Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Publishing Girl

I have always been obsessed with magazines and the world of publication. As a teen, I would eagerly accompany my mom to the grocery store. Not to help her grocery shop. Sorry mom. Rather, to pour through the magazines at the new stand. My mom indulged us each trip and would buy my sister and I one horse magazine each. One of my childhood dreams was to create or publish my own magazine. The closest I got was a newsletter that I designed and published and mailed out to readers every month. I was 16 years old. It started out as The Pal Sheet, but evolved into Horse & Pal Lover's World.

It was designed for people of all ages that were interested not only in horses, but horsey pen-palling, which was a huge part of my youth. Did anyone else out there horsey pen pal? Do horsey slam books? I advertised my newsletter in the free classified section of Horse Illustrated magazine. Interested readers sent me a self-addressed-stamped-envelope to receive their issue.
Note, I am using the terms "designed and published" rather loosely. When I first started, I typed that newsletter up on a typewriter (non-electric, mind you) and made my copies using carbon paper. Remember that black or navy blue stuff? Those of you under twenty probably have no idea what I am talking about and will have to Google it. That meant I produced only two issues at a time. Later, I got really sophisticated. I typed up the issue, added clip art and drawings, then had my mom run the issues off on the copying machine at her work. Brilliant!

I was a self-publishing mini-mogul. Or would that be a mini-mogul self-publisher? I think H&PLW lasted about a year or two. Anyone out there remember the newsletter? Nah, I didn't think so. I developed a small readership (hmmm, about 9 people, including my parents, sister, and grandma.) I pretty much co-authored every article and story. I eventually had submissions from my readers, including some nice artwork and poetry. The staples are now rusted in my spare copies.

When I was 14 years old, I also had two articles published in Horse Illustrated magazine. One was about horse safety rules. The other....I can't recall. I remember getting my first paycheck. It was for $35. That is a lot of money to a young girl back in the mid-80's. I was very excited. I am sure I bought something like..... a new bareback pad for my pony. Which was probably better than my homemade ones.

As you can imagine, as I became more older, this evolved into writing for my high school newspaper and yearbook. And I took a creative writing class in college. Besides a few novel attempts filed away on the monster-sized, intermittent crashing PC that sits at my computer desk collecting dust, that has been about it. My many starts of teen romance novels and issues of H&PLW are now filed in crumpled manila envelopes in a box on my closet floor. But somehow, they were an inspiration. A creative part of my soul. And probably the reason I have found myself into this world of blogging.

Yep, I suppose I missed my calling as a premier magazine editor. However, I did happily become a consuming subscriber. To this day, I still love pouring over the glossy pages of a magazine. I love the way the pages of a new magazine smells. I have a picky and selective eye to layout and design. With the advent of the Internet, I worried that before long, paper copies of magazines would become obsolete. But they have appeared to hold their own. As much as I love reading information online, nothing compares to receiving a new issue of one of my favorite magazines in my mailbox. Or picking it up off the rack at the grocery store and throwing it in my cart.

These are the horse magazines that I currently receive in my mailbox each month:

John Lyon's The Perfect Horse features a lot of basic, common sense horse care and training. I love the cowboy culture of Western Horseman (I have been reading it since I was 10 years old) and drool over the ranches and cowboy way of life. And of course, in honor of my spotted pill, I get the Appaloosa Journal.
I am also a fan of many non-horsey magazines, although I have cut back on them in an attempt to save funds for my horse.
People magazine has recently been putting out these special country editions, which are fun. I am always lured by the elegant fashion and lifestyle spreads in In Style. I also enjoy the quintessential backyard parties using mason jars to serve lemonade in and the antique flea markets featured in Country Living and Country Home, neither of which I could find a copy of lying around here to take a picture of.

What inspired you to become a blogger? What magazines, both horsey and non, do you most enjoy reading, or looking at? Yes, there are months where I do not get to the reading part. I am a master at selective reading. My sister is the only person that will religiously read a magazine from cover to cover, bless her little tired little eyeballs.

P.S. I added my new email link to my sidebar.

31 comments:

  1. You are a good writer. Your writing ventures as a child/teen are impressive. The only magazine I am loyal to is Horse & Rider.

    I've been contemplating getting another subscription to Vanity Fair. There was a while when they kept coming out with exclusive articles on very interesting news topics, and then they went off on this tangent of only interviewing rap artists, which bored me, so I canceled my subscription. Hopefully, they are making better choices by now.

