PUZZLE YOUR WAY INTO PRINT
The name under a puzzle may not look as "glamorous" as the byline under a short story or full-length article, but consider. Most children's magazines use from one to five each issue. Only a limited number of writers submit puzzles. Editors come to know puzzle constructor's names and become receptive to other genres of well-crafted writing.
Getting the urge to do some pencil work? Below are a few tips to help you start.
The prime requisite for constructing puzzles is to like working them. You may even have the best luck with puzzles similar to the type you like to solve. I say "may" because my own favorites, acrostics, are tricky to construct. I simply couldn't master construction when I started so I backtracked to children's puzzle types. I eventually did construct successful acrostics, but by that time I was hooked on puzzles for kids. Truth is, children like things that are new and different. So do I. So do children's magazine editors.
In the beginning, it's best to master the puzzle formats already in magazines, but it's when you come up with something new and different that your puzzles really begin to sell. A circle puzzle I came up with during my second or third year still outsells every other format I do.
Reference books are mandatory. Amass regular dictionaries, specialized dictionaries, crossword dictionaries, synonym finders and other word books (library book sales are good places to get these at little expense). I also like "Chases Calendar of Annual Events, holidays-around-the world books, quote books, odd fact books and historical chronologies. Since at least 90% of my puzzles are aimed at religious publications, I constantly use The Comparative Study Bible, which contains King James, Amplified, New American Standard and New International versions. I also keep The New Revised Standard, The Word, Good News, the Book of Mormon, a Bible concordance, Bible dictionaries and numerous Bible studies, Biblical quotation directories and histories.
Most magazines have detailed writer's guidelines available for SASE or online. Multi-Media had a book, "Creating Word Puzzles." I'm pretty sure it's out-of-print so look for it at used book stores (check amazon.com and other online stores.)
If you construct crosswords, word finds or other "general" puzzles, topical sells-Baseball, dance, holidays, disciples, women of the Bible, etc. Compile word lists you can use again and again. For religious markets, learn which Bible translation is preferred. Many religious markets also have theme lists-and don't buy puzzles on other subjects. Find those, too, online or by sending self-addressed, stamped envelopes to the magazine that aren't online.
The best way to sell puzzles is to deliver quality. Everything must be accurate. Even triple checking sometimes isn't enough, but consider it the minimum. Have children-even if you have to "borrow" boys and girls of the right ages-to work your puzzles before you mail them.
Manuscript preparation can be labor intensive. If you don't have a computerized drawing program, ink in every puzzle form. Neatly. Do drafts on graph paper, final copies on white paper with India ink or a high quality, ultra-fine point black marker. Use a ruler, pencil in the lines, then ink over. Erase penciling when thoroughly dry. Don't ink out of the lines and don't submit puzzles with smudged lines. Even before computers, most editors purchased only ready-to-print puzzles. What I did then was make photocopies of the blank forms to my own puzzle types. If you don't have your own copier, make sure the copy center or store you use always has fresh, dark ink.
If you have a computerized drawing program (Microsoft Word now contains basic drawing tools), set up all puzzle formats with the ruler/guides. Save each format. Then duplicate and change, as needed, when doing new puzzles. And use that drawing program to experiment! I can't draw worth a lick, but by trying to draw something vastly different (a gondola, I believe), I came up a baseball diamond puzzle format that wasn't around. I sold my first "Batter Up for the Lord" puzzle the first time out.
Children's magazines pay from $3 to $75 for puzzles. Most pay $10-$15. Not large checks, but puzzles do bring bylines and your name does become known in editorial offices. If you do enough puzzles and keep them in the mail, you can clear several hundred dollars a month.
There's only one warning. Puzzles can be addictive. Thirty years after drafting my first puzzle, I worked almost full time at puzzle and game books for a time. Loved every second of it, too. Truth is, I still can't believe I'm getting paid to have so much fun.