Pravas - Could you make your goal a little clearer? Do you want to start your own web mag [by which I assume you mean an e-zine ;) ] or do you want to write for ones that already exist? The former (starting your own) is a lot more complicated, of course.

For the latter, I'd suggest getting hold of the latest edition of Writer's Market (it comes out every year). Besides print publishers, it now includes an entire section of online magazines/publishers that are accepting freelance submissions. Not the greatest for international sites, although it does cover some; this could be an issue, as in this arena you'd be competing with people who have very good writing skills, and you might want to see if there are ways to find e-zines that are written in your first language. Writing for an actual online magazine is tougher competition than doing so for article submission sites.

This probably doesn't belong in the advertising and affiliate forum -you're more likely to get some helpful responses if you post in the writing and copyright forum.

Assuming you don't have an agent get a copy of the most recent edition of the Writer's Market

You should also do a few freebies to get "published" and have a track record.

Publication credits in conventional media will help. While the NYT isn't going to hire you to be their NY theater critic, almost anyone can publish on the wire services if:

1. Call the international bureau chief
2. Ask where they just lost a "stringer" free-lance writer
3. Go there on your own dime
4. Call the bureau chief
5. Email a news story
6. they will send you $50 +/-
7. Now you are published
8. Wear a bullet-proof vest :)

PS - it worked for me! Munich, Paris, Stockholm. Doesn't pay initially but great for credits...

Dave

[edited by: encyclo at 10:16 pm (utc) on Mar. 24, 2007]
[edit reason] no signatures please, see TOS [/edit]

As some one who for many years wrote and had published articles in computing and other magazines I feel qualified to answer.

ALL magazines accept unsolicited articles. Simply write your article, most prefer an industry standard Word document these days supplied on CD-ROM, in my day it was double spaced typed on A4 <g>, and send it to the Editor (if you're really keen, ask the editorial department what format of document they prefer articles submitted in).

Expect a long delay between sending the article and having it either accepted for publication or rejecyed, and an even longer delay before publication, at which point you will be paid.

The longest I waited between acceptance and publication was two years, and the money is very poor also, but hey it's great to see your name in a magazine on the newsagent shelf <BG>.

Matt

Definitely worth contacting them; they may have an authors' guide, or at least be prepared to advise on submission format.

Read your chosen mag carefully until you are sure you understand their 'style' - an article written using their chosen format is much more likely to be accepted than one they'll need to largely rewrite (however good it may be!).

In particular, note the length of article, to see if they have a preference, as well as the 'tone' and 'depth' of their usual stuff.

Having said that, some have no 'rules', even encourage individuality - either way, you need to know.

Chances are, they will know their target audience, so you need to as well. For example, if they happen to have a consistent 'Google bashing' policy, you'd need to be careful with your wording if you write in praise of gmail; no different to watching your style when submitting a Britney-sympathetic article anywhere at this moment :)

It remains fashionable for publishers to claim to welcome open debate, but in reality, most prefer to be on the winning side - that's where the visitor money is. For example, finding a new way to Google-bash will is much more likely to get blogged and pick up links and readers than an article defending Google. And that carries across most niches.

Also note that most quality mags will expect you pass over the copyright of your work, especially if they are paying you.

[edited by: Quadrille at 4:34 pm (utc) on Mar. 25, 2007]

As some one who for many years wrote and had published articles in computing and other magazines I feel qualified to answer.

ALL magazines accept unsolicited articles. Simply write your article, most prefer an industry standard Word document these days supplied on CD-ROM, in my day it was double spaced typed on A4 <g>, and send it to the Editor (if you're really keen, ask the editorial department what format of document they prefer articles submitted in).

Expect a long delay between sending the article and having it either accepted for publication or rejected, and an even longer delay before publication, at which point you will be paid.

The longest I waited between acceptance and publication was two years, and the money is very poor also, but hey it's great to see your name in a magazine on the newsagent shelf.

Yes, unsolicited article are accepted normally by magazines. Anyway, as another long-time author for many years now, I can assure you - in your relations with the magazines, success is build on kindness plus insistence. Try to spread your articles to some magazines (quality ones) and be insistent in your correspondence with them - otherwise, you may get your article published months or even years later, which makes the whole initiative, at least in my opinion, useless.

Matt: With the approach you desribe I have wasted a lot of time - I have never had a publication without drastic changes if I submitted a complete story.

Even with publications I write for on a frequent basis I ALWAYS write a proposal to an editor who will give me a "go ahead", usually with a short briefing (emphasise this, don't care about that...).