Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Livin' the Dream

Back in 2005, a new magazine hit the stands called America in WWII. I had recently completed my MA in history with a focus on World War II, so I snatched it up, eager to see what it had to offer. I wasn't disappointed. It was printed on lovely, slick glossy paper, had wonderful photos, and incredible articles.

At that time, writing magazine articles wasn't on my radar. But as the years passed, I kept thinking, "Hmm. I'd love to be published in this magazine."

It soon became my dream publication. And when I finally had a story to offer them, I emailed my query. It took a few tries and some persistence on my part, but it paid off. My first article, "Government Girl" was published in the April 2012 issue. It was about Mary Lou Moorberg, a Nebraska girl in the 1940s who moved to Washington D.C. to work for the FBI during the war.


My second article on World War 2 combat artist Ed Reep,"Artist Under Fire" appeared in the August 2012 edition, available on newsstands now. Ed is an incredible man and my correspondence with him remains some of the most meaningful of my life.

It's an amazing feeling, to see my name in print in my dream publication, to read my words, and to realize that I did it.





24 comments:

  1. Ooh! You're so inspiring me. I've been thinking about magazine writing for a while now. I think its time to start drafting articles and queries :)

    Sarah Allen
    (my creative writing blog)

    ReplyDelete
  2. That is so awesome. I'm so excited for you.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hurrah!!! Congrats, Melissa! That is wonderful news. Keep going!! xo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Talei! It's very exciting!!!

      Delete
  4. Congrats! That is awesome! I love that magazine myself. It always has outstanding content. Now I just love it even more!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, thank you, DK! I'm so glad you enjoy it and I hope you enjoy my articles, too!

      Delete
  5. It is a wonderful feeling of achievement, isn't it? Well done you!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Congratulations - I suppose if you don't have a dream it can't come true - glad this dream came true for you. You will have to give those of us who don't live in the US a little snippet of the articles!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Clare! I'll try to get a snippet of it on here for you. :)

      Delete
  7. It's amazing for me to see your name in print too, my dear! xx

    Congrats again-for both well written, well deserving articles!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Congratulations. What a wonderful achievement!

    ReplyDelete
  9. That's wonderful, Melissa. Well done. I look forward to reading a snippet on your blog.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Congrats!! Truly a job well done. :)))

    ReplyDelete
  11. Yay, Melissa! It's wonderful when dreams come true. I only wish your article was online so I could read it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Christine! I wish it were online, too. They do put some of their articles online later, so maybe mine will be one of them. :)

      Delete
  12. Congratulations on your publications!

    ReplyDelete

I love to hear from you!

Staying Focused

Friends, sometimes it is exhausting to try and stay focused on goals. Eat healthier. Lose weight. Exercise.  Find a literary agent. Edit the...