Fall OU Quarterly by Outdoor Writers Association of America

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Fall 2009, Vol. 70, No. 8

4 Roping a raise – by Jack Ballard 5 Think like an advertiser – by Peter St. James 6 Need work? Think weeklies – by Jim Low 7 Tech: Have Skype, will travel – by John Beath 10 Biting the Big Apple – by Lynn Keillor 11 Be a know-it-all – by Kris Millgate

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3 Feedback 8 Portfolio 12 Conference 2009 Review 13 Conference 2010 Preview

14 14 16 16

News Briefs Association News Bookshelf Supporting Group News Tips

ON THE COVER “Floating Leaves” by Lisa Densmore By late September, the maple trees become aflame with color throughout the Adirondack Park. This photo was part of Densmore’s April Portfolio submission. It also won first place in in the 2009 Excellence in Craft color photo contest, flora category. Contact her at densmore1@aol.com.

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OUTDOOR WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA Our mission: improve the professional skills of our members, set the highest ethical and communications standards, encourage public enjoyment and conservation of natural resources and mentor the next generation of professional outdoor communicators. Copyright Fall 2009 by Outdoor Writers Association of America Inc. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. The contents of Outdoors Unlimited do not necessarily represent the opinion or endorsement of OWAA, its staff, officers, directors or members. Outdoors Unlimited (ISSN 0030-7181) is published quarterly by Outdoor Writers Association of America Inc., 121 Hickory St., Suite 1, Missoula, MT 59801. Periodicals postage paid at Missoula, MT, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Outdoors Unlimited, Outdoor Writers Association of America Inc., 121 Hickory St., Suite 1, Missoula, MT 59801.

2 OUTDOORS UNLIMITED Fall 2009

NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS 121 Hickory St., Ste. 1 Missoula, MT 59801 406-728-7434, Fax: 406-728-7445 owaa@montana.com www.owaa.org

PRESIDENT John L. Beath, Washington

(user name: Outdoors; password: Unlimited. Note: Both words are case sensitive. )

OFFICERS Vice President: Tony Dolle, Tennessee Vice President: Mike Walker, Arizona Vice President: Mark Taylor, Virginia Secretary: John McCoy, West Virginia Treasurer: Kris Thoemke, Florida

STAFF Executive Director: Kevin Rhoades Director of Membership and Conference Services: Robin Giner Editor: Ashley Schroeder

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Lisa Densmore, New Hampshire Jim Foster, Idaho Mark Freeman, Oregon

Bill Hilts Jr., New York Katie McKalip, Montana Matthew Miller, Idaho Mary Nickum, Virginia Jim Smith, Arizona Patricia G. Stockdill, North Dakota Ty Stockton, Wyoming COUNSELS Attorney: William Jay Powell, Missouri Historian: vacant Medical: William W. Forgey, Indiana

From the executive director’s desk I hope you like the new Outdoors Unlimited. As you probably heard in our July press release, OWAA’s board of directors authorized staff to create a print-version OU to be mailed quarterly. This is the first issue. The next comes in December. This reverses a January board decision to make OWAA’s flagship newsletter exclusively an online publication. OWAA members and supporters will now receive 11 issues online plus four hardcopy newsletters via U.S. Mail. The first of each month, members and supporters will continue to be notified of each new posting of Outdoors Unlimited Online. The new quarterly hardcopy OU will remain a 16-page digest, the “best of the best” content extracted from three previous issues of the online version. The new hardcopy OU, as you can see, is in color, thanks to

OWAA supporting group Image Printing (formerly Richtman’s Printing), who is trading the cost of four-color printing for their advertisement appearing on page 15. We hope you like the “spruce up,” and we also trust you’ll continue to read Outdoors Unlimited Online, where important member news, features and association business will be posted on the first business day of each month. In addition, Outdoor Market listings will be e-mailed directly to your inbox; jobs and editorial listings will also be posted on OU Online. We’re interested in your feedback. Post comments at www.owaa.org/ou/category/departments/feedback or e-mail Publications Editor Ashley Schroeder at aschroeder@owaa.org. Thank you for your membership in OWAA! – Kevin Rhoades, Executive Director

Feedback

Conference valuable for student I wanted to make sure the first e-mail I sent after getting home from the conference was a sincere THANK YOU for helping me attend. Having heard from other friends and school colleagues that conferences can be hit-or-miss, I wasn’t sure what to expect; I’m happy to report that my experience exceeded my highest expectations. It wasn’t just the seminars (all very helpful) or the variety of seasoned pros I got to meet and talk with. It was all that plus an incredibly warm, across-the-board welcome I received every time I talked with someone. The OWAA membership seemed genuinely, personally interested in helping out a new attendee and making sure I got something useful out of the conference. For that, I am truly grateful. I’m spending today organizing the mountain of fliers, sample issues and business cards I brought home, and I’ve already started putting some of the tips I received to use. If I play my cards right, I suspect the raw material I brought home will form the foundation for a very successful summer and fall of freelancing. My membership application is going in the mail this afternoon. I’m optimistic that when this time rolls around next year,

I’ll be able to catch up with you over lunch and report on a successful launch of another outdoor communicator’s career. Matt Cunningham, West Chester, Ohio Editor’s note: For more coverage of the 2009 conference, visit http://owaa.org/ou/tag/conference-09-review/.

Want to know what others are thinking? Check out OU Online! You can post comments on articles or write a letter to the editor. It’s easy. Go to http://owaa.org/ou.

The all-important interview On [Joel Vance’s] last point of asking an open-ended question and hoping for an answer is ‘I think we’ve covered everything,’ I’ve often gotten some real gems. The most memorable was an interview I did with a wildlife sculptor. When I asked that final question, he said in all modesty, “I don’t have any talent for writing, so I have to tell my stories in clay.” I made sure I had that quote down in

my notes, ‘cuz I knew that was the closing paragraph in my profile of the artist. Paul Vang, Butte, Mont. Editor’s note: Read the article and more comments here: http://owaa.org/ou/2009/04/interview-vance/.

