If you have an interest in, or have visited fortresses, museums, or fortified castles that have lots of old cannon lying around, you could easily send a story about them to The Artilleryman Magazine.
It serves a highly specialized niche of 1,500 subscribers who love old, pre-1900 cannon and crew-served artillery, revolutionary war and civil war re-enactments, and fortifications. Editor Kathryn Jorgensen is looking for articles on the Revolutionary War and the Civil War.
However, The Artilleryman’s scope is wider than that. You can break in with a historical or travel piece featuring artillery, describing the types and history of the guns and their use. They also need how-to articles describing preservation and reproduction of ordnance equipment, sights, implements, tools, and accessories.
Ms. Jorgensen says she regularly uses freelance stories for Places-to-Visit and Cannon Safety. She also needs pieces on unusual cannon or cannon with a known and unique history.
Before submitting your story, though, ask yourself if you can knowledgeably talk artillery with an expert. Subject matter is more important than your track record as a writer.
The Artilleryman accepts interviews and profiles, opinion pieces provided by knowledgeable writers, personal experiences, technical descriptions, and travel (where to find interesting cannon).
Their interest is in artillery only — not other weapons and not battles in general. They have recently accepted two of my pieces — one on artillery museums in England and another on the Castle Montjuic Military Museum in Barcelona.
Any country with fortifications and cannon are fair game for The Artilleryman. This includes the US, most European countries, the Caribbean, and anywhere else you might stumble across cannon and fortifications.
Sixty percent of their magazine is freelance written, with 24-30 articles accepted each year. A typical article, with a 300-word minimum length, will fetch $20-$60, payable on publication. Photographs are appreciated. They do accept previously published articles, so submit tear sheets or photocopies of any articles you might have on these topics.
Ms. Jorgensen responds quickly to query emails and is easy to work with. She is also editor of Civil War News, a current-events newspaper for Civil War enthusiasts.
A website for The Artilleryman Magazine is in the works. In the meantime, you can consult Writer’s Market for further details. And the magazine will mail you a copy of a past issue. I’d encourage you to request one and familiarize yourself with the publication before you send any query emails.
You can contact the editor, Kathryn Jorgensen, at mail@civilwarnews.com.
[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.]
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