Medina 1

Daniela Medina
May 28, 2014
daniela-medina@live.com
Style Analysis
Word Count: 4762

Publication for cultural awareness and society

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I. Who am I?
Ive never been the type of girl who sits and writes endlessly. As a little girl, I
unsuccessfully attempted to keep track of my adventures using a diary. I never developed the
discipline to write or read for my daily enjoyment. Instead, I developed a passion for the arts that
eventually led to drawing in my sketchbook at seven in the morning, fingers uncovered, a light
jacket for easy movement, in the midst of 60 degree weather without ever feeling a desire to run
inside a building and hide from the cold. I could feel the peace wash over my body and leave me
in a state of tranquility as I prepared to begin my painting or drawing. The thought of how long it
has been since I was able to feel my passions come to life clenches my heart and weakens my
spirit.
Nevertheless, writing and analyzing aspects of world cultures has rekindled my spirit. Its
not the same type of passion that I feel for art, but rather a different facet of my desire to
communicate in a different way. It is only through writing that Im able to reflect on my own
life, my surroundings, and our society. Yes, I can paint, photograph, and draw a moment in time,
but I cant tell the viewer why its so important. Instead, my artwork would become guesswork
as observers attempt to find the hidden meaning.
I write to express those ideas that I cant seem to convey in paper. I want to publish work
that is highly based on my own personal perspective. I particularly enjoy writing reflections on
advertisement, media campaigns, and societies expectations. In addition, I would love to write
pieces based on a mixture of research and personal input. Research is one of my favorite
pastimes and its probably why I cant seem to get to the point of writing. I will research for
hours at a time on whatever topic grabs my attention. Ill read different perspectives,
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contradictory viewpoints, and reflect on my own bias and conclusions. The topics I particularly
enjoy researching range from language, gender, and societies double standards.

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II. Market Analysis
Publication #1: The Sun (Print)
Editors Name: Sy Safransky
Submission Guidelines:
They generally publish for essays, interviews, fiction, and poetry written from a
personal perspective. The work shouldnt be longer than seven thousand words but there
is no minimum length. The submission doesnt need a query letter, unless its an
interview, since theyre more interested on what you do with the topic. They are open to
reading previously published works but only pay about half their usual rate.
Their payment amount depends on the type of work that is submitted. The two highest
paying categories are essays and interviews and fiction. In addition, contributors receive a
complementary one-year subscription to the magazine. The purchase only gives The Sun
one-time usage rights.
They recommend taking a close look at the magazine prior to submission and give
you free access to a sample issue online. The submission itself should be typed, double-
spaced, and bring a self-addressed stamped envelope. They also recommend not sending
your only copy, since it wont be returned or respond unless the return envelope is
provided. They do not accept any emailed or faxed submissions. The submission must be
shipped to:
Editorial Department
The Sun
107 N. Roberson St.
Chapel Hill, NC 27416
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Publication #2: The Humanist (Print)
Editors Names: Maggie Ardiente and Jennifer Bardi
Submission Guidelines:
They accept unsolicited and simultaneous submissions, as well as queries. They
recommend the authors to look through the material published through the site in order to
understand their audience. They will usually publish timely articles rather than
philosophical ideas. However, they accept different work ranging from news, politics,
science, humor, poetry, short fiction, and cartoons.
The submission should be emailed to write@thehumanist.com. The work should
not be over 2,000 words if intended to publish on the website. Submissions for feature
articles for the magazine should be between 1,500 to 3,000 words. Columns should range
between 700 to 1,400 words, while editorials range from 500 to 1,500 words. All
submissions must full contact information such as address, phone, and email. They
should have a brief two to three sentence biographical statement (and headshot for online
submissions). Your submission should also specify if you would like it to be considered
for TheHumanist.com, the Humanist magazine, or both.
Their response time process varies so there will not be any individual critique or
explanation if the submission is rejected.

