Guest post by womagwriter Maggie Cobbett

Today's guest is Maggie Cobbet.

Thank you very much for inviting me to guest on your blog, Patsy. ‘Fillers’ have long been a supplementary form of writing income for me and are a particular comfort whenever a painstakingly crafted story is rejected. I’ve given talks, written articles, run workshops and even been persuaded to publish a handbook on the subject. (Sales of Easy Money For Writers and Wannabes have far outstripped those of my other books, so I must have got something right!) 

Womag devotees will already know of the ‘filler’ opportunities offered by the women’s magazine market but may not have looked much further afield. There are publications out there linked to just about every human activity and a great many editors welcome snippets to complete their pages. One of the first successes that I chalked up was a reader’s letter to a DIY magazine popular with my father, but over the years I have also contributed to titles dedicated to antiques and collectables, cookery, current affairs, family history, film & television, gardening, health, lifestyle, music, pets, regional interest, satire, sports, travel and even writing. Magazines and editors come and go, but keep an eye on your newsagent’s shelves and you’ll be amazed at what you find. 

 

For now, I’d like to focus on Reader’s Digest. You’ll probably all be familiar with out of date copies gathering dust in your doctor’s or dentist’s waiting room. Pick up a current one the next time you’re out shopping and take a good look at page 4. On offer in the February 2017 issue are:

£50 for the star letter and £30 for regular letters; 

£50 for the true stories, anecdotes, jokes in Laugh! and You Couldn’t Make It Up...; contributions to end-of-article fillers and My Great Escape (travel column).

I’ve had repeated success in all these areas, so why not you? Good luck, everyone!