Hey there, outdoor enthusiasts with a flair for the written word! 🌲🎣 Are you ready to turn your hunting and fishing adventures into cash? Get excited, because Gray’s Sporting Journal offers up to $1,250 for your riveting stories and breathtaking photographs.
This quick guide will walk you through everything you need to know about contributing to a publication that’s as passionate about the great outdoors as you are. Discover how to share your tales and snapshots with an audience that appreciates the wilderness and its stories, and learn how your contributions can not only inspire but also pay off! 💰✨
What is Gray’s Sporting Journal?
Gray’s Sporting Journal stands out as the quintessential collection of the finest in sporting literature, art, photography, and adventure tales since its inception in 1975. 🌟
Founded by Ed and Rebecca Gray, this magazine has become the hallmark of excellence for enthusiasts of hunting and fishing around the globe.
Here’s why Gray’s is in a league of its own:
- Unique Content: It’s the only magazine offering a rich mix of sporting fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and breathtaking photographic essays.
- Target Audience: Dedicated to sophisticated sportsmen and women, Gray’s attracts wing shooters, fly anglers, big-game hunters, conservationists, and collectors of sporting art.
- Quality & Authenticity: With unparalleled photography and world-class journalism, Gray’s promises a high-quality reading and visual experience that dives deep into the essence of outdoor sporting.
Is Gray’s Sporting Journal legit?
Absolutely! 🔍
Here’s why Gray’s Sporting Journal is not just legitimate, but a cornerstone in the world of sporting literature:
- Established Legacy: With a history dating back to 1975, it has been captivating its audience for nearly five decades.
- Gold Standard: Often referred to as the gold standard of outdoor literature, it upholds the highest quality in content and presentation.
- Discerning Audience: Catering to a readership that values quality over quantity, Gray’s has become a cherished part of its readers’ outdoor experiences and lifestyles.
- Generational Bond: It’s not just a journal; it’s a tradition passed down through generations, connecting people with shared passions for the outdoors, storytelling, and impeccable photography.
What exactly is Gray’s looking for?
Gray’s Sporting Journal seeks to captivate its audience with vivid, engaging content that spans the rich tapestry of hunting and fishing experiences.
Here’s a snapshot of what they’re on the hunt for:
Content Type & Style
- Vivid Prose: Fact or fiction, the writing must be compelling and entertaining for a sophisticated audience. 📝
- Manuscript Length: Stories can range from 1,500 to 12,000 words, depending on the tale’s needs. The key is quality over quantity.
- Originality: Only unpublished material is considered, except for occasional prepublication book excerpts.
Editorial Needs
Gray’s is always on the lookout for manuscripts that fit within or even stretch beyond these themes:
- Themed Issues: They publish four themed issues a year, focusing on Fly Fishing, Upland Bird Hunting, Big Game, and Expeditions and Guides. 🎣
- Varied Topics: Interested topics include waterfowl, turkeys, small game, unusual quarry (like feral hogs), and sporting adventures in both foreign and domestic locales.
- Yarns: These are the campfire tales, either tall tales or true stories, that engage and entertain.
Features & Yarns
- Features: Can be factual or fictional narratives, long or short, but generally no shorter than 1,500 words. 📚
- Yarns: Shorter tales, ranging from 750 to 1,500 words, perfect for sharing around a campfire.
Expeditions
- Travel Pieces: Stories that transport readers to interesting hunting or fishing locales, with vivid storytelling and descriptive imagery. 🌍
- Length & Support: Expeditions articles typically run between 2,500 and 3,000 words, accompanied by quality photographs.
Photography
- Unpublished Photos: Gray’s seeks stunning photographic essays and visuals that have not been published elsewhere. 📸
- Submission Formats: Digital photography is the standard, with preferences for TIFF format or high-resolution JPGs.
- High-Quality Images: Use the highest megapixel camera available, set to “Adobe RGB” with no image adjustments.
- Contact Sheets: Include a color thumbnail contact sheet to expedite the photo-editing process.
- Photographic Essays: They are looking for essays that tell a complete story of a hunting or fishing adventure with exceptional quality photographs.
- Inside-front Covers: While wildlife studies are common, Gray’s also appreciates offbeat, quirky, or simply impressive photographs, preferably in vertical format for inside front covers.
Who can write for Gray’s Sporting Journal?