Chumming TV no friend of hunting A valid issue with good opinion from both sides. Using discretion that foments good hunting and fishing practices for those young hunters who are joining the sport is most important to me. I cringe when I see waterfowl and dove hunts across borders where there are no limits and hunters show a big pile of feathers, etc., at the end of the day. Promoting good hunting and fishing ethics with a harvest that promotes responsible use, not waste and abuse. How much game was never found, as the bird boys run around looking for downed game? Bill Fenimore Farmington, Utah Editor’s note: Read what author Bill Schneider has to say: http://owaa.org/ou/2009/05/chumming-tv-no-friend-ofhunting/.

Feedback guidelines Members are encouraged to write about issues and topics. The executive director and editor will decide whether opinions are appropriate for debate or if the comments promote a personal cause; if the “cause” is unrelated to OWAA’s mission and potentially damaging to the membership, the letter might not be printed. Word limit: 400. Longer letters will be returned to author for revision. www.owaa.org/ou OUTDOORS UNLIMITED 3

Craft Improvement - General

Roping a

Raise BY JACK BALLARD Montana ranch was my boyhood home, but we weren’t much of a cowboy family, though life necessitated a basic proficiency with some of the cowhand’s skills. Occasionally, a calf needed to be roped from a pen of restless bovines. My dad generally undertook the task, first shaking out his lariat and making a loop. Then my siblings and I would nudge the calves past a strategic position Dad had staked out near the corral fence. When the marked critter came by he’d cast his rope, or better still, just drop it over the unsuspecting beast’s head if he could creep close enough. Though his roping technique was less than dramatic, it was always well-planned and very effective. If you’re serious about making all or a significant portion of your living from freelance writing and/or photography, it’s necessary to squeeze every dollar from an assignment. Aiming for higher-paying publications is one route to making a better living; capturing higher rates from the publications you already work for is another. While some writers and photographers assume the payment rates indicated in a publication’s guidelines are nonnegotiable, that’s usually not the case. Editors typically have a yearly budget for articles and photos. If you’re worth it, they’re often willing to cut you a larger piece of the pie. But like roping a calf, a successful pitch for better pay depends on your skill and preparation. Here are the essential elements of roping a raise.

1. AIM FOR EXCELLENCE Quality writing gets attention from both editors and readers. Not long ago, I asked an editor of a fishing magazine to increase what he was paying me for article/photo packages. In his reply to my request he boosted my pay by 17 percent and also commented, “There are only a handful of writers and photographers that 4 OUTDOORS UNLIMITED Fall 2009

we use (you are one of them) that are truly good at their craft, and are dependable.” No matter if it’s photography or writing, constantly attempt to polish your wares and deliver outstanding work with every assignment. 2. DEPENDABILITY DIVIDENDS The editor’s statement in the above paragraph points to excellence, but he also mentions dependability. Not long before I approached him for a raise, he called me in a panic. Another writer had bailed on two assignments at the last minute, leaving a huge hole in the magazine’s next issue. Needless to say, that writer won’t be getting a raise – or any more assignments. As you develop relationships with editors you’ll find some are flexible with deadlines. However, submit your work on time. If you’re going to be late, inform the editor as soon as possible. 3. CURRY FAVOR AS A FIREFIGHTER With two blown assignments, my fishing editor was scrambling to fill holes. Could I pitch in with an article that wasn’t due for four months? Was there any way I could get it done in a week? Despite an already hectic schedule I said “yes.” Then I worked extra evenings and finished the project in five days. Recently I encountered a similar situation with another publication. When I came through with that assignment in two days, the editor sent me a one-sentence e-mail. “You’re my hero.” Putting out an editor’s fires makes you more valuable to the publication and puts you in a better position to rope a raise. 4. ESTABLISH A RECORD You may be able to negotiate higher rates for your work from the outset if you’re firmly established in the business, but demonstrating your additional value to a publication usually takes time. After a number of impeccably delivered assignments over a period of a year or more, an

editor will probably begin to rely on you as a regular contributor. Once that happens, you’re positioned to request additional payment for your work. 5. THE PHOTO FINAGLE Photos are necessary ingredients of magazine articles. If you’re a competent photographer, leverage your photos in two ways. First, even though an editor may not have the budget to pay you more for an article, the photo budget might be separate. See if you can up your pay with the sale of photos. When magazines only pay for article/photo packages, note how many photos they typically use and what percentage aren’t produced by authors. For example, if a magazine commonly runs six photos with a story and two of those usually carry the credit line of someone other than the author, the magazine has an additional expense to purchase reproduction rights to those photos. If your articles seldom need additional photo support, try to negotiate higher rates for your article/photo packages based on those savings. 6. REQUEST, DON’T DEMAND I have never gone to an editor demanding more payment. There are a number of lower-paying publications that I no longer write for, yet I haven’t burned bridges with any of them. If a publication no longer meets your expectations, politely request a raise. If the editor refuses, you can either continue to work with the publication while you wait for a better opportunity, or graciously decline future assignments. As an aside, editors who have calloused their own backsides in a freelancer’s chair are usually the most sympathetic and willing to grant your request if it’s within their power to do so. 7. OFFER A RATIONALE “I’d like more money” probably captures your basic motivation for requesting a raise, but you’ll get further if you offer CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

Craft Improvement - Radio

BY PETER ST. JAMES nybody who thinks radio is made up of talk-show hosts, “too-cool-for-school” disc jockeys and an endless supply of music really doesn’t know a lot about broadcasting. Radio is about one thing: money. If station management can make money playing automated reggae music, then that’s what it will do. When the national and local advertising money starts to immigrate to another format or station, then they’ll switch formats quicker than you can say, “Whatever happened to Sarah Palin?” So even though the program director or station manager supports fishing and hunting, if there’s no money in it, they’ll continue their support of it on the weekends or relegate the program to a nonprime-time slot like 11 o’clock on a Saturday night. No matter how much you argue the benefits to the marketplace (gas, groceries, lodging, restaurants, etc.) unless there’s a dollar sign attached, you might as well save your breath. The solution isn’t rocket science, nor do I lay claim to being a sales genius.