Publication #3: Pacific Standard (Print)
Editors Name: Maria Streshinsky
Submission Guidelines:
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They search for writers who can tell deeply reported, gripping tales while
plumbing the intellectual, theoretical, and empirical context that surrounds them. Their
topics of interest cover economics, education, society and justice, the environment. They
want their articles to be thought provoking in regards to individuals, institutions, cultures,
and behaviors.
They have different expectations for each section of their magazine. For their
online articles, they publish a variety of smart, fun storiesreported features, essays,
columns, and more that are relevant to recent news and events. The work must be
interesting enough to be shareable through social media and lead the reader to visit the
site for daily reading.
If the submission is for a feature stories, they have a wide variety of acceptable
material. They enjoy vividly reported stories or profiles embedded with interesting
research, personal essays grounded on cultural or social experience, ideas that change the
way we look at the world, or evidence-driven polemics that gleefully run against the
grain of convention. Their favorite pieces are those filled with research and data to help
the reader comprehend a misunderstood subject.
Submissions for the Prospectors, on the other hand, should be between 700 to
800 words. The concepts must be new and outlandish but promising or simply a little
off beat. For the Five Studies column, it must consist of a short introduction, and five
150-word descriptions of a piece of research. The research must achieve a new
understanding on a popular subject. The subjects should usually build on each other and
written in a fun tone.
The cultural essays or economic submissions should be between1,200 and 2,000
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words. It should give the reader a new way to think about the topic and understand the
social science literature that pertains to the subject. Book essays should link books into a
specific social or behavioral science standpoint. The books can be academic or popular
but must have ability to be harnessed for a broad lay audience.
Lastly, they accept submissions for their back page. It must be a short personal
narrative essay about the interaction between a big social or behavioral pattern and a
personal experience. It should be a sort of introspective autobiography with gemlike
writing of 700 words.
All submissions must be innovative and conscious of jargon. Writers receive
careful, thoughtful, collegial, and stringent editing, with the aim of making sophisticated
ideas and research accessible to an educated public.
All queries should be sent via email. Print submissions should be sent to
editor@psmag.com and online pitches should be sent to njackson@psmag.com.

Publication #4: sojourners (Print)
Editors Name: Jim Wallis
Submission Guidelines:
They request writers to send a query letter of 400 words or less instead of the
manuscript itself. They must be addressed as magazine query in the subject line of the
email, include the query in the body of the message rather than an attachment. The query
must specify the desire to include the article in the magazine instead of their blog. It must
also assure the editor that the article has not been published elsewhere or been submitted
to another publication simultaneously. In addition, it should have a two to three sentence
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description of yourself, your address, phone number, and email address. If submitted via
mail, a self-addressed and stamped envelope must be included with the query.
The articles must treat biblical, social, political, economic, theological,
community or church themes from a Christian perspective. If speaking about a problem,
solutions within the article are encouraged. Gender-neutral language is also important
when writing.
The feature articles must be between 1,200 to 2,800 words while commentaries
are 400 to 600 words on public events. However, commentaries are prepared three
months in advance and other articles are curated six months in advance. Current events
would pertain to the blog. Reading of previous magazines is encouraged.
Book, film, or music reviews must be sent to reviews@sojo.net. They length
should be between 500 to 1,000 words. Unpublished poems can only be sent to the postal
address below. They should intersect with or illuminate the perspective of the magazine,
reflect simple celebrations of life and beauty, or reference a season or significant day.
They do not accept prose fiction though.
Response to queries takes four weeks or more while manuscripts of poems and
reviews take eight weeks or more. The editors might edit the article after submission.
They assume they will be able to reprint the article. The payment ranges from $50 to
$400. Their address is:
Sojourners
3333 14th St. NW
Suite 200
Washington, DC 20010
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Publication #5: Harpers (Print)
Editors Name: Ellen Rosenbush
Submission Guidelines:
The magazine accepts nonfiction and unsolicited fiction and poetry. Nonfiction
queries should be sent to:
Harpers Magazine
666 Broadway
11th Floor
New York, NY 10012
They should include a self-addressed, stamped envelope. If the manuscripts are
unsolicited, the magazine will not return them. Same rules apply to unsolicited poetry.
Submissions are not accepted through email. The magazine will neither consider nor
return unsolicited nonfiction manuscripts.

Publication #6: Yes! Magazine (Print)
Editors Name: Doug Pibel and Christa Hillstrom
Submission Guidelines:
They welcome submissions that relate to creating a more just, sustainable, and
compassionate world. They contain a section of articles focused on solutions to
ecological, social, and political problems. The stories must be written in a storytelling
structure and must contain accurate facts. In addition, they accept stories of positive
change to serve as inspiration for others.
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They do not accept unsolicited poetry or fiction. Personal essays can be
considered if they touch on issues of culture, politics, or the environment. The essay
doesnt need to be founded on any specific faith or secularism.
The payment for submissions varies depending on the circumstance. If the article
is published online, its generally unpaid. The work will also be able to be reprinted and
translated.
All queries and proposals should be sent electronically. Features should be
between 1,000 to 2,500 words in length, while sidebars range from 100 to 250, and
commentary section of 500.

