Thank you for your interest in Western New York Family Magazine, which was founded in 1984 as Mother's Lifeline newsletter. If you have questions about any of the information below please contact:

 

Now running 72-80 pages per issue, WNY Family is a 90% freelance-written, subscription and free courtesy copy publication with a monthly audited circulation of approximately 25,000 copies concentrated in Erie and Niagara Counties of the Buffalo metro area.

 

READERSHIP
Readership is largely composed of families with children ages newborn to 14 years. Although most of the paid subscriptions are in the name of the mother in the household, 89% of fathers also read the publication. Readers have a wide variety of backgrounds but 84% have a college education, many with advanced degrees. 55% are dual income families.

 

EDITORIAL FOCUS
Articles submitted should address current parenting issues with a Western New York tie-in whenever possible. Strong emphasis is placed on how and where to find family-oriented events, as well as goods and services for children, in Western New York.

Each issue has an "Up Front" focus article with appropriate sidebars, as well as additional articles, regular columns (books, family travel, "Simple Pleasures," single parenting, restaurant reviews) and a centerfold calendar of events of interest to growing families.

 

We are interested in well-researched, non-fiction articles on surviving the newborn, preschool, school age and adolescent years. Our readers want practical information on places to go and things to do in the Buffalo area and nearby Canada. They enjoy humorous articles about the trials and tribulations of parenthood as well as "how-to" articles (i.e., organizing a child's room, keeping your sanity while shopping with preschoolers, ideas for holidays and birthdays, etc.) Articles on making a working parent's life easier are of great interest as are articles written by fathers. We prefer a warm, conversational style of writing.

 

Themes which repeat annually are: Birthday Celebrations (January issue), Cabin Fever (February), Caring For Our Aging Parents(March), Having A Baby and The Special Needs Child (April), Mother's Day (May), Father's Day (June), Healthy Child, Healthy Family and Travel/Vacation (July), Summer Fun (August), Back to School (September), Halloween Happenings (October), Family Issues and The Family Pet (November), and Exploring Education and Holiday Happenings (December).

 

Because this is a regional publication, LOCAL writers are given preference, but all authors are given equal consideration based on their writing skill, style and the appropriateness of subject matter.

 

THE SPECIFICS
We publish an article anywhere from 1 month to 18 months after receipt. "Evergreen" articles are highly desirable. Seasonal pieces must be submitted at least 3 months in advance of the issue month.

 

We buy first rights or reprint rights. Simultaneous submissions to other parenting publications are accepted. We will not use articles simultaneously submitted to or previously printed by other LOCAL publications. No kill fee. LOCAL professionals currently practicing in the topic field of the article they submit are not compensated other than receiving an author credit noting their credentials and the location of their practice.

 

All paper submissions must be DOUBLE SPACED. We prefer Microsoft Word files. E-mail manuscripts are also accepted at michele@wnyfamilymagazine.com. Paste your submission into your e-mails and attach the text file. Include name, address, phone, e-mail address, number of words in the article and a 2 sentence bio to be used at end of article. PAPER MANUSCRIPTS CANNOT BE RETURNED.

 

Please note that if you send your article via e-mail that simple formatting is best. Fancy word-processing layouts only bog down our layout department, as your formatting has to be removed before we can place your work into our page formats. Also, when you type for publication, there should only be ONE SPACE after the period at the end of a sentence. Although that violates the rule you learned in typing class, when doing page layouts via computer, that extra space causes problems and each one has to be removed. (That makes our layout department very grumpy!!)

 

We receive so many submissions that we DO NOT critique or respond to unsolicited manuscripts. If your unsolicited article is used, you won't necessarily be notified in advance. (We do not require exclusivity since we do not have a direct competitor in our market.) You will receive a check and a copy of the issue in which it appears.   

PAYMENT
Payment is made upon publication. Pays $35-$200 depending on type and length of article. Pays $35 for up to 950 word articles or humorous pieces. Pays $40-$60 for up to 1500 word non-fiction, informational or creative idea pieces. Pays up to $100-200 for in-depth, non-fiction main theme articles of approximately 2,500-3,000 words.

 

Completed manuscripts are preferred over queries. Include brief bio and parenting, grandparenting, and/or professional experience with manuscripts.

 

For a sample copy of WNY Family Magazine, send $2.50 and a self-addressed 9x12 large manila envelope with $1.48 postage affixed.