ROPING A RAISE, CONT. tangible reasons. When gasoline prices began to spike a couple of years ago, the additional expense was a legitimate reason to ask editors for more compensation for assignments that required travel. Staying up to date with computers, software, upgrading cameras, increasing health insurance costs and other expenses are factors to point out when seeking a raise. 8. HELP YOUR COLLEAGUES Every time you aim for higher compensation for your work, you’re helping

Simply put: Sell your idea. Now I know that’s easier than it sounds, especially in this economy, but that’s the bottom line. And, it’s not as hard as you may think. Put yourself in the shoes of advertisers. They want the biggest bang for their limited advertising dollars. Do they get that by running a 60second commercial 20 times a week at varying times between 6 a.m. and midnight on a radio station or as a sponsor of a regular, fixed-time program of interest to them and their potential customers? Think about it. If you sold chain saws, would you rather be part of an outdoor show, or have your spot air during the stock report or during a nationally syndicated political talk show that runs for three hours a day? Advertisers are looking for programming that will allow them to speak to their audience. Problem is, most stations don’t have the imagination or personnel to create an ongoing, locally produced outdoor show. So instead, try building a series of events throughout the year. One of the most popular broadcast my radio show does is a live broadcast of the annual drawing for moose hunting permits that takes place in June at the New Hampshire

Fish and Game Department. As the winner of each permit is announced, our listeners are glued to the radio (or the Internet, where we always max out our streaming capabilities) for their name or that of a friend or family member. To support the broadcast, we sell various sales packages that include commercials and a live interview during the week of the drawing and links on our Web site. Some clients even provide products so we have listener contests during that week. It’s fun and interactive, the clients get positive response and the station adds billing. So try packaging a few outdoor events and build on that base of good will and broadcast revenue that you’ve helped to create. Trust me, do it right and the radio stations will be seeking you out for more outdoor ideas!

to establish industry expectations. Publications must pay more for paper, postage and other expenses as those items increase. Although they sometimes use other overhead as a rationale for keeping freelance pay rates low, if enough communicators indicate they need more for their work, publications take notice. Once, after asking for a raise from a national hunting magazine, the editor not only increased my pay 25 percent but commented that he’d recently fielded similar requests from a couple of other writers. “Maybe it’s time we raise our rates in general,” he told me. Difficult economic times make it a

tougher to successfully negotiate higher pay for your work. However, if you establish your value as a communicator and plan your pitch, it’s still possible to rope a raise.

Peter St. James is a native Maine-er who’s lived in New Hampshire for the past 25 years. He hosts the New Hampshire Wake-Up Show on WTPL-FM 107.7/107.1/94.3/1400AM. He can be reached at psjoutdoors@hotmail.com.

Jack Ballard, of Billings, Mont., is a freelance writer and photographer with credits in more than 25 regional and national magazines, and is the author of two books. He joined OWAA in 1998. Contact him at jackballard62@msn.com.

www.owaa.org/ou OUTDOORS UNLIMITED 5

Craft Improvement - Newspaper

BY JIM LOW f you haven’t noticed that economic times are hard, you can quit reading now. This column is for those who have recently lost jobs or who approach the doors of your offices each morning wondering if your keys will work. Full-time writing jobs are scarce in both the private and public sectors these days. The Internet has diverted vast sums of money from magazines and daily newspapers. I have watched with sadness as big papers like the Kansas City Star and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch repeatedly slashed their news staffs. You have seen it in your states, too. This isn’t just a trend we hear about on the national news. Friends are losing their jobs. Consequently, it struck me as odd when I recently received the Missouri Press Association’s 2009 directory and noted that the section listing weekly newspapers didn’t seem to be any thinner than it was 20 years ago. It made me think of another surprising fact I have noticed. Over the past decade, the weekly Potosi (Mo.) Independent Journal has seemed to grow fatter by the year, until today it has considerably more pages than the state’s largest dailies. The PIJ is so flush with ad revenue that the editor has trouble filling the enormous news hole all that advertising space creates. I know this because he prints every news release I send him. Wondering whether this is an aberration or evidence of a larger trend, I contacted the director of the Missouri Press Association and asked if I am imagining the relative prosperity of weekly papers. He told me I was dead on, and he sent me a thick packet of survey and study results demonstrating that weekly newspaper subscriptions and advertising rev-

enue are extremely healthy. Running weekly papers still is hard work, and you aren’t likely to get fabulously wealthy in that line of work, but they are consistent profit producers. How many businesses can say that today? Reader surveys reveal that weeklies have an an incredibly loyal following. Why? Because weekly papers provide something no other medium can: intimate coverage of the people, places and events that touch people in their day-to-day lives. A good weekly can tell you who is competing in the Miss Merry Christmas Pageant, who just opened her own beauty salon, who won the local bass tournament, who went to jail for possessing child porn, who was arrested for DUI last week and whether the basketball team has a shot at going to the regional playoffs. They can show you photos of all those people, too. Weekly papers can tell you about raffles, foreclosure auctions, estate sales, concerts and a host of other events that no other medium takes note of. Good weekly papers are thriving because they make themselves indispensible to small, local audiences. I don’t tell you this to convince you that the Internet is not the wave of the future. Smart weeklies are getting ahead of the digital curve and putting content online, too. I mention it because those of you looking for jobs or wondering where you would take your skills if you lost your present employment should be looking in your backyards. Many towns of fewer than 15,000 people have weekly papers. Those papers need local content. Their staffs sometimes consist of two or three people who attend sports events in the evening to take photos and divide their time between selling ads and writing copy during the day. Paying an outside writer $10 or $25 each for quality filler items looks pretty

