Going Green: Green Markets, Green Topics

by Wenona Napolitano

Everything lately is about being green or going green. Green is the hottest trend right now. Everyone's doing it, from A List celebrities to your next door neighbor. You can't open up a magazine or newspaper or turn on the television without being hit with some shade of green, some topic with an eco-friendly slant.

So as a writer, how do you cash in on the green? By writing about green topics, of course. But maybe you are thinking you aren't very green. Do you have to walk the walk to talk the talk? Yes and no. Many of today's eco-writers were green long before green was cool, but even if you are not a seasoned greenie, there's plenty of room for newbies.

You can slant eco-friendly topics for everyone from the beginner to the well seasoned greenie. Many publications are featuring green angled articles and lots of eco-friendly sidebars and resource boxes. Redbook, Woman's Day and Family Circle are really getting big with the green; in the past several issues they've had several areas full of everything from features on how families have gone green to green home furnishings, plus sidebars about everything from green beauty to green air fresheners.

So what can you write about if you're new to the green game? How about the amusing (or amazing) results of your efforts to try to go green? Or you could write about your neighbor who has taken the water conservation thing a little too far and stopped bathing. With new green businesses and products popping up every day, you could write product reviews or company profiles.

Green is everywhere: in fashion, in the home, in building products, in the garden, in your grocery store. Kids are going green, schools are becoming eco-friendly, and businesses are trying to go zero-waste.

Global warming, animal conservation, water pollution, saving the polar bears, recycling... You can give anything and everything an eco-slant from cleaning out your closet (donate, donate, donate, don't throw anything anyway) to digging through people's garbage and making something new and cool from the stuff they throw away. The major problem is writing something new about being green. You can't rehash the same advice without putting a new angle or a new spin on it. Find new ways to go green or new ways to be green.

Want markets? Here's a few that are totally green.

One of the biggest "green" publications is Plenty Magazine. They have both print and online versions and feature a variety of green-focused topics from lifestyle to food and travel. They are "looking for creative, well-researched ideas that put a positive spin on protecting the environment." Plenty editors like fleshed-out pitches that are detailed, not vague. The pay for print publication is up to $1 a word; online-only publication is $150 per story. Send query and clips to editorial@plentymag.com. Detailed writers' guidelines are available at http://www.plentymag.com.

The Sierra Club's bimonthly publication is Sierra Magazine. They are looking for "strong, well-researched, literate writing on significant environmental and conservation issues." Their features usually focus on the work of the Sierra Club. Sierra pays around $1 a word on acceptance. They prefer written queries sent the old-fashioned way, no emails. Get more details and examples of what they publish at http://www.sierraclub.org. Submit queries and clips to:

Managing Editor
Sierra Magazine
85 Second St., 2nd Floor
San Francisco, CA 94105-3441

E: The Environmental Magazine is another publication focused on green topics. This bimonthly publication has been around since 1989 and appeals to both general readers and environmental experts. They are an advocacy magazine that "aims to broaden the base of the environmental movement, not preach to the converted." Regular sections that they seek submissions for include Features, Currents, In Brief, Money Matters, Going Green, Consumer News, House and Home, Your Health, Eating Right, Tools for Green Living. Except for the Tools for Green Living review section, which is unpaid, all articles are paid around $.30 a word. E accepts queries by email, fax, or mail. Full guidelines are available online at http://www.emagazine.com. Send queries via email to editors Jim Motavalli (jimm@emagazine.com) or Kathleen Mangan (kmangan@emagazine.com).

Mother Earth News is a bimonthly magazine that promotes "self sufficient, financially independent, and environmentally aware lifestyles." Readers range in age from teens to over 90. Their readership is over one million across the US and Canada. Mother Earth News highly recommends you read their magazine before submitting. They want freelance articles that are written with practicality in mind, being informative, well documented, and providing hands-on information readers can use. Payments range from $25 to $150 depending on experience and content. Send queries with a short synopsis and a one page outline to letters@motherearthnews.com. More detailed guidelines can be found at http://www.motherearthnews.com.

Natural Home Magazine's motto is "living wisely, living well." Their style is straightforward and fact-based. They like articles to be written in second person with colorful and evocative wording. Their readers are "eco-savvy homeowners... that care deeply about healthy living, natural products, and a sustainable economy." Their guidelines are detailed and strict; they can be found at http://www.naturalhomemagazine.com/contribute/guidelines.aspx. Contact Jessica Kellner, managing editor, with any questions or detailed ideas and queries, at jkellner@naturalhomemagazine.com.

Indiana Living Green: A Hoosier's Guide to a Sustainable Lifestyle is a small publication put out six times a year in Indianapolis. They cover most aspects of a sustainable lifestyle, such as gardening, homes and building, travel, transportation, fashion, energy, local food and wine, and family and education. Articles slanted to the Indiana area are recommended but not always necessary. Indiana Living Green likes articles in the 500-750 word range written in Associated Press style featuring short sidebars and information resource boxes. Queries or completed articles should be sent to editor@indianalivinggreen.com. Pay rates start around $75 for articles and are negotiable. See complete writer guidelines online at http://www.indianalivinggreen.com.

AllGreen Magazine is a new publication in Connecticut whose mission is to "bring green to the mainstream." They are currently accepting free content to be published on their Web site. For work to be considered in the print magazine, they like to see detailed queries with names of interviewees, approximate article length, and availability of photographs along with clips sent to allgreeneditorial@allgreen.com. Check out detailed guidelines at http://www.allgreen.com.

Portovert, which translates to "gateway to green," is a new wedding-planning magazine focused on all aspects of the green wedding, from the invitations to the honeymoon. No writer guidelines or specifics are listed online, so contact them via email at info@portovert.com to see if your idea currently meets their editorial needs. They have many online articles and samples at http://www.portovert.com.

Green Options Media is a family of sites that includes FeelgoodStyle.com, EcoChildsPlay.com, EcoLocalizer.com, Sustainablog.com, CraftingaGreenWorld.com, and several other sites. To view a description of their sites visit http://greenoptionsmedia.com/advertising/sites.html. They are currently looking for writers. Learn more at http://craftingagreenworld.com/want-to-write-for-go-media/. If you would like to write for Green Options Media, e-mail Senior Editor Jeff McIntire-Strasburg (jeff@greenoptions.com) and place "Writing for GO Media" in the subject line. Introduce yourself and include your background and experience. Attach writing samples or link to samples that can help them get a sense of your voice and style.

These are just a few of the green publications that are out there. More are popping up everyday both online and in print. By going green you can make some more green yourself!

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