FEATURED PUBLICATION: Blue Ridge Country Magazine

EDITOR LOOKING FOR RV ARTICLES
By Cecilia Kirkpatrick in Benton, IL

Blue Ridge Country magazine is a bi-monthly publication that celebrates the history and heritage of the Blue Ridge Mountain region (including VA, WV, MD, KY, TN, SC, AL, and GA).

The editors are looking for freelancers and field reporters to cover a wide range of topics — from hikes to festivals to arts offerings and more. Right now, Editor Cara Ellen Modisett is currently looking for RV story ideas for the May/June 2008 issue.

If you travel by RV and have a story to tell about the Blue Ridge Mountain region — or you have a favorite RV campground to share with others — this is the place to pitch your idea.

The editor is looking for material about off-the-beaten path places and people. She wants a lead that captures the reader’s attention, and she likes a story with a voice and local color. All feature stories must include interviews.

Energy should come through in your writing as well as an in-depth knowledge of the area. A true sense of “place” is very important, says Ms. Modisett. Don’t send bland, website-researched information. The article you write must show you’ve actually been to the place you’re writing about.

Articles should be 700-2000 words. Most writers break into this publication with short departmental pieces (100-400 words) — although well-written, tight feature articles are accepted too. Payment of $25 – $250 is made upon publication.

Send queries — not full manuscripts. Ms. Modisett will respond within two months. Submit seasonal material six months in advance. Photos are welcome, too, and can be submitted as .jpgs or .tiffs files at 300 dpi. Photos shot by the writer to accompany an article are paid at $50 per photo published.

Submit your query and ideas with a cover letter, a sample of your work (preferably published), and a SASE to:
Blue Ridge Country Magazine
Story Query, ATTN: Cara Ellen Modisett, Editor
3424 Brambleton Avenue, Roanoke, VA 24018
Or query via e-mail to: cmodisett@leisurepublishing.com

Before you write for Blue Ridge Country Magazine, remember to read a few back issues to get a feel for the editorial content (a sampling of articles is posted online). You’ll find the writer’s guidelines here: http://www.blueridgecountry.com/cu/editorialguidelines.cfm

Sample copies of the magazine are available. To get one, send $3 and a magazine-sized SASE.

[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.]