    I also canceled The Perfect Horse because the same old articles kept coming out -- mostly on grooming. I figure that if you own a horse and don't know how to groom it, you probably shouldn't own a horse.

    I canceled Equus, because that mag has this habit of trying to scare horse owners by writing all these warnings about terrible health conditions that your horse might possibly get someday. It reminded me of Reader's Digest and all their articles about what you must do to avoid diseases and accidents. I figure I can either sit here worrying about all the terrible things that can happen to my horse and me, or I can live my life. I canceled Reader's Digest too.

    Your blog is way more interesting than many of those magazines. Keep writing.

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  2. NM: I laughed when I read what you wrote about Equus! My sister gets that one, and yes, it is full of articles on things that can go wrong with your horse (case in point, I read a story about an Appy that had moon blindness, next thing I knew, I swore my horse was getting it!)

    I do enjoy H&R too, but again, my sister gets it (she gets them all) so I just read her issues when I am up there.

    My grandma always had Reader's Digest in the bathroom. I always wanted to submit a funny story and win $100. ;)

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  3. That is so cool that you were puplished at 14!! That is so neat that Horse Illistrated did that. I would have loved to have recieved your newsletter.

    I love the Quarter Horse Journal and the Paint Horse Journal. I was given the Perfect Horse mag. for a christmas gift two years ago. I think I no longer get it.

    In college I loved The Horse. It's a great mag. for horse health. That one is awesome and not too many people know about it.

    I currently get Horse Illistrated. My mom gave it to me as a gift, "thanks mom". My husband reads the aritcles and then quizes me on the articles. I then give them to my mother in law to read. She loves them.

    I love People!! That one is soooo good. I used to read it all the time at work. Now I only read it when i go to the Dentist office.

    I started blogging to let my family know what I am doing down here. They all live far far away from me. My closest sister blogs too, she introduced it to me.

    I love your writting, you are very talented!! Keep up the great blog!

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  4. Horse mags: I subscribe to Horse & Rider, Horse Illustrated and Equus (I agree it can be 'scary' lol). I cancelled Paint Horse Journal and AQHA Journal. Both seemed to be 90% ads. I also get Show Trail with my SHF membership (Saskatchewan Horse Federation).
    I pick up Perfect Horse occassionally and have been considering subscribing to it as well. I also sometimes pick up Horse Canada.

    Non-horse mags: I don't subscribe to any but I'll pick up People, Shape and Self. I try to limit this as part of my "budget".

    Blogging: Not too sure why I started. I think I caught the excitement and energy of sharing with people all over the place. I found a group of blogs that I enjoyed reading and thought I'd give it a shot. I honestly didn't think very many people would bother reading my little ramblings from the corner of nowhere... then I met a few people that I now consider "blog friends" :)

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  5. Only one horse magazine graces our mailbox: The Eclectic Horseman. I have had others over the years, but have managed to get by with that one alone since the invention of publishing via the internet. Non-horsey magazines: Sunset and Better Homes & Gardens, both of which are gift subscriptions that we don't pay for. Occasionally I will pick up another magazine here and there, depending on the content. Western Horseman, Cowboys & Indians, Arabian Horse World, and maybe some others.

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  6. Pony Girl, that's amazing - and not just the fact that you did all that with a typewriter and sheets of carbon paper, either!

    I get, and read - well, mostly - the Modern Arabian magazine that comes along with my AHA membership. Actually now we get two copies of that, so one goes to work with me and occasionally someone there leafs through it - horse propaganda! Ride an Arabian!

    Other than that, I'm primarily a book person. I can access Horse & Rider and I think, Horse Illustrated electronically via work - gotta take those library work perks were you find them, lol! - and sometimes I browse through to see what the latest topics are. (I like the Confirmation Clinic, but I never seem to pick the horses in the right order.)

    As to blogging, I'd never even considered it until I discovered that there are people out there who write well and entertainingly - are your ears burning yet? - about the mundane and everyday, as well as the exciting stuff of the horse world.

    Mainly, I like reading. I like writing. I'm a sucker for a cute pair of ears, a whiskery muzzle, and big brown eyes.

    And so I thought, hmmm.... Maybe I can do this, too - why not? And it's turning out to be a whole lot of fun.

