FEATURED PUBLICATION: Curve Magazine

WANT TO WRITE SOMETHING EDGY? SEND YOUR ARTICLES TO CURVE.
By Toymeika Braithwaite, in Alexandria, Virginia

Curve is the nation’s best-selling lesbian magazine. Now admittedly, this is not a market that may spring to mind immediately when you’re researching a place to sell a travel story.

But just like other magazines that are not only about travel, Curve Magazine carries travel articles, which the editors categorize (along with their fashion-focused pieces) as “visual essays.”

Their travel articles cover a pretty wide gamut, including budget ideas, places to eat, and new places to go. There’s a section for big spenders, and you’ll find pieces on “what to do” in places like Vancouver or New York. The best B&B’s has its own sub-section, and there’s coverage of hotels that are known to be gay- and lesbian-friendly.

You’ll also find lots of first-person travel stories — destination pieces, really — about places are far-flung as Montreal and Oahu. You can read a selection of their travel articles here: http://www.curvemag.com/Curve-Magazine/Travel/.

This magazine is published eight times a year.

Curve welcomes freelance submissions — both queries and completed articles — but the guidelines do encourage you to contact the editorial department to pitch your story before you write. (In other words: You can submit a full article, but you’ll increase your chances of selling a piece to Curve if you query ahead of time.)

Most of the travel pieces are written in-house, but not all of them. So there certainly is an opportunity here for a by-line if you target your story well.

To that end, as you travel keep an eye out for details about a destination that would make a nice get-away for lesbian couples — perhaps a weekend getaway destination or even a funky or hip restaurant that’s opened, which might appeal to this audience.

Writers are encouraged to send high-quality photos with their submissions. Both color and black and white are accepted. You’ll find the full guidelines (including information on submitting photos) here: http://www.curvemag.com/Curve-Magazine/Contact-Us/Article-Submission-Guidelines/

[Editor’s Note: Learn more about opportunities to profit from your travels (and even from your own home) in our free online newsletter The Right Way to Travel.]