Guten Tag! Wie gehts? Danke gut. I have Germany on my mind today since our friend Iris, who is a native of Germany, is hosting today’s Carnival of Beauty. Be sure to bookmark her site and read through the ten submissions on the topic of “The Beauty of God’s Sovereignty.”

I’m not at all an expert on German language or culture, though I did plow through two years of der/die/das and German/English translation work in high school. Yet all I can remember is what we sang on Fridays in our class. If I ever go to Germany, I’ll actually be able to order a pizza, with lots of cheese — because that’s what I remember from one of those silly songs. (Actually, kind of useful, huh?)

I wanted to share with you all a great opportunity if you have an interest in German language and culture. There’s a magazine called German Life that is seeking good writing and photographs. If you’re a homeschooling parent who is teaching a unit on Germany, this might be an activity you could involve your whole family in. Or if you’re a teacher in a school, this may interest your whole class.

I KNOW many of you bloggers are incredible and PROLIFIC writers; in addition, some of you are also fabulous photographers.

Did you ever think that a magazine might be interested in paying you good money for your stories and photographs?

Most magazines use freelance writers for at least some of their content, and since they work several months in advance, now’s the time to be submitting fall story ideas.

Do you have an Oktoberfest in your area? If you’ve ever been to it and taken pictures, you could write something up and send it to German Life. Here’s some information from the magazine’s website about submissions:

“German Life is a bimonthly magazine, written for all interested in the diversity of German culture, past and present, and in the various ways that the United States has been shaped by its German element. The magazine is dedicated to solid reporting on cultural and historical events as well as travel information. ”

“Each issue of German Life is bound by our editorial calendar and seasonal events. The April/May issue deals with travel in Germany and other parts of German-speaking Europe. The June/July issue is primarily on German-American travel destinations. Our August/September issue includes Oktoberfest and educational pieces. Given scheduling restraints, we prefer that you submit your work several months prior to the appropriate issue. Deadlines will be given when the article topic is accepted.”

And payment? Is it possible to be paid for writing about something you love? YES! German Life is a well-paying publication, making it worth your time to research and write a great story:

“Payment is upon publication and ranges from $300 to $500 for feature articles, from $100 to $130 for reviews and short pieces, and up to $80 for fillers.”

If you have any kind of German festival or event in your hometown, you may have a great idea for a story or review — here’s something your kids could even help you with. If you’ve been studying Germany in school, why not go visit a German restaurant and write a review of it? Or read some brand new books about Germany and write reviews. If it fascinates you, chances are it might fascinate someone else — and this could be something you could write for German Life!

And I can’t resist passing along this information. On the topic of writing (one of my favorite subjects of course), have you ever considered becoming a travel writer? These are people who get PAID to travel to exotic places and write about their adventures. Well, here’s a quick plug for the Travel Writing program I took a couple of years ago.

So far, I haven’t traveled on assignment to faraway lands, but it’s given me new insight into discovering interesting places in my own state. Since finishing the course, I’ve become a regular contributing writer to a regional magazine that highlights travel, arts, and leisure in my area. I’ve enjoyed writing about our state parks, gardens, and other areas of interest. In fact, my editor wrote yesterday and asked if I’d like to work on an article featuring fun things for families to do this summer. (A topic I’m researching now anyway!)

Since graduating from the travel writing program, I’ve more than paid for the cost of my tuition. (In fact, I sold my second course assignment!) I’ve also learned that many places will offer writers and photographers free admission, meals, and overnight stays in exchange for publicity. Although I can’t do much international traveling right now because our children are so young, I dream of helping to fund future family trips through selling articles and photographs. And you can too!

In fact, you can become a travel writer right now by jotting things down when you’re visiting places in your hometown. If you go to a great restaurant, ask for a take-out menu. Describe the food you ate, and write a review of it. Your local newspaper is a great place to start. Or blog about it! (OK, Lauren, you’ve got me totally interested in that adorable coffee shop that serves plate-lickin’ good quiche!!)

For me, when I’m working on a story, it makes my senses come alive — I start noticing details that I would have missed. I overcome my naturally shy nature and start asking people questions. Having a notebook with me even seals some memories I would have forgotten. If you like to write fiction (as some of you do), being a travel writer will make your fictional stories more captivating because you’ll intrigue your readers with vivid detail (and you may even find a way to fund your research!)

Don’t forget to stop by Iris’s place today and tell her Guten Tag!