Gray’s Sporting Journal is on the lookout for a diverse array of contributors passionate about the great outdoors. 🏞️
Here’s who can share their stories:
- Established Writers: If your portfolio includes published work in hunting, fishing, or outdoor lifestyle, Gray’s is an excellent platform to extend your reach.
- Enthusiastic Amateurs: Talented storytellers with a deep understanding of the outdoor sporting world, even without professional writing experience, are welcome to submit their narratives.
- Hunters & Anglers: Individuals with rich experiences and insights from the field are encouraged to share their authentic stories that resonate with fellow enthusiasts.
- Outdoor Professionals: Guides, outfitters, and conservationists with specialized knowledge and firsthand experiences offer valuable perspectives that Gray’s readers appreciate.
How much can I earn with Gray’s?
- Features: Payments range from $600 to $1,250, determined by quality rather than length. 💰
- Yarns: On average, yarns fetch around $600.
- Poems: Each accepted poem earns $100.
- Photographs: Compensation varies between $50 to $300, depending on the usage.
- Expeditions: These pieces command $850 to $1,000 plus $75 per published picture.
- Photographic Essays: Negotiable upon publication, with the inside front cover offering $250.
Why should I write for Gray’s?
- Prestige & Recognition: Gray’s Sporting Journal is a revered publication in the outdoor sporting community. Contributing to it can significantly enhance your reputation as a writer or photographer, offering a platform that is respected for its quality and depth. ✨
- Engaged & Passionate Readership: Gray’s readers are deeply committed to the outdoor lifestyle, ensuring your work reaches an audience that truly appreciates and engages with content around hunting, fishing, and outdoor adventures.
- Competitive Compensation: With payment rates that reflect the quality of work rather than the length, Gray’s values and rewards your effort and creativity, offering competitive compensation for your contributions. 💰
- Opportunity for Diverse Contributors: Whether you’re an established professional, an enthusiastic amateur, or a seasoned outdoor expert, Gray’s offers a unique opportunity to share your experiences and insights with a wider audience, celebrating a broad spectrum of voices within the outdoor community.
- Editorial Excellence: Writing for Gray’s means being part of a publication known for its high standards, from vivid storytelling to stunning photography. It’s an opportunity to contribute to a legacy of editorial excellence, ensuring your work is part of a rich tapestry that entertains and informs sophisticated readers across the globe. 💎
Is Gray’s Sporting Journal worth it?
- Pros ✅ : The prestige of contributing to a highly regarded publication, competitive compensation, and the opportunity to reach an engaged, passionate readership deeply interested in the outdoor sporting lifestyle.
- Cons ❌ : High standards and niche focus can make it challenging to get published; writing for a discerning audience demands exceptional quality, and the magazine’s prestige means competition for space is intense.
Overall: Yes, Gray’s Sporting Journal is worth considering, especially if you have a strong passion for hunting, fishing, and the outdoor sporting lifestyle.
It offers a unique opportunity to showcase your work to an audience that values quality and depth in outdoor sporting literature and photography.
If you’re willing to meet the challenge of their high standards and can contribute unique, compelling content, Gray’s is an excellent platform to elevate your writing or photography career. 🚀
How do I get started?
- Submission Process: Submit complete manuscripts or photography portfolios via email. No queries – only polished, complete submissions are considered.
- For editorial submissions, email Editor-in-Chief Mike Floyd at mike.floyd@morris.com with “gray’s manuscript” in the subject line.
- For photography submissions, contact Art Director Wayne Knight at wayne.knight@morris.com with “gray’s photography” in the subject line.
- Cover Letter: Include a cover letter with your submission, clearly stating whether your piece is fact, fiction, a poem, or an expedition. Ensure your full contact information is on both your manuscript and cover letter.
- Patience is Key: Gray’s does not confirm receipt of submissions but reads every manuscript. Expect a response in 6 to 7 months, as the editorial team selects content 8-12 months ahead of publication. 🗓️
Final thoughts
Gray’s Sporting Journal represents an esteemed platform for those passionate about the outdoors and capable of crafting engaging stories or capturing stunning visuals in the realm of hunting and fishing.
While the journey to publication can be competitive and demanding, the rewards – both in terms of prestige, profit, and personal satisfaction – are significant.
If you’re driven by a love for the outdoors and possess the talent to translate that passion into compelling narratives or images, taking the leap to submit your work to Gray’s could be a remarkably rewarding endeavor.
Embrace the challenge, and you might just see your work featured in one of the most respected journals in the outdoor sporting community. 🌲🎣✨
