How to get your work published…

[kendal larson]

I read, not that long ago, several articles by writers that had experience “eureka” moments in their writing careers. The moment typically went something like this, “It’s hard to get my articles published without illustrations, and I can’t draw or paint. What can I do…..oh – hey – wait a minute! I’ll start taking pics when I’m out!”

And, sometimes those writers were pretty good at making an image or two – and sometimes rather poor, but because they had imagery to go along with their great writing, the story ran.

Well – while I’m just an old Minnesota Norwegian living in Texas, and my thinking is slowed by both my ethnicity and the heat, I realized if I might cobble a word or two together to submit with my photography, I might too manage to get more work run.

Sure enough – it works.

[Corey Kruitbosch]

Way cool … Nice job!

[Henry Gilbey]

Nice one – from my own experience I have always found that magazines etc. prefer “packages” – word and photos together from which they can create a feature or whatever. When I started working in fishing, I worked out very quickly that here in the UK I was never going to make a living if I wrote or photographed only – had to do both and it sort of went on from there.

[kendal larson]

Nice one – from my own experience I have always found that magazines etc. prefer “packages” – word and photos together from which they can create a feature or whatever. When I started working in fishing, I worked out very quickly that here in the UK I was never going to make a living if I wrote or photographed only – had to do both and it sort of went on from there.

Well said Henry.

I’m a little slow, but it finally sunk in here too.

[David Anderson]

while I’m just an old Minnesota Norwegian living in Texas

😕 😮

That sure sounds like pushing she-it up hill !

www.dsaphoto.com

A picture is thousand words that takes less than a second while a thousand words is a picture that takes a month.

[Shannon Drawe]

Way cool. I have not seen the PDF before. My story is on page 8. “Package” deals are a whole lot more successful for sure, and make more sense for publications in general. And you never know where you will end up – check out the latest issue of Southwest Fly Fishing and the guy who wrote it even had photos of me in that article! Shannon

[John Bennett]

Grats Kendall.

Offering both the article and images definately will get you more. Next year I’m probably going bck to school to take some writing coarses. My problem is my interest are far flung, everthing from fly fishing, to canoeing to hunting I dont feel like Im qualified enough to write about any single subject. Jack of all, master of none 🙂

[kendal larson]

Heh David – you got me laughing there – no doubt of it.

[John Bennett]

Yeah, I’ve been trying to bend my mind a bit to come up with an angle/pitch.

The reality is
Hunting: How do I write about things that most readers know and do better than I

Fishing: Similiar
Fly fishing: Even more so
Canoe trips/camping
and on

Best I can think of is maybe quasi travel/destination/lifestyle. Put into words all things I see and do.

But first I need to learn to write 🙂

[john michael white]

Congrats Kendall and Shannon!

The thing that seems difficult to me about trying to get something published, is how do I write a piece that goes with my images, when most everything has been written about in every conceivable way already?  I don’t believe I know any earth shattering new fangled tip to write how to’s about, and it seems that for straight up fishing adventure articles, you have to have a young, edgy/ bum perspective these days….and that just isn’t me 😀  

As John said, what I know best are my experiences.  Unfortunately, I am limited on travel at this point in life, and don’t live in the middle of beautiful western trout rivers, mountains, etc.  I used to be able to travel more, but not as much now.  Yet, writing and photography really interest me and I would like to learn them well enough to have work published.

So I keep trying to think outside the box – how can I do something different….draw a blank ::), think some more…

[kendal larson]

I suspect that both of you gents (John and John) just need to sit down and do it – write that is.

Start a blog, practice, do it a little more, and most of all – don’t let fear stop you.

Brother Bennett is probably on the best track – taking a course or two to hone those writing skills makes great sense. I sadly don’t have time for formal learning, so have to fill in my knowledge gaps with self-study, which works fairly well if you can discipline yourself to plow through exercises/books/etc.

You both rather echo something that I’ve felt myself, and I think it can be summed up in one word; fear.

Sure – there are going to *always* be folks who know more than you, who are better read, who have great expertise of the topic at hand – so what? Heck – use those that you can get hold of for quotes – learn from them – enjoy that process.

It’s been said of writers and photographers in the past that so and so has a “journalist’s curiosity.”

What does that mean?

It means that person has a keen interest in learning, and I think when the writer or photographer shares both the process of edification through enlightenment and the result of the process, then we find that little bit of magic we all enjoy.

It doesn’t have to be profound, or the most amazing, or the most revealing, but I think the best photographers and writers find a way to convey all that they’re learning about the world around them, and that’s the chord they strike within us.

