[tmbchr]™

Magazine Articles ‘n Shit



While I’m on the topic of of publishing, I’m also hatching a plan to break into magazine writing. I think it would be really good for me to (1) polish my style a bit, and (2) reach new people, and (3) interact as part of a larger community. I don’t have any grand ambitions that any “big” magazines are going to want to publish the kind of weird crap I write about (at least not right away), so I was hoping to get recommendations from people about small magazines who might be a good match for my voice and style. The main areas I see myself as being a competitive writer in are probably:

  1. Religion & Spirituality (in general)
  2. Conspiracy Theory
  3. Emergent Christianity
  4. Gnosticism
  5. Paranormal
  6. Some Occult, Paganism, etc
  7. Anarchism, Activism, Counter-Culture
  8. New Age (but only with a twist)
  9. Psychedelics/Consciousness Exploration
  10. Pop Psychology/Philosophy (again with a twist)
  11. Mythology
  12. Pop Culture (at least as it intersects the rest)

Plus any combination of those - and that’s probably my real strength, is combining and making accesible things that are weird and complex. Anyway, right, so if people know of either small-medium print magazines that I could try and build a base from, I’d love to get some suggestions. I’d also consider websites (webzines, though I hate that term), although I’d personally prefer to get it out there and in print - since I’ve got a good handle on the internet side of things right now. Doesn’t have to be a paying market, or a remotely well-paying market. Just something to start.







11 Reader Responses

  1. Mort Says:
    July 27th, 2005 at 10:45 pm

    Why not just start your own ? a pdf for print would be great for starters..
    I really like what Greg has done with Sub Rosa over at the dailygrail site.
    Or maybe even submit some articles for inclusion with it ?

  2. Occult Investigator Says:
    July 27th, 2005 at 11:14 pm

    Nah, I don’t want to start my own (plus I hate pdfs). I already have my own (this site). I want to branch out to work with other people on what they are doing and contribute, rather than be the driver. I’ve actually already spoken with Greg at Sub Rosa, and we’re gonna try to put an article together in one or two issues from now. Thanks though!

  3. autrect Says:
    July 27th, 2005 at 11:44 pm

    Nexus - everything from historical conspiracy theory to debunking false medicine and pyschology like ADD, but also new agey stuff and “future science”; some quality pieces, and lots of long pieces: http://www.nexusmagazine.com/

    Atlantis Rising - same thing but not nearly as good, and with shorter pieces; more ancient archeology and weird science stuff, but definitely stuff about myths and goddess theory-like stuff: http://www.atlantisrising.com/

    Fortean Times - some quality stuff, some more junky stuff, but always with humor, and lots of stuff about myths: http://www.forteantimes.com/index.php

    Paranoia - it’s the conspiracy magazine; terrible layout, and a lot of terrible writing, but some gems in there: http://www.paranoiamagazine.com/

    Other than UFO Magazine, those are the only ones I fuck with, but there’s a couple others of note, including a small pocket-size journal I can’t remember the name of.

  4. Occult Investigator Says:
    July 27th, 2005 at 11:58 pm

    Thanks autrecht! Those are great suggestions

    New Dawn also seems like an option: http://www.newdawnmagazine.com/

  5. LVX23 Says:
    July 28th, 2005 at 12:35 am

    You should look into Metacine as well.

  6. Occult Investigator Says:
    July 28th, 2005 at 12:42 am

    Yeah, I’ve already been in contact with Daniel - thanks LVX! I’m looking forward to seeing what kind of culture develops around that magazine.

  7. John Says:
    July 28th, 2005 at 2:35 am

    You could always try Newtopia too. It’s online, but it’s a forum…

  8. James Russell Says:
    July 28th, 2005 at 10:29 am

    Definitely try breaking into Fortean Times. I’ve always looked at it as being the upper end of this sort of writing market.

  9. Fell Says:
    July 28th, 2005 at 1:22 pm

    New Dawn kicks my ass, definitely check that one out. It’s out of Australia, but worth it. Others that will publish this sort of content and aren’t, by my own standards degraded to the laughable “conspiracy” section of the magazine rack, are:

    THIS Magazine

    Parabola

    Utne

    Vice

    And honestly, why not try sending an article to Details or something a little more mainstream. Like I said, switch over the context for a new audience rather than “preaching to the choir”? They need new shit to report on, too.

  10. Occult Investigator Says:
    July 28th, 2005 at 1:36 pm

    Yeah, that’s one thing I want to seriously consider, is being able to take the pop culture side, and use that as a means for delivering the weird side - rather than the other way around. Sort like defamer meets weirdness, instead of just simple gossip

  11. Fell Says:
    July 28th, 2005 at 2:24 pm

    The University of Alberta’s newspaper, The Gateway, had a huge cover article and two-page spread a year or two back on contemporary Satanism. It was awesome to see cuz that was totally the last thing I expected when I walked by. It was an unbiased look at Satanism and it was taken with more interest and curiosity than skepticism and censure, from what I could tell. It’s cuz they approached it as they’d approached any other article.

    I believe that mainstream publications would be willing to explore the occult, but with two things to keep in mind: a) don’t let them fuck around with the approach or context to sensationalise it out of context, and b) because an article such as this would be representing a hugely misunderstood, censured, and ridiculed contingent of scholars, there may be some social politics to keep in mind when representing us to the world at large.



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