good to overworked editors. Someone who knows how to write news and columns and can supply local content can make decent money a little at a time. Let’s say you find 15 newspapers near enough to you that you can provide local content. Then assume you sell each one two items a week at $20 each. That’s more than $30,000 a year and a pretty solid foundation for a diversified freelance business. Make yourself indispensible. Send “your” newspapers local personality profiles they don’t have time to write. Ferret out follow-up news features based on papers’ own basic news stories. For example, if the daily record page reports a residential fire in a lower middle-class neighborhood on Dec. 20, offer the editors a heart-warming feature about how the family coped with the loss of their Christmas gifts, how their neighbors helped them and how the experience reaffirmed their faith in people and their bonds with the community. Increase your chances of a sale by including photos – for an added fee, of course. If you make yourself valuable enough, weeklies eventually will start contacting you to cover events. This all adds up to work. And to those who have lost jobs, that is not a four-letter word.

Jim Low, of Jefferson City, Mo., is print news services coordinator for the Missouri Department of Conservation and a former president of OWAA. He can be reached at jimlow@aol.com.

For more craft improvement articles, visit http://owaa.org/ou/category/craft-improvement/. 6 OUTDOORS UNLIMITED Fall 2009

Technology

ave Skype, will travel

BY JOHN BEATH

utdoor communicators used to have a choice whether to go digital or not. Today there is no choice – go digital or get left behind, stuck in an analog quagmire full of dinosaur-like technology. The choice really is simple, if you want to earn money or save money in your profession today, you must go digital! In the new I-Tech column I’ll detail new digital technologies that will help OWAA members make or save money in their business or home life. Some of the technologies will be challenging but well worth the effort to stay technologically up to date or ahead of the digital curve. Other technologies will be simple and easy for anyone to use and save money. This month’s column features a way to save money at home, work or while on the road gathering stories. While in China recently on business, I had two articles on deadline that required interviewing several story sources. Without spending a fortune, I simply used my Skype phone (www.skype.com) to make crystal clear, inexpensive phone calls from my hotel room. Skype uses voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) that works extremely well. My biggest challenge was taking into account the time difference between China and the West Coast, not the cost or quality of the phone call. If you still have doubts, just ask member Tom Stienstra, who received one of my calls and could not believe how great the call sounded. My dad says my Skype calls sound better than my cell phone. Skype is free to download to your computer and allows users to make computer-to-computer calls to other Skype members for free. However, if you want to make calls from your computer to a landline or cell phone you can “load” your account with $10 or $25 worth of Skype credit. Rates vary but on average cost just 2.1 cents per minute to call a

landline or cell phone in the U.S. While at home, I use Skype to call my daughter in Australia. If I call her cell phone it costs 35 cents per minute. When calling her landline it costs 2.1 cents per minute. In most countries other than North America the caller pays for the cell phone call, not the cell phone subscriber, so keep this in mind and check the rates before calling. After setting up your Skype account you can purchase a wide variety of phones that use USB to plug into your computer. The phones look, feel and sound exactly like a regular telephone. You can even purchase a wireless Skype phone that doesn’t require pairing it with a computer for it to work – all you have to do is find an open, nonsecured wireless Internet connection, turn on your Skype phone, select connect and it will log you into your Skype account. With countless nonsecured wireless connections worldwide, this phone can save you lots of money and easily pay for itself if you travel as much as I do. Skype also sells phone numbers from every state and numerous countries. Your computer or wireless portable Skype phone can have its own phone number. While traveling you can receive calls or have calls go to your voice mail without anyone knowing where in the world you are. You can also forward your cell or home phone to your Skype phone number and then check your voice mails from your computer. Or use Skype to call your voice mail. If you have a cell phone that uses the G3 network or other system that allows you to connect to the Internet you can set up Skype on that phone, too. My son-inlaw has Skype on his cell phone which allows me to call him Skype-to-Skype. Skype also offers a Skype To Go number that allows you to make low-cost international calls from mobile or landlines. Users of this service need Skype credit or a special Skype subscription. If you need to send a text message to

anyone’s cell phone, Skype can do that too. I use this feature when traveling because it costs less than a phone call and allows me to send phone numbers or email addresses that the recipient has a record of faster than waiting for them to log into their e-mail. Skype users can also make video calls and conference calls. Once you start searching Skype products on the Internet you’ll find dozens of accessories that enable you to connect your landline to a Skype hub, cordless home phones connected to your home computer, etc. Every month new products emerge, making Skype a good choice for anyone interested in saving money and making communications much easier while traveling. In next month’s column I will delve into other great home systems to save you money and eliminate your old, expensive landline telephone systems. Between now and then my landline will be disconnected, leaving my home and business connected via VoIP while still using my old phone numbers. To learn more about Skype visit its Web site, www.skype.com. You can purchase Skype phones at the following sites: www.frys.com, www.walmart.com and www.amazon.com. John L. Beath, of Monroe, Wash., is the new president of OWAA and owner of Pacific Lure Communications. He is a writer/photographer and owner/editor of 14 Web sites and 10 online stores. Contact him at jbeath@halibut.net.

How can Ooma lower my phone bill? Which Internet browser should I use? Read John’s I-Tech column to find out. http://owaa.org/ou/ category/feature/columns/ www.owaa.org/ou OUTDOORS UNLIMITED 7

Portfolio

PHOTO BY JIM FOSTER: This attractive bird was photographed January 2009 at the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge in south Texas.

PHOTO BY MARK ROMANACK: When the morning sun hits the horizon, it marks the beginning of the end. The most productive duck hunting typically takes place within 30 minutes of sunrise. 8 OUTDOORS UNLIMITED Fall 2009

PHOTO BY JIM FOSTER: After running around with its littermates this young red fox settled down to take a nap. This image was caputred before the kit went back into the den.