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  7. I love the mags, I am junkie!!
    I currently get:
    Dressage Today
    Modern Arabian
    Horse and Rider
    Equss
    USEF
    Flying Changes
    My one totally non horsey mag....Town and Country. I love it. In fact Anyone I know who travels outside the US must bring me back a copy from that country, I dont care that I cant read it. I still love it.
    As for what inspired me to Blog, the thought of having a huge community to share ideas and a sounding board as I go on the "ride" of my life. I have learned so much. My two most favorite blog learning experiences to date have been Pine tar and how to use a crock pot!!!
    No really sometimes you hit a wall with your horse and it nice to get some fresh eyes and ears on the problem.

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  8. I love the mags, I am junkie!!
    I currently get:
    Dressage Today
    Modern Arabian
    Horse and Rider
    Equss
    USEF
    Flying Changes
    My one totally non horsey mag....Town and Country. I love it. In fact Anyone I know who travels outside the US must bring me back a copy from that country, I dont care that I cant read it. I still love it.
    As for what inspired me to Blog, the thought of having a huge community to share ideas and a sounding board as I go on the "ride" of my life. I have learned so much. My two most favorite blog learning experiences to date have been Pine tar and how to use a crock pot!!!
    No really sometimes you hit a wall with your horse and it nice to get some fresh eyes and ears on the problem.

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  9. As my sis said, I subscribe to alot of magazines. I just love to read. My other half thinks I am ignoring him when I read. But I will never stop reading.
    I subscribe to:
    The Paint Horse Journal- which I am not going to continue, as cdncowgirl says, it is mostly ads that are repeated from month to month.
    Horse and Rider- one of my fav's.
    Equuss
    The Perfect Horse
    Arabian Horse World
    The Horse
    Horse Illustrated
    Western Horseman
    I think that is it. I start to get so behind on reading them, you should see my stack of magazines on my coffee table! Just ask Pony Girl!
    I remember Pony Girls newsletter. She would interview me for articles. I loved this as a kid.
    My sis got the creative gene from the family. That gene passed right over me!

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  10. Sigh...I tend to pick up the freebies while at the tack store rather than subscribe; although occasionally I feel I can't live without a copy of Western Horseman. Northwest Horse Source would be the one I feel the most necessary of my freebies, mostly because they are kind enough to publish articles on my mustangs.

    Now you've really got me wondering just where the heck you are! Are you anywhere near WA state? Those pics just look so green!

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  11. You're a good writer, I really enjoy your blog - & hey maybe the blog will morph into a freelancing career - easier to juggle horses & your cowboy & ranch that way too!

    This post made me laugh so hard, b/c I was just the same as a kid. I also wrote newsletters [& I'm older than you so the technology was even more archaic!] as well as horse stories, fantasy, graphic novels ... My first "published" "book" was a winner in a state-wide competition for school kids. It was illustrated & properly bound & everything. It was about a white mouse called Souffle. Hey, I was 6! I think I won about $100.

    Ahhh magazines ... love 'em. That new magazine smell/texture IS addictive. I buy Hoofebeats, an Aussie horse mag & am trying to choose b/w a couple others. I also loooove InStyle - it's the only women's mag I'll buy, the rest piss me off too much with all the ads & the articles about what's wrong with you!

    - Jules

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  12. I am a magazine junky, which is NOT healthy to the wallet. Horse ones I get are NZ Horse and Pony, Natural Equine, Horse and Rider and Horse when I can find them. I am also into (well getting back into after 5 months off) multisport so get Multisport Monthly and Endurance. But it is all getting a bit much financially *sigh*

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  13. Ionly subscribe to The Perfect Horse right now. I can get H&R electronically at work...which is kind of cool.

    I will occaisionally buy Self, Shape or Oprah for fun reading...

    When I was a kid, I subscribed to Horse and Rider - I was so excited to get it in the mail every monht. We lived way out in the country, so getting mail was a big deal then!

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  14. I'm lame-I don't subscribe to any magazines. :(
    But I have no problem taking other people's castoffs. My mom get Western Horseman and Equus. She lets me read her WH at her house-but she don't let them leave-LOL. I am pretty sure she still has stacks of them from the 60's and 70's. I can remember leaving through those stacks when I was a kid.
    She got Equus for the granddaughter's because it has a lot of show tips, patterns, etc in it. Megan doesn't really "do" magazines-so I am stuck with leafing through and gathering the info for her. The other granddaughter quit the "horse thing" last year.
    Momma did subscribe to Taste of Home(the cookbook mag) for me as a Christmas present. I love that one. I LOVE to cook.

