about being part of a magazine's community). 

This reply wasn't the final communication between Hannah and the workshop attendee, he got back in touch to explore any future possibilities. Excellent move.

In a rather bizarre and I must say, "Bull in a China shop" way (it's a long story), I managed to ask Hannah some questions about getting published. I found it quite reassuring that her answers linked in nicely with the topics discussed in my workshops as well as confirming the information gleaned from interviews with other editors. 

It doesn't get much better than editors telling you exactly what they are looking for - Hannah's replies could well apply to numerous other titles out there:

Q. What is it about an article submitted to your magazine that makes you think, "I wish all contributors would do that..."

A. Ultimately the most important thing is that writers give you what you ask for. It explains exactly what we are looking for in the magazine (200 words and two/three photos). There is a reason why we ask for pitches to come in this format (ie short and sweet); I get around 100 pitches sent in a week, so it’s vital that they are quick and easy for me to decipher – this way, I’m much more likely to read it fully and get an idea for a piece in order to get back to the writer with a yes or no.

It’s always a good idea to consider entry points into an article – ie a piece that is about surfing on the Algarve, for example, should be aware that it needs to appeal to those who aren’t interested in surfing. Promising inclusions on food, drinking, other activities, local walks, the nearby market/town etc will open the piece up to appeal to a larger number of people. This is vital when we have such a varied demographic seen in our readers.

If it is clear that a writer understands the magazine, then it will grab my attention from the onset. If they appear never to have read a copy, it’ll lose my attention in the same way that it would lose the attention of our readers.

Q. What are the biggest mistakes freelancers make?

A. Simple mistakes such as misaddressing the editor, spelling mistakes in the email, not finding out what the guidelines are for pitching ideas or (and this is the ultimate sin) not understanding the magazine are all complete no-nos.

A pitch that comes in addressed to Mr James, Ian (a past-editor) or Hillary (as happened just today!) for example, would suggest that a writer is not paying attention to detail – in turn this would probably be reflected in their writing – not a great start!

Find out the writer guidelines and pitch ideas in the correct format – however, it’s not necessarily a disaster if this isn’t done. Sometimes a piece is already written for example, or a writer could just be showing their enthusiasm for writing and travel. However, it makes the life of an editor much easier if things are presented in an easy to digest manner – the longer a pitch/piece is, the less likely I’ll have the time to read it. Often the reason for turning down a piece is nothing to do with the idea, writing or pitch – it could be a simple case of having already commissioned a very similar piece or recently publishing something on the subject – because of this, it’s always worth sending just a short pitch in to begin with, rather than bombarding editors with full features – chances are they simply won’t have time to get to the end of everything that gets sent in.

The ultimate sin: ALWAYS READ THE MAGAZINE before pitching. I have so many people call to enquire after writing for the magazine – my first question? “Have you read a recent copy?” If the answer is no, then in my mind it is a simple case of time wasting. There is no point in pitching to an editor unless you know the magazine, the market and understand what a magazine looks for. Real Travel has a very distinct style – it’s about real people’s real travels – and therefore, a piece that timelines the political history of Myanmar or a guidebook style run-down of Barcelona’s best restaurants just will not work. Waste the editor’s time by not knowing who you are pitching to and it’s very unlikely you’ll be working for that magazine any time soon!

Ultimately it is simple – do your research before getting in touch.

Q. What character traits / skills do you look for in any regular contributor?

A. Inspirational ideas. An easy, relaxed style of writing. Sticking to deadlines and commissions (it’s surprising how often a writer only sends a few photographs, when it clearly states in commissions that photographs are a vital part of the piece – and, again, one look at the magazine would tell you this). If there are problems with deadlines etc, then honesty is always the best policy. I have no problem (within reason!) with someone missing a deadline if they’re warned me in advance and been honest about it rather than avoiding my calls on the day that the copy is due (this is a surefire way to never work for the magazine again).

Q. Do your regular contributors ever get to the point where you send them on assignments? I presume you have regular offers of press trips from travel companies, PR / Marketing firms and tourism organisations?

