Great Escape Publishing

Posted January 21st, 2010 by Bonnie Caton & filed under Travel Writing.

Dear Reader,

Today’s Featured Publication is a regional magazine, Lehigh Valley Style. If you don’t live in or near the Lehigh Valley, you should look for a similar publication near you that buys photos and articles from freelancers. Scroll down for details on what it takes to get published here…

— Lori

Lori Allen
Director, Great Escape Publishing

Lehigh Valley Style: How to Target Your Local Lifestyle Magazine

Lehigh Valley Style Magazine is in its 10th year of production as the glossy lifestyle magazine for Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania.

Like most lifestyle magazines, it covers dining, fashion, tips for the home, local celebrities and gossip, events where residents can see and be seen, local news, and the occasional travel piece.

At first glance, you may not think about submitting a travel story here. But Victor Englebert, a professional photographer who has spoken at several of our live events and who has, over the last few years, gotten back into travel writing, had a large article/photo package published here back in February 2009.

You can see his published article here.

Now, Victor’s piece is long and impressive, covering nine different regions of the world. You, of course, don’t have to start so large.

With magazines like Lehigh Valley, you can start right in your own region. And, as freelance writer Jennifer Stevens suggests, you can start small. The current issue includes restaurant reviews, style blurbs, and a news story by freelancers. The style blurbs are small and simple.

To write for this magazine or a similar publication in your area, start by familiarizing yourself with the magazine. Read through recent issues and archives, if you can find them.

Check out the website, too. And read the writer’s guidelines. You won’t find writer’s guidelines on the Lehigh Valley Style site, but you can request them by sending an e-mail to the editor.

Another way to find out more about the magazine and its readers is to flip through the advertising section of the website.

There, you’ll find an editorial calendar, so you can best target your stories to specific issues, and a media kit, which gives stats and specifics about the readership.

[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.]