    Very impressive resume you built for yourself there Pony Girl. I can see you were a very focused and creative young girl. It is no wonder you are a teacher, and I whole-heartedly suspect, a VERY GOOD teacher. Never underestimate the value in that-even if the pay sucks-LOL.

    Blogging? Well, I got started to show my friend's in AZ what I was up to after I moved home-because I suck at writing letters, sending photos or keeping up with my email. My friend Angie suggested I read Mikey's blog(Thehorseshoeinghousewife) and I was hooked. Mikey was my farrier when I was in AZ and she is an awesome person-I miss her blog terribly. I really had no idea that anyone else would ever read my blog or find the things that Megan and I do on a daily basis interesting. But now I am hooked and even my honey is getting into the spirit of things and is going to start sending me pictures of his daily doings to add. I tried to convince him to let me add his own but he isn't going for that, YET.;)

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  15. Oh, I agree with everyone! I LOVE horse magazines! When I was a kid, I got Horse Illustrated. I switched to Practical Horseman for a few years, but then my riding became focused on dressage, so I switched to Dressage Today. Now that I've gotten into eventing, I switched back to Practical Horseman since the jumping and combined training articles are now coming in handy :-)

    I used to get scrapbooking magazines, but like you cut back on extra magazines to save a little money!

    I started blogging partially to communicate with my family back home in Minnesota. But I've also always loved writing and was an avid diary keeper. I'm an engineer, so I don't get to use my creative side very much. Blogging lets me write about whatever I want, not just boring technical stuff!

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  16. I was inspired to start a blog when I wanted to start journaling but wasn't able to get myself to journal "just for me". I thought hitting that publishing button would make it easier. In some ways it has been easier. In other ways, harder. But after 3 years of blogging, I still love it.

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  17. I found your blog! After you published a comment on my blog http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com/ I went back to Erica's to see if I could find you!

    It is nice to get to know you!

    LindaGay
    http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com/

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  18. I think your blog is very well written and I check in pretty much every weekday to see what's up.
    Magazines: I LOVE "Cowboys & Indians." A girls gotta have dreams right?
    I steer clear of most horse mags., they are scary..."Does Your Horse Have Hair Under His Tail?" "He could be suffering from blah, blah, blah."

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  19. Wow, I'm impressed. I would be thrilled to get a $35 cheque at any age from a magazine publisher.

    This article...oops, blog post....is timely because I was going to write about my favourite magazine(s) on my own blog. I'll expand it to talk about my love of writing in general and let you know when I have it up.

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  20. Well, I have to say that BECG is not the only oddball here- I too get no magazines. (I am too cheap to spend for them...hehe)

    BUT! When I was a pre-teen/ teen, I used to get Horse Illustrated. And since, Dear Pony Girl, we are the exact same age, I recall seeing your ad in the back on the mag. While I can not remember if I ever sent for your newsletter, I DO remember thinking what a great idea that was. ;)

    Why do I write? Beats me... OK OK so for real. I write to try and preserve what is left of my sanity. I write to connect with some other folks, since I am a hermit by choice. It helps keep me focused, and helps me realize that yes, I DO have value here still, as MORE than a Mom. Blogging allows for an adult connection between like minded folks, and you like minded folks are a help keeping me from the loony bin. Until My Horse finds me y'all are a fantastic connection that I have really come to value.

    Yeah Yeah... Mushy... lol

    Keep up the great job here PG- I stop in daily, and always enjoy your posts! And please forgive me if I dont get the chance to comment.... my intentions are grand but with the Wrecking Crew and Cub running amok (and usually nekkid,) my thoughts and intentions get derailed all too often!

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  21. There is just something about the big pretty glossy pictures isn't there? They don't translate the same to the computer monitor. I love to read blogs to read about people's everyday lives but magazines serve an entirely different purpose, they are more of an eye candy function. I do still love people to put pictures on their blogs and all for added enhancement but magazines are there for glossy pics. I'll read anything with pretty pictures, scrap booking, cooking, travel, entertainment you name it. Subscriptions? I think I've been gifted some scrapbooking ones and maybe a good housekeeping (?) but I haven't actually purchased one for myself in ages. I'm a total city girl and don't ride horses so I don't have any horse magazines. I tried for a year and it was really not pretty at all, I really loved grooming them though. I could groom a horse for hours if it'd hold still that long! Don't ask me why I read a ton of country/horsey life blogs, living vicariously I suppose?