A. No. Press trips etc are not something that we would ever offer to writers – the ‘press-trip’ idea just doesn’t fit with the Real Travel style.

Q. Following a pitch, would you ever give a freelancer a letter or e-mail along the lines of, "as long as your suggested article meets the guidelines required by Real Travel Magazine, we would be looking to publish your proposed article." Basically, what could be used as a commissioning letter to gain support with travel arrangements.

A. Nope!

Q. This question kind of links in with the last one, if you knew that a freelancer had put together an article following a press trip, would you still publish it? Not necessarily the guided tour trip with several other journalists, but perhaps similar to the ones I often go on, where you pretty much go as a visitor, maybe with a loose itinerary the tourist board want you to follow, but nothing set in stone.

A. I would opt for something that wasn’t based on a press trip out of choice. Only if it was something that I was unlikely to get any other way would I contemplate using a pitch base on a press trip – particularly if it isn’t a writer that I had previously worked with.


Q. And do you pay?

A. Yes, we do pay – but we don’t have a set ‘per word’ fee. As we welcome contributions from any traveller rather than only ‘professional’ writers, the payment issue is something that is negotiated on an individual basis.

As an aside, the Q and A format I've used above is a really lazy way to write up an interview, you'd never get away with it in most reputable magazines. But as this is a blog, I hope you will forgive my approach on this occasion. I'll write more about interview techniques and how to write them up another time.

If you go to Real Travel's website and take a look in the forums you'll find some advice from Hannah on getting published in Real Travel magazine (copied below). However, you might want to note that her e-mail address has changed (see below for contact details):

Hannah-RTEditor - 02/09/2008 11:03

Most of you will know that we include reader reports in Real Travel – real stories from real travellers – so if you fancy seeing your next trip in print, then here's what you need to do!

Put together 200 words, providing me with a rough idea of how you see the piece working, the angles you would take and the destinations and places included. Try not to include too big a trip – but rather pick out a section of your travels – choose your favourite destination, a particularly memorable moment or an adventure that you feel every traveller should know about.

Along with a couple of photos, send it to mailto:hannah@realtravelmag.com">hannah@realtravelmag.com and I will get back to you to let you know what I think. Unfortunately it can take a while though, so please bear with me!

Don't forget – it's just 200 words and a couple of photos – and you could see your words and images in print!

Looking forward to hearing from you! Hannah

In my opinion the magazine's forum would also be a good place to get noticed. From talking to other editors, they all like potential writers to be part of the magazine's community through forums (and the letter's pages), as long as you don't go on and on about bizarre and irrelevant stuff, they are an ideal place to get involved and noticed. From forum entries it is clear that Hannah checks and replies to the messages on it. 

If I can wrap this entry up with a big thank you to Hannah. Any editor's time is precious, so for her to spend so much of her day to answer my questions is something I really appreciate.

Hannah James
Editor
Real Travel Magazine
Email: hjames@createpublishing.co.uk (please note NEW email address)
Tel: +44 (0) 117 929 7462
Fax: +44 (0) 117 927 6535
Website: www.realtravelmag.com
Address: 2nd Floor, 15-16 Lower Park Row, Bristol, BS1 5BN"

Keep writing...

Brendan

Sport Diver (UK) assignment update

I had a quick chat yesterday with Mark Evans, the editor of Sport Diver magazine (UK).

For those of you who have been following the progress of the attendees on the last "From Photograph to Byline" workshop in the Philippines, they have all been working on an article for Sport Diver magazine as part of an assignment

Download Brendan_Letter.pdf

they received from Mark at the beginning of the workshop.

However, only one of the articles will be selected for publication. Mark told me he hasn't had time to look through each submission in detail, however, he did tell me how, "from what I've seen of the opening paragraphs it's going to be a tough decision."

It'll be a week or so before Mark makes his final decision and the result will be announced on this blog.

What Mark said reinforced my belief that you have to have a strong lead paragraph to catch the attention of the editor. Mark also told me how he reads far too many unsolicited submissions which start off with, "we were in XXX to..." followed by a chronological account / diary entry of what they did. I won't say what happens to these submissions, it would be unfair on those who hope they will be published.