PHOTO BY JOHN BEATH: “‘Hey, wake up.’ While heading to the jungles of Costa Rica, I spotted this bird screeching into the cow’s ear,” Beath said.

PHOTO BY JOHN BEATH: “This huge Alaskan hook-nosed coho just about slammed into my wide-angle lens,” Beath said.

PHOTO BY LISA DENSMORE: Queen Anne’s Lace is one of the many wildflowers along the High Falls Loop in the Adirondacks. Location: Wanakena.

PHOTO BY JIM FOSTER: “Due to stupid state laws, the future of these wild horses is uncertain,” Foster said. The unwanted-horse problem is nationwide. www.owaa.org/ou OUTDOORS UNLIMITED 9

Craft Improvement - Magazine

BY LYNN KEILLOR don’t usually get nervous when I fly, but this trip to New York was different. I had a suitcase of brand new clothes, a laptop, addresses to three different magazines and enough adrenaline to fuel the plane. Just one week earlier, I’d raised my hand in the final class for new freelancers and asked, “Exactly how vital is a trip to New York for a freelancer’s career?” Instructor John Rosengren, a veteran Twin Cities freelancer and regular New York visitor, said, “Well, it’s possible to have a good career and never go to New York – but going there can open up new doors.” I sat back, relieved. The New York magazine scene intimidates me, and the movie “The Devil Wears Prada” didn’t help. I’m not a hipster, I’m not cutthroat, and I talk like a Minnesotan. Finally, I had reassurance I could survive within the confines of my comfortable nook. So the next day, when my boyfriend announced he’d purchased tickets to New York and we’d be leaving the next week, I froze. Was this my chance to go bigtime? I panicked. Then I plunged. I picked up my copy of the “Writer’s Market” and looked for New York-based magazines I could contact. I had three main criteria: magazines that would realistically meet with me (no New Yorker, no Cosmo); magazines for which I could reasonably write (could I think of at least two story ideas?); and magazines marked with $$$$ – the highest pay ranking. I settled on three magazines, including a conservation publication. I e-mailed each of the editors, introduced myself, gave a couple of credentials and asked for a brief meeting. I didn’t have to wait long for a

response. That afternoon, I heard back from one magazine and, yes, the editor had time to meet. A few days later, I got a call from another, and we scheduled an appointment. With tactical assistance from Rosengren, I planned my meetings. I prepared an envelope of clips, a résumé and a letter for each publication. I tailored the clips to each publication and showed a variety of writing styles. While I was at it, I made a package for the third magazine. If I wasn’t able to secure a meeting, I figured I could drop the clips with the receptionist. Rosengren explained his approach to a meeting: Give the clips, ask what kind of stories the magazine is looking for, and ask the best way for a new writer to break into the magazine. The real key, he said, is in the follow-up – sending a query within a week, while the editor still has you in his or her mind. After a whirlwind shopping trip to update my wardrobe, I was ready. The meetings went far better than expected. I got about 45 minutes at one magazine and met several editors. I spent about 20 minutes with the editor at the next magazine. I even got about five minutes with the editor and publisher of the third magazine – and I didn’t have an appointment. I walked away with business cards, sample issues and a better picture of each magazine’s market and readership. I also realized that, even though this was New York, the editors were the same hard-working people I know from home, and all have the same goal of providing a quality publication to their readers. And, as a reward for a job well done, I treated myself to a backstage tour of Radio City Music Hall and thanked my boyfriend with tickets to see the Rockettes. OK, maybe that was another treat for me.

With a clearer idea of what each magazine wanted, I sent queries the following week. The best news: Not only did I get a nice tax deduction for the trip, but I’ve since received two story assignments. I also feel I have more confidence as a freelancer, and I look forward to making another trip to New York.

TIPS FOR A NEW YORK MEETING: Ask for just five minutes of an editor’s time. If you get more than five minutes, consider it a bonus. Prepare a package of clips and include information about yourself – a résumé or writing credentials. First impressions count. Be on time and dress professionally. Be realistic about how much you can fit in. Distances can vary greatly between offices. If you’re on a tight schedule, plan meetings with a map in hand. Find out what articles the magazine wants, the best way for a new freelancer to break in and a bit about the readership. Ask for a couple of back issues, especially if it’s not a typical newsstand magazine. Follow up within one to two weeks with a query.

Lynn Keillor, of Minneapolis, has worked nearly 12 years writing for the snowmobile publications of Ehlert Publishing. Currently she is writing freelance for various snowmobile and outdoorrelated publications. Contact her at keill003@umn.edu.

Stay up-to-date on all the latest news with Outdoors Uunlimied Online at http://owaa.org/ou/. 10 OUTDOORS UNLIMITED Fall 2009

Craft Improvement - Television

Be a

K now-it-all BY KRIS MILLGATE ’m better with a rod than a rifle. That’s painfully obvious as I walk into a loading room for the first time with two sets of camera gear to shoot a video and print story. The owner of the room built for customizing bullets and guns is a brilliant physicist who talks like a trucker when he’s not rattling off math formulas. My task is to quickly decipher ammunition jargon while filtering out the dirty jokes spewing from the most notorious hunting legend as of late – the man behind the fall of the world’s largest bull elk. This isn’t the time to be a know-it-all, at least not in the traditional sense of the phrase.

