HAVE A COASTAL TRAVEL IDEA OR A TALE OF THE BOATING LIFE?
By Roberta Beach Jacobson, for The Right Way to Travel
Living Aboard is a lifestyle magazine for people who live on their boats — or dream of doing so. Don’t be surprised if you haven’t heard of it. It started out as a newsletter published by the HomafloteAssociation.
But since its humble beginnings, it has grown into a magazine that’s published six times a year and serves live-aboard readers on four continents and in all of the 50 U.S. states.
Living Aboard magazine is written in large part by readers who live full-time onboard their boats and by people who have a desire to live this lifestyle. But there are also stories by folks who live “on land,” profiling live-aboarders as well as what are essentially travel stories about destinations boaters might visit. It’s also a forum for boat dwellers to exchange information and share experiences.
Regular articles run 1000 – 2000 words, and there are a number of regular department pieces (fillers) of 100 – 300 words. Some of the regular departments, such as What Works, won’t get you a by-line — but you could get a free t-shirt! However, another department, Off the Chart, does give a by-line and covers a broader range of topics relating to life on the move.
The magazine pays 5 cents a word and $5 a photo. You’ll get $50 if the editors use your photo on the cover. They pay on publication and purchase first North American serial rights.
Living Aboard likes to receive photos to accompany articles. They want high-contrast images that are sharply focused. You can send your photos as gif, jpeg, or tif. Be aware that all photos will be converted to black & white and printed that way — so save yourself some file space and shoot in black and white. The editors request that you include photo captions at the end of your manuscript.
The best way to contact this publication is via email. No faxing! Include your bio (under 50 words) with your submission. If you prefer, you can also send article-picture packages on a disk or CD. If you choose this format, then mail to:
Linda Ridihalgh, Editor, Living Aboard
Corporate Office, P.O. Box91299
Austin, TX 78709-1299
To get a copy of the Writer’s and Photographer’s Guidelines, send a request to editor@livingaboard.com
Be sure to check the website as there’s a sample issue there worth reading. That will give you a concrete sense for the sort of articles the editors gravitate to.
Tip: Think exotic or fun destinations! I’d also consider interviewing people sailing off into the sunset (that does not mean only retirees) and don’t forget river or lake travel.
[Editor’s Note: Learn more about opportunities to profit from your travels (and even from your own home) in our free online newsletter The Right Way to Travel.]`
Travel Writing Resources
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