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  22. I currently receive Horse Illustrated and Equus. I especailly love the Equus. Lots of really good information in it. Also Valley Vet and numerous other neat ones that make me want to circle everything on every page that I want just like I did when I was young and got ahold of the Sears catalog. I love my horsey magazines. Usually my daughter snatches them up before I get home from work. Periodically I go in her room searching out the new ones I haven't read yet.

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  23. I forgot to say how I started blogging. My beloved brother has been blogging for years now. He is a recovering alcholic and it helps him in his recovery. It has helped as well. I have learned to live my life with gratitude and it has made a huge difference. Case in point. I was recently diagnosed with cancer, T-Cell Lymphoma. Initally I was upset but after that first day I put it in the Lord's hands and it all worked out. Now I look forward to posting daily. I don't always get to it every day but I try!

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  24. I love way too many magazines also, especially anything to do with horses.
    Love the new look!!!

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  25. Congratulations look at you a publisher! Very talented! How are you at marketing!!
    Magazines... I pick up "SHAPE" no and again, the last "COWBOY & Indians"(because it has Tom Selleck on the cover!!)Also one day I want my art to be in that kind of magazine! My husband has a subscription to "Super Looper"... I have to admit I only buy them if I look inside and see something I like!
    Blogging... I started as a way to get out of the house! I take alot of photos! I know, one could never tell!! I enjoy posting my pictures and writing about the moment. I love getting all the responses! I love all the people that take the time to respond, several of which I have become fast friends with! Yes I am addicted!!

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  26. It's all about Practical Horseman to me. It's like the bible I look forward to every month! I also still get horse illustrated every month. As a kid I would tear out the middle breed page and had literally hundreds posted all over my room in my parents house.

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  27. You are a good writer, I am not! I try!

    Love the mags as well. We receive Horse Illustrated, Western horseman, Livestock Weekly. I pick up others at the store and read them! I love them as well. And the picture this month on the front of WH of Stoney Jones! I have meet him at our last men's rodeo, he is a super nice guy and good looking, and Married! UGH-would've been a great one for PG!!! I have my eyes peeled for ya!

    Have a great day! I would have subscribed to your horsey newsletter! There's a idea, restart your newsletter-HMMMM the possiblities!

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  28. Missed the blogging question! I started blogging because of my sister. She emailed me about it about a year and a half ago and I decided to do it to keep in touch with her. Kinda like a online scrapbook, since she lives in GA. Man I was not expecting what I found! I have meet some awesome friends out there in bloggerville. It has been such a blessing for me! I do not have alot of girl friends, girls or women around here do not get me, they are more into there looks, etc, etc, etc. I am horse crazy and love the outdoors! Odd that I have connected with women I have never even meet! I would love to meet everyone of you! We could have tons of fun! We need to have a horsey bloggers convention/get together or something. I do consider every one of you my friends and look forward to checking your blogs!

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  29. I get People and Reader's Digest. We used to get Western Horseman, but I think my subscription ran out. Oh, we also get Farm and Ranch magazine. I like that one a lot. It's a quick little read.

    Love your newsletter!!! Great fun. You are a great writer-quite the talent. I think that's why you have so many faithful followers. I like how you keep things exciting by posting on all different kinds of things. (Like this post for instance.) Keep on keepin' on! :)
    Michelle

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  30. I was on a break at work and only got to leave a brief comment.
    I do not get any magazines right now because I cannot afford them. I got People for almost 6 years. I also got Equus for a few years. Now I just buy a mag every so often to get my "fix" for a good horse article.

    I started blogging to let my family know what is happening with us out here. I read other blogs to learn and I enjoy seeing other places and reading of other's experiences with horses.

    There is not enough time in the day to be able to read all the blogs I want, nor be able to jot down what is news on the home front, so we do it as time permits.

    I enjoy your blog immensely, keep it up!
    Happy horsin' around!

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  31. Wow! That's impressive! What an entrepreneur you were! You even sold subscribions. You should write for magazines now. Do you also subscribe to Writer's Digest? Now I know we're on the same wavelength. I subscribe to a ton of magazines too, plus I was also published in Horse Illustrated! And the name--Pony Girl. PonyHoney.

    www.GreenerPastures--ACityGirlGoesCountry.blogspot.com

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I love hearing from my readers!! I truly enjoy all of your feedback, advice, helpful tips, and stories. You all make me laugh and I learn so much from you, too. I will try to post replies to your comments as often as I can.

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