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Original contributions, which should be less than 300 words, become our property (for both print and/or electronic media) upon payment. We may run your gem in Life’s Like That, All in a Day’s Work or As Kids See It, or as a short filler. I haven’t heard anything from reader’s digest but it’s only been a month. What’s normal if there’s such a thing in writing. Thomas Craughwell is the author of more than 15 books, including “Stealing Lincoln’s Body” and “Saints Behaving Badly” .
A direct quote is in quotation marks (for example, “I love writing Reader’s Digest because they pay a dollar a word!”). A primary source is someone you see or talk to in person. You can also quote from a book, magazine article, research journal, or even a blog post or website. A secondary source is a “he said/she said” experience (for example, “Laurie said she found the Reader’s Digest submission guidelines for writers.”). If you can’t or don’t feel like talking experts or sources directly, you can only directly quote from press releases, journal articles, or recognized sources such as the Canadian government or the FDA. If you already know you don’t want to be a freelance writer because it really is a ton of work, read 10 Careers for Writers Who Want to Make Money.
If you have a story that you think others may enjoy reading, you should submit it to Reader’s Digest. My Reader’s Digest editor taught me more about writing magazine articles and query letters than any other editor I’ve worked with. Don’t send the completed manuscript of your article. The editors will not read it or mail it back. Instead, write a summary of no more than one page. If you will interview the hero of the story, be sure to mention it—it may help you sell your story.
When I’m writing for Reader’s Digest, I’ve learned not to provide a running commentary. I don’t editorialize or share my opinions on the content of the article, profile, research short – or even my own story. This is the classic “show, don’t tell” advice. Everything in your pitch and the article must be solid information that sources or experts actually told, gave, or showed you. Even if you’re writing about your own experience, share what happened.
Not all writers get this perspective; I have no idea how I got so lucky! And if you’ve seen this magazine’s submission guidelines (which you can find by searching for “how to submit an article to Reader’s Digest“), you know that writing for Reader’s Digest is a competitive business. My tips will help you get your articles published in more magazines than you have time to write for.
We pay up to $100 for anecdotes about a remarkable animal. Just send us your contributions, and if we publish it in Reader’s Digest, you’ll be laughing all the way to the bank. My daughter, who is a registered nurse, recently wrote a letter to her physician who recently underwent a spinal simulator which ended 10 years of excruciating pain.