A Cat’s Point of View: Kitten Magazines

Hi! Let me introduce myself. My name is Humphrey. I’m a cat. I’m also a writer.

What?! Sure! Hey–you’re a writer. What’s there to say I can’t be a writer, too? I wanna get published! I wanna get famous! I wanna earn money to buy extra cans of tuna fish! I wanna write! Just like you.

One of the ways I’m trying to break into the publishing market is by writing for kitten magazines. I collect ’em. I go to thrift stores and library book sales and garage sales. I buy stacks and stacks of ’em. I read ’em lots, too. They help me get familiar with the magazines I want to write for. I study the stories and nonfiction articles and puzzles and recipes. I type ’em out. I read ’em again and again. It helps me learn exactly what kind of articles go in each different mag.

Some writers I know organize their magazines alphabetically in neat little pocket folders or file drawers. Not me. I stash mine all over the house. I store Kitten Pockets under my couch. I stuff Kitty Highlights under my kitty bed. Next to the fridge, I stack a pile of Sports for Kittens. I keep ’em handy!

As I read through them, I write down purrfectly delightful ideas that pop into my feline brain. Some writers I know organize ideas in a pocket folder or write down ideas for different magazines on index cards and file them in a file box according to which magazine the idea would work for. Not me. As I read through the stack of magazines I’m currently targeting, I write my ideas down on the back of catfood labels. I store ’em in empty tuna fish cans. Not only do these ideas jumpstart my brain when I’m thinking of topics to pitch to an editor–they smell good, too!

When I pick three to five ideas, I paws and think of ways to develop each idea into an article or puzzle to fit the magazine I’m targeting. Some writers I know draw a story web to develop each idea. Not me. I draw a ball of yarn. Then I draw about 8 pieces of yarn sticking out from the ball. In the middle of the ball I write down my idea. On each piece of yarn that sticks out from the ball, I write down details that pop into my head to help me develop my idea.

Then, when I have three to five story yarns prepared, I contact the editor of the magazine I’m targeting. I usually only target magazines where the editors say they accept e-mail queries. Hey, I wanna break into the market and get published–not get lost on the bottom of some mega-kitten magazine’s slush pile!

Here’s a sample of the e-mails I like to send:

Dear Petunia,

I have been studying your magazine, Wee Kittens. I see that you feature a nonfiction article about dogs in every issue.

I got your writer’s guidelines from your website and see that your next theme is on “Dogs are a Cat’s Best Friend.” I was wondering if you might be interested in receiving a nonfiction article to fit into that theme on any of the following ideas:

1. Gifts to make for your Poochy Pal
2. Dog Heroes: Interview Spot, the celebrity dog who donates millions to cat charity
3. Top Ten reasons cats and dogs should be friends

I’m looking forward to hearing from you,
-Humphrey
my address
my phone number
my e-mail
my blog

After I send my e-mail, I wait about two weeks. If I haven’t heard back, I send a second e-mail and simply state that I’m checking to see if the editor received my original e-mail (and paste it at the bottom). If I still don’t hear back in about two weeks, I target a different magazine and start the idea process all over again. I don’t wanna wait around forever. I’ve only got nine lives, you know!

So there you have it: This cat’s point of view about breaking into the market and writing for kitten magazines.

-Contributed by Humphrey, Nancy’s 22-pound writing buddy