knew fit the pattern of those in Reader's Digest. Why? Because she had been a subscriber for ten years, and before that her parents had subscribed. She received $50 and $100 for her stories.

Not long ago, I was feeling a bit useless, so I finished something I ha

Okay, maybe we can't all write a best seller. But we can be paid for what we do write!

Yesterday, I poked around in some of the groups and forums where I have been a rather inactive member. I read some posts from my school mates at Classmates.com. What discoveries I made!

I discovered that one high school classmate recently sold a picture, a photograph, of her dog. She captured him jumping for a Frisbee, and when she really looked at that picture, she knew it was good. She enlarged the photo, then sent it off to a company that makes calendars. This woman was not a photographer, but she knew a good picture when she saw it. She also knew this particular calendar company, because she had purchased calendars from them for five years. She knew the kinds of pictures they used, because she looked at them on her wall everyday. The company paid her $50 and she was pleased.

In another forum, a woman bragged about having had two items published in Reader's Digest. She does not claim to be a writer. She does not want to be a writer. But she had two cute stories that she knew fit the pattern of those in Reader's Digest. Why? Because she had been a subscriber for ten years, and before that her parents had subscribed. She received $50 and $100 for her stories.

Not long ago, I was feeling a bit useless, so I finished something I had

de!

I discovered that one high school classmate recently sold a picture, a photograph, of her dog. She captured him jumping for a Frisbee, and when she really looked at that picture, she knew it was good. She enlarged the photo, then sent it off to a company that makes calendars. This woman was not a photographer, but she knew a good picture when she saw it. She also knew this particular calendar company, because she had purchased calendars from them for five years. She knew the kinds of pictures they used, because she looked at them on her wall everyday. The company paid her $50 and she was pleased.

In another forum, a woman bragged about having had two items published in Reader's Digest. She does not claim to be a writer. She does not want to be a writer. But she had two cute stories that she knew fit the pattern of those in Reader's Digest. Why? Because she had been a subscriber for ten years, and before that her parents had subscribed. She received $50 and $100 for her stories.

Not long ago, I was feeling a bit useless, so I finished something I ha

calendars. This woman was not a photographer, but she knew a good picture when she saw it. She also knew this particular calendar company, because she had purchased calendars from them for five years. She knew the kinds of pictures they used, because she looked at them on her wall everyday. The company paid her $50 and she was pleased.

In another forum, a woman bragged about having had two items published in Reader's Digest. She does not claim to be a writer. She does not want to be a writer. But she had two cute stories that she knew fit the pattern of those in Reader's Digest. Why? Because she had been a subscriber for ten years, and before that her parents had subscribed. She received $50 and $100 for her stories.

Not long ago, I was feeling a bit useless, so I finished something I ha

er wall everyday. The company paid her $50 and she was pleased.

In another forum, a woman bragged about having had two items published in Reader's Digest. She does not claim to be a writer. She does not want to be a writer. But she had two cute stories that she knew fit the pattern of those in Reader's Digest. Why? Because she had been a subscriber for ten years, and before that her parents had subscribed. She received $50 and $100 for her stories.

Not long ago, I was feeling a bit useless, so I finished something I ha

knew fit the pattern of those in Reader's Digest. Why? Because she had been a subscriber for ten years, and before that her parents had subscribed. She received $50 and $100 for her stories.

Not long ago, I was feeling a bit useless, so I finished something I had been working on and sent it to a magazine that had published something of mine before. The first time my story was published in this magazine, it was a non-paying market. Frankly, I just wanted something of mine in a beautiful magazine for my portfolio. When I submitted again, I didn't know that they had become a paying market. (My mistake. I should have kept up with that. They now pay $75 for a story.)

The editor sent back an email the same day. Her response? "THANKS! I wondered where you were! This falls under the theme of our November issue, and payment will be after publication. Do you still want three copies so you can send one to your mother? I really need to read more of your work to see if anything else fits."

The point is that it is much easier - even for those who are not photographers or writers - to be published in markets that they know. You always hear, "Write what you know." It's just as important to write where you know. That's the reason that writer's guidelines often include the message that the writer needs to read the magazine to discover their voice,