What I will say is, how many articles do you get to read that start like this?

A strong catchy lead, essential if you want to succeed.

Keep writing...

Brendan 

Contributor Guidelines - London Diver Magazine

I came across London Diver Magazine during one of my trawls on the internet for interesting diving stuff (I live 'Up North' outside of their distribution area). I must say, after reading their site and archives I was hooked.

I've had a good look at the archive copies on their site and I'm really quite impressed - it's a jolly good read, somewhere between a club newsletter and a 'regular' diving magazine. My guess - it's in danger of growing in popularity (their circulation is curently 3000 with plans to grow beyond this number) to the point where it becomes excatly what the editorial team probably don't want it to be.

For the moment though, this is a great opportunity for any budding photojournalist to get published in a magazine that will be respected by the editors of the bigger magazines, especially if you stick to the guidance Juliet from the editoral team provided in the below e-mail interview.

Keep writing...

Brendan

What's London Diver's background?

London Diver was launched in the summer of 2007 as a free publication distributed through dive shops and at diving events in the South East.  The magazine is very much for the divers, about the divers and dive clubs in and around the London area (obviously doesn't mean that other divers up North or elsewhere should or would not enjoy the magazine!).  As much as possible we are looking to get the experiences and the views of the divers and dive clubs themselves and not the journalists.  Therefore, for the most part, articles, photos and information come direct from them.

In the magazine we try to capture the fun and enjoyment that we get out of diving and the diving scene.  A number of the regular features are perhaps more in the style of Viz or Private Eye - so check out Tyson the Triggerfish; Photo Love Story; Rob's World; Gimp My Bride or Diving Deepravities.

There are regular diving medical sections by London Diving Chamber and stories from the divers about lessons learnt from having been "@The Chamber" - the more serious side of the magazine, but some really important issues raised and common questions answered.

There are many ways in which divers and clubs can get involved with the magazine: Writing trip reports/articles; London Underwater Photographers; Club Night; Non-Celebrity Diver; @The Chamber; Letters; Gimp My Bride or send in a different or new idea and we'll take a look.

                                                                

What catches your eye in a submission and makes you think, "I wish everyone would submit stuff like this?"

                                                                         

We get a whole variety of submissions, but we would certainly be grabbed by articles that tickle our sense of humour or have a quirky view.

                                                                   

What is the most common error you have to sort out in any submissions?

                                                                                    

There can generally be quite a lot of grammatical and spelling errors.  However, this is not a problem as these are easily rectified.

                                                                                 

What type of articles are you looking for the most? Destination? If so, what part of the world, or observation type features, if so, on what subjects?

                                                                         

As long as the articles are about what the divers are up to, where they are going, what kicks they get out of it, then really this is what we are interested in.  We are happy to publish unusual articles on diving in Sharm or equally, divers exploring something new and exciting they found in their garden pond/on their latest trip.

                                                                        

Are you looking for any particular writing style? Past or present tense? Factual vs. emotional content? Must have an angle? Not just a diary of what I did on my hols? Use of quotes?

                                                                                             

Once again, as we focus on articles by the divers/dive clubs, this can cover a whole variety of styles and angles and this makes it more interesting for the readers.  As I mentioned earlier, humour and a different viewpoint is great.  We are also not afraid to discuss contentious subject matters.

                                                                      

Ideal word count?

                                                                  

1,200 - 2,000 words

                                                                                    

Photographs - what are your technical requirements?

                                                                                 

These need to be 300 dpi.  Generally, try to ensure images are 1mb +

London Diver also has a 'London Underwater Photographers' section, for divers to get a chance to get their photos published (each photographer getting 1 or 2 pages/3 - 8 photos).  Most divers now have, at least, a compact digital camera and are taking some great shots.  From issue 4, the best photograph submitted (as decided by the London Diver Team) will get their winning shot printed onto canvas (20 x 16 inch) - a competition sponsored by Ocean Visions.

