“I am GardenComm” by Larry Hodgson

by Larry Hodgson

With the coming of the New Year, the Garden Writers Association (GWA) has taken advantage of its 70th anniversary to update its name. It is now Garden Communicators International and will be known as GardenComm. This name change has been a long time coming.

This was long the logo of the Garden Writers Association.

It’s been apparent for years that the name “garden writers”  simply didn’t cover it all. Many of its members are photographers, artists, lecturers, garden tour hosts, horticultural consultants, podcasters, PR people for public gardens and the horticultural industry or work on radio or television. All do reach out to gardeners to share information, but they don’t all write. Even garden bloggers—and there are many of us!—often don’t, for some reason, seem to consider themselves writers. So, a more comprehensive name was needed … a name like Garden Communicators International, GardenComm for short. Because all of us (yes, I’m a member!) communicate about gardens and gardening. It’s what we do and it’s what brings us together! 

I’ve been a GWA member for over 30 years. In fact, I’m a past president of the association and have held all sorts of offices within GWA over the decades, including chairing the Local Arrangements Committee for the Quebec City symposium in 2013. 

I can still recall how surprised I was to learn there was actually an organization for people like myself who made their living communicating about gardening. I was, in 1983, just starting my career, writing freelance about my passion for gardening for a newspaper and a few magazines and beginning to give lectures. I had no idea what I was really doing and whether you could actually make a decent living at it (I certainly wasn’t at that point). Then, while I was in Miami for the World Orchid Conference, I heard that there was a “Garden Writers Association of America” meeting in the hotel just across the street, so I wandered over … and met the friendliest people I’d ever run into to in my life. They just welcomed me in (well, I did have to pay admission, of course!) and presented me around. To my astonishment, I found myself hobnobbing with famous authors (well, famous in the gardening world) who treated me like I was one of them! And, I now realize, I was! 

I ended up skipping the rest of the orchid show and spending the final part of my trip attending outstanding lectures, visiting extraordinary gardens and simply socializing with this new group of like-minded people (we’d call that networking today). I was hooked!

Don’t miss the 2019 Annual Conference and Expo.

It was thanks to GWA that I got my first book contract, that I learned how to put together a decent PowerPoint presentation, that I learned the tricks of the trade of being a garden speaker, that I was able to pick up the latest gardening news and trends and that I simply developed the reassurance that what I dreamed of doing—making sharing my passion for gardening my life’s work—was indeed a viable way of life. And every year I attend the annual conference and exposition, wherever it takes place (it will be in Salt Lake City in 2019!), to reconnect with old friends, meet new ones, pick up new information and visit exclusive gardens. I owe GWA—now GardenComm—all my gratitude. 

Visiting outstanding gardens is one of the main draws of the Annual Conference & Expo.

On the QT, GardenComm’s bimonthly newsletter.

Are you a garden communicator? Do you blog, write about gardening for a local paper, share information about gardening in other ways? Why not consider joining GardenComm? At $105 US for a year’s membership, that’s a whole lot less than just about any other professional organization (indeed, I spend more every year on seeds!) and you certainly get your money’s worth. And tell them the Laidback Gardener sent you, for…  I am GardenComm!

Larry Hodgson

Meet the Author

Larry Hodgson is a freelance garden communicator living in Quebec City, Canada. A past president of GardenComm, he writes regularly for various publications, lectures widely and is the author of over 50 gardening books. You can read his daily gardening blog at laidbackgardener.blog. 

Pitch it Right for a Home Run

by Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp

GardenComm members and others recently posted on The Business of Garden Writing Facebook page that they wanted to know more about pitching to editors. Here are some tips on pitching articles for magazines, newspapers, corporate blogs, newsletters and other publications. 

• Make sure the publication accepts freelance articles, photos or artwork. Not all of them do. Check the publication’s website for guidelines on submissions. Some publications provide guidelines and some do not.  
• In the publication’s staff box or on the website, try to identify to whom the submission should be sent. Avoid “to whom it may concern.” If it’s unclear, send the pitch to an editor and address him or her by name. 
• Read the publication. I know this sounds really basic, but you’d be surprised how many freelance writers don’t do this. If you can’t get an actual copy, look at the website. Pay attention of the tone of articles, what kinds of information is generally included. Are articles reported or written from personal experience? Are articles illustrated with photography or other graphics? If there’s a pay wall, call or write the publication and ask for a sample copy. 

• Articulate in the pitch how your article fits in the magazine, what news or information does it present? Does it advance a topic? Will it speak to a certain demographic or skill level? 
• Include a brief bio that indicates where you’ve had articles, photos or artwork published. You want to reinforce that you are experienced and up to the job. 
• Identify whom you would interview for the article and what information they would contribute. 
• Submit a summary of what the article will say.  
• Send a couple of examples of photos or graphics that could illustrate the article. These do not need to be extremely high res, but should be large enough that the editor can get a good sense of the quality of the image. Keep in mind that some publications will assign their own photographer and graphic artist. 

• Does the publication use a particular style, such as Associated Press? If so, write your article in that style. Follow any guidelines provided. Editors appreciate not having to edit for style, do they can focus more on content, clarity, flow and other aspects of storytelling. 
• Consider running the pitch by someone who has written for the publication for review. 
• Most publications work with writers and photographers as work-for-hire, so make sure to understand what rights you retain, if any.  
• Usually email is the best way to submit ideas. Follow up with a phone call or an email in a couple of weeks. I know it’s terribly unprofessional, but some editors do not respond at all.  
• Submit a clean, well-written, error-free pitch. Good luck! 

A recent experience 

Someone recently pitched a story for one of the magazines I edit. The idea was a good one, but it was obvious that she’d not read the magazine. Still, I accepted the story idea, which had good photos. That and the fact that I actually needed an article like she pitched. 

I sent her the guidelines for the article and she immediately sent back her piece, not written in the format required. In fact, there was no article, only photos. I emailed her back, suggesting that I had not been clear in what was needed and explained in more detail. I told her the info was in the guidelines. Her response was she had a creative brain and was not a detail person and had overlooked the instructions. She agreed to read the directions and resubmit the article. 

So, once you get the job, follow the guidelines and meet the deadlines. The less work or worry you make for an editor, the more likely you’ll get more assignments. 

 Meet the Author

Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp, vice president of GardenComm, is editor of On the QT and the former editor of five magazines.  This article recently appeared in On the QT, Jan-Feb 2018. 

 

Baseball image courtesy of Worldsartsme.com 

“I am GardenComm”- C.L. Fornari

GardenComm member C.L. Fornari writes, speaks and broadcasts about plants and gardening, but at night she relaxes by playing around with Photoshop.