Publication #7: Aeon Magazine (Online)
Editors Name: Marina Benjamin and Pan Weintraub
Submission Guidelines:
They enjoy submissions like reportage and essays especially when its about an
innovative concept. They dont accept submissions for fiction or poetry.
They ask to send electronically a half-page pitch, sketching out the entire outline
of the piece to editorial@aeonmagazine.com. In the pitch, they would like the writer to
include a bit about who they are and what connection they have to the topic. They would
also like suggestions as to where the article should be placed in the website. Lastly, they
would like samples of published writing.

Publication #8: Orion magazine (Online)
Editors Names: Jennifer Sahn and Andrew Blechman
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Submission Guidelines:
Submissions must distinguish themselves from common culture through depth of
inquiry, commitment to interdisciplinary thought, and emphasis on imaginative problem
solving. Unsolicited essays, narrative nonfiction, interviews, and short fiction themed on
nature, culture, and place are welcome.
Feature pieces should range between 1,200 words to 5,000. Prior understanding
and reading of the magazine is requested. Submissions are accepted three times a year
during a specific window. Only one submission is allowed per person in each window. If
it is submitted in another publication, they must be notified.
Response time can be anywhere from three months or longer wait time. The
Orion prefers manuscripts and queries to be sent online, but hard copy submissions can
be sent to:
Submissions Editor
Orion
187 Main Street Great
Barrington, Massachusetts 01230

Publication #9: The Awl (Online)
Editors Name: Alex Balk and CHoire Sicha
Submission Guidelines:
They review proposals and pre-written stories. They dont care about word count.
They would rather publish work under their real names for accountability. They dont
want previously published work. However, they encourage sending work out to top-
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paying publications prior to submitting it to them. Most of the work submitted is
nonfiction but short fiction and fiction are sometimes accepted.
They are primarily interested on observed nonfiction or cultural studies.
Submissions should examine history, media affairs, strange occurrences, and ideas. It
can include data, interviews, profiles of individuals or institutions, or giving deeper
insights on topics of interest. They particularly enjoy series that help explain a facet of
history.
Any content that is submitted from a first person perspective should document an
unusual experience that illuminates an obscure, private or alien event, profession or
affair so that it connects with the audience in agreement for the experience.
They can be contacted via email at notes@theawl.com.

Publication #10: Conscious Magazine (Online)
Editors Name: Kristen Kumpf
Submission Guidelines:
They enjoy stories of people who work boldly above and beyond their everyday
responsibilities to inspire other. They include information about local and global
problems along with a solution. They focus on places to go, things to do and buy that
gives back. They really want to highlight a conscious culture in regards to style, travel,
dining, lifestyle, and more. Their writing guidelines are very concise. The submissions
must be done through their online form. The writing must be creative, educational, and
conversational with a word count of 300 to 500 for online submissions. If any other
websites are mentioned in the submission, the links must be provided.
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III. Introduction
I always saw consumer magazines to be cheap, unreliable, and irrelevant. At least, the
initial image I would come up with at the mention of the word magazine led me to imagine
such bland and disappointing images focused around celebrity gossip. Yes, I was aware high end
magazines existed and had better content but they were still filled with an overwhelming amount
of advertisement that I didnt find relevant to my taste. Ive always had a hard time finding
individuals who have the same sort of perspective as me, so a magazine dedicated to discussing
cultural issues seemed pretty far-fetched.
The two magazines I chose are a reflection of what I love, what Im curious about, and
what I hope to research in the future. Pacific Standard was the type of magazine you always
come back for because nothing else compared to it. It was the third magazine I picked up, and it
was the only one I have subscribed for. I couldnt help explore the magazine further as the main
topic of the magazine in the middle read Does The Science Of Human Behavior Only Show Us
What We Want To See? The idea of reading and writing about human behavior, life-
hacking, and intellectual crisis in the age of TED talks spoke to my inner passions. The most
interesting fact about the cover was the fact that they didnt place much emphasis on what the
publication was about. Instead, it seemed to focus on the content rather than the medium, seeing
as the purpose of the magazine was written in a slightly bigger font as the price.
It was the art, finish, and aesthetic value of the magazine itself that sold me on making a
purchase. I was hypnotized by the beautiful cover that showcased digitally created watercolor
shapes overlapping one another in dark blue, light blue, and pink hues, perfectly symmetrical on
both sides, with an upside down heart revealing white space with hints of pinks, with the main
topic written in white for a dramatic, clean, and modern effect.
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My online publication, aeon magazine, also has these same types of characteristics and
style. The home page is also mostly white with bright, simple, and vivid photographs and
graphics to accompany each of the feature articles. Every article is separated by at least a quarter
inch of white space to allow the viewer to shift topics easily from reading about philosophy to
art to scientific discoveries. The articles themselves were very clear as to what kind of time
would be expected for each article since the word count was clearly labeled and ranged from
1,700 to 3,700.
As Ive established previously, visuals are one of the most important factors when
deciding where I would like to publish. However, it is the type of content, tone, and length of
articles that gives me the opportunity to write for them or not. A lot of magazines only accept
submissions up to 2,000 words for feature articles, which can be a bit limiting if you are hoping
to include your own ideas and research. The fact that the World Views section of the website
was filled with articles of my interest of different aspects of culture ranging in topics of beauty,
ethics, and language gave me the final nod of approval.