                                                                

Do you pay?

                                                                        

No (sorry!), the magazine is not looking for professional journalists.

                                                                           

Any room for more freelancers?

                                                                                 

Constantly, but 'freelancers' being the divers and dive clubs from the London and surrounding areas.

                                                                                          

What is the background of your contributors and how did they first get in touch, or did you contact them?

                                                                        

They are the ordinary divers, whether members of a dive club or not.  Diving is their hobby.  Most people send in their articles directly through the website - www.londondivermagazine.co.uk .  We do occasionally publish articles from journalists/professional divers (these are still based in and around London).

Contributor Guidelines - MidWest Scuba Diving Magazine

Any magazine which has this phrase,

"news, articles, information, and photos are enthusiastically encouraged,"

at the bottom of its masthead should be instantly targeted by any budding diving photojournalist.

MidWest Scuba Diving Magazine is a complimentary glossy that wouldn't be too hard to break into. Several months ago I sent a speculative e-mail to the editor and publisher, Captain Darrick Lorenzen, asking if he would welcome any freelance contributions, his reply of,

"We welcome all photographers to submit photos. If we like them, we publish them and give the photographer credit. Our criteria is very stringent isn't it? We don't pay for contributions. If we need high quality photo's for fillers we use something like Getty or Shutterstock. One problem we always have, even with professionals, is that the photos sent in are often low resolution, photographers submit photos that are not set on the largest format and super fine res. We would like you to submit a couple of your articles for publication. It can be something that has already been printed. Let's talk."

told me everything I needed to know - most budding photojournalists could get published in the magazine.

Reasons why I would go with this magazine:

Although it heralds itself as the, "primary source for information concerning Great Lakes shipwrecks," there are articles published within its pages on worldwide destinations.

Over the past year their magazine has increased in size by 30% - always a good sign. Any magazine that can afford to increase its size is a confident one.

In the words of the editor, "over the next 24 months, MSD is going to focus on developing a national
following among the diving community. MSD intends to expand our influence to include the major market areas of New York, Florida and California." They are currently distributed in 12 States - that's about 50% of the U.S. diving population.

If you have ever dreamed of a regular column this is the sort of magazine that could provide you with this kind of opportunity.

The whole of the magazine is published on-line - which means you have a worldwide readership.

Get published in this magazine a few times and you will have earned the title, 'freelance journalist.'

You can use articles in this magazine as evidence of your ability in your clip file.

It may not pay now, but once established you may be able to negotiate something - if you are good, the editor would not want to lose you. You might also find yourself on paid for assignments (you get to go diving for free) faster with this magazine than you would with the likes of Sport Diver (which could be never!).

Folks - it's time to get onboard, there's no better time to get in with an organisation that is going to be big than when it is small!

Keep writing...

Brendan

What? No Contributor Guidelines?

So - you've set your heart on writing for a diving magazine and you are going to be a diving journalist. You have a bank of publishable underwater photographs, several diving adventures under your belt and a good idea about how you would write them up in a new and interesting way. You decide to start off with one of the smaller magazines only to discover that they don't have any contributor guidelines.

This could be for numerous reasons:

The editor already gets enough unsolicited submissions and they don't really need anymore (but if yours is better then the rest, they'll still take it).

The editor isn't quite sure what they want, but they'll know it when they see it (a bit like quality, hard to define, but you know it when you experience it).

They haven't got round to writing them yet.

This shouldn't put you off - every magazine has to fill its pages every month and there is no reason why your copy shouldn't be on them. So, what can you do to find out what they are looking for? Unless you know the editor (always a bonus) isn't it going to be difficult to figure this out?

Not really - I'll use a case study to illustrate what I would do if I were thinking of pitching to a publication like the Underwater Journal.

The simplest and most direct way of finding out what the editor is looking for is to ask him or her. Obvious I know, but I'm forever reading posts on travel writer's forums from would be and supposedly experienced writers asking the question, "what are editors looking for?" This is a really big question, a bit like asking a group of people, "what does quality look like?" - I guarantee, every answer will be different.

