Consumer Titles
Consumer magazines, as mentioned earlier in this chapter, are titles written for specific audiences. Consumer magazines rely on their circulation of loyal readers to sell advertising, which companies buy because they want to reach those specific readers. A company that sells saddles, for instance, will want to buy advertising in
Magazines that fall into the consumer category come in all subjects, styles, and circulations, and their pay rates vary accordingly. Some pay writers as little as ten cents per word for an article, while others pay as much as $5 per word. In general, the highest-paying consumer titles tend to have the biggest circulations and best-known names, which means they also tend to have the most competition among writers looking to win assignments.
To give you an idea of just how widely varied the consumer-title segment of the magazine universe is, take a look at the following sample of topics and some of the consumer magazines that cover them:
Animals:
Art and architecture:
Automotive:
Business/finance:
Child care:
Entertainment:
General interest:
Health/fitness:
Juvenile:
Music:
Politics:
Religion:
Sports:
The list is long, to be sure, but it represents only some of the topics that consumer magazines cover, and only a fraction of the actual number of consumer magazine titles for which you might be able to write. It probably doesn't even include many of the titles you initially thought of when you considered a given topic. Sports, for instance, usually makes writers think of the consumer magazine
There is also an entire segment of the consumer magazine market comprised of regional magazines. This segment includes titles like the following:
That list could go on and on as well, with multiple titles in each one of the fifty states, not to mention regional and international titles, too, such as
The point, of course, is that simply because you are a reader, you probably know more about consumer magazines than any other types of magazines. Most people read consumer magazines from the time they are young. At the same time, though, you most likely do not know just how big the actual segment of the consumer magazine industry is. That's something you need to learn as you enter the business of magazine writing.
Where can you find a list of magazines that accept writing submissions?
Writer's Market is an annually updated book, more than 1,000 pages long, that lists book publishers, consumer magazines, trade magazines, and more. It is a trusted resource that most magazine writers keep on their bookshelf, right next to their dictionary.
Even more, though, you need to learn that this large marketplace of consumer magazines is only one among several segments of the entire magazine universe. Trade magazines are another segment, with plenty of titles you can pitch on all different kinds of story subjects, as well.