Heck – I don’t claim to be a great writer by any means (and it showed, as I forgot to recheck myself, and I went 40 words over in my 600 word requirement, and the result is a few kinda “kludgie” edits) – but I do have to say that fear won’t keep me from trying, and I don’t think it should stop anyone – especially you two.

[John Bennett]

Kendal, have you seen my spelling, typos and grammar in threads 🙂

Photographically speaking I’m actually doing quite well.
Im now “credited” as a photographer along with their writers (as opposed to nothing but photo credits) for Ontario Out of Doors, Canadas largest pub by distribution. Have more stuff coming, shoot assignments etc. And have a few other pubs where my work is more than welcome.

An interview/expose tomorrow with a biggie and am hopefully about to embark on a relationship with the publisher of 4 kayaking/canoeing/paddling mags.

Things are really starting to take off.

If I could learn to write and I plan to, things only bode better.
Check this out Kendal, it might be the type of coarse your looking for. Im a member of the Outdoor Writers of Canada and will be joining the Outdoor Writers of America soon as well. People in both have gone this route

It’s one of the “coarses” I’ll be taking. Best of all now that Im “for real” its a tax write off 🙂

Home

[john michael white]

Good points and encouragement Kendal.  

I’m not afraid to try, and have been  focussing on this for the last year or so, with both photography and writing.  It just seems to be hard going.  

I have had some encouraging email responses to a few submissions (which are like gold to me so far), and my first published writing piece in Far & Away Online Jan/Feb 2009.  I am very thankful to Roger and the guys at Far and Away Online for the help and encouragement he has given me, as well as the community of gifted folks I have met here on Itinerant Angler.

As far as trying to get published in print magazines with a large subscriber base, it seems that at least half of the time I never recieve any feedback from submissions (which takes lots of time and can be frustrating).  And, honestly, it is hard to make time when it is not what you do for a living.  

But,…… I am a firm believer that excellence will be rewarded – so I will keep trying and learning, soaking everything up like a sponge 🙂   When I reach the level that my work turns heads, I am sure the rest will follow.

[anonymous]

Hi all from Scotland:))) been here a couple of weeks or so travelling/hill walking/
eating and drinking:)))

Thought I would pop in here and see what was shaking.  

John—  I think you honestly

[John Bennett]

Thanks for the words Will. I really do think it can be in my future ( sort of storytelling, photo essay type stuff)  but I do really need to take some coarses first.

Seriously.

One day we should hook up and do Lake of the Woods/ Kenora. You write it, I’ll shoot it and between us we can shoot the sh** 🙂

[kendal larson]

Heh John (B) … you’ll do great.

I assume you’re about to start working with Tim Schuff? Great…he’s good people.

I think you’ll find writing will come very easy to you.

And John White – just keep on keepin’ on man. You often get *zero* feedback, and while that sucks, it is what it is, and you just have to press on, just as you are.

[John Bennett]

Not working with, thats far,far to ambitous a term but to answer your question, yes it’s Rapid Media which happens to be out of Canada.

I happened to contact the publisher after reading something of his as he is uniquely qualified to help me with something, and a by product of that discussion led to discussing Freelancing.

With my interest of fishing, hunting, canoeing, camping etc, etc its a perfect and natural fit for me. So now at this point between the pubs I already do stuff for (fishing/hunting) and with Rapid, I have outlets for all my interest and probably as much as I can handle.

Oddly enough a number of guys at that yak tourney I did, know them and had already told him (the publisher) they had a photog coming out 🙂 when talking about media coverage. But that small world stuff, shouldnt really come as a surprise, especially here in Canada.

Who knows what next year or two will bring, rome wasn’t built in a day.

[kendal larson]

I figured John – I’ve done some work with them in the past. Good folks.

So yeah – it’s absolutely a natural fit for you.

[John Bennett]

Ive spent the last few days talking with James Pistilli, just emailed him in fact, immediately before coming here and reading your reply. He was at the yak tourney, is one of WFNs bloggers (see his entry tomorrow about the tourney btw…shameless plug 🙂 ) and has a tie with and had mentioed the new show to me.

Small world indeed.

[kendal larson]

LOL

That’s crazy.   🙂

I’ll have to go look up his blog.  Thanks for the heads up John.

I think the lads fished with Jamie when they were in Ontario – though honestly don’t remember. I do know that he’s Ocean Kayak pro-staff, which is of course how he knows Jim – and how he also knows Jeff Herman, another one of the lads who I’ll be shooting in Montana.

Should be an epic trip – I’m really looking forward to getting into the mountains again. It’s brutally hot down here right now (though I know, it could be the same there in August! gak!!!)

Kendal

[Author]

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