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IV. Subjects Covered in Publications: Cultural Human Behaviors
Pacific Standards editor, Maria Streshinsky, defines the work showcased in the
magazine as stories illuminated by empirical research. The magazine goes through a wide
range of topics ranging from economics, to languages, to the school systems, to movies, to
subcultures. It essentially deals with different aspects of our lives and the way in which its
influenced by different factors. The authors vary greatly and each have a very distinctive writing
style as they separate ideas to conform to each particular section and overall theme of the
magazine.
One of the feature articles essentially sets the tone for the magazine. The editor explains
that Jerry Adlers story, The Reformation, brought to life the issues that the popularity of
social and behavioral sciences have encountered. The most important point made was the amount
of reliable information being sacrificed for inaccurate and exciting news. It recalled a need to
depict data honestly and to stop glorifying the single study.
Going in the pattern, another article references the need to re-examine not only new data
but previously published information. The article titled A Dozen Words for Misunderstood
reviews published data on the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis, adds research, and forms an
uncomfortable yet innovative idea. Different authors in this medium focus on different sections
of the human mind. Rachel Levin focuses on the changing mentality of gratuity and technology
in regards to dining. Jennifer Ouellette informs us of her experience understanding the law of
perception as a path that somehow transcends our own way of looking at the world through
filmography. The stories in the magazine do not necessarily build upon each other, but they do
deal with the core of the magazine: human behavior.
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Aeon Magazine places a general focus on ideas and culture and divides its articles
within five different sections. Their major themes are World Views, Nature & Cosmos,
Being Human, Living Together, and Altered States. These themes explore a variety of
topics ranging from belief systems, culture explorations, scientific discoveries, psychology,
anatomy, and even imagination. Their categories are quite broad which explains why they have
275 contributors. The most interesting fact about these writers is that they are not only based in
their England. Instead, they are contributors from around the globe with different professions and
expertise. These authors emerge from the corners of Latin America, Africa, Australia, India, and
the United States, among others.
The sections allow for a wide variety of content, viewpoints, and ideas even if it does
regard the same topic. What stands out when comparing this particular online publication to
other magazines is their ability to publish different writers, with different styles, and tones, yet
blend them into the same basic idea. For instance, in the World Views section, an article
Beauty Truth is written as an essay from a critical perspective of sciences version of beauty,
while Automated Ethics analyses the ethical issues of creating technology without the
involvement of human control, leaving technology without human control. At the same time,
another article is written from a reflective perspective titled Return to Nibs Knoll where the
author wishes to play a game where language is all you need. If you can write, it can be real. A
theme also referenced by Ben Faccini from a nostalgic perspective and appreciation for
bilingualism and multilingualism.

