BY KATHI KAMEN GOLDMARK AND SAM BARRY

The Author Enablers are here to answer your questions about writing and publishing. Together, Kathi and Sam have more than 25 years of experience in book publishing. Kathi is an author, radio producer and former publicist; Sam is a marketing manager at a major publishing company and a freelance editor. They are also proud members of the Rock Bottom Remainders, the all-author rock band founded by Kathi in 1992.

"Whan that Aprill . . ."

Dear Author Enablers,

I currently have a poetry website, but I would appreciate some tips and advice as to how to get my poetry published. Please help me find some legitimate avenues to pursue my dream.
—Barb O.

We love poetry, but we don't write or sell a lot of it. (Actually we don't write or sell any, but we memorized a few poems in school—wanna hear?) We do appreciate this great literary form and the peculiar challenges it presents when trying to find a public forum. Because we are relative poetry neophytes, we turned to one of our favorite poets, Linda Dyer, author of the Ahsahta Press collection Fictional Teeth, for advice. "Poetry journals generally require that you submit unpublished poems which are not currently under review by other publications," Linda says. "Journal editors would like to see poetry which does not completely contradict what they already print (you don't want to send inspirational verse to Crusty Bruise monthly). There are a few ways to narrow your target for a better match between your poetry and a literary journal. The magazine Poets & Writers is a great place to start. The back pages list magazines looking for submissions, as well as opportunities for artist residencies. Others are Poetry Flash (if you're in California), or the current Poet's Market. Both provide plenty of information about who's looking for submissions. As a general rule, I submit five to six poems to a journal, and if I don't hear from them in six months, I resubmit elsewhere. Mostly: keep writing, keep submitting, and you will learn as you go, even if you'd rather not!"

We're wondering where we can get a copy of Crusty Bruise.

Dear Author Enablers,

I'd like to write articles for magazines. I think I'd do a better job than many of the articles I read. How do I get started?
—Theresa J.

Once again, we asked an expert. Leslie Levine is a freelancer who writes for the Chicago Tribune and many national magazines. She's also the author of Wish It, Dream It, Do It: Turn the Life You're Living Into the Life You Want (Simon & Schuster). "Sometimes the most effective way for getting started is right before our very eyes," says Leslie. "It is absolutely critical to become immersed in the magazine for which you'd like to write. An editor reviewing a query is more likely to give a favorable glance at an article idea from someone who has obviously taken the time to study the magazine—its writing style, layout, special sections, etc. It's probably best to write for a magazine that you enjoy reading."

Remember to be imaginative in looking for magazine writing gigs. For instance, there are many specialized trade, community and nonprofit magazines. They aren't Vanity Fair, but collectively they represent a huge market and a great source of magazine writing jobs. Ask your librarian or local bookstore for directories of publications. Also, look into writing for online publications, a whole new world of possibilities. No magazine is too small or too modest for a beginning writer. You might consider donating your work to a nonprofit publication to get started. Get those articles published in the school bulletin or the neighborhood weekly and save copies of everything. For that matter, you might start your own small magazine for the experience—who knows, you might be the next Helen Gurley Brown.

Do we see a theme emerging here? No matter what kind of writing you're submitting, it is crucial that you become familiar with the publication you're submitting to and understand its audience. Don't pitch "How to Buy the Perfect Lug Wrench" to Yoga Journal or "Ten Tasty Snacks for a Quilting Bee" to Sports Illustrated. It should go without saying (but we're going to say it anyway) that it's crucial to follow some basic common-sense rules: type and double-space your entries, never send your only copy and always include a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) for the editor's response.

Thanks for writing,
THE AUTHOR ENABLERS

Writer's Conferences: Ever been to a writer's conference? We're interested in hearing what BookPage readers think about regional conferences all over the U.S.A. Which conference did you attend? What was your impression? Was it worth the time and money spent? We'll report on the responses in an upcoming Writers Conference Roundup—and we'll send you a kazoo.