Thanks to Lorraine Chittock for sending me information about a lesser known (unless you read it of course!) magazine called Saudi Aramco World.
From the magazine's introduction:
"Saudi Aramco, the oil company born as an international enterprise 75 years ago, distributes Saudi Aramco World to increase cross-cultural understanding. The bimonthly magazine's goal is to broaden knowledge of the cultures, history and geography of the Arab and Muslim worlds and their connections with the West. Saudi Aramco World is distributed without charge, upon request, to interested readers worldwide."
How about that? The opportunity to get published in a magazine that has been published since 1949!
If you search their site there have been several articles about diving, going back to the 60's, so they have room for more.
And if any of you are thinking, "my principles won't allow me to write for a magazine sponsored by an oil company," my advice would be to get off your high horse. As a journalist you have an opportunity to contribute to the world out there, and while you might not agree with some of the issues you write about, what better way is there to influence and change opinions? And who is to say yours are right?
You can find their contributor guidelines here.
What I found interesting about them:
An open invite from freelancers with a mention that the contributions are almost all freelance.
What they publish: "Positive and non-political stories of lasting educational value about aspects of the Arab and Muslim worlds, their arts, history, geography, biography, cross-cultural connections and trends."
With a little imagination it would be easy to weave in an idea which includes diving and aspects of cross-cultural communication, for example, working as a dive guide from either perspective, as a Muslim who may be native to an area (I'm thinking of the Red Sea here), or as a non Muslim European working on a dive boat with Muslims - how the two cultures manage to work alongside each other.
Or how about this one - the cultural diversity in a town like Sharm El Sheikh from the diving industry's perspective, at what point do you stop being a European, American or Egyptian and earn the title, "Sharmer?"
Sometimes editor's inject a little bit of humour into their CG, for example:
"Clear narrative focus and a peg are essential. The reader needs to know right away why this story was worth pulping trees to publish it."
I'd bear this in mind with anything you write.
The guidelines are very precise in respect of how to submit queries, so follow them to the letter or you will end up annoying the editor (can you guess what will happen to your copy if you don't?).
And they do pay - varies according to what you are submitting and who you are.
There are excellent CG - and if you're not so bothered about writing for this title, I'd take a look at them anyway. All CG are of worth - they tell you exactly how editors think.
Thanks again Lorraine,
Keep writing...
Brendan
Recent Comments