
First, even though you’ve heard it a
thousand times, read a couple recent issues of the magazine -- that’ll give
you the best examples of what we buy, the style of writing, and how we
approach fencing issues.
Next, decide what you want to say to
the thousands of dedicated fencers who read our magazine.
Remember, you will be speaking to young beginners, mature fencers,
current and former Olympians, classically trained or sport-oriented,
members of re- creation groups, and people interested in the history of
swordplay. We don’t expect your work to appeal to
ALL of them -- but it must be of interest to SOME of them!
Finally, what we look for is logical
progression in your writing (i.e., make a point in an orderly manner!),
good command of language, spell-checked writing, and a length that fits the
magazine.
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We
like new writers, and fully understand how anxiety-producing it can be!
We
will make every effort to help you create material that will work for FQM.
And, if we don’t use your stuff, we’ll
explain why!
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Length:
typically, 250-2000 words. Average article is
about 1,000 words. When published, this works out
to 1-2 magazine pages. We have gone as high as
4,000 words and serialized the work -- but this was material from one of
the top people in the discipline.
Publication: usually
within 3 months of acceptance, though it can run longer.
Payment:
"modest". We pay a flat rate, varying
from $15 to $60, depending on how much we like the piece -- pretty
subjective, but that’s how we do it. Occasionally,
we’ve gone as high as $200, but this is RARE! You’ll
also receive 5 copies of the issue in which your piece is published. Sometimes, we trade a published article for
advertising space, so if you have a product to sell and an issue you’d like
to write about, please contact us to discuss the matter.
Tips: We use
fiction and poetry very rarely, so it better be concise, well written, and
strongly fencing-related. Most past rejections
were because material was WAY too long or lacked an understanding of
fencing. We like controversial material as long as
it is logically presented -- use the language of fencing and explain your
point so that a beginner would understand.
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Want to write for Fencers Quarterly Magazine?
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Great! We
want to read your writing! We are interested in
articles, stories, poetry, and fiction related to all aspects of fencing.
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