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V. Audience of Publications: Educated, Modern, & Forward Thinkers
Pacific Standards cover art is reminiscent of contemporary art. An art style that has
become popular in the last couple of years due to its sleekness, clean lines, modernity, and
emphasis on color. An image and idea reflected on Aeon, where white space holds five different
deep and rich colored text as it jumps off the page accompanied by contrasting, bright, colorful
photographs and paintings. The design of both magazines focuses on giving the reader easy
access to the content. This type of artwork would not be seen to have much value for older
generations though since they would favor classic and subtle artwork.
The individuals who read the Pacific Standard have a passion for changing the world.
The few advertisements in the magazine revolve around topics of the fundamental rights to a
healthy environment, books with the power to change the world, magazines encouraging free
speech, and attempts to create funds for college and medical needs of children. These types of
advertisements are geared towards upper middle class individuals. This becomes clear, as one of
the advertisements lowest suggested amount is fifty dollars. A different tactic to the
advertisements geared towards lower-income individuals, who are asked for money by using a
division of the amounts in cents or one dollar per day.
The fact that both magazines showcase long essays, interviews, and personal works leads
me to believe, the main audience is one with higher education. These types of individuals usually
search for deeper knowledge rather than the basic snippets of information commonly given in the
news or popular magazines. The words used in the written works themselves were also quite
sophisticated. One of the articles from Aeon used works such as ubiquitousness, tendrils,
besuited, and rudiments, which would leave the average individual searching for the closest
dictionary.
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I find it hard to imagine than an audience younger than 20 without any college education,
would be interested or enjoy this type of work. Recent graduates might not be the perfect
audience either though as they struggle to settle into their own independence. I would estimate
the ages of the target audience to be between the ages of 25 to 35. A secondary audience could
include older and mature men around 55 to 65 who are interested in a progressive future. Pacific
Standard might be geared towards individuals living in the United States but Aeon focuses on a
worldwide audience as it reflects the backgrounds of the writers themselves.
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VI. Purpose of Publications: Create innovation
A reader might initially pick up Pacific Standard out of curiosity and desire to learn other
viewpoints. Those who grab it might gravitate towards the graphics, the same way I did, or
maybe its the matte finish of the cover, or simply the topic being discussed. The expectations
are not those of a quick read considering the complexity of the topic and the fact that they
separate themselves from others by focusing on the science of society. Science is never short
but always complex and explained by research. Its geared to educate and discuss topics that
affect the society we live in. The cover implies that there are analyses created from data. Its not
a matter of putting facts on paper, but rather relating them to the culture that we are part of. Its
the type of magazine you would read on a mid-afternoon tea session filled with relaxation and
time to allow innovative ideas to resonate within your mind.
Aeon cant be picked up but it can be subscribed to for daily doses of new content of
original ideas. This is not the type of website you happen to stumble upon. It took me about six
hours to find it and culture was one of my key words. Im fairly sure it was due to the fact that
the magazine is actually curated in London. Once you find it, the expectations are very clear as
to how long you would need to read for, as each article clearly stated the word count. The
website also gives you an expectation of innovative ideas as it touches on a wide range of
scientific findings, cultural discoveries, and artistic profiles.
Both of these magazines have a unique approach to learning about the world around us.
They both emphasize the need for innovative thinking and ideas as a way to shape modern
society. Their readers are searching for this same type of information conveyed in a very
personal, knowledgeable, and accurate approach.

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VII. Writing Style of Publications: Storytelling Research
The voice of each publication varies as the author and topic shifts. Pacific Standard
emphasizes a need to connect to the audience on a personal level. They usually start their stories
from a personal perspective and slowly go into detail about the topic they want to cover. For
instance, The Lottery by Jessica Hopper starts off with a tone of uncertainty. She describes the
way in which getting into preschool seemed mythological but once the child was accepted it
became a struggle of wondering aloud whether to drive the Bentley or the Benz. This sentence
on its own shows us how important, exclusive, and rare good education is in Chicago.
We also see this type of storytelling technique in articles such as The Wretched Table
where transitions and starting sentences with And keep the reader engaged. She begins
describing her own experience dining with her friend, but then turns the attention to the research
conducted where its concluded that a lot of the moral issues on how we should live our life is
on food. She never says its been published in a particular journal, but rather gives her friend
credibility by introducing her and telling the audience that she received a MacArthur Fellowship
in 1998.
The magazine doesnt only do this while analyzing a long article, but also during short
columns labeled as quick study. In a particular section about Mac and PC, the author manages
to connect to their audience through by negating the idea that the computer you use says a lot
about your personality. He quickly recounts a research study done regarding this, and
summarizes it without much detail, as laptops do not form part of a humans identity. Aeon also
uses storytelling techniques in the same manner although not necessarily so personal but more
from an analytical perspective. Between the two, I would most likely be able to publish my work
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on the online source since I feel the categories of the Pacific Standard to be confining, where as
Aeon gives you more freedom.
Im still developing my own writing style so I would need to practice quite a bit before I
would be able to submit any work. For the last couple of years, I have created essays by
drowning myself in research and writing based on my investigation. Only until recently was I
able to find my voice and begin writing with the letter I which seems to be key when relating
on a personal level with the audience.
My future creations wouldnt need to focus so much on the tone itself but rather the
rhythm of the essay. The articles for these magazines are based on research that is embedded into
the stories themselves, not the other way around. Storytelling is essential when creating work for
any of these publications. Once I master these writing methods, I would love to have interviews
with individuals from different cultures based on scholarly research and ask them to verify or
deny the of conclusions made by outsiders. Both of these publications call for new ideas or
innovation. I believe that if we are to study culture we cannot simply repeat what outsiders view
to represent a culture. Instead, we must go to the source and make sure that the information that
is shared through print or online mediums is accurate. These magazines study culture in their
behavioral and social aspects so they would be the perfect forum to initiate a conversation filled
with truth and zero speculation.