WANT TO KNOW I’m a know-it-all. I like to know about all things. I’m curious by nature and that’s an asset worth hanging on to when you’re a journalist. I face the unfamiliar every day. That’s what makes my job so fulfilling. If I wanted to skip the adventure of the unknown, I would have stayed in the cubicle job that put me through college. Fortunately for me and my chosen profession, I’m not a girlie girl. Somewhere along my career path, I ducked behind a tree, shed my dress for waders and never looked back. I’m an outdoor journalist, and the nature of working in nature lends itself to the manly side of life. I fish with men. I interview men. I take pictures of men. I travel with men. I’ve only had one female photographer work with me in 12 years and even she was a little gruff. The point is, I work outside of my comfort zone all of the time and the last thing I want to do is act like I know it all. But genuinely wanting to know it all makes the difference when you need a story to come together in an unfamiliar place like a loading room. ASK THE QUESTIONS Beyond the hunter on the hill, there is a

lifelong love of the outdoors and an obsessive drive for perfection. I only know this about the man in the loading room because I ask questions. A lot of questions. I don’t claim to know everything and would never want to. What would be the point in asking questions? I am an expert at asking the right questions, not answering them. Interviews are not about what I know. They are about what the interviewee knows. My hunter knows what he’s talking about. I want to take advantage of all he knows to add to my want to know

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Interviews are not about what I know. They are about what the interviewee knows. –KRIS MILLGATE

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and turn a story. As we gather experience under our belts, we tend to know more and more and ask less and less. It’s a dangerous place to be. If you’re truly curious, you provide the questions, not the answers. If you’re creating a story worthy of reading and/or watching, you are not the story, you’re just the messenger.

HOLD THE SMARTS Messengers don’t dump their smarts on the table. It doesn’t build credibility. It just wastes time. Besides, it’s more effective to initiate conversation than intimidate with knowledge. But don’t overdo it. Competence carries, ignorance buries, so no playing dumb here. Have enough smarts to ask the right questions, but not so much that you shy away from admit-

ting you don’t know something. During my daunting day in the loading room, I wasn’t too proud to ask questions others might consider stupid, but I also had enough smarts to ask the right questions so I could pass the appropriate message along to viewers and readers. CARRY YOUR LOAD As the messenger, I choose to be the one willing to know all there is to know about the task at hand. Throughout my career, 12 years so far, I’ve picked up any job that needs to be done to make a story fly. I’m as open to grunt work now as I was as an intern. Hauling gear through the mountains tracking wolves for two days – I’ll do it. Editing in the middle of the night to produce a story worthy of art not just air – I’ll do it. My willingness to know all means I now have access to more media outlets and I want to be even better at my job(s). A better writer is a better shooter. A better shooter is a better editor. There’s a reason for my company’s mission statement: “Tight Line Media provides exceptional productions from the first word to the final edit.” Packing two sets of camera gear for my loading room experience produced a print and photo story for several newspapers, a TV story for a weekly outdoor segment, a Web video and magazine queries currently under review. I moved one story idea through many mediums and learned how to pack a bullet for highperformance long-range shots at the same time all because of my desire to be a know-it-all. Kris Millgate is a freelance journalist based in Idaho Falls, Idaho. She operates www.tightlinemedia.biz and can be reached at kris@tightlinemedia.biz.

www.owaa.org/ou OUTDOORS UNLIMITED 11

2009 conference review: Grand Rapids, Mich. Excellence in Craft contests It’s time to enter the 2010 Excellence in Craft contests. Who can enter? The 2010 contest is open to Active, SeniorActive and Life members. Read the print-friendly PDF of the 2010 contest rules and categories online: http://owaa.org/ou/2010eic-rules/

U.S. vs. Stevens OWAA joins assemblage of media organizations in an amicus brief, which was filed in the U.S. vs. Stevens case on July 24. http://owaa.org/ou/tag/us-vsstevens/

Photo Galleries Take a look at almost 100 photos from the Grand Rapids conference, including entries from the photo scavenger hunt. http://owaa.org/ou/category/ feature/photo-galleries/

Be Social Check out the OWAA Facebook fan page and stay up-to-date via Twitter. www.facebook.com/pages/ Outdoor-Writers-Association-ofAmerica/83324716940?ref=nf www.twitter.com/OWAAonline

Outdoor Market Jobs and editorial lisitings are updated through out the month. Don’t miss an opportunity to make money! http://owaa.org/ou/ category/market/ 12 OUTDOORS UNLIMITED Fall 2009

Keys to selling to small markets Session: “Making Money from Small Publications”

BY W.H. “CHIP GROSS ayne Van Zwoll is an OWAA member, book author, magazine writer and photographer specializing in hunting, conservation, rifles, cartridges, optics and shooting gear. He has made a large portion of his income contributing to outdoorrelated publications – many of them relatively small markets – and shared with annual conference attendees at Grand Rapids how they, too, can cash in. “When approaching a publication for the first time,” van Zwoll said, “consider four things: the homework, the contact, the pitch and the product.” He then elaborated on each point.

THE HOMEWORK Before ever approaching a publication, van Zwoll strongly suggests studying in depth the particular magazine you’d like to write for. “Mind the content, style, slant, even the advertisers,” he said. “And learn to read between the lines; in other words, what is not in the magazine? Whatever it is, it’s probably not there for a very good reason.” THE CONTACT Van Zwoll next recommended getting the name of a specific person at the magazine to contact. That person may likely be the editor, but it may be someone else altogether, so again, do your homework. And whatever you do, make sure to spell the person’s name correctly when you make that first contact. It may be surprising that in this electronic age van Zwoll prefers making his initial contact with a publication through a letter. “Few people take the time to write an actual letter anymore,” he said. “By doing so, you set yourself apart from all those other writers trying to break in to a publication.” If van Zwoll’s initial business letter of introduction is fruitful, his future correspondence with the editor – his story pitch – is then usually via e-mail. THE PITCH When querying a publication with a story idea, van Zwoll said, it’s important to show

Speaker: Wayne van Zwoll

imagination. “There’s a surfeit of information on the Internet and in print,” he said, “much of it redundant and useless. Convince the editor you can deliver new, practical information in a fresh, compelling way that will appeal not only to targeted groups, but also to casual readers.” He advised being specific about an article topic, but not dogmatic. “Show you have a plan, but leave the editor room to broach an alternative or to re-engineer your proposal.” Once you get the assignment, van Zwoll said, make sure to confirm the due date, format, word count, number of photos expected and pay schedule. Lastly, ask the editor, “Is there anything I should know that we haven’t covered?” THE PRODUCT When writing the assigned story, van Zwoll said, write as well as you can every time, no matter the pay. “A mediocre product may pass muster,” he said, “but it won’t get you more assignments. Consider each submission an investment in future projects.” Photos, too, should be the best you can make them, and van Zwoll told a story to illustrate the length he goes to obtain a good picture. “I was once on a hunting-story assignment when I killed a deer near dark, the light fading too fast for good photos,” he said. “So I took the deer to camp, but convinced the guide to help me return it to the woods early the next morning for photos. Together we did that, and the early morning light breaking over the mountain and onto the deer made for great photos.” A lot of work? Yes, but worth it. Lastly, van Zwoll reminded seminar attendees to always be professional when interacting with editors. “It pays big dividends,” he concluded, “with large publications or small.”