So just ask them! If the editor has their contact details on their site or in their pages, it means they want people to write, e-mail or talk to them depending on what type of contact details they publish. The worst that can happen is that they don't answer the phone or reply, in which case I'd leave it a week, or ask one of the PA's (if they have one) when the best time to call is.

I figured out that Walt Stearns was the man behind the Underwater Journal even though the e-mail address for the magazine is an 'info@...' one. A little bit of homework will go a long way, even if it's just to find out what the editor's name is - better to write, 'Dear Walt,' than, 'To whom it may concern.'

And so, as a possible future contributor, I asked Walt what he was looking for. This was his reply:

Yes we do you accept freelance contributions. While we don’t have any formal set contributor guidelines established, the best way to see what we are looking for is to go back through all the issues (1 – 4) of the Underwater Journal. Articles from contributors that I have been impressed with have come from Douglas Ebersole, Bill (SeaYoda) Tipton and Ned Deloach.

I am not worried about your writing skills if they happen to be not very fluid or flowery. Truthfully, I see enough of vapid crap floating around with the writer going on and on about what it is he or she did, but, by the time your done, you still don’t know anymore than when you started.

What I look for most is to give the reader information as to the who, the what, the where and the why, as well as the how. Namely by addressing what it is they’re seeing, what makes it interesting, what they need to know on how and where it is they can find or get to it. We also not afraid of working copy in need of heavy editing. As long as you provide us with plenty of detailed information we can work with, we are likely able to make something out of it.

As far as topics go, sky is the limit – gear, travel, science, exploration, techniques, medicine, animals, photography, etc. As long as it pertains to diving and/or the marine environment, it’s going to get our attention.

So I will be interested in what ideas you might have. Especially if it pertains to diving here in the good ole U.S. of A. Even if it is something you might have done for another publication. There is always a way to rewrite something to make it sound new or with a different, even fresher perspective.

Our present rate for submissions (text and photos) is $200. I know that sounds small, but we are still in the growing stage of making ends meet. As we grow those who work with us now will see those rates improve as well as get the opportunity for comp (dive resort and live-aboard) travel to cover other stories.

We can also provide the advantage of Internet advertising – live link to your business (photo sales, shop, services) or business you are affiliated (dive shop, operation, training agency, etc.).

Regards,

Walt Stearns

561-624-7390

561-715-3164

www.waltstearns.com

                                                         

Walt's first paragraph is excellent advice - if you want to know what the style of the magazine is, read it!

                                                                                                                  

And note how 5WH appears as a guide to what to include (see the below post).

                                                                                  

They also pay, $200 for an article isn't bad as a starter, and as this is a newish magazine (since Jan 2007), I can imagine there would be opportunities to become a regular contributor. This would, as Walt says in his reply, lead to commissioned assignments where your trip is paid for by those hoping to promote the destination or service.

                                                                                                      

So, what else can we find out about Walt and his magazine? To ensure my copy and photographs meet the magazine's needs I'd research what else Walt has been involved in. Thirty minutes with Google revealed the following:

                                                                                                       

Walt is the 'managing member' of Aquafield Communications LLC, Business Consulting Services, based at 313 Kelsey Park Cir, North Palm Beach, Florida. Aquafield Communications own the Underwater Journal and as they only employ one person, whose name just happens to be, Walt Stearns, you now know that this is a one man enterprise.

                                                                        

Walt's partner, Zena, may also be involved in this business, both Walt and Zena appear in an advertorial for Zeagle BCDs.

                                                                                                

Walt hopes to launch a dive directory called The Aquapages.

                                                                            

Walt is a contributor to over 20 fishing, boating and diving magazines (you could learn a lot about diversifying from his website). I would read what he has had published elsewhere to get a feel for his writing style and then try to duplicate this in my copy.

                                                                                                 

Walt has an aspiration where: "we're partnering with Scubaboard to provide this collaborative forum site with the most current and informative content available." Not sure where this is up to, but I'll find out.

