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Re: [GWL]: syndicated columns

I've been following the conversation about syndication with interest.  For
those of you who did not attend the workshop at the GWAA symposium last
month on syndication, let me capsulize.  Marty Ross writes for Universal
Syndicate, and they distribute her column nationwide to about 250
newspapers.  She is the one who stated she gets about $1 per word for her
weekly column.  She provides art at no additional charge.  Jan Riggenbach,
the other panelist, self syndicates her Midwest Gardening column to about 40
newspapers.  I may be wrong on the number (I didn't take notes), but it is
under 75 outlets.  She gets between $10 and $100 per column, depending on
the circulation numbers of the newspaper buying.  The bigger the
circulation, the higher the fee.  In total, Jan probably makes more per
column than does Marty.  These two ladies presented an accurate account of
both sides of syndication.

In the 1990's, when I lived in Texas, I started writing a newspaper column
for the local paper, which was part of a chain of 23 papers in Texas and the
Deep South. Within 6 months, the entire chain was running my garden column
weekly, and I was billing them individually-- $15 to $40 each, depending on
size.  I wrote the first 12 columns for free to show the local editor that
there was a demand for gardening news and that I could deliver on time.
Even though I was a former editor at the Houston Chronicle (a much, much
bigger newspaper than the local one), that editor didn't know who I was.
Which brings me to my point.  Local gardening columns and regionally
syndicated ones give you exposure that national publications don't.  When I
started writing the local column, I had just been named Contributing Garden
Editor at Woman's Day magazine (circulation 23 million at that time).  My
neighbors didn't have clue about what I did for a living, other than I
stayed home all day, puttered in my huge garden and spent hours in front of
a computer.  Frankly, they thought I was strange.  Within a few weeks of the
local garden column's inception, I was locally famous.  People stopped me at
the grocery store.  My husband's co-workers sent home gardening questions
for me to answer.  And, the local cable TV station asked to film my garden.
With the regional columns, I had even more regional notice.  The PBS station
in Houston came out to film my garden.  I started to appear on network TV
affiliates as a garden expert, etc.

So ask yourself.  Do I want to make money or do I want fame?  You don't make
big money in syndication, but you can with magazine writing.  On the other
hand, magazines don't bring you recognition.  It's up to you.
Doreen Howard

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