W.H. “Chip” Gross, of Fredericktown, Ohio, is a freelance writer, photographer, editor, lecturer and book author. In 2002, he completed a 27-year career with the Ohio Division of Wildlife. He can be reached at whchipgross@gmail.com.

2009 conference review: Grand Rapids, Mich.

Making it in nontraditional markets Session: “Beyond Hook & Bullet Writing: Success in Other Venues”

BY W.H. “CHIP GROSS Yesterday’s market for freelance outdoor material has either dried up, drastically changed, or morphed into an Internet vehicle with new rules and few regulations. How does an outdoor writer make a living anymore, especially in the current economic climate? Here are 15 ideas.” That’s how Tom Huggler, past OWAA president and Excellence in Craft Award winner, began his seminar. Following are Huggler’s suggestions of how to make money in tough economic times: 1. Don’t think like an “outdoor writer;” think like the professional communicator you are. 2. Cast a wide net and think outside the box. 3. Tune in to national concerns, some of which already are – or soon will

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become –major marketing trends: health care, retirement security, the “greening” of America, subsistence food gathering and growing, assisted living, etc. 4. Find mainstream and fringe magazine-writing opportunities (gardening, travel, bird watching, children). 5. Prospect the Internet for gold. 6. Write a book. 7. Go local with a PR campaign. 8. Try brochures, pamphlets and fliers. 9. Learn how to write press releases. 10. Try your hand at scriptwriting. 11. Offer a “work-for-hire” arrangement. 12. You have photography skills, rechannel and refocus them. 13. Hitch a ride on the “outdoor shows” express. 14. Polish your speaking skills. 15. Teach. Huggler’s take-home message was for outdoor communicators to diversify and

Speaker: Tom Huggler not put all their eggs in one market. Years ago, I was freelancing for Outdoor Life magazine and making good money,” he said. “I was their camping editor, and one year I made $34,000 from just that magazine alone. But the next year things changed at the magazine, and I took home about half that amount. The following year the magazine changed editors completely and I was out, making exactly zero. That’s how quickly things can change in the outdoor-communications business, so prepare for it.” W.H. “Chip” Gross, of Fredericktown, Ohio, is a freelance writer, photographer, editor, lecturer and book author. In 2002, he completed a 27-year career with the Ohio Division of Wildlife. He can be reached at whchipgross@gmail.com.

2010 conference preview: Rochester, Minn.

Rambling Around Rochester BY TIM LESMEISTER hile we think of Minnesota as the land of lakes, Rochester is also blessed with some of the finest fishing and canoeing rivers in the country. Bicycle trails weave through the river bluffs and the hiking through the hills is spectacular. Here are some details. The Zumbro River is a relatively easy canoe trip, although there are some rapids and boils that will get the heart pumping. The fishery is phenomenal with smallmouth bass, walleyes, saugers and the mighty muskellunge providing five-star fishing to those that venture down the winding waterway. Each year I make at least one trip down the Zumbro with Bill Plantan. Plantan builds the River Ridge Custom Canoe and has been guiding on this river for so many years

he deserves the title of grizzled veteran. Winding through the Whitewater State Park the Whitewater River is loaded with rainbow, brown and brook trout. In fact, some of the biggest brown trout caught in Minnesota come from the Whitewater River. Hiking trails in the park provide difficult climbing in some spots because they are in the river bluff country, but when you get to the top you discover the effort is worth the view. The 60-mile Root River Trail System is a paved bicycle path that winds through the most scenic part of Minnesota, with the town of Lanesboro as the hub of this system. Lanesboro has a vibrant downtown. Many of its buildings are listed on the National Registry of Historic Places and while this quaint town’s claim to fame might be having Buffalo Bill Cody as a resident in the mid-1800s there is an active arts community complete with professional the-

atre, art galleries, and entertainment. Remember when some thought the giant Canada Goose was extinct? Then they were discovered in Rochester in the winter of 1948. It began in the 1920s when a few wild geese returned each autumn to Mayowood Lake, attracted by a captive flock of Canada geese retained by the Mayo family. Now home to 30,000 – 35,000 geese (at the fall peak season), Silver Lake is the world’s largest winter concentration of the giant Canada goose. Tim Lesmeister s a fulltime freelance outdoor communicator and photographer. Contact him at tim@lesmonster.com. The full version of this article, including photos and contact information for the highlighted locations, can be found on OU Online.

www.owaa.org/ou OUTDOORS UNLIMITED 13

News Briefs Deer hunter to help conservation in Iowa

Go to OU Online for more details about these events and other news.

A nonresident deer hunter will help both the Indian Creek Nature Center in Cedar Rapids and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources protect and enhance wildlife. Under a cooperative agreement with the DNR the Nature Center is auctioning a coveted nonresident deer tag. Proceeds from the tag’s sale will be divided between the two organizations. For information go to www.iowadeertagauction.com.