                                                                           

The readership of the Underwater Journal is: 41% USA, 21% Europe and 17% UK (isn't this in Europe?) - so I would write for these markets.

                                                                                                             

There's more stuff about Walt out there on the Web, but to go on might seem a bit creepy - is there such a thing as Internet footprint stalking?

                                                                                           

So, when you discover there are no Contributor Guidelines, take some time out to do a bit of research, you'll find they exist, they're just not very obvious.

                                                                                          

Keep writing...

                                                                                          

Brendan

Interview with an editor

It's one thing having me harping on about what I think editors are looking for, but wouldn't you much rather hear it from them?

Over the past year, I've conducted interviews with the editors of diving magazines from across the world. Sometimes our conversation lasted 5 or 10 minutes, on others, for over an hour. What you'll go onto read is a summary - the points I believe are pertinent. It's not written up in any way that would be acceptable as an interview for publication. Instead, you should think of it as as set of bullet points, each one a golden nugget for your future as a photojournalist. The line that should get you excited is the one where this editor complains how they don't get enough unsolicited material!   

And in case any of you ask - no, I'm not willing to tell you which editor it is. They only agreed to speak to me on the grounds that I would not, under any circumstances reveal their identities. All I can tell you is that each one of them is an editor of some repute.

So, take note, you won't find this information in any 'how to' book or contributor guidelines!

Keep writing...

Brendan

Contributor Guidelines? I like to give writers as much freedom as possible, if we have CG then there’s the possibility that everything will appear to be the same.

    

I like to chat about each individual article with the writer.

      

At £/$XX a page this will never make you rich. Now I have X pages I still have the same budget as I did when I had X pages. I'd like to think that anyone who writes for us does it because they enjoy it, not because they want to make money.

   

I try to edit as little as possible - all I need is for people to take note of the house style, how we refer to depth, distance, days etc.

      

I expect that the first submission will need editing, and after 5 years, there will be less need as the writer gets better at structuring their work.

                                                       

A lot of people don’t expect an editor at the end of the phone, they often say, “I didn’t think I would get to talk to you.” I like new people approaching me - if I stuck with the same thing all the time the magazine would never develop. I would never be able to encourage new talent - I now have people who have been with me for over 8 years, they’re loyal as we gave them their break.

                                                

I never say never, I’ll return a piece with feedback; you’ve got to give people a try - to bring them on. I don’t get as much unsolicited stuff these days, which is a shame.

                                                                         

There are some people who take good pictures but really cannot write - I try and get them to team up with another writer, to make it a team effort.

                                                            

Once they get recognised, other magazines want them - they can get stuffed!

                                                         

A lot can depend on the mood of the editor - don’t call when I’m approaching a deadline! But if I’m not busy - I like to try and foster new talent.

                                           

It doesn’t hurt to play up to an editor’s ego!

                                                

What skills are important? Determination and an ability to listen.

                                                                        

I get people saying to me that they want to write - I might give them a chance by asking them to write something for the “It happened to me type column.”

                                             

A lot of magazines also have websites where you can contribute, add to what is on their website, write trip reports, be part of their community.

                                                               

A lot of writers use a pseudonym so that they can write for other magazines, but sometimes they give themselves away - don’t give the same article to each editor - it’s the kiss of death!

                                                                     

Commissioning letters - after 7/8 articles I might consider one. I’m a bit cautious though after some bad experiences. There was one writer who acted like a complete arsehole, didn’t do the name of the magazine any good, acted like a real diva, expecting everyone to bow and scrape. You have to remember that you are an ambassador for the magazine; don’t throw your weight around!

                                                                   

What I’m really after is something I haven’t seen before, if they can familiarise themselves with the house style - even better. There are a lot of people out there doing some great diving with deep wrecks and caves, as well as other imaginative dives. But, they can’t write, they can’t provide the balance of facts and emotions. And if it’s too much like hard work, I may as well interview them and write it up. But that can be too much work for me, and it won't get done.

                                                                         

If you can provide me with original, great narrative, 1800 words, then you’re what I’m looking for!