Allison's Book Bag

First query accepted; received reviewer request

Earlier this month, I announced that I had recently finished a yearlong online digital feature writing course. For one of the assignments, I had to research markets of interest and write a query. Knowing that I wanted to build my reputation before I submitted to professional pet magazines, I researched a local family publication. In doing so, I discovered that pet care articles were already being carried. What I decided to offer instead were training articles. Although I really wanted to promote cat enrichment, I knew that this would limit my audience and hence my chances of acceptance, and so I broaded my scope to include dogs. At the same time, I didn’t want to simply propose one article; I wanted an ongoing series. This could be risk for an editor, but I followed my heart and took a chance. My query to Lincoln Kids got accepted!

But that’s not the end of the story. Through the course of the editor and I corresponding, she discovered that I also reviewed books. It’d been a dream of hers to carry a book review column. She asked if I’d be interested! Now as many of my followers know, over the past year, I’ve been trying to step back from book reviewers. In particular, I wanted to get back to reading books of my own choice. Yet how could I stay NO to the chance to have my own regular printed review column? As we discussed details, I discovered that the editor wanted me to review three books in one column and to keep my word length to around 300 words. That would be quite a challenge for a person used to writing 600 words for ONE review! I’ve since submitted my first review column and believe my writing as improved as a result. I love the process of working with an editor.

Want to read my first training column? Click on Lincoln Kids Spring 2017 and flip to page 16. My first review column will appear in the Summer issue.

Want to know more about Lincoln Kids? I’ll be back on Monday with an interview with the editor.

Check out other reader posts at a new SWS home: Travel with Intent.