Write It Right: Holiday and Seasonal Material

Just as most kids love holidays, most magazines do, too. Holidays can offer readers a look at other countries (such as articles in Highlights that have  looked at Shichi-Go-San in Japan and Holi in India), or at different ethnic groups within the US (such as the Mexican-American issue of Cobblestone which included holidays like Cinco de Mayo, Diez y Seis de Septembre and El Día de los Muertos). Or even a look at unusual ways to celebrate holidays we know well (such as a Highlights article on the Chrismon Tree––have you even heard of that?)

Holidays as a cultural experience are welcome at many magazines. They expand reader horizons. You can also do well with holiday crafts, recipes, and activities. These are especially welcome if they offer more of a season feeling than a tie to a specific holiday. If a treat can be shaped like a Christmas tree or a Chanukah dreidel, you can probably find an interested magazine but if it can be shaped like a snowman, a snowflake, or a snowy tree, you’ll have even more takers.

To hear the best strategies for getting your seasonal material published, listen to the full episode.

Listener Question of the Week

Angelique asks:

What are the key differences between writing a story for a magazine and a book? How can we tell if our story is better suited for one or the other?

Listen to the answer in the podcast!