Reaching International Markets Electronically

by Moira Allen

Once, submitting material to overseas markets meant trips to the post office and the expense of airmail postage. It meant wondering whether your manuscript would arrive mangled into confetti -- or whether it would arrive at all. Most of all, it meant waiting.

Today, however, the international marketplace is as close as your modem. Forget about those pesky international reply coupons (IRCs); now, you can complete your entire transaction electronically, from locating a market to receiving your payment.

Locating Markets On-Line

Comprehensive lists of international publications (English-language and otherwise) can be found on several on-line "newsstands." Newsdirectory.com, for example, has a section devoted to "worldwide magazines," listing publications by country and by category, while Magazines of the United Kingdom offers links to 200 British magazines. (URLS for these and several other newsstands are listed below.)

Each of these listings provides links to the magazines' websites. There, you can conduct some basic research: Does this look like an appropriate market for your work? While some magazines offer only basic subscription information, others post sample articles and archives (or at least indices) from back issues. Most importantly, those sites provide you with an e-mail address for the publication. Some provide a direct e-mail link to the editor or editorial department; if no editor's name is listed, look for an e-mail address for "feedback" or "letters to the editor." If all else fails, you can always contact the subscription office and ask for the editor's name and e-mail address.

The Electronic Query

Not every publication appreciates unsolicited e-queries, and many non-U.S. publications aren't as accustomed to handling handling correspondence online as U.S. publications are. Your best approach, therefore, is to send a brief, polite e-mail to the editor inquiring whether you may submit an e-query. Explain that you are a U.S.-based writer, and provide a brief outline of your qualifications if appropriate. If you receive no response in two to three weeks, follow up. If you still receive no response, it's reasonable to assume that e-mail queries are not encouraged.

Once you receive a go-ahead, be as careful with your e-query as you would be with a normal query letter. Don't take shortcuts; informal exchanges are fine once you've established a relationship with an editor, but not when you're introducing yourself for the first time. Then be patient -- but keep in mind that you're still likely to receive a response far more quickly than by ordinary mail!

Submitting the Manuscript

If the magazine accepts e-mail queries, it is probably willing to accept e-mailed manuscripts as well. This makes life easier for everyone: You save on postage, and the editor receives the material electronically. Best of all, turnaround time is drastically reduced.

Before submitting your article, however, find out whether the editor can accept e-mail attachments from your system. Regardless of the answer, it's always wise to send a text version of your article in the body of an e-mail. If you have sidebars, include them along with the main article instead of sending them as separate messages or attachments.

It is now becoming much simpler to submit photos electronically as well. If you use a digital camera, your photos are already in digital form. But even if you use a film camera, you can either scan your photos or have them scanned professionally. (If you have large-format slides, it's often easier to have them scanned, as many cheaper scanners don't handle this format.)

However, don't simply attach half a dozen 1-MB jpg files to your query or article; this will not endear you to an editor. Large photo files can take a long time to download and may even fill up an editor's inbox to the extent that other messages end up bouncing. In addition, if you simply attach your photos to an e-mail, when the editor opens that e-mail, he or she must wait for all your attached photos to open as well.

Before sending photos, therefore, first find out whether they are wanted. Then, send reduced versions -- 4x6 images at 72 ppi work well -- and let the editor select those that the publication might wish to use in a higher resolution. Once the editor has chosen the photos, place the high-resolution photos in a folder and "zip" the folder (using a program like WinZip or DropZip). Then send this zipped folder. This not only reduces the amount of file space but also prevents the photos from opening automatically in the editor's e-mail or browser window. Another option is to place your photos online on your own website or a "photosharing" site so that the editor can download them as needed.

Negotiating Terms

International publications are often less formal about contracts than U.S. magazines. Often, negotiations will be handled by a simple letter or e-mail. Keep in mind that an e-mailed contract can't be "signed" by either party; accepting such an agreement requires a degree of trust. (However, it would be difficult to collect your fee if an overseas publication reneged on a formal contract, so why worry?) As always, the letter of agreement should specify the rights being sold, the payment offered, when payment will be delivered (on acceptance or publication), and how payment will be made.

Overseas publications are excellent markets for reprints. If you have sold one-time rights or FNASR to an article, you can still offer "First European Rights" or "First International Rights." Some publications will treat such articles as reprints (which often means a lower fee); others will treat them as original material. Payment will be specified in the currency of the country in which the magazine is published. To find out how much you will be paid in dollars, check one of the many on-line currency converters (such as Travlang or The Universal Currency Converter).

Getting Paid

The final miracle of the electronic age is that now, you don't even have to wait for your check. Many publications can transfer payment electronically directly from their bank to yours. (You'll be asked to provide your account number for such a transaction.) Your bank will probably charge you an electronic transfer fee, which averages around $15. This is about double the fee you would pay to deposit a check in a foreign currency, and the convenience is worth it. Many publications are also switching to PayPal as a means of paying internatinal contributors, so if you plan to do business internationally, you would be well-advised to set up a business or premier PayPal account.

As you approach international publications, it's important to think globally. It's generally best, for example, to avoid focusing on fads or controversies of strictly U.S. interest. If your article makes reference to resources (such as treatments, technologies, or information) that are available only in the U.S., try to locate comparable sources that will be helpful to a European audience. Finally, watch out for American slang, idioms, or terminology that won't "translate" well -- even in English! (For a helpful guide to "Britspeak," check the on-line British-American dictionary.)

As you become more familiar with the overseas marketplace, you'll develop a better understanding of what's hot and what's not. You'll also discover a wealth of article ideas on international subjects that you can sell on this side of the Atlantic!

Additional Resources:

Writing-World.com's links to International Magazines, Newspapers and Other Media