Animated Cochran cartoons air on TV Award-winning outdoor cartoonist Bruce Cochran is making his mark on the television industry with “Weekend Warriors Cartoons,” humorous segments featured on the “Sportsmen’s Outdoor Strategies” television show (www.sostvonline.com).

http://owaa.org/ou/ category/departments/briefs/ Submit items for this department feature to aschroeder@owaa.org. dedicated to writing science for the public – all ages and genres. Nickum is a writer and editor for several aquaculture magazines and is OWAA’s newest board member. Check out her new Web site at www.marynickum.com.

Sweepstakes to benefit Alliance’s youth program

Web site explores science writing for the public Mary Nickum of Fountain Hills, Ariz., has established a new Web site that is

Members can help support the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance’s outdoor youth program through the Trailblazer Adventure Sweepstakes. The grand prize is $10,000 cash or a Toyota Tundra 4×4

lease. Tickets are available through the group’s Web site, www.ussportsmen.org/Page.aspx?pid=941.

Member’s blog chronicles Iraq war experiences Ben Christensen launched his Iraq war memoir as a serialized blog on July 4 at www.diggingfire.blogspot.com. The blog is titled “Digging for Fire” and is expected to run every day for about 100 days, detailing Christensen’s experiences in modern combat in al-Anbar Province, Iraq, in some of the worst days of the conflict in 2004-05.

HuntFishBuddy launches new application HuntFishBuddy Inc., a Web-based company that specializes in offering likeminded hunters and anglers an opportunity to connect as well as providing instant access to a myriad of outdoor information, has recently launched an all-new StayInformed application. Check it out: www.huntfishbuddy.com.

Association Update New Members Megan Wilde Jason D. Wells Marc Anthony Aaron Derr Randall L. Gilbert Jeff Kelm Doug Montgomery Ryan Newhouse Thomas Whetten J. Michael Checkett Daniel W. Draz Dennis Dunn Wende Gray Howard Meyerson Marilyn Stone Brad Whitlow Thomas H. Allen Charlotte Austin Ben Christensen Robin Kepple Timothy Lintz Ken Morrow Wilber Suiter 14 OUTDOORS UNLIMITED Fall 2009

For more assocation updates, visit OU Online.

http://owaa.org/ou/category/departments/assoc-update/ Reinstated Members Stephen Carpenteri Brian O’Keefe Bill Thompson

Deceased Members Jack Lorenz Frank Snare Dick Wolff Jack Kerins

New Supporting Groups, Agencies and Businesses Untamed Sports TV Woods-N-Water News GoFastandLight.com

Mule Deer Foundation Ski Vermont Vanguard USA Niagara Tourism & Convention Corp. Rod-N-Bobbs SportDOG Brand Wolverine Anglers Inn Lodge Bass Assassin Lures Inc. Catherine Miller & Associates Inc. Gary Yamamoto Custom Baits Inc. Gorilla Inc. Hi Mountain Jerky International Sportsmen’s Expositions Ruffed Grouse Society

Reinstated Supporting Groups, Agencies and Businesses Kansas Travel & Tourism Development Division Lightfield Ammunition Corp.

Contact Updates Chip Gross, whchipgross@gmail.com The contact information in the 2009-10 Membership Director for Bushnell Outdoor Products is incorrect. OWAA membership should contact Jen Messelt, Public Relations, Bushnell Outdoor Products, 9200 Cody St., Overland Park, KS 66214, (W) 913752-3400, (F) 913-752-3489, jmesselt@bushnell.com.

Full-page ad for Image Printing

Bookshelf BAREBOW! An Archer’s Fair-Chase Taking of North America’s Big-Game 29 By Dennis Dunn

Hunting Deer, Elk and Antelope in the Western States By Col. John H. Roush Jr.

Pocket Guide to Pennsylvania Hatches By Paul Weamer and Charlie Meck Here’s how to: Bait-Fishing for Trout By Terry Sheely Twelve Classic Trout Streams in Michigan: A Handbook for Fly Anglers By Gerth E. Hendrickson and Jim DuFresne

Where’s the rest of the Bookshelf? It’s online! http://owaa.org/ou/category/ departments/bookshelf/ Submit items for this department feature to aschroeder@owaa.org.

The Hunt: Challenge and Reward By John G. Whinery

Supporting Group News TIps FIREARMS & AMMUNITION

FISHING PRODUCTS & ACCESSORIES Berkley Berkley’s PowerBait Heavy Weights were created for multiple freshwater species action. These weights — the Fat SinkWorm and the lighter SinkWorm — have the PowerBait scent and flavor built into them. RIO Products International Inc. OutBound Short fly lines — a new series of fly lines by RIO — is designed to make fast, one-shot casts for maximum distances. Mann’s Bait Co. The newest addition to Mann’s Textured Stretch Series is the Stretch

OUTDOOR MARKET

http://owaa.org/ou/ category/departments/ supporter-newstips/ Alive. It has a four-piece, segmented body that undulates and wiggles while diving and maintaining its stated depth. Northland Fishing Tackle The Lip-Stick Swimbait Hook from Northland Fishing Tackle ensures that soft plastic swimbaits track true. The hook works with all 4-, 5-, 6, and 7-inch soft plastic swimbaits.

Crosman The new Crosman Nitro Piston technogolgy promises break barrel users greater accuracy due to quicker lock time, greater vibration dampening, a lower decibel report and significantly less recoil. OUTDOOR GEAR, CLOTHING & PRODUCTS Minox Sport Optics New Snow Hunter BV binoculars are designed with special lubricants to perform reliably in temperature ranging from -22°F to 140ºF. The hard aluminum body i sshockproof and can withstand severe weather conditions.

Jobs and editorial-needs lisitings are updated throughout the month. Don’t miss an opportunity to make money! Check out http://owaa.org/ou/category/market/.

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Copyright notice: Contributors grant rights for OWAA to publish once in Outdoors Unlimited, both the print and online versions, including archives, and on the OWAA Web site.

Fall 2009

16 OUTDOORS UNLIMITED Fall 2009