I submitted a short story this morning to the quilting magazine, The Quilt Life. It’s the production featuring Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims. One thing I enjoyed about it was the approach, looking at quilting from multiple angles. It was NOT just a pattern magazine.
So… I emailed the story in and immediately received an automated response — thanks but don’t call us, we’ll call you.
And about ten minutes ago I received another email. This was from the Editor-in-Chief. Imagine such immediate feedback! I was stoked!
She said, “HI Melanie, I love it!”
And then she said, “Unfortunately, the American Quilter’s Society has decided to cease publication of The Quilt Life. The October issue will be the last one.
You could shop it around to other quilt magazines and get a response, I’m sure. Good luck!”
Well, so the good news is, she LOVED it!
Catbird Quilt Studio 
I am completely bummed that TQL is ceasing publication. I love that magazine!
It’s a shame, isn’t it? It’s a tough business these days, more than ever.
I’m thrilled for you that you received a response! Great job. Yes it appears several publications have gone by the wayside but there’s still several good ones out there. For years I’ve taken Amer.P&Q, and the in past year or two Quilters World, gleaming ideas from their quilting examples. Maybe consider submitting/contacting one of the quilting magazines who possibly would give you some direction. Worth a try I say.
Yes, worth a try. No bad thing would happen, right? I actually went to high school (and was on the speech team) with the woman who’s been the chief editor of quilting pubs for APQ. Would like to reach her and ask for ideas.
I’d give it a try…nothing gained nothing ventured I say. It just might be the answer you’ve been looking for.
I agree that the overall feeling of this is “good news.” You got positive, warm feedback and encouragement–that’s more than some writers ever get! I hope you’ll continue to look for a home for the piece.
Thanks, Kerry. I am actually happy about it. I giggled for quite a while, both at pleasure of getting such a positive response, and the irony of the timing. 🙂
Good for you! I have found writing for magazines “challenging” so you probably will enjoy it 😉
HA! Thanks very much. 🙂
It’s a bit hard to figure out a good quilting magazine home for a fiction piece by someone who isn’t a known name. Think Jennifer Chiaverini. Quilters Newsletter does a “300 words about quilting” feature each issue on specific topics listed about 4 issues in advance. I think they’re going for nonfiction reflections pieces, however. I don’t think NQA’s Quilting Quarterly does fiction, though they’re always on the look out for articles about quilters who’ve made special contributions to the craft.
And it does seem that there’s a new quilting magazine popping up every few months, though the big growth area seems to be either beginning or modern quilting.
Well, that leads us to self-publishing.
True on all that. The publishing industry has changed, and the change continues to escalate. It isn’t necessarily good or bad, but it does make it confusing for writers! Self-publishing is a great way to go for a lot of written work. It doesn’t work as well for some things, especially when a lot of graphics/photos/illustrations are involved. And short stories have always had a hard time, but magazines that used to include fiction no longer do.
Oh, shucks! For the story, that is — I did not get into The Quilt Life magazine. However, I subscribe to a half-dozen quilt magazines. I like print-on-paper. (I also love to get mail.) The librarian in me likes bibliographic completeness 🙂 so I have AmP&Q since issue 1 and Quilters Newsletter back to the early 70’s. I am not so fanatical about complete runs of the other magazines, though.
I didn’t subscribe to The Quilt Life. I actually never looked at one until I brought 3 issues home with me from guild Monday night! But I was intrigued that it wasn’t just a pattern magazine. So my disappointment, such that it is, is for me rather than for the magazine.
The piece I submitted is short fiction. Any recommendations for an alternate publisher?
Thanks for taking a look and commenting.
There are more and more retail outlets who are discontinuing many, if not all, of their magazines. I was at Barnes and Noble Bookseller and could not believe how many new quilt magazines are out right now. I have cut back dramatically on my subscriptions……down to 1 then I got a sub. to Machine Quilter. I wonder if the market place is way too saturated!!!!!! (and our homes too full of mags!!!!!!!).
I think I’m down to one, also. And in truth, I could get rid of it and not miss it much… There’s so much content online, not just eye candy, but patterns, tutorials, inspiration. And most of it is free.
Thanks for stopping by.
That’s awful! Have you considered any other magazine?
I would love to submit it somewhere else. Do you have great ideas where? I don’t get many magazines. Thanks!
There are a number of good magazines and much would depend on what you’re writing about and your style.
I have a love for Generation Q Magazine (being an Associate Editor). If you’re writing about machine quilting: Machine Quilting Unlimited; there’s Quilters Newsletter, AQS has a magazine and F&W has several magazines.
Look at the submission guidelines and go have fun!
My story is humorous fiction, which limits it quite a bit. … I’ll admit, I don’t get out much! Just looked at the website for Generation Q and it looks like fun. Do you think it would be a candidate?
Thanks so much!
The same thing happened to my best friend when she submitted a short story to a local publishing company. It’s amazing how many publishers are being sucked under because of the internet.
Internet has changed paper publishing, to be sure!
I’m sorry that the magazine will be discontinued, but great job!!! We’ll you submitted it elsewhere?
I will look for something else, yes. It’s a story I wrote last year in a writing class. The instructor encouraged me to submit it, but other projects came up and I didn’t follow through. Now, apparently, it is time. 🙂